Another fab cooking and art week at the Palacio de Piedras Albas in Trujillo.
Lots of fun, lots going on. We went to a few concerts at the classical music fiesta and Corpus Christi was celebrated on Sunday, we had the best view of the procession from the loggia of the palacio.
For more details of our cooking holidays in Trujillo and Finca al-manzil
www.cooking-extremadura.blogspot.com
News from Finca al-manzil, Extremadura. Accommodation. Life on the finca, local trips and longer voyages
Showing posts with label Trujillo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trujillo. Show all posts
Thursday 3 July 2014
COOKING HOLIDAY AT THE PALACIO, TRUJILLO, EXTREMADURA
Sunday 29 June 2014
CORPUS CHRISTI IN TRUJILLO
On a Sunday during our June cooking and art week at the Palacio de Piedras Albas was the celebration of Corpus Christi.
We were so lucky to experience the whole fiesta in the streets and from the loggia of the palacio, the very best place to observe the plaza.
PLAZA MAYOR IN THE EARLY MORNING, SOON THE PREPARATIONS START……
ROSE PETALS, CYPRUS AND ROSEMARY ARE SCATTERED IN FRONT OF THE SHRINES
SHRINES ARE ERECTED WITH SYMBOLS OF THE FEAST, EUCHERIST, ANGELS AND STARS
CHILDREN APPEAR IN THE STREETS DRESSED FOR THEIR FIRST COMMUNION
SANTA MARIA CHURCH FILLS WITH PROUD PARENTS AND ANGELIC CHILDREN
AFTER THE CEREMONY THE PROCESSION LED BY AN ANCIENT PRIEST PROCEEDS THROUGH THE TOWN TO THE VARIOUS SHRINES
THE PROCESSION REACHES THE PLAZA AND THE SHRINE BELOW THE PALACIO
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL VIEW FROM THE LOGGIA
THE GIRLS SCATTER ROSE PETALS IN CELEBRATION
We were so lucky to experience the whole fiesta in the streets and from the loggia of the palacio, the very best place to observe the plaza.
PLAZA MAYOR IN THE EARLY MORNING, SOON THE PREPARATIONS START……
ROSE PETALS, CYPRUS AND ROSEMARY ARE SCATTERED IN FRONT OF THE SHRINES
SHRINES ARE ERECTED WITH SYMBOLS OF THE FEAST, EUCHERIST, ANGELS AND STARS
CHILDREN APPEAR IN THE STREETS DRESSED FOR THEIR FIRST COMMUNION
SANTA MARIA CHURCH FILLS WITH PROUD PARENTS AND ANGELIC CHILDREN
AFTER THE CEREMONY THE PROCESSION LED BY AN ANCIENT PRIEST PROCEEDS THROUGH THE TOWN TO THE VARIOUS SHRINES
THE PROCESSION REACHES THE PLAZA AND THE SHRINE BELOW THE PALACIO
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL VIEW FROM THE LOGGIA
THE GIRLS SCATTER ROSE PETALS IN CELEBRATION
Monday 14 October 2013
A WEEK IN OCTOBER: COOKING AND ART AT THE WONDERFUL PALACIO DE PIEDRAS ALBAS IN TRUJILLO
We moved into the palacio one day early to set up the kitchen and Noelle's art supplies; many boxes and crates later we had a chance to explore our domain for the week.
The original building is from the middle of the 16th century, one of the fine palacios built beyond the medieval/ moorish walls of the old town with riches brought back from the new world.The rough and desparate men who had set off from Trujillo became the notorious conquistadors of Mexico, Peru and Colombia, some survived and returned with unimaginable wealth and a desire to display their new found status, there was a rapid expansion and development of the area which would become the plaza that we know today dominated by a statue of the arch-conquistador Francisco Pizarro riding a snorting war horse, the Incas must have been terrified out of their wits, never having seen a horse before the advent of the Spanish.
Not surprisingly the palacio has gone through many changes over 480 years. It was so interesting to explore the building and try to work out the progress of the architectural changes. The main entrance door is under the arcades of the plaza which were built some time after the palacio, the emblematic porch was added to the front of the house on top of the new arcades, hard to imagine the house without the enthralling addition of the Florentine style porche, a far more austere affair.
The main door would have been for horse access to the inner courtyard and the main stone stairs leading to the upper floor, the equivalent of the piano noble in an Italian palacio. It's a shame the balconies around the courtyard have been made into inner corridors with doors and windows painted in the ubiquitous brown gloss paint, circa 1940, it all adds historical interest and the unpretentious feel of the house, it feels like a family house that has evolved not a 16th century style fantasy.
Many rooms on the ground floor are vast empty spaces of little interest except that they lead into the magical gardens at the back with a swimming pool built into what was once the stable yard, the massive stone mangers still exist in the stable, now a cool whitewashed space for outside dining.
The first floor has many bedrooms tucked into the building in a fairly eccentric fashion, a flow of reception rooms with beautiful coffred wooden ceilings, an eclectic collection of furniture, many Spanish colonial paintings of virgins and saints; dining room, drawing room and another reception room that leads to the wonderful porche with stunning views of the plaza and ancient town climbing up towards the castle; towers, pinnacles, spires and gardens cascading over high walls.
