Canary Islands (Islas Canarias)

by Robert Bovington

The Islas Canarias are not part of mainland Spain or even Europe. They are located just off the coast of Africa - the nearest countries are Morocco and Western Sahara. There are seven islands and all are volcanic but that is where their similarity ends - all of these semi-tropical paradises are quite different from one another.
  

Tenerife is the largest and has more to attract the visitor including parrot and penguin parks, tropical gardens and the Las Cañadas del Teide National Park where Spain's highest mountain - Mt. Teide 3,717m is situated. 

Las Cañadas del Teide National Park

La Palma is lush and green and is perfect walking country.

La Zarza, La Palma

Gran Canaria is quite diverse with a coastline ranging from awesome cliffs to golden dunes. Inland there are stark mountains and tranquil valleys.

Gran Canaria dunes

Lanzarote is startling! The island has over 300 volcanoes and the locals raise all manner of fruit and vegetables that grow profusely due to the abundance of volcanic ash. A visit to the 'Montañas de Fuego' - 'Mountains of Fire' is a must in order to witness the bizarre landscape of lava flows and red mountains. The island is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Playa de Papagayo, Lanzarote

Fuerteventura is only 60 miles from Africa and has miles of golden sandy beaches.

a golden sandy beach in Fuerteventura

La Gomera and El Hierro are less well known than the other five islands. The former consists of steep green terraced hills and tranquil valleys. It is another good place for walking, especially the Garajonay National Park.

La Gomera

El Hierro is the most westerly and the smallest of the islands. It is mountainous and steep cliffs surround the island except at Valverde, the capital, where wooded slopes meet the sea.

Echedo, El Hierro.

The islands are split into two provinces. Tenerife, El Hierro, La Palma and La Gomera belong to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is also the administrative capital. The eastern province of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria comprises Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

Panoramic view of the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Pampaneira

by Robert Bovington 
 
Pampaneira is an extremely photogenic location with narrow streets, a fine Gothic church with a wooden roof in Mudéjar style, and several cafes and shops, which though 'touristy' are nevertheless delightful. The view from the road leading down into the town is breathtaking with the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada forming an attractive backdrop.
 

Pampaneira © Robert Bovington

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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Las Murallas de Ávila

Las Murallas - the walls - are magnificent and encompass the whole of ancient Ávila. Building started at the end of 11th century and they are 2.5 kilometres long, 14 metres high and around 3 metres thick. They are still in pretty good nick. 

 

Ávila © Robert Bovington

Alfonso VI ordered their construction after his conquest of Ávila in 1090. Moorish prisoners were allegedly employed to build the wall. I don't suppose they were paid though! 

Ávila © Robert Bovington

There are eighty-eight towers and nine gates that include the imposing Puerta del Alcázar and the Puerta de Rastro. Visitors can walk along the walls between these two points. The walls are beautifully illuminated at night.

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

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

This east facing façade of the 'Cathedral' has a relief of the Portocarro sun, the symbol of the city.

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Algeciras

Algeciras is a coastal town in Cádiz province. It is not the sort of place to linger unless you like industrial towns - and Arab things like mosques and mint tea! 

I have been there twice. The first time was to catch a boat to Morocco so all I saw was the quayside. The second occasion I did see more of the town but found it rather drab. It does have an attractive central square - Plaza Alta. Tiles, depicting scenes from Don Quixote, adorn the benches and walls surrounding the central fountain and cafes and bars line the perimeter of this delightful square.

Algeciras - decorative tiles in Plaza Alta

Algeciras is handily placed for visits to Gibraltar and Tarifa. It is also the place to catch the train to the medieval city of Ronda - an extremely scenic journey through natural parks and past beautiful pueblos blancos.

Algeciras - Ronda train

For most people, however, Algeciras is just a stopping off place, en route to Tangier and Morocco.


more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.blogspot.com/
"postcards from Spain"	http://bovington-posts.blogspot.com/
"you couldn't make it up!"	http://bovingtonycmitup.blogspot.com/
"a grumpy old man inSpain"	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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

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 Lion's Courtyard
Alhambra Granada
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...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Almeria in pictures

some pictures of Almería are shown below

to see all the pictures on my Almería Pinterest pinboard click the following link:-

http://pinterest.com/robertbovington/almeria/

Further photographs of Almería on Panoramio...

http://www.panoramio.com/user/2391258/tags/Almer%C3%ADa

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Spanish Impressions

Part of my 'Spanish Impressions' pinboard on Pinterest...  

Click on the following link to see more  Spanish Impressions  pics...

http://pinterest.com/robertbovington/spanish-impressions/

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Spanish food and drink in pictures

Part of my 'Spanish food' pinboard on Pinterest... 

Click on the following link to see more Spanish food pics...


http://pinterest.com/robertbovington/spanish-food-and-drink/

more blogs by Robert Bovington...

"Spanish Impressions"	http://bobbovington.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"	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/