Friday, 27 April 2012

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
 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.

Tuesday, 27 March 2012

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.

Saturday, 10 March 2012

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.

Monday, 5 March 2012

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!

Friday, 13 January 2012

RECOLECCÍON DE LA ACEITUNA- THE OLIVE HARVEST

We are in the second month of the olive harvest. In the olive groves all around the finca we see groups of men shaking the olive trees vigourously with long poles. They don't just bash the trees, it's a more precise movement, inserting the pole firmly amongst the branches and agitating firmly. Olives rain down onto either the bare earth or nets, thankfully nets are coming back into fashion after years of cheap chemicals used to kill every blade of plant life in the olive grove, supposedly making collection easier.........dust covered olives?

 

Olive trees are alway beautiful but much more so in a green meadow rather than a field of dust where systematic poisoning has killed off all the natural flowers and plants.
We are trying to interest the local farmers in going totally biological and only using organic methods for pest control, this is difficult and made more so by the lack of co-operation from the local lagars, olive mills. They don't seem to be interested in building up a reputation for high quality organic oil. In some ways one can see their point, they get tons of very mixed quality olives and produce a reasonable olive oil for an economical price. Why change?
In frustration there are a few olive grove owners who have resorted to buying their own mobile olive mill, small, neat and made in Italy. It works for those who wish to have their own guaranteed organic oil; grown, harvested and bottled on their own property.


The reward of all those chilly early morning harvests  in December and January is the sight of the first gush of gorgeous deep green oil flowing from the first pressing, one's very own  extra virgin olive oil, hundreds of litres of it.

Cook with it, bake with it, drop it into the bath, make soap and lotions from it and most of all dip freshly made bread into a pool of oil, a little salt..........and why not some local jamon....heaven!
Please go to our cooking holiday blog for a few delicious recipes using olive oil.

Friday, 30 December 2011

CHRISTMAS 2011

Lovely Christmas with family arriving from Madrid and Lisbon. Weather was gorgeous so lots of walking in between the feasting. 

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

CHRISTMAS EVE BONFIRE AT ALBALA

The winter solstice was on the 22nd December this year but every Christmas eve there are bonfires lit all over Spain as a combination of Christian festival and echoes of pagan past, a huge blaze during the longest nights of the year. The one at Albala was a mountainous stack of whole oak trees and brushwood, it went up with a whoosh sending crimson spark patterns into the cold night sky. A perfect start to our Christmas celebrations.

Friday, 16 December 2011

HAUNT OF THE ANCIENTS


There is a wonderful walk from Finca al-manzil on winding lane across olive groves and through cork oak forests. After an hour one arrives at one of the most intriguing places in Extremadura, a unique place with an evocative atmosphere: nature spirits and legends; esoteric rites and rituals; five different cultures; centuries of ruin; a place of sanctuary, decimation, celebration, joy, awe and woe. Nowadays the place is known as Santa Lucia del Trampal. It is a rare place that can trace a continuous history of worship to various deities; a Celtic Iberic Lusitanian temple,  then a Roman temple, a Visigoth basilica and convent and finally a Catholic church which was sacked by Napoleonic troops in 1810 during the Peninsular war.




The building one sees today has been extensively renovated since the 1980s when it was rediscovered, almost obliterated by centuries of neglect and the rampant brambles which grow profusely fed by the strong spring further up the hill. The renovation has followed the lines of existing walls from the Visigoth period using fallen masonry to rebuild. It is among this masonry that many clues to the ancient past of the site come to light. There are Roman inscriptions and much evidence of a pre-Roman Celtic Iberic sanctuary dedicated to the cult of the goddess Ataegina who is associated with the areas around the Guadiana river both in Portugal and Extremadura. The name Ataegina is thought to be derived from a Celtic source with two roots atte and geno, meaning "Reborn". Ataegina was not only a mother goddess of regeneration but also of death, the underworld, hell; the full circle of birth, death, rebirth and return to life. She was worshipped by the Lusitanians for her healing powers and endowment of fertility manifested through natural springs and streams, a protective deity, nymph of water, dispenser of health and fertility. Lusitanians lived in small quadrangular houses (round in the north) with a single floor made of stones. Clothes were of woven wool or goat skin. Gold jewelry, necklaces and bracelets, were made by beating or filigree method. Wine was only used in festivities, they usually drank water, goats milk and beer. They practiced monogamy. Cleansing was by vapors that rose from heated stones, bathing in cold water and anointing. Gymnastic exercises such as boxing and racing were part of their culture. Religious rituals made sacrifices of goats, horses, and human prisoners to a variety of dieties including Cariocecus, god of war and Ataegina . In battles with the Romans, Lusitanians gained a reputation as fierce fighters. They used weapons such as the dagger, the iron javelin, and the brass spear. Boats made of leather, or from harvested lumber were in use on rivers and lakes.
Extremadura is a region with extensive Celtic influences, there are several places where the relationship between Ataegina and the healing powers of spring water have been established and this reputation still clings to many places today. The strong spring at Santa Lucia de Trampal is still visited by locals who come to collect their supply of drinking water, an echo from the ancient past.



