A VISIT TO LA VERA

Last week we had an invitation for dinner and a stay in La Vera. Very welcome as we can rarely get away from the finca in the Summer when we have all our lovely guests staying but we thought we could risk one night away, I am so happy we went, it was most delightful.
 A fast journey through Trujillo, up the motorway and then branching off through lush tobacco fields on the lower slopes of the Gredos with the impressive silhouette of the highest peak, Pico Almanzor looming in the distance. How many villages are there with La Vera in their name? Very many but finally we came to Villanueva de la Vera our meeting point with Cristóbal at his Baraka Café, a local Muslim community project, not only running the café and restaurant but also hosting film and musical events  with  occasional conferences  and  lectures, also a regular Sunday morning farmers' market on the patio.    http://www.barakadelavera.com/
It was very hot despite being in the mountains but there is water everywhere edged with verdant ferns and undergrowth. We followed a dusty camino along the side one of the many river gargantas (gorges)  of the sierra, deep into the mountains. Thankfully we knew there was going to be a lovely cool swim in a natural swimming pool worn out of the rocks by the mountain stream.
First we dropped our things off at the stone house where we would be staying, how charming it looked set in its GREEN lawn, everything was GREEN, a wonder for us coming from our golden Summer landscape further South.

(It was certainly a great experience to wake up the following day with early morning sunlight filtering through the trees, enjoying breakfast on the beautiful balcony, all the ironwork is designed and made by Cristóbal using a laser cutting technique.)

We continued further up the track to Alicia and  Cristóbal's house set in more greenery with stupendous views of rolling hills and up to dramatic mountain scenery, a lovely family home that has grown from an original stone farmhouse.

After greeting Alicia and some other guests we almost ran down the winding steep slope to the river below and the enticing clear cool water. What bliss! I swam in one place against the strong current, delicious, but Manfred couldn't resist the natural stone chute which propelled him rather swiftly from one pool to the next.

More people arrived and there was much conviviality, good food and wine under pristine stars of the sierra. Much later, back to the comfort of our little house in the woods and a good sleep.

Before getting back to our Summer duties at Finca al-manzil we went up to say goodbye and see the wonders of the stone circle, sculpture garden and of course Cristóbal's studio .
Cristóbal is a sculptor, mainly using the lost wax technique for bronze sculptures but also works in stone, wood and iron, his studio is a treasure house of stunning objects arranged in seemingly haphazard groups which exude an exotically precious aura.

 Nature is an obvious inspiration; goats, dogs, lions, toads, whales,chameleons, armadillos and dragonflies are scattered in profusion as well as simple organic shapes. My favourite piece was a group of three beautiful objects vaguely like giant sharks teeth, all bronze but with different treatments giving three different textures and tones but all the same shape. Bronze books open to pages of Adam and Eve; Arabic calligraphy and geometric designs are a favourite theme. You can see more here www.cristobalsculpt.com

Just before we departed we walked a little way up the hill, past the sculpture garden, past the stables and the small meadow set up for archery practise on horseback, a little further and we came to a plateau with an extensive stone circle, the stones were not very massive but had apparently been placed with due ceremony and appropriate chantings by a Hopi Indian on a visit from America, according to him the place had a very strong spiritual force. This is not uncommon in the mountains where ancient people made their refuges.
  Time to say goodbye to this magic place with promises to get together again in the Autumn.

On our way home we stopped at the Monastery of Yuste which is very close.
http://www.spain.info/en/conoce/monumentos/caceres/monasterio_de_yuste.html
 Once again I was impressed by the wonderfully peaceful situation, buried in deepest woods. In the 16th century a remote and inaccessible place chosen by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V  to retire from his vast empire, the most powerful ruler on earth lived his last years in relative simplicity still plagued by chronic gout.

