San Vicente de la Sonsierra

San Vicente de la Sonsierra is a small medieval town in the heart of La Rioja province in Spain. The old bridge pictured here crosses the River Ebro with the castle of San Vicente de la Sonsierra overlooking the river on the hill.

Santa María la Real de La Almudena

Santa María la Real de La Almudena is a Catholic cathedral in Madrid.

When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo; so the new capital – unusually for a Catholic country – had no cathedral. Plans were discussed as early as the 16th century to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena, but construction did not begin until 1879.

The cathedral seems to have been built on the site of a medieval mosque that was destroyed in 1085 when Alfonso VI reconquered Madrid.

Francisco de Cubas, the Marquis of Cubas, designed and directed the construction in a Gothic revival style. Construction ceased completely during the Spanish Civil War, and the project was abandoned until 1950, when Fernando Chueca Goitia adapted the plans of de Cubas to a baroque exterior to match the grey and white façade of the Palacio Real, which stands directly opposite. The cathedral was not completed until 1993, when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II. On May 22, 2004, the marriage of Felipe, Prince of Asturias to Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (known thereafter as Letizia, Princess of Asturias) took place at the cathedral.

The Neo-Gothic interior is uniquely modern, with chapels and statues of contemporary artists, in heretogeneous styles, from historical revivals to "pop-art" decor.

The Neo-Romanesque crypt houses a 16th century image of the Virgen de la Almudena. Nearby along the Calle Mayor excavations have unearthed remains of Moorish and medieval city walls.

On the 28th of April 2004, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid blessed the new paintings in the apse, painted by Kiko Arguello, founder of the Neocatechumenal Way. The cathedral is the seat of the Patriarch of the Indies and the Ocean Sea, an honorific patriarchate created in the sixteenth century, and subsequently an honorific title for the Spanish court's chaplain.

Fried Green Chillies

This was one of my favorite tapas dish during a trip to Spain .... fried green chillies. Wonderfully pungent with a slight spicy taste was a great way to start a meal washed down of course with some sangria or wine. This shot was taken in a small restaurant just off the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain.

Spanish Flamenco

Flamenco by HighlanderImages

 A visit to Spain would not be complete without a performance of the vibrant Flamenco dance and one of the most authentic and traditional places to witness this is at Tablao Flamenco Cordobes in Barcelona. The combination of live music and spectacular dancing is a memorable experience.

Burgos Cathedral

The Burgos Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral de Burgos) is a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral in Burgos, Spain. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture. Its construction began in 1221, and was in use nine years later, although work continued on and off for two hundred years. It was primarily influenced by the French Gothic style.

It had very important modifications in the 15th and 16th centuries (spires of the principal façade, Chapel of the Constable, cimborio of the transept: these elements of advanced Gothic give the cathedral its distinguished profile). The last works of importance (the sacristy or the Chapel of Saint Thecla) occurred during the 18th century, the century in which the Gothic statuary of the doors of the principal façade was also transformed.

At the beginning of the 20th century, some semidetached construction to the cathedral was eliminated, such as the Archepiscopal Palace and the upper floor of the cloister. The style of the cathedral is Gothic, although it has inside some Renaissance and Baroque decorations.

In the cathedral, works of extraordinary artists are kept, such as the architects and sculptors of the Colonia family (Juan, Simón and Francisco), the sculptors Gil de Siloé, Felipe Vigarnyor Juan de Anchieta, the sculptor and architect Diego de Siloé, the grillworker Cristóbal de Andino or the painter Sebastiano del Piombo ("Holy Family On A Voyage"), among many others.

The cathedral was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on October 31, 1984. It is the only Spanish cathedral that has this distinction independently, without being joined to the historic center of a city (as in Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Ávila, Córdoba, Toledo, Alcalá de Henares or Cuenca) or in union with others buildings, as in Seville.

The principal façade was inspired by the pure French Gothic style of the cathedrals of Paris and of Reims. It consists of three bays topped by two lateral square towers. The steep spires of German influence were added in the 15th century and are the work of Juan de Colonia.

