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.

 

 

Unfortunately the original kitchens and sculleries were moved to a modern extention on the first floor with no access to the gardens, we certainly had plenty of exercise running up and down the stone spiral stairs many times a day. One can see the tall tower which contains the spiral at the side of the palacio with a domed roof and many small windows, it is mirrored by another tower on the other side, they both have access to upper floors, the so called "prohibited areas" which became rather a theme for games of supposition and fantasy during our stay.

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.

 

Our last dinner was the "Conquistador Feast", we decorated the beautiful dining room with flowers and candles for this special occasion.

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
Yuquitas Rellenas (croquetes made with Yuca (cassava) and stuffed with goat cheese and jamon)
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

INTERACTIVE MAP OF FINCA LOCATION

USE MAP TO FIND PLACES MENTIONED IN THE BLOG!
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PROSERPINA - A ROMAN WATER RESERVOIR NEAR MERIDA

modernistic chapel in the pine woods

The embalse or reservoir is about 5 km from Mérida. Originally it was built at the site of a natural lake, the Romans captured the water from two streams and built a long stone dam to create the reservoir which we see today. A dedication stone with an exhortation to the godess Proseprina was found at the lake in the 18th century confirming the original Roman name for the reservoir.
It is a short detour on the way into Merida from Finca al-manzil, well sign posted.

The dam wall is made of clay and concrete and covered with granite ashlars forming a slope. It must have been a considerable engineering feat to channel the captured fresh water into the town through large hydraulic pipes and finally the Los Milagros aqueduct which is still largely intact.

The peaceful environment of the embalse  is a natural attraction for many species of birds,  especially the aquatic varieties which thrive on the varied fish and crayfish clearly visable in the shallow water of the shore.

 

An important and interesting Roman site; Proserpina was the essential fresh water source for Emerita Augusta which became one of the most imposing Roman cities in Iberia.

The reservoir is set in the middle of an Extremadura landscape of cork oak and holm oak woods, pasture for sheep and pigs, vast views. It's a man made environment, not a natural lake, but it still makes an impressive vista, an unexpected expanse of water in the typical landscape.

 Within the last 20 years it has been developed as a natural leisure area with water sports, fishing and a cycling/ walking path around the entire reservoir. The water is very clean, swimming is delightful.

 It's a good place to take children, they can  run around and explore the natural environment as well as the other attractions,  there are pedal boats for hire which may be a fun and safe diversion.

Several pleasant waterside cafès provide light meals, drinks and snacks all year around, open for lunch and dinner until 20.30 or 21.00 at weekends.

 

 

Merida Theatre Festival 2013

 

 

 

We are in full summer mode and that means it's HOT and also that it's time for the stupendous Merida Festival again  http://www.festivaldemerida.es/

How exceptionally lucky we are to have this going on just 30 minutes away. The cream of Spanish artists in dance and drama, superb productions all set in a roman theatre which was constructed in   15 BC...............yes that's 2028 years old.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_theatre_(M%C3%A9rida)
One enters the theatre on the original paving stones, very irregular, don't wear high heels........but it IS amazing to see the terminally afflicted Spanish fashion victims managing to still look stunning whilst negotiating this life threatening feat with total elegance. It's all magic, the lighting, the thrill of sitting on the original stone seats (with cushion) and the marvellous stage waiting for the drama, hundreds of frantically moving fans battling against the sultry evening temperatures.
We went to the opening performance, Medea, Seneca version but preformed as a ballet by the superb  Ballet Nacional de España with a production created 30 years ago with the legendary team
Choreography, José Granero ; Music, Manolo Sanlúcar; Costumes, Miguel Narro. Flemenco naturally.

The Orchestra of Extremadura was superb with a special mention for the invited guitarists.
What a great evening!  Prepare for a long evening, the performance starts at 10.45 and we arrived home at about 2.30............well allowing for some much needed refreshment under the stars of a perfect Extremaduran night and the very welcome cooling mist sprays that a lot of bars have now installed.
In fact we have just installed one at Finca al-manzil..........it's bliss!

TRIP TO CORDOBA AND THE SIERRA DE ARACENA

We have been incredibly busy, finishing small building projects, improving the casita and renovating the roof of the cortijo as well as decorating the sittingroom ( I won't go into the details of when the painter fell off the scaffolding with a full 5 litre can of paint.........whole sittingroom Jackson Pollocked!  Everything very scrubbed and clean as a result and gleaming white after the effects of winter fires).  With a cooking holiday week at the cortijo looming up we decided we had to get away even if for a couple of nights, a change of scene and weather as it was still a bit cloudy here so we headed South East to visit friends in Cordoba and see what was new since our last visit some years ago.
The weather improved and after settling into our hotel we headed for the ancient city centre for dinner and later meeting our friends for a drink at their typical rambling Cordoban town house. We crossed the Roman bridge which has been beautifully renovated, it's pedestrian of course and a great way to enter the city especially in the evening.
The highlight of any trip to Cordoba is La Mesquita, we had seen it before but definitely thrilled to visit this glorious space again.

