New Year's Day 2008

1 January 2008

We had planned to go to a big New Year’s Eve party beginning at 9 PM and ending at 5 AM. But the day before we learned that the restaurant in which it was being held, normally predominantly non-smoking, would become totally smoking permitted “por esta noche”. Being committed non-smokers and not very appreciative of cigarette smoke we decided, after much soul searching, to opt out. Instead we went to the restaurant the night before for our own pre-New Year’s New Year and enjoyed a delicious sole dinner.

That meant that on 1 January we were the first people up on a beautiful day. We spent the morning reading. (5994

In the afternoon we hiked, strolled along the cliff tops some 5 km to the town of Roche where we enjoyed an ocean-side beer.

Five km back to Cabo Roche where we spotted un hombre celebrating New Year’s Day by going surf fishing. (6002)

Feliz Año Nuevo y Prospero Año a todo el mundo.

Medina Sedonia

29 December 2007

There has been a town at Medina Sedonia for over 3000 years. The Phoenicians were the first to leave some trace and the Roman town Asido Caesarina was constructed over the Phoenician settlements on top of Cerro del Castillo (Castle Hill) 300 meters above the surrounding plain. Like Vejer de la Frontera (December 2007), and so many other historic towns, a hilltop location meant easier defence against thieves, brigands and invading armies.

Under Visigoth rule, Medina was the capital of the province and from the 5^th century the centre of the Christianity for the region. Invaded by the Moors in 712 it became the capital of Cora and was known as Sadunia.

It was reconquered by King Alfonso X el Sabio (the Wise) in 1264, becoming part of the Nazarí Kingdom of Granada. In the 14^th century the area became part of the fiefdom of the Dukes of Medina Sedonia and remained such until the ending of the feudal age in Spain in 1812.

There are very limited remains of these periods. Although from afar it looks as though there is a substantial structure on the hilltop, the Duke’s castle is in complete ruins, much of the stonework having been carted off. While its location was strategic and defensible, it has not protected against the ravages of wind, weather, time and the population.

There are 30 excellent catacombs from the Roman period that served as a drainage and sewer system. (medina roman sewers)

The most impressive artefact in the town is the church Santa Maria la Mayor de la Coronada. After the Christian reconquest in 1264 the mosque on the site was Christianized and adapted into a Mudejar (Moorish) style church. The persent church was constructed between 1500 and 1550 in a mix of Gothic and Mudejar styles. Its size and grandeur was due in part to the intent of the then Duke of Medina Sedonia to turn his dukedom into the definitive seat of the diocese. He contributed significantly to the costs.

The roof in particular shows Mudejar styling and structure.

The bell tower or steeple was sometime in construction and was completed only in 1623. It has a square foundation with 3 sections above. The first and second are the largest and are decorated with depressed mouldings on the 4 sides.

The third section holds the bells and has round arch-based windows, finished off with a wide balustrade with superimposed balls for ornamental tops on the corners.

The tower is crowned by an octagonal cap with a semicircular arcade covered by a small dome covered in blue and white glazed tiles.

A seemingly endless climb up the spiral staircase to the top of the tower gives access to the bells and to stupendous views of the town, the countryside and the Bay of Cádiz.

The Cloister, with a square floor plan, was built by the end of the 15^th century in a Gothic-Mudejar style. The gallery around its perimeter is covered by a barrel vault, supported on stilted arches bonded by thick buttresses. Constructed with bricks, which emphasizes the

Mudejar style, the cloister met the community’s spiritual needs for meditation and retirement. The space is symbolically related to paradise.

In the 1500’s altars were decorated for teaching purposes with the main mysteries and biblical themes of the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary.

This altarpiece features Santa Maria de la Coronada.

Fifteen meters high and 6.8 wide, the entire altarpiece consists of 168 images, 80 of them full-length, 29 smaller and the remainder are raised patterns. Forty columns support the different biblical stories.

In 1774 the church organist, trying to clean the images, tarnished them. Not a very fitting treatment for a work of art that took 51 years to complete (1533-1584).

The church boasts a number of altars, one of which was being used as the focal point of a baptism during our visit. The most unusual one was the Altar of Cristo del Perdón . It is a mystical representation, not an historic one based on biblical text and shows Christ going to heaven to ask for the forgiveness of human beings and their failures. His only fulcrum, to symbolically support his plea, is the world on which his knee rests.

So let’s leave Medina Sedonia, not looking up to heaven but down these staircases as a reminder that this is a hilltop city, and like life it has its up and its downs.

Baelo Claudia - Part 2 - Self-Guided Tour

This is Part 2 – for Part 1 on Baelo Claudia scroll down.

Access to these ruins is easy. Just watch for these cattle and the San Bartolomé Hills when heading southeast on Highway N 340, turn right and go 8 miles through the Bolonia Pass (keep these hills on your left and the Higuera and Plata Mountain Ranges on your right) and at Bolonia follow signs to the site. Now wasn’t that easy?

The cove at Bolonia is on the Spanish entrances to the Strait of Gibraltar and the area is still abundant in a variety of permanent and migratory fish stocks, the most important of which is tuna which migrate twice a year through the straits to spawn in the Mediterranean and then return to the Atlantic. This gave rise to the fish salting industry of the Roman period, mentioned in Part 1. The dependence on fish, cattle and grains is also evident in the coinage shown in Part 1 with its depictions of cows, fish and ears of wheat. This 1^st century AD lead anchor found in the cove is also evidence of maritime activity.

Once in the parking lot it is a short walk to the outstanding displays in the Information Center. Some of those are in Part 1. It takes a good hour to fully view the displays which provide a good orientation to the site and its history. This charming little (about 2.5” tall) Terracotta Gladiator, mold-cast in the 1^st century AD, is also on display.

The lower floor of the center leads to the city ruins via a walk leading past the aqueduct remains seen in Part 1 and then along the side of the city to the eastern gate.

The nearby salting industrial site is pictured in part 1. Tuna was the mainstay but other species were also fished in the area and processed here. Once in the factory the fins were removed. The head, intestines, semen, eggs, and blood were also removed and saved for the production of garum. The fish were then cut into cubical or spherical pieces and lacerated so that the salt would easily penetrate. These were then piled in basins, alternating layers of fish and salt, and left for 20 days curing. The cured fish were placed in clay amphorae and closed with a clay disc and then stored to await transport.

The garum, was a highly prized and expensive sauce used with all types of foods. It was also used as a curative for burns, in enemas to fight intoxications, against ulcers and to alleviate dysentery. It was made with the byproducts: intestines, throats, fauces, hypogastria, blood etc. of tuna, moray eel, mackerel and sturgeon. Small fish like anchovies were also added. Left in brine in the sun for 2 or 3 months to cure this must have produced some interesting smells. The nearby housing (to the right) must have been permeated with the smell of fish. (106-113)

Almost 100 meters directly uphill and across the 2000 year old main street (seen in part1) is the forum, a key element in the Roman city. The administrative and legal center and to some extent religious center it was also a place for networking and meetings and where commercial agreements would be undertaken. In the foreground is the well-preserved Basilica with the rest of the Forum in the back. The entire Forum is 115 by 87 meters.(69)

The Basilica was the courthouse of the period where the local magistrates would hear cases in small civil and mercantile matters. The governor and his council judged higher cases. Constructed on the south of the Forum on the main street between 50 and 60 AD, the Basilica was two storied and occupies a space 38.5 by 19 meters, quite large for a city of 2000, so it probably served a hinterland as well.

