Puerto de Roquetas de Mar
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Jan 2017 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Dec 2016 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Jan 2011 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Aug 2007 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – April 2015 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Jan 2011 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Jan 2009 © Robert Bovington |
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| Puerto de Roquetas de Mar – Jan 2009 © Robert Bovington |
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Parque de María Luisa in Seville
by Robert Bovington
This lovely romantic garden was donated to the city by the Infanta Maria Luisa Fernand at the end of the nineteenth century. The famous landscape gardener, Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier, added further enhancements.
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Parque de María Luisa in Seville – Monument dedicated to Bécquer © Robert Bovington |
In 1929, the park became the centre of the Ibero American Exhibition. Adjacent to the park is the beautiful Plaza de España which was used to showcase Spain’s industry and technology exhibits.
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Seville – Plaza de España © Robert Bovington |
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Grazalema Natural Park
Grazalema Natural Park, Cádiz
There is a very good reason why this area is so green – rain! Grazalema is the wettest place in Spain. Yes, less than two hours drive from the Costa del Sol there is a place that gets more rain than anywhere else on the Iberian Peninsula! Warm clouds full of moisture from the Atlantic are forced upwards by the successive mountain ranges. This cools them resulting in condensation and rainfall. © Robert Bovington https://sites.google.com/site/spanishimpressions/home http://bobbovington.blogspot.com.es/ http://astore.amazon.co.uk/spanisimpres-21/
Sevilla – Fábrica Real de Tabacos
The Fábrica Real de Tabacos was the original tobacco factory – the one immortalised in the opera Carmen. Nowadays, it is part of Sevilla University. When the original factory was built in 1725 it was the second-largest building in Spain after El Escorial! It is an imposing Baroque and Rococo building.
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Other blogs by Robert Bovington:
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“Photographs of Spain”
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Almería Cathedral
The cathedral was built in the sixteenth century and was designed as a place of prayer and of refuge. This was because the shores of Almería were continually under attack from Turks and Berbers.
Almería Cathedral main entrance – photo: Robert Bovington
This east facing façade of the ‘Cathedral’ has a relief of the Portocarro sun, the symbol of the city.
Sol de Portocarrero
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
“Photographs of Spain”
http://bovingtonphotosofspain.blogspot.com/
“postcards from Spain”
http://bovington-posts.blogspot.com/
“you couldn’t make it up!”
http://bovingtonycmitup.blogspot.com/
“a grumpy old man in Spain”
http://grumpybobbov.blogspot.com/
“bits and bobs”
http://bovingtonbitsandblogs.blogspot.com/
“Spanish Expressions”
http://spanishsayingsbovington.blogspot.com/
“Spanish Art”
http://bovingtonspanishart.blogspot.com/
“Books About Spain”
Calar Alto Observatory
The province of Almería is the sunniest driest place in Spain. It also has the cleanest atmosphere in Europe and hardly any cloud making it an ideal location for installing an observatory.
Calar Alto, at an altitude of 2,168 metres (7,113 feet), is the highest mountain in Almería and was, therefore chosen as the location for an astronomical observatory. Called, appropriately enough, the Calar Alto Observatory, it is owned and operated jointly by Max-Planck institute for astronomy and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucía.
It was officially opened in July 1975 with the commissioning of its 1.2 metre telescope. The site has developed due to the strong ties between the German and Spanish owners and 4 more telescopes have been installed – the largest being 3.5 metres.
The Calar Alto mountaintop is situated in the Sierra de los Filabres, north of the town of Gérgal. It is a pleasant place to walk on a summer’s day, as the temperature is several degrees cooler than down on the coast.
Robert Bovington
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Photographs of Spain”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Diverse Almería – Baños de Sierra Alhamilla
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Photographs of Spain”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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|
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Diverse Almería – El Cabo de Gata
On the south-western edge of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park is the small village actually called El Cabo de Gata. It is a pleasant little seaside resort beside a beach of white sand. The whitewashed buildings, that line its promenade, are mainly holiday apartments, interspersed with the occasional bar.
The village still supports a small fishing fleet and the fishermen’s boats, nets and lobster pots pepper the beaches at the southeastern end.
Nearby is the Salinas de Acosta area of the natural park. Between spring and autumn, thousands of migrating birds stop here on their journeys between Europe and Africa. Apart from flamingos, there are storks, avocets, eagles and many other types. Only a few remain in the winter when the Salinas are drained after the autumn salt harvest.
blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Photographs of Spain”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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|
|
“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Diverse Almería – Santuario de Tices
The ‘Santuario de Tices’ is a lovely church set amidst an oasis of peace and tranquillity. It is absolutely delightful walking around the Plaza de Alberto Gomez Matarin. The only sounds are of birds singing and bees humming. There is a formal garden in front of the church. A statue of Jesus stands amidst rose bushes, purple geraniums, chamomile and other flowers. The church itself is white, peach and lemon built in neoclassical style. Enchanting!
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| Ermita de Tices photo by Paco Vivas
Robert Bovington
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Cómpeta
Cómpeta is an attractive little town set amidst the beautiful Axarquía in the province of Málaga. I visited at the beginning of February 2013 and though it is only 18 kilometres from the coast (Torrox nr Nerjar), it took about half an hour to drive from Torrox to Cómpeta because of the steep twisting road. The town nestles on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Almijara.