Some elements of great interest within of the cathedral are the 'Papamoscas' (Flycatcher), an articulated statue which opens its mouth upon the sounding of the bells every hour, the Romanesque sepulchre of Mudarra, the vengeful stepbrother of the death of the seven princes de Lara (brought to the cathedral from its original location in the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza due to its abandonment by alienation), the carved chairs of the choir, the sepulchre of the Bishop Mauricio, the tomb of El Cid and his wife Doña Jimena, the letter of security of El Cid and his chest.

The Bells of Laguardia

Laguardia church bells by HighlanderImages

This is the small hill town of Laguardia in the La Rioja wine district of North Spain. Laguardia is one of the most perfectly preserved medieval villages in Spain. It is also located right in Rioja wine country and is the perfect base for your wine tour of Spain's most well known red wine region. Laguardia is a medieval hill hamlet (called "villa" in Spanish), reminiscent of Tuscan hilltop villages. It is surrounded by an ancient wall, and has a delightful jumble of cobblestoned streets lined with "Tabernas", wine shops, palaces, and cafes. Laguardia was founded in the year 1164 by King Sancho Abarca, and the spectacularly preserved wall dates back to the 15th century. The entire village became protected as Patrimony of Spain in 1964. The name "Laguardia" originates from "La Guardia de Navarra", the "Guard" of Navarra, referring to its strategic importance in the kingdom of Navarre.

Before the medieval village was built (as we can see today), deep tunnels were carved out in the hill and the village of Laguardia was actually underground. The tunnels were used as a defence tactic, but over the centuries came to be used to store wine and eventually to even make wine. In 1486, Laguardia was incorporated into the Kingdom of the Catholic Monarchs (Isabel and Ferdinand), who would unite the kingdoms of Castille and Aragon in 1492, to form what is now "Spain", and the village was built on top of the existing village. The medieval wall was erected as were many aristocratic palaces, many of them restored and still standing. In the 19th century, much of the medieval wall was destroyed during the "Carlista" wars and the War of Independence.

These days, Laguardia is a wealthy hamlet, full of gourmet restaurants, charming small hotels, beautiful views over vines and the amazing backdrop of the Cantabrian Mountains. Whether you visit Laguardia with Cellar Tours or on your own, the important thing is that you come to spend a few days and that you eat and drink well. A visit to Laguardia is like stepping back in time, and the village is simply one of the loveliest places you could hope to visit in Spain.

Los Arcos Dry Amontillado

i-Phone Friday today highlights a great use for the i-Phone when out at a restaurant and you want to remember the wine you ordered and enjoyed .... easiest thing is to take a quick picture with your i-Phone. This image was post-processed in the wonderful i-Phone app "100 Cameras" from Trey Ratcliff.

The image shot here was a great sherry we had during our visit to Spain .... well worth remembering!

Iron Horseman

In the centre of the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain stands the statue of Philip III on horseback. The statue dates from 1616 and was placed in the square in 1847 after the wedding celebrations of Isabel II, during which the last bull run was held in the square. The Plaza Mayor is a huge square constructed in 1617. It has been pedestrianised and can be entered by any one of nine arches. The famous square has played host to bullfights, fiestas and even public executions. From time to time, events such as concerts and fiestas are still staged here. The square contains 136 houses with 437 balconies from which people used to watch the events held here. The square has always been a popular meeting place, especially on Sundays when the many bars and restaurants complement the weekly stamp and coin fair.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The Guggenheim is one of several museums belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The museum features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists.

One of the most admired works of contemporary architecture, the building has been hailed as a "signal moment in the architectural culture" because it represents "one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something." The museum was the building most frequently named as one of the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey among architecture experts.

Antoni Gaudi's Organic Architecture

A view of Barcelona from the rooftop of the colourful and bizarre architecture of Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo. This wonderful building hardly has a straight line and is adorned with brightly coloured tiles. The architecture definately has an "organic" feel to it and inspired by biological life.