Remnants of the 30.4 by 23.1 meters macellum (market) can be seen to the left of and beyond the Basilica. Its main façade opened on the main street. Built between the 1^st century BC and about 50 BC it housed the city’s artisans as well as retail shops for fish and other foods. (92-96)

A monumental statue of the Emperor Trajan “presided” over the administration of justice. The original is in the museum at Cádiz and this copy presides over the visiting public today.

The Basilica has 20 Ionic colonnades like these that divide the space into one large central nave and two narrower ones on either side. (97-102)

It is thought that not all the Baths at Baelo Claudia have been excavated since the one that has is too small to serve a city this size in all the functions of a Roman baths: hygiene, massage, exercise, meeting and networking. This bath has not yet been fully excavated but the basic functions can be seen. The bather entered by way of a room with tubs of cold water, proceeded next to be spread with oils, and scratched with strigils to stimulate circulation. Then it was on to the tepid room where the body was warmed enough to move on to the hot bath chamber for real sweating. To finish, the process was reversed, ending in the cold room – frigidarium. (88-91)

The theatre, located about 100 meters above the Baths, was built in the 1^st century AD and seems to have been in use for 2-3 centuries. Typically the Roman city financed the construction of some sort of venue for the entertainment of the population, at a minimum a theatre for the performance of tragedies, comedies and mimes. Although the origins of the Roman theatre can be traced to the Greek, but in the Roman model the Chorus (the circular area where the chorus performed) was limited to a semicircle contained within the overall semicircular structure of the theatre. The straight side of the semicircle was enclosed by a 2 storey stage set.

At Baelo Claudia the theatre is a relatively small 67 meters across the semicircle and 49 meters front to back. Even this area would have provided seating in excess of the city’s needs again suggesting that the city served a hinterland. The exterior walls are 2.7 meters thick and have 7 vaulted openings of varying widths around the perimeter allowing access to the seating without the need for circulation corridors under the stands. Here part of the bench seating has been paved with concrete to stabilize the area while the lower seating remains can be seen.

The large rectangular loggias, one at each end of the theatre, are pierced by 3 vaults to lighten their load.

This shows some of the detail of the seating and two of the entrances.

Dominating the Forum on its higher side was the capitolium consisting of the 3 classic temples of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. These 3 independent buildings were separated from each other by narrow corridors. Situated above the Forum in this way they “establish symbolically and physically the per-eminence of the gods over daily life” in the Roman city. (80)

In the 1^st century BC cults of eastern origins began to be followed within the Roman empire. “Isis in Egyptian mythology was the wife of Osiris and victor over the night powers. Worshipped widely in the classic world, she came to be considered the Origin of the Universal Female, goddess over all goddesses.” (77) This city boasted a temple to Isis built about 80 AD. Covering an area 29.85 by 17.7 meters, it was completely enclosed by a wall, supporting the theme of secretive mystery which closed its ritual ceremonies to all but the initiated. Again located at height, it is beside the theatre and above the 3 classic temples of the capitolium.

The end of the self-guided tour is at hand and now you’ll have to get back to the highway by keeping the San Bartolomé Hills on your right and the mountains on your left – but you’ve been down that road before. So just before your departure let’s see how well we have captured the essence of a Roman city on the periphery of the Empire by quoting this lengthy excerpt on the “Urbanism of Baelo Claudia”. (53-54)

For the citizens of Rome the city was much more than an agglomeration of housing organized to a greater or lesser measure one alongside another. The city was conceived only when the possibility existed for a series of conscious elements of collective life: temples, assembly or meeting spaces, public institutions, permanent and free services such as public fountains, etc.

This special conception of what is urban comes from understanding the city – the Urbe, that is so say Rome – ultimately as a sacred precinct, protected by gods and as such a space not only physical but also symbolic where each citizen identified with the collective conscience that pertained to a town. Upon reproducing the image of Rome and as much as possible its institutions, the sanctuaries, the public buildings, the tribunals, etc., each city of the Empire, as distant as it might be from the Urbe, participated also in this sacred and collective character.

In effect, the same concept of the city of an essentially religious and spiritual nature demarcated by the “premium,” the city limit, normally defined by the walls, and layout, at least ideally, of the plough line at the founding moment. It was a sacred space, and, therefore, according to the special mentality of the Roman people, it was a legal space. The Law ruled the functioning of the city, and the urban magistrates were intimately connected to the most profound conceptions, and at the same time routine daily life, of the citizenry.

These concepts, repeated in the same way throughout the entire area under the sovereignty of Rome, became one of the most essential structures for the unification of the empire. Definitively, urbanism “was not at that time an abstract, purely technical art.” Its purpose was to give material definition to the essentially abstract and spiritual reality that made up the Urbe.

Finally, it is important to highlight that the spiritual and symbolic character of the Roman city made it a great honour for the important families of each locality to construct the public buildings at their cost, or a least their enlargement, restoration, etc. On other occasions they tried to place beautifying elements on their streets and plazas, such as statues, porticos, triumphal arches, etc. The magistrates elected by the town demonstrated in this way their thanks for the honour they received. The consequence of this patronage was, logically, the greater glory of the cities in the High Imperial period.

Baeolo Claudia - 1st Century AD - Part 1

27 December 2007

Baelo Claudia is 21 km north of Tarifa and about 30 km south of Conil de la Frontera. Not the largest Roman ruins in Spain, nor holding the most people in its heyday and with no spectacular buildings or statuary, it is nonetheless a very important archeological site. “The good general conservation of the ruins, their easy interpretation, the high environmental quality of its surroundings, and especially because in Baelo Claudia we can observe the majority of the fundamental aspects of classic Roman cities” are cited as the major reasons for its importance. (Baelo Claudia, Official Guide to the Archeological Site: Undated, available at site. 12) The other reasons we would give include its role as a port engaged in trade with ports such as Gades (Cádiz) to the north, Tingis (Tangiers) to the south in North Africa and Malaca (Málaga) to the east 50 miles inside the Mediterranean, its “industry”, and the stunning beauty of the location.

The town is mentioned in various documents of the Roman era but it is only in 1663 that the first modern reference is made when it is incorrectly described as being located in nearby Barbate (actually the site of the Roman town Mellaria). The site remains poorly identified in various supposed locations until the 1850’s when there is general agreement on the cove of Bolonia. The first archeological survey of note is conducted by a Belgian curate Jules Furgus in 1907 who publishes two articles in 1907 and 1908 in which he makes a couple of key errors. The first major excavations are conducted from 1917-1921 under the leadership of Pierre Paris. A scientific report was issued, due largely to the work of his assistants, between 1923-1926. (Baelo Claudia, 17-18)

As a result of these excavations, Spain in 1925 declared Baelo Claudia an Artistic Monument. But it fell into “official obscurity” and “between 1921 and 1964, the city did not figure as an object of any research project or conversation plan, with the exception of a few collectors and curiosity seekers who occasionally plundered the site”. (19)

With the advent of tourism in the area and the construction of a few small hotels in Bolonia, a relatively isolated coastal town with a narrow, then unpaved, 8 km road from the National Highway 340 that runs from Cádiz to Algeçiras, it became necessary to better protect the site. In 1966 systematic archeological excavations began once again, this time under the leadership of the French Institution of Spanish Studies – Casa de Velázquez. This work included the acquisition of private properties in Bolonia that had been built over the lower part of Baelo Claudia. Unfortunately some private holdings still intrude over the site (seen here at the upper left of the picture).

In recent years attention has been turned from large excavation work to “graphic documentation, the study of emerging architecture, and the publication of its results” (22) as well as excavations to support the conservation of the site. This unearthed “the intact pavement of the ‘Decumano Maximo”, the city’s principal street”. (23) Imagine hurrying down this street on the way to the market or to the basilica for your day in court (pillars on the left) 2000 years ago. Compare it to a leisurely exploratory stroll over these very same pavements today.