A delight from dawn to dusk and into the starlit night, a perfect people watching viewpoint. One evening we saw the pilgrims to Guadalupe ride into the plaza, an echo of what the plaza looked like in past times before motor power, full of horse traffic congregating around the central fountain.
Noelle and I were lucky enough to have some charming guests, all from the U.S.A. We had a week of cooking and sketching and exploring other historical towns, Montanchez (famous for jamon), Merida and Caceres, plus a visit to the Wolf Vostell museum near Caceres, all experienced with interest and then back to the palacio for another great dinner on the porche.
It took all day to prepare with much stirring of chocolate mole, grinding of spices, pressing of tortillas, roasting of peppers and baking of delectable cakes and pastries............a triumph, all made with the foods brought back to Europe, and specifically Extremadura, at the beginning of the 16th century tomatoes, potatoes, yams, maize, avocados, sunflowers, squash, quinoa, turkey, peppers, cacao, beans ( we ignored the guinea pigs) and some foods introduced to the new world by the conquistadors such as citrus fruits, cheeses, jamon and wheat, chicken, pork, beef, mutton and goat. Here follows our menu.
Braised Chicken with Oaxacan Chocolate Mole and chile pepper sauce
Quesadillas -Tortillas made with masa harina corn flour and cheese
Roasted vegetables- squash, tomatoes, fennel, sunflower seeds, potatoes and yams.
Lima beans with spices and herbs and choriço
Guacamole with cashew nuts
Quinoa and rice with garlic and herb salsa
Prawns in a tomatillo salsa verde
Chocolate cakes with a pimenton sauce
Orange and almond cake with chocolate
Lots of coffee and Tequilla
Sunday 29 July 2012
A BAROQUE EVENING IN TRUJILLO
Two reasons I booked tickets for this concert; first I love baroque music and second I could finally get inside the palacio San Carlos in Trujillo. So many times I have gazed up at it's dusty exterior wondering what lay hidden behind the monumental walls.
All dressed up complete with the essential concert goers accessories in Spain, a fan and a man, I entered the massive door into a candlelit lobby which led into the open courtyard of the palacio where the concert would take place.
An impressive space which easily held the 300 people audience. The architecture held no surprises except in the scale which was vast and the extent of recent renovations which for once were sympathetic, leaving the austerely classical bones of the 16th century building exposed, all was lit dramatically and I was very happy gazing around whilst waiting for the start of the concert.
The London Soloists are a group of 14 musicians; 8 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, a double bass and a harpsicord and they make very sweet music. Lots of old favourites, Pachebel's canon, some Bach, some Handel and as the grande finale Vivaldi's four seasons (again). I still love the whole thing, brings back memories throughout my life in so many different situations
There was a long interval before the 4Ss which took place in the huge walled area at the back of the palacio. The music festival had been sponsored by Habla, a local bodega in Trujillo producing some very upmarket wine, I was happy to see tables loaded with the distinctive Habla bottles and very generous supplies freely flowing as well as some nice tapas. The views up to the floodlit castle were beautiful. Unfortunately photos are not too good, only had my phone with me, the one of me in the garden is terribly blurred, maybe just as well but you can still see a fairly inane grin, I think I was enjoying the evening!
All dressed up complete with the essential concert goers accessories in Spain, a fan and a man, I entered the massive door into a candlelit lobby which led into the open courtyard of the palacio where the concert would take place.
An impressive space which easily held the 300 people audience. The architecture held no surprises except in the scale which was vast and the extent of recent renovations which for once were sympathetic, leaving the austerely classical bones of the 16th century building exposed, all was lit dramatically and I was very happy gazing around whilst waiting for the start of the concert.
The London Soloists are a group of 14 musicians; 8 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, a double bass and a harpsicord and they make very sweet music. Lots of old favourites, Pachebel's canon, some Bach, some Handel and as the grande finale Vivaldi's four seasons (again). I still love the whole thing, brings back memories throughout my life in so many different situations
There was a long interval before the 4Ss which took place in the huge walled area at the back of the palacio. The music festival had been sponsored by Habla, a local bodega in Trujillo producing some very upmarket wine, I was happy to see tables loaded with the distinctive Habla bottles and very generous supplies freely flowing as well as some nice tapas. The views up to the floodlit castle were beautiful. Unfortunately photos are not too good, only had my phone with me, the one of me in the garden is terribly blurred, maybe just as well but you can still see a fairly inane grin, I think I was enjoying the evening!
Labels:
Culture,
Excursion from Finca al-manzil,
Music,
things to do,
Trujillo
Monday 4 April 2011
TRUJILLO en fiesta...the V century anniversary of Francisco de Orellana.
Last weekend there were 3 days of fiesta in Trujillo to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Francisco de Orellana the conquistador mainly concerned with the exploration of the Amazon, the palace that he built is still an impressive reminder of the riches that arrived back in Trujillo from the New World.
The plaza was transformed into a colourful market with plenty of animated performances of a suitable 16th century theme.
There were plenty of food stalls selling hefty portions of migas and comida del pobre.
Lovely spices, herbs and incense , hand made boots, pottery and a Moroccan stall selling sticky honey and nut cakes and mint tea.
The whole plaza was decorated with banners and flags and naturally crowded with hundreds of people and lots of niños enjoying the pony rides and carrousels. It was a good atmosphere and we stayed until quite late before taking the windy road back home.
Labels:
Excursion from Finca al-manzil,
Fiesta,
Trujillo
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