Spanish Serenade

Traditional Singers, Laguardia, Spain by HighlanderImages

Laguardia is a small walled hill town in the Rioja wine country of northern Spain. Sitting high on a rock foundation under the shadows of the mountains to the northwest, the city retains, intact, its historic walls from the 13th century including its four entrance gates. Within its walls can be found historic building from various time periods. Today, the outer village walls are breached with glass windows, but it is easy to imagine the village as it must have been in the Middle Ages. There are only a few streets with in the old city, so navigating is fairly easy. Still, the village is large enough to provide you with some shopping, and magical eating experiences, not to mention the experience of consuming some of the best wines of Spain.

While walking through the small narrow streets of the town I followed the sounds of singing and celebration and eventually rounded a corner to find this group of men celebrating something ... a wedding perhaps, a birthday ... or just life itself!

La Rambla

La Rambla is a street in central Barcelona, popular with both tourists and locals alike. A 1.2 kilometer-long tree-lined pedestrian mall between Barri Gòtic and El Raval, it connects Plaça Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell.

La Rambla can be considered a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural form Les Rambles (Spanish: Las Ramblas). From the Plaça de Catalunya toward the harbour, the street is successively the Rambla de Canaletes, the Rambla dels Estudis, the Rambla de Sant Josep, the Rambla dels Caputxins, and the Rambla de Santa Monica. Construction of the Maremàgnum in the early 1990s resulted in a continuation of La Rambla on a wooden walkway into the harbour, the Rambla de Mar.

La Rambla can be crowded, especially during prime time tourist season. Most of the time, there are many more tourists than locals occupying the Rambla, which has changed the shopping selection, as well as the character of the street in general. For this reason also, it has become a prime target for pick pocketing.

Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once said that La Rambla was 'the only street in the world which I wish would never end'.

The name rambla refers to an intermittent water flow in both Catalan and Spanish, and is derived from the Arabic 'ramla' which means 'sandy riverbed'. The name of the city of Ramla, now in Israel, shares the same origin.

Iron Man

This wonderful statue stood in central Madrid, Spain and from a distance looked so lifelike it was only the lack of any motion and a closer look that made me realize it was a statue. This photo was post-processed in Silver Efex Pro which I feel gave the image more impact.

Streets of Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain is full of interesting streets to wander through with some excellent architecture such as this street here just off Las Ramblas with classical wrought iron balconies and distinctive street lights. As well as the beautiful and historic buildings there is always something to watch going on in the streets with street vendors, musicians, street artists or just observing the local Catalans at work.

Barcelona Balconies

These beautiful balconies were seen in the La Rambla district of central Barcelona, Spain. The ornate ironwork, wall murals and painted shutters all add up to architectural  perfection.

The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernisme architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026.

San Sebastian City Hall

This magnificent sandstone building used to be the casino in San Sebastian in the Basque region of North Spain. It is now the city hall where the city council govern after the casino closed in 1924 due to the prohibition of gambling. The building was built in 1887 in the Gardens of Alderdi-Eder of San Sebastián. On April 14 of 1928 an agreement was reached to open in this building the Center of Attraction and Tourism. On 20 January of 1945 the council was moved to this building. The architects Alday and Arizmendi amended the initial project in 1943 and transformed the former casino in council. 

Streets of La Guardia

La Guardia is a small walled village in northern Spain close to the Cantabrian mountains and River Ebro. The area is known for the famous Rioja red wines named after the town La Rioja. The small streets of the village within the walled exterior are very interesting to walk through and shows life which has probably not changed for many hundreds of years. Many walled towns like this in Spain have a long history some dating back to Roman times.

Street Mime

This has got to be one of the most ornate and bizarre street mimes I have ever seen as spotted in Barcelona, Spain. I'm still trying to figure out what the gun is for!

Arty Cow

This bizarre looking statue was seem in the streets of Barcelona, Spain. I am still not sure if the statue is meant to be a cow, a zebra or some form of hybrid animal.

Alien Spaceship Interior

This is the inside of the Antoni Gaudi designed Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. To me it looked like the inside of some strange alien spaceship with its organic design. Some more of Antoni Gaudi's work can be seen in this earlier post