No evidence has been found of settlement of this site prior to the Roman period. Excavations here show the beginnings of settlement with a fish salting industry from about 200 BC to 30 BC. The site goes through a period of expansion from then until 41 AD. The first salting sites having been destroyed around 50-30 BC, they are rebuilt in an expanded form and an urban nucleus begins uphill. The apogee of the city’s development lies between 41-68 AD likely the period when Baleo became “a municipality of citizens with Roman rights, a circumstance for the appreciative inhabitants rechristen the city with the denomination “Claudia’” in recognition of Emperor Claudius. (33)

The city minted its own money from at least 101- 31 BC.

Statuary was added at the city gates and included in the theater in prominent places such as those where these representations of minor gods of intoxication in Greek mythology. Both have a wineskin from which water flowed into two basins in the wall of the theatre.

At this period important hydraulic infrastructure was provided with three aqueducts that provided water for the population and the fish salting industry.

Within the town water was distributed by systems of lead or ceramic pipes and sewage was carried off by a second system of piping.

The economic base of the city depended on fishing and the salting of fish (and some meats), the production of garum, made from fish heads and intestines (in great demand as a culinary sauce and in pharmacology) and the trade of these products with the cities noted above. For examples these products could be exchanged with Tingis (Tangiers) for the bricks used in
the thermae of the public baths in the city. But the salting works seem to have been central to economic prosperity.

The site can be viewed on the web and apparently boasts a virtual tour which we have not yet been able to make run over WiFi here. But give it a try.

Gibraltar - Part 2

This is Part 2 of Gibraltar. To read it in sequence please scroll down to Part 1 and then return to this.

The Barbary Apes, actually tail-less monkeys, are perhaps the most famous of the tourist attractions on the Rock. There are several theories of how these natives of North Africa bottomless cave. A more likely explanation is that they were imported as pets during the era of the British occupation, perhaps in ships of the Royal Navy. For that matter they could have arrived by ship at an earlier date. But today one has to wonder - which is the ape? Where is Darwin when we need him?

The guide seems to be looking a bit askance at our camera since feeding the “apes”, which he is doing to entice them on to the shoulders of his tourists, merits a fine of 500 Pounds Sterling ($1000 CDN). They are known to bite – the apes that is, not the guides.

Gibraltar is also famous for its system of tunnels with 52 km created during WW 2 to add to the hand-dug tunnels of the Great Siege of 1779-1783, the 14^th siege by Spain to retake the Rock.

The much more extensive WW II tunnels and caverns included barracks, offices, munitions dumps and a fully equipped hospital with operating theatre and x-ray equipment. These tunnels were opened by the military for public tours in 2005; they require special arrangements which were not possible during our time there.

The Great Siege Tunnels began as an attempt to get large cannons to a place on the precipitous northern face of the Rock known as the Notch. Sergeant Major Ince of the Military Artificers (forerunners to the Royal Engineers) suggested a tunnel and he began work on 25 May 1782.

This was hard manual work, based on sledgehammers, crowbars and gunpowder for blasting. In 5 weeks a team of 18 men had driven an 8’ by 8’ (2.40 m) tunnel 82 feet (25 m) into the rock.

The blasting fumes almost asphyxiated the men so an air tunnel was sunk to draw off the fumes. The effectiveness of this caused a change of plans as it was realized that if the fumes could be adequately controlled, the cannon could be placed in the tunnel and embrasures could be cut through the side of the tunnel allowing the cannon to fire on nearby Spain and thus control the landward access to the Rock.

The guns in the Great Siege tunnel today date from the 1850’s, about 70 years after the digging of the tunnel. But they share many similarities.

To reduce flashback of ignited wadding and to reduce gunpowder fume blowback these rails held wet leather or rope. Although these rails date from the 1830’s, this system was used during the 1780’s siege.

On the north-wester

n side of the Rock the remnants of the Moorish Castle can be viewed from a distance. Fortifications at this location were first built in 1160 and subsequently destroyed during the recapture and occupation of the Rock by Spain from 1309-1333. This Tower of Homage dominates the hillside and the lanfward approach and was constructed about 1333 when Abu’l Hassan in turn recaptured Gibraltar. This fortress was under siege many times and shows the scars.

The extensive Royal Navy dockyards here are now under the control of a private company. The RN presence here is reduced to an operational front line squadron currently consisting of two 16 metre Patrol launches and 3 Arctic 6.5 metre Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs), manned by a team of 19 personnel.

Gibraltar offers shopping with the dreaded European Value Added Tax of 17-21% so for some it is a shopping haven. By the time we arrived on Main Street the weather had turned cloudy and without the sun, cold. Boxing Day meant that most of the stores were closed but looking through the windows suggested that if you really knew your prices and the Spanish Customs restrictions you would probably find some bargains.

Following a nice lunch we strolled back to our motor home for a coffee and then parted as Lee and Monique headed back to Málaga and we returned to Conil. What a great Boxing Day!

Gibraltar - Part 1

26 December 2007 – Boxing Day

How does one go about visiting the Rock of Gibraltar, famous in North America at least for Prudential Insurance ads – “As strong as the Rock of Gibraltar”? Why not find a couple of fellow Canadians spending Christmas week in nearby Málaga? But how would one find some Canadians? In our case they found us through our Blog, and realizing that we would be in reasonably close proximity invited us to join them for Christmas Day, an excellent idea but one that would involve a round trip of about 500 km. and the challenge of finding legal, safe overnight parking for our motor home in an unknown city. So we opted to meet about ½ way on Boxing Day – which brought the four of us to Gibraltar .

So who was this intrepid, Internet-savvy Canadian? Kwantlenites will recognize my friend and fellow-founding faculty member, now a retired member of the Psychology Department, Lee Woodson, whose wife Monique, a teacher in a French Immersion school with the Surrey School District, is on a one year exchange to a school in a valley town in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. (E-mail Lee for details of his daily life).

The nation that rules Gibraltar controls one of the Pillars of Hercules, and thus access into and out of the Mediterranean. Aficionados of WW II movies will remember the graphic analogy to the human body used in the classic submarine movie Das Boot (The Boat) to describe the narrowness of the Strait of Gibraltar when the crew of this German sub are ordered into the Med.

Control of Gibraltar also meant, by extension, control of access of to and from the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the “shortcut” to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and at the eastern end of the Med, the Black Sea. It also provides a base for naval activities into the Atlantic, such as the Battle of Trafalgar (see earlier post this month). This map illustrates the borders in early 1940; areas named in red are allied with or controlled by Germany or Italy. Blue denotes areas controlled by or allied with Britain or France. Italy declared war on France on 10 June 1940. Two weeks later the success of the German blitzkrieg, “speeding” around France’s static and “impregnable” Maginot Line on the French-German border and roaring through tiny Belgium and on into France resulted in the capitulation of Britain’s major ally. The fall of France in the third week of June 1940, brought the already precarious British position in the Mediterranean to the critical stage. Part of the solution was the neutralization of the French Mediterranean Fleet. One method involved the Royal Navy attacking and sinking French ships at anchor.For more information there is a very good 16 page summary covering the Mediterranean situation through 1941 at this site

Gibraltar is steeped in history and the mixing of peoples here dates back many thousands of years. In 1848 an ancient skull was unearthed in a quarry, 8 years before an identical skull was discovered in the Neander Valley near Dusseldorf , giving rise to Gibraltar’s claim that “Neanderthal Man” should have been “Gibraltar Woman”.

