These here is the famous walls of Avila. A bit West of Madrid, on the famous plains....what I noticed was how serviceable these walls have been for centuries--still standin' despite all the Muslim raids. The walls completely encircle the od part of the city--awesome ter see. Of course, now, parts of them walls has been repaired...
In fact, in one little bitty village I seen how they is restorin' some old castle ter make it new and if some authenticity is lost, at least it ain't half rubble no more---the newly rebuilt castle will be part museum part office space fer the city fathers.
The refurbishin' is happenin' ever'whar, keepin' stonemasons real busy! The fellas workin' on this one did not care fer an ole cracker lady sashayin' around their construction sight.
But see? What a fine job they's a'doin'! Ya' gotta admire that fancy brickwork, doan'cha?
Compare it to this 15th century monastery buildin'...
Pretty fair restoration in terms of techniques...
A 'course I'se wishin' t his here monastery would take me in....it were serene I tell ya'.
Looks over an rushin' river wif' and arched bridge--where a certain soldier saint one rode ter court his lady-love (afore he decided on pursuin' the saint' bidness).
Once inside, see what peaceful place...bells chime the hour, birds chirp and ...thas' about all--real real quiet.
I does love the idea of vilalges--seems in Spain they's proud ter be small...ain't lookin' ter bunch theyselves up wif' mergin' suburbs...each is distinct, happy to have they own identity...and lots of space between their village and the next hamlet.
I looked at so many tiny villages...some seemed abandoned, with only the poppies holdin' things together......
Here I snapped a forgotten yard through its gates whar' poppies thrived.......
An' visited castles once inhabited by the illustrious, now enduring the rubbing hands of thousands of school chillen's and folks like meself--
Wonderin' about life then and now--how folks managed, how they cooked, gardened, loved, laughed, feasted, fasted.
How crucial a family's defensive system was fer survival...reckon there was any anti-arrow organizations back then?
Naturally, I had to peek into 'bout near every church I seen..
10 comments:
they look fun, gal.
I sort'a remember the smells of the old places...like after a rain.
some folks thinks that's peculiar, but, now YOU know about it, too.
Just something about stones that are sometimes a thousand years old havin' a smell that can set right down in yer heart and stay there fer times and some.
...by the way, gal, I got tagged by Jean, and, well, since i just came back from yer pix...I tagged y'all.
Boney! Wow--I jes' went over ter yore place --loved the video of paintin' the bull--jes' wonderful.
beautiful pics! I am jealous...
the Spanish fought off the Moors (well, there is still the ETA, no?), but they had their own times of brutality... Inquisition... Franco (who is STILL dead, btw)
thanks for sharing!
Hey Bawgs...Spain is gorgeous--very masculine in a certain sense.
Iffin' you (as a fella writer) wanna read some great prose and learn more on Spain, git aholt of Dutch author Cees Nooteboom's Roads to Santiago
(BTW, the Church's Inquisition was the choice of many folks rather than face the State's version. Like a lot of other stuff, the revisionist's version of the Inquisition serves a certain political agenda... and modern historians say that fewer folks suffered in Spain than any other country-- England may have fried the most folks of all --under a Protestant hysteria over witches)
aunty you got the villages thing right. every city in this nation looks exactly the same due to all the ugly fast food and business franchises.
i love the old wall and the contrast of the bright and tender blooms.
quiet. i like.
i told my mom i was going into a monastery because of all the of the damn noise! she didnt think my odds were good and also said i wouldnt like the structure of prayin 7 times a day (or whatever) and when to eat and when to sleep, etc. so i got earplugs instead.
i liked the food in spain. one standout was eating a bowl of lentils at a table set up in a womans living room. she was running a restaurant out of her house. and it was good good.
seemd to be a lot of dogs just solo in the world in spain...its been a long time for me...almost 10 years...are there still plenty of free ranging K9's?
good to have ya back aunty
btw i got steamer in the yard with steam comin off it.
She-pup! Youse always fun ter hear from...whar's yore Mayden girl? Missin' her.
yeah, ya' know---I did see plenty of pooches...they seemed jes' fine on the roam--not like mad dogs on the loose, jes' a free agent belongin' ter nobody cause they is belongin' ter ever'body.
Hey--on food, I stumbled into a family run spot in Aspetia in deep Basque territory...they looked up alright when Aunty came in--blonds are rare, even grey/blonds. But oh my, the family food was yummy--no menu, they jes' brought out plastes and put it in front of ya--seafood paella and the best tomatoes and peppers I done ever et.
Near on to ten years huh?
Quiero va a Espana con un pero quien es mi amiga, una hermana in espiritu.
speakin' of photos and fun...
lookee here what /t helped me get done.
Whatcha think?
Man on the Street?
and now, a word from The Man on the Streets..."boneman, are y'all there?"
"Yes, berry. Here I am, though not everyone would say I'm ALL here"
"so, what have you to report?"
"well, after a year and a half, it seems I finally have an avatar."
"Didn't you run around telling everybody that YESTERDAY?"
"Well, yes....but you see, Ive had a screw loose. However it's good not to tighten them too much, else they'll strip"
"boneman, it sounds more like you're a few bricks shy of a load..."
"Yes I am, berry. That's because I only need enough to build a BBQ pit."
"It sounds like the lights are on, but, no one is at home...."
"It's true. I leave the lights burning so folks who visit while I'm gone can see their way to the porch."
"yes, well....your elevator doesn't seem to go to the top floor..."
"Absolutely not! That walk up the last couple of flights keeps me fit and trim!"
".....(inaudible mumbling)...."
"are you still there, berry?"
"Yes...well. You're just not playing with a full deck, are you, boneman?"
"Again, true! I love euchre , but, I never really know what to do with all the other cards"
"....is this guy kiddin' me? Boneman, you're not the sharpest tool in the box, are you?"
"Heck no, berry! But then again, who would want a sharp hammer?"
"......ok, let's go to commercial"
OK, well, it is nice to let everyone see what I look like....
well, sort'a.
Now, I know it ain't as edible as yer avatar,....but
If I want to "dis" someone, well, I tell them to BITE ME and, dang! That would hurt! (get it? Bite asphalt?)(bite me, get it...it would hurt cause it's...oh, never mind.)
I just got t'thinking....
did they let you on the plane with yer banjo and all?
Boney, I got on that plane..barely. They didn't like the looks of somebody, and he was declined passsage, then waited fer his bags ter be removed...uh huh...I'se green in the gills by the time I got on.
Finally sent your prize--watch yore mail.
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