The Picos epitomise the mountains of North West Spain.
High
Views of the Picos de Europa
And for the bike rider. The toads to get there.
And camping camping in the lush green of North West Spain
It’s late June 2018
World cup fever grips Europe
Do you follow football? I ask my Spanish companion.
Si, was his reply.
I started to commiserate about Spain’s poor performance.
Quickly he responsponed. I don’t support Spain. I’m Basque.
In time I learn how different north west Spain is.
Bilbao of course is a little different
There is the Guggenheim
With its amazing installations
To add to the old city
The beaches and harbours
But then there is the green.
The thing that is different about north west Spain is its the green Spain.
Bilbao
Spain
Passionate Spain
Gateway to Galicia
Another Celtic nation
The night ferry said goodbye to England
Departing Portsmouth
Along the coast of France
Across the Bay of Biscay
The often wild sea a mill pond on this crossing.
Its night
The morning brings Spain
Passion
In Puerto del Sol, Madrid
The wild break dancer
Spinning
On his back
His shoulder
Lithe
Strong
Passion for the night
Passion
The dancer
In the Flamenco Cave
The flashing of the legs
The swirling of the skirts
The staccato beating of the feet
Hard on the floor
Driving the beating of the heart
The Dance of Passion
Looking forward to visiting Spain again to indulge the passion
Sitting below the Sierra Nevada and above the fertile plane of Granada
is The Red
Alhambra
The site chosen by the Romans for a fort
Bought to its glory by the Moors as Christian Europe languished in its Dark Ages
Magnificent architecture
Mosaics
Gardens
Bought into flourish by the Nasrid Sultans over 700 years
Then occupied by Ferdinand and Isabella
Driving Islam out or Spain and establishing themselves as the Catholic Kings
In the Palace, Isabella signed the orders for Columbus to sail in search of the Americas
The dawn of the Golden Age
The centre of old Granada
Overlooking the Albacain, the Arab quarter
Ransacked by Napoleon’s troops in 1882
Alhambra still stands magnificent even though losing its former glory.