Ancient mariners were stopping here by the 8^th century BC and leaving gifts to the gods, as at Sagres (see 22 November 2007) before venturing into the Atlantic. Julius Ceasar defeated the Phonecians within site of Gibraltar. The Muslim invasion of Europe began in 711 in the Bay of Gibraltar when the Visigoths sided with Muslims by loaning their ships to the Berber Chief, Tarik Ibn Zeyad who landed by what he named Tarik’s mountain – “Jebel Tarik” which would ultimately be corrupted into “Gibraltar”.

Gibraltar remained under Moorish domination for over 700 years, apart from 24 years under Spanish control in the early 1300’s, finally being recaptured by Spain in 1462. In 1704 it was captured by a combined Anglo-Dutch force and was ceded in perpetuity to the Crown of Great Britain under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Three hundred and five years later it is still a British possession despite numerous attempts by Spain to reclaim it, the latest significant one being Franco’s 13 year closure of the land border with Spain (1969-1982).

Today the land border with Spain at La Linea, adjacent to Algeçiras remains open, although once through British Customs you can be stopped by the airport runway if a plane is arriving or leaving. Just inside the border we picked up a guide, a true Gibraltarian, born and raised on the Rock, and it is in his van that we waited for the runway to reopen.

Coming back we walked to the border across the runway in the blustery westerly wind.

This airport played a very important role during WW II and during the 13 year Spanish blockade. But today there is a very minimal British military presence with a small representation of the RAF and virtually nothing to show of the Royal Navy.

The Rock is a jagged limestone outcropping from the Jurassic age. Some 426 meters (1400 ft.) high, about 5 km long, averaging 1.25 km in width, and about 16 km in circumference, Gibraltar is a little less than 6.4 square km. So it is not a big piece

of property. Nonetheless it is impressive.

Separated from the other Pillar of Hercules, the mountains of Morocco in North Africa, by 14 nautical miles of the Strait of Gibraltar makes it the southernmost point of continental Europe.

The porous limestone means there is always green foliage on it even when the nearby Iberian Peninsula is bone dry. The porous limestone always feeds the stalagmites and stalactites in the caves, the most famous being the extensive St. Michael’s Cave. It was long believed to be bottomless giving rise to the myth of a natural tunnel under the Strait to Africa.

Consisting of an upper hall connected via 5 passages dropping between 40 feet and 150 feet to a smaller hall, St. Michael’s Cave is extensive. Indeed a series of chambers lie below the main cave reaching a depth of 250 ft. below the entrance. Blasting a second access point for a tourist exit, so that the claustrophobic wanting to exit don’t have to stumble over those descending, revealed another series of descending chambers leading to a small lake. While beautifully breathtaking in its eeriness and majesty, the Cave is difficult to photograph without fixed lighting.

The size of the stalagmites can be seen in this one which became too heavy on one side at some time and fell to the cave floor. In 1792 a slice 18” thick was cut off its top end leaving this 4’6” (1.35 m) cross-section. The light brown rings and patches show periods of excessive growth, while the darker areas show growth during periods of less rain. The two thin lines of crumbly white substance are thought to come from periods of glaciation.

Vejer de la Frontera

23 December 2007

Vejer de la Frontera is contemporary with the nearby town of Conil de la Frontera so that much of the political, construction, occupation and re-conquest history is identical. The major differences between the two are threefold. First, Vejer is inland and, second, it is one of Andaluz’s famed white hilltop cities.

Third, it retains, largely intact, the characteristics of a walled city: narrow, winding streets, no sidewalks, front doors that open literally on the street, interior courtyards and paving block streets.

A church of the period is in the largest, but still very small plaza within the original walled city. Beside it is a café, apparently the pre-eminent place of worship today, with a series of loudspeakers blasting its music up and down about 3 blocks.

Parts of the old fortifications are more evident than others.

While el Castillo is not well preserved as castles go it did provide us with some entertainment in the form of four 8 year olds who were determined that we should see the best views of it. Their insistence should have been a hint, but Roger blithely followed their instructions taking us deeper and higher into the site.

Eventually we reached the highest vantage point with some nice but not overly dramatic views, including the ubiquitous clothesline.

Now that we were at the top, their fun could begin as they closed and barred each door we had gone through and sprayed them with a spray bottle of sudsy soap. It gave them a big thrill to run away hooting with laughter, as they hid around each successive corner, at the crazy foreigners who fell into their trap.

Just outside the original walls, the city’s lovely Plaza de España boasts a beautiful palm-shaded fountain.

Christmas Dinner al Flamenco

20 December 2007

Ostensibly this is about Christmas Dinner 2007 in a campground in Spain with a bunch of retired Brits and Finns and a sprinkling of Dutch and Germans (and 2 Canadians – us).

But you can’t be in Andaluzía without exposure to the incredible Flamenco of the region. The flash of eyes, the graceful, sometimes tortured poses, the swirl of the dresses, the underlying staccato rhythm that fires your blood – this is FLAMENCO.

Roger was first introduced to it in university as a student, of among other things, Spanish language and literature. Carlos Montoya was something of a rage in North America in the 1960s. Born in Madrid, by the age of 14 he was playing in concert halls around the world. By WW II he had settled in New York City and although he returned to Spain each Christmas he was far more accepted as a flamenco guitarist in North America than in his native Spain. His idiosyncratic playing style alienated him from traditional flamenco guitarists, primarily because he abandoned the compas that flamenco had developed over many hundreds of years. Many of his works do not keep perfect tempo, increasing and decreasing whimsically at times. Montoya was admired for the speed of his picados which brought him fame in the USA and other countries. But to the aficionado, speed without compas is like wine without fermentation – nothing. The core of flamenco, according to Montoya’s critics, is to play rapid, beautiful falsettas without straying beyond the framework of the fixed rhythm.

Nonetheless Roger was overwhelmed by Montoya’s guitar. His music seemed to breathe the airs of the sierras of Spain, to embrace gypsies dancing in smoke filled caves, tavernas and bodegas, to embrace the tragedy and spirit of the bullfight and the Spanish Civil War, to capture the duende – the mystical spirituality of this complicated country with its multifaceted roots. Probably if Roger had taken an exchange year at the age of 20 and been immersed in the Flamenco of Andaluzía he would never have left. But like most people his personality had two auras: the spiritual rebel who would have fit into the republican side of the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s and the straight arrow dreaming of a career in the Canadian navy.

But – “There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” Did Roger choose fortune? Shakespeare has Brutus go on to say, “Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea [flood tide] are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures”. (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar) Roger’s life has certainly not been “bound in shallows and in miseries” so he must have chosen fortune. The route was long and torturous but has come full circle - now here he is Spain.

So enjoy these few photos of this impassioned dancing by girls from 10 and up, and by young women of this town. Maybe you will experience the duende. At the end are an excerpt from and a link to a website with more information on the Flamenco.

A note on these pictures: when we arrived for supper we discovered that our table had been changed from one in front to one in the back. Therefore, the bulk of the Flamenco pictures were taken by Roger from under a table in the front giving the angles and resulting limitations of the photos.

The following is taken from a very good website on flamenco and will provide a more in-depth introduction. Interspersed in the excerpt are more pictures of the Flamenco Troupe of Conil.

Flamenco history has only been documented for the past two hundred years or so, and anything before this time is open to debate and speculation.

Much of what we know from before this time comes from stories and legends that have been passed down through family dynasties, in a similar way to the flamenco song itself.

One thing we can be sure of is that flamenco in its original form was only voice, a primitive cry or chant accompanied only by the rhythm which would be beaten out on the floor by a wooden staff or cane.

These styles are known as Palo Secos, or dry styles, and they are the oldest forms of song known today.