 The special chair for supporting his gouty foot is on exhibition as well as the incredibly small bed positioned so he could hear mass through a door looking on to the high altar, this room is hung with deepest black velvet curtains, the originals described by a visitor before the Emperor's death in 1558.
We arrived home to the finca to find that all was well, everyone happy........so we look forward to our next quick little getaway.
In the meantime here is an extract from one of Federico García Lorca's most beautiful collection of  ballads,  Romancero Gitano, it reminds me of La Vera, green and mysterious.
This is a fragment from the ballad Romance Sonámbulo   http://usuaris.tinet.cat/picl/libros/glorca/gl002500.htm#04

Verde que te quiero verde.
Verde viento. Verdes ramas.
El barco sobre la mar
y el caballo en la montaña.
Con la sombra en la cintura
ella sueña en su baranda
verde carne, pelo verde,
con ojos de fría plata.
Verde que te quiero verde.
Bajo la luna gitana,
las cosas la están mirando
y ella no puede mirarlas.

Verde que te quiero verde.
Grandes estrellas de escarcha,
vienen con el pez de sombra
que abre el camino del alba.
La higuera frota su viento
con la lija de sus ramas,
y el monte, gato garduño,
eriza sus pitas agrias.
¿Pero quién vendrá? ¿Y por dónde...?
Ella sigue en su baranda,
verde carne, pelo verde,
soñando en la mar amarga.

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!

Trip to Marvao and Castelo de Vide in Portugal

Size Matters?
The Menhir da Meada is the tallest in Iberia standing at over 7m. Wow!

clustered around the imosing hills are over 50 megalithic remains

 including dolmens, menhirs and cycloliths, making this one of the megalithic hot-spots of Portugal.

Extremadura with Five Senses- Gives a good impression of the wonderful nature

A SHORT BREAK IN SIERRA DE FRANCIA- CASTILLA -LEON

Miranda del Castañar, many houses painted with geometric designs

Sierra de Francia is an area bordering Las Hurdes in the north of Extremadura, it takes about 2 hours to reach from Finca al-manzil. Almost the whole area has been declared an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,an area of outstanding natural beauty and cultural interest. We were certainly impressed by the gorgeous woodlands including a rich variety of trees; cork and ilex oaks, pine, alder, chestnut, beech and birch as well as numerous orchards of fruit trees, particularly cherry. As one winds around the lanes of the sierra there are stupendous vistas of the Gredos, still with snow at this time of the year.

Gredos

 A network of ancient paths connects the villages, very well signposted, easy walking through the woods and orchards but we were literally led along a primrose (and violet) path having been misdirected by a mischievous old man in blue overalls who emerged out of nowhere to send us off through a very wild wood which ended in a bog. I think he was duende, a goblin. Still it was a  lovely walk.

The villages themselves are delightful, they have a vivid resonance of a different age, almost all intact within the original walls, hardly any new development. Some of the houses are very ramshackle, almost ruinous, crumbling away in narrow twisting lanes. Peering into the dark, musty interiors gives a real feeling of past centuries, interesting to experience but maybe not to live in. The architecture is mainly wooden beam and lathe construction with brick and some stone. The history of the area is interesting. The villages were originally developed by Moors no doubt because of the abundant water and fertility of the land. Some of them remained after the reconquest in the XIII century becoming Mozarabes but continuing with traditions, particularly in the decorative arts and musical instruments.  Mozarabe influence can be seen in some church interiors and I think, rather fancifully maybe, that the bold geometric painting on some houses looks very Moroccan, these designs can be seen in Moroccan rugs, ceramics and clothing today. During the fiestas the traditional costumes of the women include extraordinary necklaces made of coral and amber with heavy filigree work, just as one still sees today at Moroccan festivities

 http://corrobladebailes.blogspot.com.es/2011/07/el-traje-de-vistas-albercano.html 

 After the reconquest the area was heavily re-populated with French families hence the many names in the area including "Francia".