At least 15 dedications to Ataegina were found in and around the basilica with the Roman inscription DEA DOMINA SANCTA TURIBRIGENSE ATAECINA, Turibriga was a town in Celtic Betaria where the cult had its origins. The inscriptions are often set into a plaque which include the image of a goat, an animal which was obviously an important element in the cult.


On one of the cornerstones of the basilica there is a large block with four deep indentations which has been re-used from a much earlier building, it is a representation of the four hoof prints of a goat, possibly for supporting a statue of a goat similar to the ones found in Malpartida de Caceres which are made of bronze with extensions to the feet for fixing to a stone plinth.


 The cult was a lunar in nature, it is not difficult to imagine this place on a night of a full moon with a goat blood spilt on the altar. Ataecina also had powers to protect from thieves and decide their suitable punishment, many votive inscriptions ask for this protection and also help in finding lost objects.
As the Romans took more control of Iberia, Ataecina gradually became assimilated into Proserpina the Roman goddess derived from the Greek, Persephone. It was she who was abducted by Pluto and taken to the underworld. In revenge her mother Ceres/Demeter goddess of fertility, stopped the growth of fruits and vegetables on earth. Jupiter sent Mercury the brother of Pluto to demand that Proserpina should be sent back from the underworld so fruitfulness could return to earth. Pluto complied but before releasing Proserpina he made her eat 4 pomegranate seeds so that she could only return to earth for 8 months, the other 4 she would have to return to the underworld…. food eaten in hell would mean a return no matter what. When Proserpina was released Spring and fertility came to the earth followed by fruitfulness in Summer, in Autumn a slow change in nature until it dwindled and died off in Winter when Proserpina returned to the underworld.
The association of Ataegina/Proserpina with life, death, rebirth and the underworld/hell continued well into the 3rd century A.D. when the Roman empire began to fall and the Visigoths started to settle in this part of Iberica from 455. It was a gradual process. Many Roman aras continued to be used as Visigoth altars.
It is interesting to note that the Visigoths at this time were actually Arian. Arianism was declared heresy at the Council of Nicea in 325. This breakaway heretic branch of Catholicism did not believe that God was embodied within the trinity but that God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit were separate but equal entities. This was clearly reflected in the architecture of Arian basilicas, a unique element is the presence of three apses, three separate divisions and altars as at Santa Lucia. The Visigoths were Arians almost by accident because this had been the dominant theology in the eastern empire when they were converted to Christianity in the fourth century. In Iberia Arianism helped to reinforce their sense of distinctiveness from the majority Hispano-Roman population, which was almost entirely Catholic by the end of the 5th century. By 560 Goths were converting to Catholicism but the existence of the two religious communities meant that most major towns, such as Merida, had parallel Arian and Catholic churches and clergy. Unfortunately, very little is known of the practicalities of Arianism in the Visigothic kingdoms.

The survival of a number of inscriptions shows that the 7th century was an era church construction, mostly rural buildings including Santa Lucia and there is another small Visigoth basilica at the nearby village of Ibahernando.


The basilica of Santa Lucia is an unusual building, its floor plan in the shape of the Greek letter "tau". Although it was unified into a single space in Gothic times, it was originally made up of three naves, the central one being the larger and longer one, and the side ones being narrower, almost passageways. Three independent apses open up to a transept with curious access doors that lead directly to the side apses. The apses give the sanctuary a fork-like appearance. All three have beautiful horseshoe triumphal arches.