The Toñas are the family of songs which represent these style and they include the toña, one of the oldest known styles, the martinetes, which are the songs of the blacksmiths, the rhythm

being supplied by the hammer beating on the anvil, the carceleras or prison songs, and the debla, which at one time was thought to have had connections with a gypsy religious rite.

The saeta is a song of ardent devotion, which is sung to the scenes of the passion during Semana Santa, and is thought to have Jewish origins. Although the saeta is not strictly flamenco, it has all the spontaneity of flamenco, and has been added to the flamenco repertoire of many jondo singers.

Cante jondo means “deep song,” and these are the styles of which most of the other forms derive.

Flamenco is made up of four elements, Cante-Voice, Baile-Dance, Toque-Guitar, and the Jaleo, which roughly translated means “hell raising” and involves the handclapping, foot stomping, and shouts of encouragement.

It whichever way jaleo presents itself, it is performed by the audience as well as the artiste and anyone else who feels the urge to participate.

The handclapping or Palmas is an art in itself, and although it may look easy, it is not, and the palmeros will weave intricate rhythms around the bases of the song, and in the tablaos this is used in conjunction with the zapateado.

The zapateado is the tap dance style of footwork, the dancers show piece where he will demonstrate his skill with his feet, and the noise created by this and the palmeros will be ringing in your ears long after you have left the tablao.

The addition of the guitar is surrounded in apparent mystery as the exact date is not known, but gradually the guitar was introduced as an accompanying instrument for flamenco.

Another important component of flamenco is the element known as duende, and this is shrouded in as much mystery as flamenco itself. Writers and poets over the years have given duende a magical and mysterious meaning, a spiritual significance that goes beyond human understanding. The poet Federico Garcia Lorca romanticized duende saying, “Duende could only be present when one sensed that death was possible.” Many will say that duende can only be experienced in certain surroundings like an intimate flamenco session where a singer will be possessed by the dark tones of the song and the spirit will enter the mind and soul of anyone who opens up to it. “Duende a strange presence that everybody senses but no philosopher can explain ,” or, “All that has dark sounds has duende.” Whatever you believe, duende does exist, and to experience it, is one of the wonders of this mystical art.

The origins

Most of today’s flamencologists will agree that the baile flamenco has descended from the ancient dances of the Indian Hindus. Although the flamenco dance has shed many of the elements of the Indian religious dances that will unfold a story with set eye and facial movements, it does still have similarities with the Indian dance.

The early flamenco dancers, especially the woman, concentrated more on the upper body and arm movements, similar to that of the Indian Bharata Natya, where the dance is focused on arm movements and facial expressions. Also from India is the Kathuk, which is a dance performed by men and woman, where the very intricate footwork has similarities to the zapateado in flamenco.

These dances reached Spain as early as the Greek times, 500-250 BC, where Indian dancers where brought into Spain via the port of Gadir, today known as Cádiz, to entertain the royals of the time. The arrival of the Moors nearly one thousand years later, and also the gypsies, who brought with them, dance and music styles from Pakistan and Persia enriched the existing andalucian styles.

Many theorists lay the blame for the lack of footwork in the early female baile flamenco on the Muslim discouragement for women not to show their legs. The zapateado or intricate footwork displayed by the dancer was not introduced into the female dance routine until the early twentieth century.

The decrees of the 16th century, where Moors, Jews, and gypsies were persecuted, resulted in these outcasts going underground, and taking with them their music and dances, and this is where it stayed, and this is thought to be the very beginning of the formation of flamenco.

The style of dance we see performed today has changed considerably since these times, and now styles of flamenco song that were never danced are being taken up by modern dancers striving to find new directions for the flamenco dance.

The jondo dancer is today a rare commodity, and what we see is choreographed dance a lot more in the tablaos and commercial establishments.

But what makes a good dancer? His grace, his rhythmic skill, his duende, or his ability to perform spontaneously.

Spontaneous does not mean that a new dance be created every time the dancer takes the floor, but that the dancer will feel the music and dance what he feels for the music at that particular moment, expressing himself and letting his personality take grip of the dance, and not just going through the motions of a show that is rehearsed right down to the facial expressions.

Spontaneous or academic?

There is a phrase, which says, “When you learn to dance, you must also learn how to forget it.” All that he has been taught must at times be ignored, and the dancer will rely on the wisdom that flows in his blood, something that he inherited from an age-old tradition. He must feel the rhythm of his own heart beat and let that guide him with his interpretation, and with his natural instinct, and the knowledge of how to use the rhythm of his heart, he will unleash a mysterious force, searching the most inner depths of his soul to attain a certain high, when the spirits appear to guide him and the duende fills the dance.

This type of dance will not normally be witnessed in a commercial setting, but it is possible in an intimate surrounding where the person dancing is transformed by the flamenco, unaware of anything around him other than the rhythm of the song, drawing his inspiration from the genetic sediment that lies in his soul.

This is the best possible way to witness flamenco dance, on the spur of the moment when someone feels entranced by the music, since the purest of dance exists in the body of those who know how to listen to its rhythmical call, and the more simple the dance, the better.

Outside of its natural surroundings, flamenco can appear dull and weak, rather like an uprooted plant, but in an old taverna or the small backroom of a bodega, where the smokey atmosphere and the scorched, cracked voice of the singer combined with the passionate tones of the flamenco guitar accompanying the solo dancer can sometimes leave you mesmerized.

It is the belief of many, that you cannot be taught flamenco; it is something that you are born into, an age-old secret that the only gypsies hold in their hearts.

Dance is one of the most beautiful ways for a performer to express himself, letting his character shape the routine, if he is a good dancer he will not be interested in flashy techniques or showmanship, just intent in relaying what he feels for the dance at that particular moment.

In the commercial establishments it is most commonly the dancers that the audience is there to see, and anything the singer or guitarist is doing is considered unimportant, because they will most probably not understand what lies inside the music. Even if they have no knowledge of flamenco they can appreciate the grace and passion of the dancer, and the sensual, rhythmical, and graceful movements will normally be enough to satisfy the uninitiated.

If it is pure jondo dance you are looking for, then you will not normally find it in the tablaos, but if it is an enjoyable night’s entertainment, then the tablaos are good places to see flamenco dance.

There is a release in spontaneous dancing that does not exist in academic, choreographed dancing, and the two different styles are considered as separate arts, rather like the guitar soloists as opposed to the accompanists.

Flamenco dance was initially a solo act, but it was with the invention of the café cantantes that dance troupes were formed, and today many of the top dancers have their own companies. These companies can have up to twenty dancers on stage at the same time, and it would be with disastrous effects if the routines were not choreographed. Today these flamenco troupes take shows to the theaters and arenas not only in Andalucía, but to the rest of the world, and in London’s Sadlers Wells theatre, where they hold an annual festival of flamenco, you will have to book months in advance to obtain a ticket.

Today flamenco dance is becoming more popular world wide, but these styles are now mixed with classic Spanish dance as well as ballet.

To witness jondo style flamenco dance today you will have to seek out the peñas and flamenco recitals that are aimed at the purer side of this fantastic art.

The fiesteros, which are normally of the older generation of artistes who sing and dance, will show you that there is still room for both sides of this art, and whether it is the tablaos, the theaters, or the antiquated jondo style of dance you prefer, flamenco is one of the most visual and emotive forms of expression, and to witness a passionate display of flamenco dance will leave most people impassioned.

Cabo de Trafalgar

16 December 2007

Cape Trafalgar is best known, certainly in British history, because of the battle that took place there on 21 October 1805 (the 200^th anniversary was celebrated in many British and Commonwealth cities 2 years ago).