San Martin del Castañar is a compact village with a stream running through it and a some castle walls now guarding the cemetery. The church of San Martin is from XIII century and has the most beautiful Mozarabe ceiling made of intricate wood carvings in geometric designs. The plaza del toros is very ancient and was originally the plaza de armas, the assembling area for the army guarding the castle. There is an unusual shop in the main plaza, you can just about see it below, a man carefully cultivates bonsai chestnut, oak and beech trees.

                                                                                    
Mogarraz is one of the more remote villages, not as visited, a rather creepy atmosphere of dilapidation, very haunting.

Something missing," bonum vinum laetificat cor hominis"
Yes, definitely!

                                                                                     

La Alberca is the most important village, famed for the quality of its jamon and choriço, they have a unique way of honouring the pig. Every year at a special fiesta one pig is saved from slaughter and made the pet of the whole village, he wanders freely around the streets and is fed and petted until the inevitable on the eve of the next year fiesta.  All the fiestas in the area are ancient and incredibly colourful, we are determined to go back in August when the most interesting ones take place.

Miranda del Castañar is in a beautiful situation on a ridge surrounded by woodland and approached through cherry orchards. The roofs make an intricate interlocking pattern of tiles. It was an important templar stronghold and there are may Maltese crosses on the buildings. It is contained within the original walls which are double in some places with secret alley ways in between. We visited an amazing old bodega now a shop,  Tienda Museo Bodega La Muralla.

Some of the original huge wine barrels were still in place from when it was first established in 1755.  It is under the street level at the entrance, the wine was piped through the walls and sold through a tap on the other side which was on a different level, apparently it was still functioning until 1940.

Unfortunately we were unable to visit the famed monastery of Peña de Francia as a deep mist had descended so it seemed pointless to accend to 1500 m, very chilly and no view. Next time.

We departed on the incredibly tortuous road from La Alberca that winds its way down the mountain in sharp hairpin bends, down to the gorgeous Batueca valley, a paradise of running water and dense green woodlands. It is still very remote but one can imagine how completely other- worldly it must have been before the road access. It was here that the order of Carmelitas Descalzos de Castilla built their monastery in 1599. It is known as Santo Desierto de San José de las Batuecas  http://monasteriodelasbatuecas.wordpress.com/el_monasterio/ 

The view of the monastery is stunning as one approaches down the valley, I was so looking forward to a good look around but it was not to be. The padres certainly didn't want to see me, all very well barred and bolted with a very unwelcoming sign..........how can they say there is nothing of interest to see, how arrogant and dismissive, really cross.

 They live such privileged lives, so few of them living in a gorgeous country estate supported heavily by the state, there should be at least a few open days every now and then if only to remind them of the real world and how little their "contemplative order" has any effect on the lives of us who have to live outside their ivory tower grrrrrrrr!

We wanted to come back to the finca through Las Hurdes and stopped off to look down upon the so called Meandros del Alagón,  a spectacular part of the river Alagón, even more dramatic now as the water has receded due to the drought exposing another layer to the meander.

A SHORT BREAK IN MADRID

A quick getaway to Madrid before the intensely busy weeks around Easter. Very pleased with our multi- national ensemble of guests for the next 2 weeks; Dutch, Norwegian, German, Welsh, Belgium and Swedish, all here to observe the nature and particularly birds. Although it has been unusually dry the wild flowers are still gorgeous just a little short lived and we have the short toed eagels nesting in the crags for 2nd year.
And so Madrid.  The usual efficient and fast 2 1/2 hour express bus journey from Trujillo, then metro to Lavapies a different world. Lavapies is where my brother lives, since he bought his apartment it has become a very hip place to live and I love the cultural mix. The walk from the metro is through a street of little shops, Moroccan, Indian, Chinese, all selling wonderful fresh produce especially spices and teas, unusual fruits and vegetables, dozens of different rices and pulses. There's also a halal butcher and a patisserie selling freshly baked baklava and other delicious pastries. Another great thing about this area is that the famous Rastro market takes place just down the road every Sunday, there you can find everything you could possibly desire and there are permanent antique/junk shops lining the streets in the same area, look like Madrid has embraced the shabby chic look with enthusiasm and some flair. Maybe the best thing of all is that it takes me 15 minutes walk to Atocha within 2 minutes of the three big art collections; the Prado, Reina Sofia and the Thyssen Bornemisza .  I always make a point of visiting the Goyas at the Prado, find something new every time, the black paintings have been newly lit and still chill and thrill, particularly Pero semihundido, the half drowned dog, a miracle of impressionism, a beautiful golden enigma. I think Goya in the delirium of the black paintings created the first moves towards impressionism, what a relief it must have been for him after all those stiff court paintings.