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| Cómpeta |
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| Iglesia Ntra. Sra. Asunción |
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| view south from nr Cómpeta |
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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|
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Casarabonela
Casarabonela is on the easternmost edge of the area officially classified as the White Towns of Andalusia. It is situated in the Sierra de las Nieves and is yet another attractive pueblo blanco that has preserved its Arabic heritage with its narrow streets and whitewashed houses festooned with flowers. Like many of the villages some of the alleyways are rather steep – on my last visit I left my aged relative sitting on a bench in the main plaza while my wife and I explored the charming alleyways.
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An attractive church – the Iglesia de Santiago Apóstle is located in the main plaza. It has some interesting crypts and a museum of silver and religious artifacts.
Andalucía – Huelva province
snapshot of my ‘Andalucía – Huelva province’ pinboard on Pinterest
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Please click on the following link to see the entire board…
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Please click here
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more blogs…..
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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|
|
“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Andalucía – Córdoba province
snapshot of my ‘Andalucía – Córdoba province’ pinboard on Pinterest
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Please click on the following link to see the entire board…
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Please click here
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more blogs…..
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
|
|
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Andalucía – Sevilla province
snapshot of my ‘Andalucía – Sevilla province’ pinboard on Pinterest…
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Please click on the following link to see the entire board…
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Please click here
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more blogs…..
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Andalucía – Málaga province
snapshot of my ‘Andalucía – Málaga province’ pinboard on Pinterest…
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Please click on the following link to see the entire board…
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Please click here
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more blogs…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Andalucía – Jaén province
snapshot of my ‘Andalucía – Jaén province’ pinboard on Pinterest…
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Please click on the following link to see the entire board…
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more blogs…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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|
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Andalucía – Cádiz province
snapshot of my ‘Andalucía – Cádiz province’ pinboard on Pinterest…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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The White Towns of Andalusia
snapshot of my ‘White Towns’ pinboard on Pinterest…
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other blogs by Robert Bovington:
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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|
|
“you couldn’t make it up!”
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|
|
“a grumpy old man inSpain”
|
|
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Al-Andalus
by Robert Bovington
In 711 an army of 7000 under the command of the Berber Tarik-ibn-Zehad crossed the Straits of Gibraltar and defeated Roderic the Visigothic King of Hispania. The Muslim armies swept through Hispania and conquered Toledo which was then the capital of the Visigothic kingdom. This marked the beginning of Muslim domination of a large chunk of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Lions Courtyard
Alhambra
photo: Robert Bovington
The Arabs named this vast region Al-Andalus. Initially it comprised five administrative areas roughly corresponding to Andalucía; Galicia and Portugal; Castile and Léon; Aragón and Catalonia; and Septimania which apparently was where the modern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon is located. So Al-Andalus was pretty big! At that juncture, Al-Andalus was merely a province of the Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus.
Over the centuries, Al-Andalus was ruled by varying Arab dynasties. For example, the Abbasid dynasty assassinated the Umayyads and seized power, and Al-Andalus became a kingdom also known as the Emirate of Córdoba (c. 750-929). Successively it became the Caliphate of Córdoba (929-1031); then a collection of Taifa kingdoms. The last of the Arab kingdoms was the Nasrid kingdom of Granada (1232-1492), which by then was merely the territories of Almería, Málaga, and Granada. This gradual yet massive reduction in the size of this once great kingdom was, of course, due to the Reconquest of Spain by the Christians. Al-Andalus ceased to exist in 1492 when Boabdil surrendered the city of Granada to the Catholic Monarchs.
an extract of my Pinterest pinboard ‘Al-Andalus’ is shown below…
To see more pics click on:-
http://pinterest.com/robertbovington/al-andalus/
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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|
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
|
|
|
“a grumpy old man in Spain”
|
|
|
“bits and bobs”
|
|
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Ronda in pictures
Part of my ‘Ronda’ pinboard on Pinterest…
Click on the following link to see more photos of Ronda:
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
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|
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“a grumpy old man in Spain”
|
|
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“bits and bobs”
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Granada in pictures
Part of my ‘Granada’ pinboard on Pinterest…
Click on the following link to see more photos of Granada:
http://pinterest.com/robertbovington/granada/
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
|
|
|
“you couldn’t make it up!”
|
|
|
“a grumpy old man in Spain”
|
|
|
“bits and bobs”
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|
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Diverse Almería
Part of my ‘Diverse Almería’ pinboard on Pinterest…
Click on the following link to see more photos of the diverse province of Almería
http://pinterest.com/robertbovington/diverse-almeria/
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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|
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“postcards from Spain”
|
|
|
“you couldn’t make it up!”
|
|
|
“a grumpy old man in Spain”
|
|
|
“bits and bobs”
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|
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“Spanish Expressions”
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“Spanish Art”
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“Books About Spain”
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Andalucía
Click on the following link to see more photos of of Andalusia.
more blogs by Robert Bovington…
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“Spanish Impressions”
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“postcards from Spain”
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“you couldn’t make it up!”
|
|
|
“a grumpy old man in Spain”
|
|
|
“bits and bobs”
|
|
|
“Spanish Expressions”
|
|
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“Spanish Art”
|
|
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“Books About Spain”
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Photographs of Spain 