A few kilometres south of Conil along the Atlantic coast it is a little more than midway between Gibraltar (British stronghold) and Cádiz the base from which the combined French (18 major ships) and Spanish 15 major vessels) fleet commanded by the French Admiral Villeneuve would sail to eventually meet the British fleet of 27 major warships under the command of Lord Horatio Nelson. As a Captain on 14 February 1797, the somewhat remarkable, erratic Nelson had left the British line to cut off the Spanish retreat at what was initially known as the Victory of St. Valentine’s Day, soon renamed the Battle of Cape St. Vincent (see November 2007). For this he was knighted. At Trafalgar, he would again be victorious but on this date he would lose his life, and some would argue Britain, its greatest admiral.

Today at Cabo de Trafalgar one has to search for any indication of the ominous events of 200 years ago. While there is one small plaque for those keen enough to walk up to and around to the seaward side of the lighthouse, the rest of the signage deals with the geology of the formation of the tombola of Trafalgar. The actual cape is an offshore rocky cliff and reef that over eons have been joined to the continent by the build up of sand.

The lighthouse to the right of the picture is an imposing structure, although not the first on the site. From a closer vantage point and backlit by the sun the size and height of the light are more evident. The building up of a dune against the rocks of the cape can also be seen.

The base of a former lighthouse can be seen to the right on the rocks of the cape with placed rocks in the foreground to stabilize the sand dune.

Following the Treaty of Amiens, Europe had been at peace for over a year and ships in the Royal Navy had been paid off, reducing the capability of the fleet. This was a long-term and much criticized practice of successive British Kings and governments. Meanwhile in France Napoléon was planning the next stages of his domination of the continent. Realizing that a resumption of war would result in the British blockading France’s ports thus strangling its trade (especially the supply of food) and its war efforts, Napoléon laid plans for the invasion of Britain, concentrating troops and invasion vessels at Calais in northern France. To cross to England he would need to control the English Channel. To do this he needed his fleets to break out of the blockaded ports of Toulon, Brest, Ferrol and Rochefort.

Admiral Villeneuve eventually managed to break out of Toulon and sailed for the West Indies where he was supposed to meet the French then blockaded in Brest, and then return to Europe and meet up with the fleets from the other blockaded ports.

With Nelson, more or less on his heels (actually Nelson headed for the southeast and Egypt), Villeneuve met up with the Spanish from Cadiz (under Gravina) and sailed west for Martinique. Nelson realized his mistake and set off in pursuit. The chase would last throughout the summer as they manoeuvred for position in the Atlantic.

Ultimately, after the high, but typically dull drama of a long distance sea chase and the engaging political intrigue of the Napoléonic court, Villeneuve arrived in Cadiz on August 20^th.

Nelson arrived off Cadiz on 28 September to join Collingwood’s fleet that was blockading the port, setting his frigates inshore to watch the port for any movement and his battleships 50 miles offshore in the hope of drawing the French and Spanish fleet into a decisive battle.

As the British patrolled offshore Nelson met with his Captains in the flagship HMS Victory and laid out his plan of sailing in two columns, the windward one under the command of Nelson and the leeward one under Collingwood. The intent was to attack from offshore with the wind from offshore, sail the two columns into the middle of the line of French and Spanish ships splitting the line in two and thus preventing ½ of them from effectively engaging in the battle. While Villeneuve apparently knew of or had surmised these tactics, he did not provide his Captains with a plan of defence against them.

Once the fleets were arrayed against each other on 21 October, Villeneuve seeing that the British had the windward advantage, and afraid of fighting with his ships thus on a lee shore, ordered his fleet to turn around and head back for Cadiz. Ordering them to wear around resulted in a 2 hour long manoeuvre, completed at 1000 hours. (With ships with square sails it is a great advantage to have the wind blowing from anywhere beyond 90 degrees away from the direction you wish to go. You can manoeuvre much more easily and much more quickly. So if you are to windward, or upwind, of your opponent you have a major advantage. If your opponent is also closer to the shore and the wind is blowing onto the shore you now have a double advantage – the windward and pressing your opponent against a lee shore.) They French/Spanish fleet now had to reform themselves in line of battle sailing in the opposite direction. By now the center of their formation had sagged off towards the lee shore making their position even more problematic.

Aboard the Victory, Nelson ordered the hoisting of the signal “England confides that every man will do his duty”. This would have required the use of individual flags to spell out each letter of “confides” so the signal was changed to the one that has gone down in history;” England expects that every man will do his duty”. (The Victory is the only ship surviving this era. To see more of her, visit her official site.

The diagram shows the disbursement of the two fleets as the battle began.

By now many will be fatigued by all this description of naval action. For those who want to pursue an in-depth description of the Battle of Trafalgar, there is a reasonably good one at this site

The proximity of Conil de la Frontera can be seen in this shot – it is the cluster of white buildings on the hilltop, to the left center.

The proximity to the African coast can be seen in this shot.

The nearby town of Zahara de los Atunes has undergone extensive development in the last 15 years and more is underway. This will be the story for all of the Costa de Luz as the demands for ocean-side vacations increases.

Power will be supplied in part by the wind, which as we write this blog has been blowing steadily for 24 hours in excess of 30 knots with gusts to 45 knots (double those figures for kilometres – but don’t tell Marie-Claire that).

Wind in this general area is funnelled by the Straits of Gibraltar, compressing between the mountains of southern Spain and northern Africa (Morocco). In the area of this town there is a further compression caused by local mountains, hence the large windmill farms, with the wind, on this day blowing offshore – not a Nelson’s wind. (

Thatch roofs can also be seen in this area, just as in Normandy, France.

We leave you with this nonsensical thought; “People who live in thatched houses, don’t burn expired safety flares in their living rooms”.

Are You New to This Blog?

19 December 2007

For those who are new to this blog here are some directions. For those who have been reading it, a few reminders.

1. The blog begins in October 2006 with our trip down the west coast of the USA to San Francisco, and across the continent to New York City where we boarded the Queen Mary 2. To access older parts of the blog, simply scroll down to Archives on the left hand margin and pick the month you want. Up until our arrival in Europe in the Fall of this year, the topics covered included in addition to the USA and our transatlantic trip on the QM2: Belgium; some of Normandy in France; almost all of the Mediterranean coast of France, including Monaco; Biarritz and parts of the Atlantic coast of France; sailing in BC including the filming of part of a BBC documentary on Stellar Sea Lions; and a few other sidelights.

2. Each picture in the blog can be enlarged by left clicking on the picture. To get back to the blog, click on the "Back Arrow" on your Internet Browser.

3. There are some links to websites in some posts. Left click on the link to get to the site. To return to the blog, click on the "Back Arrow" on your Internet Browser.

4. Most importantly - enjoy.

5. We can be contacted at mcroger@shaw.ca although it often takes some time for us to reply since access to the Internet is intermittent.

Cheers,

Roger and Marie-Claire

La Real Escuela Andaluza Del Arte Ecuestre

13 December, 2007

The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is located in Jerez de la Frontera, about half-way between Sevilla and Conil de la Frontera, was founded in 1973 and is dedicated to the training of horsemen, dressage, and breeding of Cartajuna horses.

Here is a profile shot that illustrates the features of the breed.

It is known that this breed of horse probably existed in the Iberian Peninsula as far back as 3,000 years ago, in the 4th century BC. It was praised by Aristotle and later by other historians such as Plinio the Elder, Virgil and Columela. The Iberian horse was famous and renowned throughout the world, and was thus exported in order to crossbreed with other breeds beyond Spain's frontiers.