 

 La Mezquita-Catedral, the Great Mosque of Cordoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the late VIII century when Muslims ruled Al-Andalus which included most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France.

 Temple/Church/Mosque/Church

The buildings on this site are as complex as the extraordinarily rich history they illustrate. Originally a temple to the Roman god Janus; converted into a Christian church dedicated to Saint Vincent by invading Visigoths in 572;  converted into a mosque in the VIII century by the descendants of the Umayyads—the very first Islamic dynasty who had originally ruled from their capital Damascus from 661 until 750 when they were exiled to the newly conquered Al-Andalus. Once in Spain they  established control over almost all of the Iberian Peninsula and attempted to recreate the grandeur of Damascus in their capital, Cordoba. They sponsored elaborate building programs, promoted agriculture, and even imported fruit trees and other plants from their former home. Orange trees still stand in the courtyard of the Mosque of Cordoba, a beautiful, if bittersweet reminder of the Umayyad exile.
In the 13th century with the reconquest by the Christians under Ferdinand III,  Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures were built, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra.
Architecturally, after 1236 the interior of the Mosque looked much as it did under the Moors.  However, there was a dramatic change in the 16th century.  Overcoming opposition by the city council, and authorised by the king, Carlos V, the cathedral chapter in 1523 undertook to build a large Gothic/Renaissance chancel (capilla mayor) and choir in the very middle of the Mosque. Carlos, who had not seen the Mosque beforehand, later regretted his decision, and reportedly exclaimed upon seeing the completed alteration: "You have built here what you or anyone might have built anywhere else, but you have destroyed what was unique in the world." 
The 18th-century choir stalls, elaborately carved in rich mahogany from the West Indies, contain not only scenes from the Bible, the life of the Virgin and depictions of local martyrs but also a proliferation of decorative pieces: masks, eagles, centaurs, and a variety of stylised flora and fauna.  There isn’t a single element in the choir stalls that isn’t embossed, a much favoured technique of baroque artists. Quite unlike the mosque whose slender columns and delicate arches, repeated uniformly, convey a sense of harmony and tranquility. 
 Even the exquisite beauty of al-Hakem II’s extension with its multi-lobed arches, intricately patterned entry to the mihrab and sumptuously ornamented maqsura (Screen which encloses the area of the mihrab and minbar in early mosques. Originally to protect the caliph from assassination attempts during prayer)  is restrained in comparison to the renaissance and baroque ostentatious splendour.

ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS OF THE MESQUITA The Hypostyle Hall The building expanded over two hundred years. It consists of a large hypostyle prayer hall (hypostyle means, filled with columns), a courtyard with a fountain in the middle for ablutions set into a formal orange grove, a covered walkway circling the courtyard, and a minaret that is now encased in a squared, tapered bell tower. The expansive prayer hall seems magnified by its repeated geometry. It is built with recycled ancient Roman columns, all of different heights, the Muslim architects found a solution for this difficulty by building the striking double symmetrical arches, formed of stone and red brick.

The Mihrab

The focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab or prayer niche. A mihrab is used in a mosque to identify the wall that faces Mecca—the birth place of Islam in what is now Saudi Arabia. This is practical as Muslims face toward Meccaduring their daily prayers. The mihrab in the Great Mosque of Cordoba is framed by an exquisitely decorated arch behind which is an unusually large space, the size of a small room. The arch is adorned with gold tesserae (small pieces of glass with gold and color backing) creating a dazzling combination of azure, terracotta, ochre and gold formed into intricate calligraphic bands with plant motifs.
The Horseshoe Arch
The horseshoe-style arch was common in the architecture of the Visigoths, the people that ruled this area after the Roman empirecollapsed and before the Umayyads arrived. The horseshoe arch eventually spread across North Africa from Morocco to Egypt and is an easily identified characteristic of Western Islamic architecture.
The Dome
Above the mihrab, is an equally dazzling dome. It is built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern. This astonishing building technique anticipates later Gothic rib vaulting, though on a more modest scale.

 I love the outside of the mosque too, the beautiful doorways and intricate carving, what a masterpiece! We must thank the lord or Allah or just the vagaries of fate that this glorious building was saved intact except for the desecration of the hideous Christian chapel squatting in the centre.

The next morning we went for a tramp around the town. Found a lovely little plaza called Plaza del Potro, the square of the pony. It seems a popular place for dogs to hop up and have a good cool off in the fountain, unfortunately my photo misses out some of the ePONYmous pony on top of the fountain..........

This plaza is also the home of the flamenco centre with masses of historical data on all things flamenco and performances every evening and many atmospheric cafés and bars.

There are several old water mills just by the bridge, fascinating industrial architecture powered by the waters of the mighty Guadalquivir river.