A large part of the original stone vaults are preserved, which alternate with three magnificent domes over the space to access the apses, they are supported by six transversal horseshoe arches. It is estimated that the basilica dates from the middle of the 7th century and was probably built in one go as a cohesive design.


The Moorish looking horseshoe arches should not be confused with construction during Moorish times. The arches are typical of many Visigoth constructions, the horseshoe extending 1/3 of the total radius and the use of a double keystone to support the arch There are certainly similarities to a Moorish style but the architecture of the Umayyad conquerors was not quintessentially Islamic, it belonged more to a Byzantine tradition following the Arab conquest of the eastern provinces in the mid 7th century which included Syria. Thus it is not surprising to see the similarities between Umayyad buildings in Syria and Spanish buildings classified as being Visigothic. This is because both styles spring from a common Byzantine root, the later Visigoths had imperial outposts at Ceuta in Morocco and no doubt were influenced by the architecture seen there. The horseshoe arches of Santa Lucia are thus explained, a melting of styles and cultures during the 7th and 8th centuries.


The basilica no doubt fell into ruin during the long centuries of Moorish rule, there is no evidence that it was used for Islamic worship or for any other purpose. At some time after the reconquista, in this area, 1230, it was consecrated as the church of Santa Lucia del Trampal and no doubt continued a useful existence through the centuries as it was quite near the Via de la Plata pilgrimage route and of course the healthful spring was still an attraction.

The next time there is any definite mention of the basilica was during the peninsular wars or the Spanish war of Independence. It was used by French troops for a while and subsequently sacked and burnt. After the wars there was no money to restore the building and it again fell into ruin. In 1835 under the law instigated by Menizabal it was confiscated from the church and fell into private hands, it was used as a mere shelter for animals. Oblivion and neglect followed for over 150 years until the 1980s when it was finally rediscovered as part of the unique architectural heritage of Extremadura.



Today it is possible to visit the reconstructed basilica. There is a discrete interpretation centre situated a little way from the site, with a friendly guide. There has been some polemic about parts of the renovation, especially the gleaming white marble slabs that have been inserted in the apses giving them a somewhat sanitary, not to say urinal appearance. But besides this the basilica is a very special place; stay very still and feel those vibrations from the ancient past, maybe even drink from the sacred spring, try to ignore the municipal pump house!

Saturday, 10 December 2011

AN AUTUMN TRIP TO GUADALUPE & SIERRA DE VILLUERCAS

We had some gorgeous golden autumn days in late November so decided to take a trip to the Sierra de Villuercas to see the autumn colours. There are many more chestnut and oak trees in that area so the change of colour is really spectacular. Always interesting and impressive to visit Guadalupe again although sometimes the religious tourism can grate on the nerves, low key as it is.  The guided tour around the monastery was bearable if robotic,  but the  monk who took over the guiding into the sancta sanctorum, the chapel  of the virgin de Guadalupe seemed more sanctimonious than ever, a really unctuous monk who was somehow rather sinister and creepy. We were happy to escape without having to kiss a small picture of the virgin which was offered after a condescending lecture about our many troubles which could be helped by a prayer to the little black madonna.  I guess this hostile reaction is typical of an ex-ex- convent girl......I love the ritual, the art, the history, the drama but not too keen on the hierarchy,  just call me frivolous ! However, it was worth going to see the collection of Zubarans and the one touching Goya, one of the prison studies.
We had lunch in the staid dining room of the hostal belonging to the monastery, a bit of a time warp, back to a fascist period, about 1966.  We drove back on Manfred's secret route, right up to the higher ridges of the mountain and went through some magnificent scenery as the sun was setting.

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

PUPPIES AGAIN 1 MONTH OLD

ARCO IRIS

The meaning of iridescent comes alive in the Spanish word for rainbow, this one appearing after a November rain shower, arching beautifully over Finca al-manzil.

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Puppies so far.........

Roxy's puppies were born on October 19th, 3 males and 2 females. All went really well, we hardly realized when the birth started and in fact when 2 puppies had already been born we heard a feint mewling in the grass outside and found another puppy, must have been the first born, it is the one we will keep, waiting for inspiration for her name. They are 1 month old tomorrow and looking gorgeous, because there are only 5 they get plenty of milk and are all somewhat rotund. Just starting to play and waddle outside, we will have them for another month and hopefully find good homes for four of them. More photos as they grow and grow.



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