Granada
Granada is a city in the autonomous region of Andalucía, situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. It is one of the great cities of Spain if not the World.
When visiting Granada it is tempting to spend all one’s time admiring the Alhambra. From afar one can admire the beauty of its red walled parapets contrasting with the snow capped Sierra Nevada whilst once inside one can absorb oneself in the sheer splendour of its fantastic palaces and its tranquil gardens. However, Granada has much more to offer the visitor.
It is a city where both Moorish and Christian history is visible in art and architecture.
Moorish Granada is exemplified by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Alhambra, the Generalife and the Albaicín district whilst the Capilla Real and the Cathedral represent Christian Granada.
Granada - Alhambra
for more photographs of Granada click on the following link….
28 February 2012
Teruel
Teruel is the capital of the province of the same name in the autonomous community of Aragón. Despite the fact that it is one of the least known places in Spain, it really is an attractive and historic city. “Teruel existe” was the slogan used by a campaign group a few years ago. They lobbied for greater recognition and investment in the city and the province. Connections to Teruel have improved but it still remains the only provincial capital in Spain without a direct railway link to Madrid.
Teruel certainly does exist and when I visited I enjoyed exploring the old town with its medieval buildings and, in particular, the Mudéjar architecture.
Mudéjar architecture Teruel
more photos of Teruel on my Panoramio site:-
http://www.panoramio.com/user/2391258/tags/Teruel
my full article about Teruel…
http://bovingtoninspain.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/teruel/
Robert Bovington
Roquetas de Mar
February 2012
Cabo de Gata
In the south of Spain, a few miles east of Almería, there is a delightful area that offers miles of unspoilt beaches with secluded coves, sand dunes and much more within a protected coastal reserve. It is the Cabo de Gata, a natural park that I think is quite splendid. It is one of my favourite areas in the province of Almería.
It is a nature lover’s delight. There are thousands of different species there including the pink flamingo and the rare Italian wall lizard. There are eagles, kestrels, puffins, cormorants, oystercatchers and storks. The extraordinary wealth of wildlife is unbelievable. There are some species that are unique to the park. This includes the dragoncillo del Cabo, which flowers all the year round. Europe’s only native palm tree – the dwarf fan – is to be found here. In the sea, there are bream, grouper, prawn and squid. There are hundreds of species of seaweed, which are home to the many varieties of crustacean, mollusc and fish.
Perhaps the reason for the great variation in wildlife is due to the diverse habitats in this natural park. The 71,500 acres of the Cabo de Gata is volcanic in origin and comprises coastal dunes, steep cliffs, spectacular beaches, salt marshes, saltpans, arid steppe, dry riverbeds and a substantial marine zone. It is probably this ecological diversity that has led to the park being designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
More photos of the Cabo de Gata on my Panoramio site:-
Almería
my Panoramio photos of Almería:-
http://www.panoramio.com/user/2391258/tags/Almer%C3%ADa
Robert Bovington
February 2012
Alhambra Granada
If there is one place you should visit in Spain, it is the Alhambra Palace in Granada.
The Alhambra reigns supreme in the city of Granada and rightly so. If it stood on a flat plain, it would still be one of the most spectacular fortresses ever built. However, it sits at the top of the highest wooded hill in the city. Not only that – this red-walled palace has the fairytale backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Well, for most of the year the mountains are snow-capped – in August, they are somewhat er… rock-capped!
If the view from afar is spectacular, the interior of the Alhambra is simply stupendous! There is so much of artistic merit to see. However, there are four main areas to explore: the Alcazaba, the Palace of Charles V, the Casa Real or Royal Palace and the Generalife Gardens.
More photographs of the Alhambra can be found on my Panoramio site:-
http://www.panoramio.com/user/2391258/tags/Alhambra
Robert Bovington
https://plus.google.com/118235640981670233395/about
Welcome to Photographs of Spain
Welcome to my blog “Photographs of Spain”.
There are seventeen autonomous communities in Spain, most of which are sub-divided into provinces of which there are fifty. However, Spain is much more than the sum of its parts. It is diverse. It is this diverseness that I hope to illustrate with this blog and its associated photographs.
Robert Bovington
Roquetas de Mar Feb 2012
Photographs of Spain 