Time to leave Cordoba with vows to return and investigate further. 
We planned a very scenic return route which took us to Almodover del Rio and its impressive castle. Apparently the castle, orginally Moorish and then a stronghold of the Christians, had been neglected and ruined for centuries until the owner Conde Torralva started renovation in 1903, it was finally finished in 1936 and this is what we see today.

The renovation saved the ancient parts of the castle but made many rather too imaginative improvisations  which might have been better in a more simple fashion, still it was fun clambering on the ramparts and towers and walking through the many courtyards and secret gardens. 

The road back to Extremadura took us past Cerro del Hierro an abandoned iron mine in the Parque Natural de Sierra de Norte.

The limestone rock is particularly rich in iron ore and other minerals. The iron was first extracted before Roman times and the mines stayed operational until the middle of the 20th Century. The amazing limestone rock formations spread over a large area are now a protected nature reserve with beautiful wild flowers and bushes growing luxuriantly among the old mine workings and weird formations.

The mines were the first and most important stop for the old railway that used to run back to the port of Seville, now a Via Verde, a greenway along the route of the old track. Some of Sevilla’s most iconic landmarks have been constructed using iron from the Cierro del Hierro mines, the Royal Tobacco Factory (now the University of Seville) and the Puente de Triana (Triana Bridge) on the Guadalquivir.
The mines were under the control of a Scottish mining company - William Baird and Co. Ltd from 1895. The British architecture is still visible today although in picturesque ruins.
Despite changing hands a couple of times, the mines were privately owned right up to 2000, when the Junta de Andalucia took over ownership and declared the whole area (363 hectares) a Monument of Natural importanceWe spent the next night in the Sierra de Aracena and a stayed in our favourite village Almonaster La Real with its precious mesquita which follows the same history of the Cordoba mosque; Roman, Visigoth, Moorish and Christian. It is situated in a small sanctuary on the edge of the village.
There's a cool leafy garden at the restaurant Las Palmeras, perfect after a hike in the Aracena hills.

 

 

 

A WALK IN THE BLUEBELL WOODS OF THE SIERRA DE MONTANCHEZ

NATURTEJO GEOPARK- FOSSILS AND MORE AT PENHA GARCIA, PORTUGAL

A day trip to Idanha-a-nova region in Portugal, particularly Penha Garcia and the Geopark where there are wonderful fossil walls.

* see former post about Idanha-a-velha in the same area.
http://finca-al-manzil.blogspot.com.es/2010/05/little-village-of-idanha-velha-with-its.html

The fossils can be seen on a specially designed walk in the Ponsul canyon where you will find several outcrops of quartzite that contain beautiful specimens of trilobite ichnofossils: Cruziana. These examples are 300 million years old!

The patterns are extraordinarily intricate and very beautiful, one doesn't have to have any "fossil knowledge" to appreciate them on a purely visual level.

The river valley walk is wonderful in itself, a deep gorge which ends in a high dam wall with the original water mills clustered on the river. The mills are open to the public and have been sympathetically arranged with old milling equipment, the guide will set the milling device in action so one gets a real sense of the milling process using the power of water.

After climbing up from the valley over the dam wall the castle of Penha Garcia looms over the walk back into the village.

We found a traditional padaria, baker, still using a wood oven and producing delicious Portuguese rustic bread, traditional cakes, also selling local honey and herbs. The two jolly girls had recently started this enterprise and it seemed to be thriving. We bought two different types of bread and honey to take home and pao com choriço to eat immediately, it's irresistible, bread dough wrapped around spicy choriço and then baked, really yummy!

The tourist office in the village is very helpful and has some well produced books with great photos of the fossils.

GOOGLE MAP REF.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Penha+Garcia&hl=es&ll=40.036027,-6.981812&spn=2.132232,5.108643&sll=40.047066,-7.033138&sspn=0.066625,0.159645&hnear=Penha+Garcia,+Distrito+de+Castelo+Branco,+Portugal&t=m&z=8&layer=t

SEMANA SANTA

A very wet week for this years holy week, what a shame, all the preparation of pristine robes and beautifully decorated floats now looking very bedraggled in the constant showers with little sun in between.
The best time to see the processions is at night, somehow the rain doesn't seem to matter so much although the candles and lanterns splutter and the barefooted penitents have to splash thorough puddles. The sombre drum beats and dolorous brass bands certainly seem in tune with the dreary weather. We watched for a little while but quickly retreated into a bar heaving with de-hooded brotherhoods and gorgeous senoritas wearing their towering mantillas, noise level off the scale as usual but who cares?  Despite the underlying solemnity and undoubted fervent faith behind so many Spanish fiestas there is always a great atmosphere of joy aided by lots of alcohol and delicious food. What more can one ask......drama, mystery, bizarre costumes, flowers, candles, incense, music AND wonderful wine and food. Pity about the rain but the sun will be shining again very soon.