During his reign, Felipe II planned the improvement of the then existing Spanish stock, sparing no efforts in his venture, this great labour achieving enormous success in the selection of the Pure Thoroughbred Spanish Horse. Concerning the same, the Grand Master of horse-riding François Robichon de la Guernière stated "All writers have always given preference to the Spanish horse and considered to be the best of all horses for the arena, due to its agility, resourcefulness and natural rhythm. It has been esteemed the most appropriate for the arena, for displays and parades, for its poise, grace and nobility; and even more suitable for war on a day of action, both for its great spirit and docility". And adds: "the Spanish Horse is the most fitting to be mounted by a King on occasions of triumph".

The Spanish horse was the most highly appreciated in Europe for several centuries and it is easy to see portraits of the age where Kings and nobles appear mounted upon Spanish horses. This information on the breed is drawn from the school's interesting website.

To access the various parts of the site, in English, click on the British flag at the lower right "Skip introduction". This should kick you into the English language version. If you prefer Spanish, click on "Saltar Presentacion" - accent on last syllable. Once in the site on the left-hand top click on "Presentation" for more on the history and also for the photo gallery. There is also a section on training - so for the horse aficionados there is lots of information.

These are highly bred, spirited horses that nonetheless react well to intensive training, allowing them to with time excel at dressage. Unfortunately no photos can be taken during the incredible 2 hour show, How the Andalusian Horses Dance, which runs each Tuesday and Thursday at noon hour so we are relying on digital images that we purchased at the school. None of the purchased images actually covers the show but some images illustrate certain aspects. This is unfortunate because the precision, symmetry, musicality, and discipline of both horses and riders are spellbinding. Sometimes as many as 10 horses and riders are in the ring at one time so the need for each of these learned skills is paramount. In fact the horse and riders in the show are more synchronized than those in this posed picture.

Perhaps this captures more of the action and precision of the show. With the mane knotted and hanging on the opposite side you can see one of the breed’s features, a short thick, strong neck.

Equally attention grabbing is the spectacle of two teams of 4 horses pulling buggies, often in such tight circles that the inner two horses, especially that back one, is sidestepping rather than moving forward as they complete turns up to 360 degrees. All of this is taking place in a relatively small area, approximately 20 meters wide by 60 meters long (60 feet by 180 feet).(1)

The school is located on the grounds of what was once El Palacio del Recreo de las Cadenas (the recreation, or perhaps vacation, palace) begun in 1864 by King Francisco de Asis de Borbón. Although there is a royal box in the stadium and

the riders give a salute to the box, the palace is not occupied by royalty. It can be booked for conferences, dinners, weddings etc. How about marrying off your daughter here, riding in a buggy drawn by these beautiful horses and then enjoying a reception in the opulence of this Louis XV style palace?

We will leave you with a picture of this stunning leap, a number of which can be seen during the show.

Jerez de la Frontera is a big city, and difficult to navigate in. Perhaps it is easier for Europeans to find their way by car without street signs and periodic indications of direction. For example, we were told by the school to follow signs for the city center and that we would see signs for the school. In the final analysis we saw one sign for the school, about 3 blocks from it. Luckily a friendly cashier in a gas station responded to Roger’s Spanish and the mention that we were from Canada with a big smile and the international thumb to forefinger sign of approval and the comment “ooohhh Caaaanada” and gave us excellent directions that got us to the right side of the downtown and the right major street. From there a lady at a bus stop was able to direct us to the correct turn about 4 blocks on, where we finally saw the first and only sign for the school. So for two Canadians IN A MOTORHOME big cities are rarely easy. And that’s a real shame because larger European cities often have more examples of historical buildings and spaces, as well as more cultural opportunities. For example, 4 blocks from the Real Escuela is one of the centers of Flamenco. But we will probably have to miss it. Once you get your motorhome into the city center you might be able to find day-time parking as long as you don’t get into the narrow-streets of the “old city” but you will not be able to legally park overnight. In fact in the places we have been able to day-park in big cities we would not feel safe parking overnight. As for the Flamenco cultural experience, the Flamenco group of Conil will fortunately be performing after our Christmas dinner on 20 December and we will get to be a part of that.

Spain - Conil de la Frontera

10 – 26 December 2007

Heading east from the Algarve coast into Spain, there is a very large national park fed by the salt water tides of the Atlantic Ocean and the fresh water of the Rio Gualdaquivir as it flows south into the ocean. The largest national park in Spain at 73,000 hectares, it is home to a wide variety of animals including lynx, deer and wild boar, as well as numerous species of birds and waterfowl: imperial eagle, ducks, heron, and flamingos. Influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Africa it is an important refuge for migrating European and African birds and waterfowl.

We hope to visit it in some depth. But for now, the lack of roads running from Portugal to Spain along the coast means a big detour for us towards Sevilla in order to get to the province of Cádiz and the Costa de la Luz. (In Spanish most letters in all words are pronounced, so Roger’s last name would be “Elmayz”; accents indicate which syllable is to be emphasized if it differs from the typical accent on the second to last syllable.)

Roger’s attempt to avoid Sevilla and its high speed freeway interchanges and heavy traffic included a route to follow secondary roads to cross the Guadalquivir River at Coria del Rio by ferry, thus remaining at least 40 km south of the big city. In the end we were unable to find the ferry, it was getting dark, so we ended up having to go north to Sevilla and navigate its freeways during the rush hour. “The best laid plans of mice and men…” This meant spending the night at a free campsite at a gas station on the freeway, with 4 or 5 big transport trucks and no one else since the station closed at 2300. Marie-Claire slept like a log to the restful pulsing of the traffic.

Our maps or our navigation skills brought us during the morning rush hour into what looks like a small town on the map, Puerto Real. In reality it was a small city. Fortunately Roger’s Spanish was sufficient to get directions to the National Highway we were seeking to lead us to the coast. Interesting talking to a taxi driver at the train station during the morning rush, but knowing that we were visitors from “el Canadá” he was very helpful and patient, although unable to slow his machine-gun Spanish.

Having investigated a few campsites along the way and finding them too isolated with no bicycle paths linking them to a town we continued on to Conil de la Frontera, which we had read allows or at least turns a blind eye to overnight parking along their ocean-front promenade. We got temporarily installed and wandered up the hillside of this white-washed town that, apart from its extensive beach, could have been lifted from a postcard of Greece.

At the Oficina de Turismo a friendly lady gave us good information on the town and a nearby campsite, and told us that overnight parking along the promenade is prohibited and the police would tell us to move. Consultation with four German motorhomers who had stayed there three nights told us that we need not worry. So we decided to set ourselves up for a few days. Walking back to our motorhome we suddenly see a familiar face with a grand moustached smile jumping out of a big motorhome. It was Bernard; and Lucy from the Netherlands who camped beside us a month ago in Évora, Portugal. They have been on the road for several years, with brief visits to their former town. Australia was one of their long term trips, not in their big motorhome, seen here beside our smaller offspring (yellow highlights) and close to a green self-converted van. The last was carrying 4 young guys and one young woman, all from Sweden, on a trip for several months making music with their guitars, flutes and harmonicas. Bernard and Lucy were en route to Morocco with their motorcycle in their motorhome. Ah the contrasts in travel – viva la diferencia.

This area has been inhabited since the pre-historical period. But the first recorded settlements were those of the Phoenicians who set up highly productive tuna fishing almadrabas, a specialized net system for catching the migrating tuna, a method still practised today. These colonies were taken over by the Carthaginians who continued the tuna and sea salt industries. The Romans turned the town into an important port on the Roman Road from Málaga (on the Mediterranean about 100 km east of Gibraltar) to Cádiz 41 km north of Conil. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the town suffered invasions by the Vandals, Byzantines and Visigoths until its capture by the Moors in 711. The conquest of Sevilla by Ferdinand III in 1248 marked the beginning of the expulsion of the Moors from southern Spain. But the expulsion took time and the frontera (border) between the Moors and the Spanish Kings shifted with time giving rise to many towns and cities here enjoying the suffix de la frontera (of or on the border).

Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, a knight to whom Ferdinand IV granted the village of Huedi Conil, founded the modern town which was known for more than two centuries as Torre de Guzmán after this tower, here with its Christmas decorations, which he had constructed for defence.

Later Conil and the surrounding area on the Costa de la Luz became part of the fiefdom of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia until 1812 when the French influenced Cortes de Cádiz (Parliament of Cadiz) established a liberal constitution that abolished the 500+ year old feudal system.

Seven years earlier, on 21 October 1805, the combined French and Spanish fleet commanded by the French Admiral Villeneuve departed Cádiz harbour to meet Admiral Horatio Nelson and the British “Hearts of Oak” in what became known as the Battle of Trafalgar, one of the decisive battles of naval warfare. Cape Trafalgar is a few kilometres south of Conil, so the town was a witness to the decimation of the Spanish fleet.

Today there are few physical signs of this tumultuous past. The early 14^th century Guzman Tower above, a small portion and one gate of the old town wall (Puerto de la Villa) are the two principal examples of the few to be found.

The beautiful 16^th century Iglesia de Santa Catalina was restored in the late 19^th century resulting in a mix of architectural styles. Currently under renovation from its foundations up, its Moorish influenced beauty shines through the construction barriers and scaffolding.

The Count of Cinco Torres (5 towers) ordered the building of the Iglesia de la Misericordia in the 1760’s. Under his directions it was built in two parts; a church with an oval floor plan and a courtyard surrounded by dwelling places for 30 poor families.

In 1648 when it became clear that the existing municipal buildings were insufficient for the town’s administration, plans were drawn up to construct a new building. The lack of funds prevented this. One hundred and sixty-five years later the French occupation resulted in the dismantling of the 16^th century Monastery of the Mínimos Order and the
expulsion of the friars. In 1839 the municipal offices were installed in part of the old monastery (to the right of the church steeple) and in 1843 that part of the monastery was officially taken over by the town council.

The church is now the church of the parish of Santa Catalina.

In the district of the town historically inhabited by the fisherman the dramatically simple Capilla del Espíritu Santo (Chapel of the Holy Spirit) has a stark interior highlighted by
natural light and by the contrast of its simplicity and a gilded Saint Carmen. This 17^th century chapel was founded by a private family.

But this is a vibrant living town which expands its numbers 5 fold each summer as Spaniards

and others come to escape the heat of the interior and cities and enjoy sea breezes for summer vacation. In the winter, while a bit slower, it is still a busy place. Imagine having lunch at the “roadside” restaurant. To expand his business this restaurateur has simply expanded the footprint of his space by setting tables up in an available part of the street, and in summer each of these tables would be filled.

A winter night sees the local youth marching band rehearsing for Christmas. Now marching bands in Latin countries are a different experience from their counterparts in North America or for that matter in northern Europe. Picture “Feliz Navidad” played and marched at the slow march, lightened by drum riffles and the brass crescendos of blaring bugles blended with trombones

and trumpets. Add a dollop of cold evenings to get the feel for Christmas and call a daily practice for 8-10 P.M. 50 meters from our motorhome. Check out the range of ages with a concentration of younger members on the blaring bugles – maybe that explains the discordance. Actually it was a nice experience.

To add to the musical feel of the town each day at recess and lunch at the school in the background of the second picture (above in this post) classical music is played over an outside loudspeaker system while the children play games and run in the asphalt covered yard.

Blessing of the Fleet - PART 2

To get the preceding series of shots Roger had been perched precariously 10 feet in the air on the thin edge of the top of one side of a huge stowage box for fishing gear and nets, where he had been joined by one "other" kid. As the actual blessing of the fleet ended he crawled back to earth to cover the recessional which began with the band getting organized once again.

These fisherman didn't really want to give up on what had been described to us earlier in the day as "fireworks". So at this point more flares were lit on the boats.

In a way it seemed fitting that this health-challenged lady seemed to lead the recessional from the docks.

This was in large part truly a community event and during the recessional the crowd of about

2000 mingled with the participants.

If you’ve watched Italian films about small villages you would have the feeling that this local
band had the standing contract. Their mannerisms, music, way of marching was so reminiscent that we thought we had jumped over Spain and France and been transported to that other large European peninsula – Italia.

Once back in the town, there were women on the balconies, burning candles as the procession passed.

With night falling under their balcony, the Christmas lights contrasted with the passage of the Virgin.

Full night

brought the Christmas angels, a fitting end to a wonderful day.

Blessing of the Fleet - Quarteira, Portugal - Part 1

8 December 2007

Many coastal communities, especially fishing villages in Catholic countries, have an annual religious procession and festival involving a blessing of the fleet to preserve it and the fishermen from the perils of the sea. The seas and oceans of the world can be dangerous places, powerful challenges to the puny humans and their frail vessels, both their bodies and their ships. Fear of the ocean felt by those who do not know it, and respect and humility imbedded in those who do is reflected in Protestant hymns:

Eternal Father strong to save,

Whose arm doth bound the restless wave,

Oh hear us when we cry to Thee,

For those in peril on the sea.

And in prayers:

O eternal Lord God, Who alone spreadeth out Thine arms and rulest the raging of the seas …

So it was no surprise to Roger the lapsed Protestant, nor to Marie-Claire the lapsed Catholic, to discover that 8 December would witness a procession to celebrate the Festival of Our Lady of Conception, and the Blessing of the Fleet in Quarteira, a historical fishing village.

Given Quarteira’s roots as a fishing village, and its ongoing reliance on the ocean for fishing and tourism, and searching for some deeper connection with the culture of the community we devoted most of the day to the festival.

The fishing fleet here is involved in an onshore fishery, sardines being a principal harvest, and the size of the boats and the port reflect this. For the festival they were all bedecked in coloured pennants and streamers, loaded with family and friends, and ready to set sail.

A sail along the beach is punctuated by the firing of expired safety flares so that the boats seem to have caught fire.

Back at the port the fishermen chosen for the task await, with their Virgin Mary, the arrival of the much larger procession. There is, of course, a kid clown in every parish and this young seaman insisted on placing himself front and center.

The nearby houses and streets were starting to show a festive air as people lined the route and the roofs of nearby houses. At this point Marie-Claire, having been a participant in many processions as a child, was beginning to wonder if this was all there would be and why their Virgin was so small.

In a nearby café, other fisherman are entertained by a mate with a large harmonica, while they imbibe more than a few beers on this sunny Saturday afternoon, while a wife looks on with interest – or is it impatient tolerance?

The fishing fleet, accompanied by one 50 foot sailboat, began to return to the port, horns blaring and safety flares burning, making us wonder whether, as the name of the boat suggests, God Protect Us from the sea or from the fire that a dropped flare would start on these wooden vessels crammed with synthetic nets and plastic streamers.

The large procession arrives, having wended its way through the streets from the new church, bringing even more people from the town. Led by church volunteers, altar boys and girls, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides they pick their way along the docks to a central stage.

The priests and altar boys ascend the stage and lead a 45 minute service with ritual blessings, responses, scriptural readings and a sermon. With the priests’ clear enunciation and paced manner of speaking we were able to follow the essence of the message.

Update From Spain

We have been in Spain since 12 December and we think that between a slow WiFi service at this campsite and an Internet service in town that we found today will allow us to use our laptop we should be able to put up 4 or 5 new posts in the next few days.

We will be using this as a base for our explorations until 10 January.

Cheers,

Roger and MArie-Claire