Ailsa’s theme this week is Illuminated
– and that is what you could say about Cervantes and his heroes Don Quijote and Sancho Panza in Madrid. Walking home a soft night, we lingered here for at least an hour. Peaceful. He lives on into the future, standing illuminated against a modernistic building.
To get a new roof you need more than 5 items…
Light and lights are essential to almost all living beings. And, the play of light is fascinating. It cathes the eye and holds our imagination alive.
My choices for this challenge about Lights are all from Spain. The first one from an early morning outside the great palace, when the sun lets its rays play with the lamp post making us believe it’s being lit up from inside… The second photo from a gallery, is also lit up naturally by the sun.
The third photo and the fourth are both from Gaudí – The lamp from the ceiling in his house, lit up from inside as well as from the natural light through the side windows and the figure of Christ bathing in light – also from above.
So I returned to this Island In the Sun after 15 years. Once visited when the children were small – now back for almost only one reason – Puerto Mogan. I hope you understand why.
Looking at my photos from this latest trip abroad – I suddenly realized how many pictures I had showing some kind of fences…
Cee’s challenge this week is about Three. Not as easily done as I thought…but here are mine: Flowers, fruits, on the table and number four…people in Segovia.
Finally I have got the possibility of hosting a guest here – my husband. An avid traveller and seldom home, this is what I have been waiting for him to let me do…Back from a short trip to Spain, he brought back home some great architecture – in pictures and stories of course. I’m happy to show some of them here – hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!
The river Turia in Valencia used to flood often and sometimes at the cost of several lives. In 1957 the river was redirected to run south of the city. This created a more than 100 metres wide, dry river bed, which has been converted into parks, sports arenas and recreation areas, but also into CAC (City of Arts and Science), the futuristic science city.
The City of Arts and Science is a complex of culture and science exposed in the futuristic architecture of several buildings. The architect is Santiago Calatrava, the man behind Turning Torso in Malmoe. These buildings are very spectacular – and beautiful – the effect highlighted by different water pools. Calatrava was much criticized for overriding the budget though. And this was no less tough when CAC was completed, 1998-2005, during the recession followed by a financial collapse.
The first building I visited, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, was the last one completed – 2005. Size: 163 m long, 87 m wide and 70 m high, but it’s the spectacular architecture that catches the eye. It’s built in white concrete, and clearly resembling a baleen whale. The ”baleen plates” is a restaurant and above it a window with flowing water. Inside are four concert halls where two of them take 1400 people each. They are used for operas, concerts and ballets. The two smaller ones hosts 400 people each. Unfortunately there were no guided tours in this magnificent building – it wasn’t even open, except for the restaurant.
Please click on any picture to show off the gallery.
The next work of art is called Hemisféric, finished in 1998. This piece looks almost like an eyeball resting in water. It’s about 100 m long and inside is an IMAX-cinema. On the curved screen (900 square metres…), you can project movies as well as the whole canopy of heaven. This screen is the biggest in Spain and both in definition and sound it is among the best ones known in the world. Unfortunately the Hemisféric wasn’t open either, other than for movies or guided tours. Had I known, I would have booked in advance.
I then continued my walk past the spectacular Science Museum. Here I walked along an even more spectacular construction by the name of Umbracle. This is a botanical garden characterized by its white vaults running along the whole structure of 1,5 hectare. The plants are all from the Mediterranean area and the view from here over the whole complex is fantastic. The surrounding areas are sometimes used for outdoor expositions.
Passing a wide street I reached the Agora, another breathtaking piece of architecture used for congresses, conventions, fashion shows and concerts – and also for sport events as tennis and frisbee.
The Oceanografic was the last architectural phenomenon for the day, hosting among other things an Aquarium.
The last gallery shows more overview pictures of this very rewarding day.
New Roof!
And two great guys to fix it…
…unfortunately they are not included in the prize…
…but they did a fantastic job!
Thank you so much, guys – we love it!
Wheels? Well, where would we be without them? This cottage is situated by the Kingston Flyer station on the South Island of New Zealand. Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Wheels
I just love statues, carvings and sculptures – who doesn’t? From Cee I was happy to find this fun challenge! Here is a small collection of my favourites. For more of this, click here.
Leya 
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