Visited the Chagall exhibition at the Thyssen, not really that keen on Chagall but seeing so many paintings together one is stunned by the vibrant colour treatments of the farmyard animals, cockerels, violin players, bridal couples all floating above the Russian village which inspired so much of his work.

There is a stunning exhibition at the Caixaforum at the moment,originally from the V&A,  the history of the Ballets Russes with an amazing collection of original costumes, photographs and film. A magical world conjured by Diaghilev and showing his genius of collecting the most talented young artists of the time for creating the scenery and avant garde atmosphere of his ballets     http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/d/diaghilev-and-the-ballets-russes/

Here's a photo of the famous living wall of the Caixaforum, it's astounding!

After all the culture it was time for something to eat so I headed for the revamped Mercado de San Miguel near Plaza Mayor, an original old glass and iron market from the 19th century now transformed into a fabulous showcase of the best of Spanish food products all displayed temptingly on numerous stalls as delicious tapas. You buy your tapas as you wander around, them grab a glass of sherry, wine or beer and settle down with your feast in the central area with table and chairs, such a simple idea, heavenly!

On Saturday we walked to El Retiro, the Hyde Park of Madrid, a huge park with lakes, shady walks and lots of bars with terraces, there's a beautifully preserved glass house. The park was orginally the grounds attached to El Retiro Palace built in the 17th century as a royal retreat.

We had a couple of evenings wandering around the Lavapies streets always ending up at our favourite Indian restaurant, a hole in the wall with the most delicious food and always stopping for a drink at Cafe Barbieri, a creaky old café with a great collection of old mirrors on the walls.

It is in Calle Ave Maria which has so many colourful little bars and restaurants, full of character, cool without being at all pretentious.

Sunday, my last day but just time for a walk through the Rastro market, great fun picking through the shops and stalls, found a shop with wonderful frames, very cheap, more frames? Well yes, one day they will all be inhabited.

So loaded down with various parcels of exotic foods, frames and a few new clothes I hop on the metro to the bus station and arrive back in Trujillo in time for dinner in our favourite restaurant, good to be back home but feel energized by trip to the big city.

ART INSTALLATION INSPIRED BY CONQUISTADOR TOMBS

At long last the project that started over a year ago is making some progress. At first I wanted to use stone rubbings of the spectacular tomb stones from the conquistador period as a base for further art work; it's  a wonderful adventure to hunt them down all over Extremadura.........but this didn't work so well, the tomb stones were either too worn or too degraded to get  satisfactory rubbings.
Now by endless experiments I am using manipulated photographic images printed on to various grounds and further manipulated with paint and objects.
It is difficult to find the time to go on forays and then get down to the work but I am motivated again and hope to have enough material for an exhibition by the Summer, it has been promised in Trujillo.........it's up to me now.  Keep checking blog for updates and possibly some images of progress.

Ivani playing with the dogs

Lovely to see Lucy and Ivani in February, Ivani was 2 on the 3rd. Here she is playing with the dogs; notice that over arm ball throwing technique, she won't be a sissy like her grandmother.

What joy to have a tiny Spring flower picked just for me!