Sevilla

La Giralda of my heart

Juan Belmonte (the famous bull fighter born in Sevilla) always had the Giralda in his heart (as noted in the photo), and I know why. La Giralda has a special place in my heart too.

It's not just because it's in the center of the city, surrounded by cobble-stoned streets, cafes and incredible architecture. For me, it's because this was the am & pm meeting place back when we were courting. (Yes, I just said courting. Felt good.) This was our rendezvous point before heading down the street for sweet orange wine at La Peregil, tapas and fun. If we weren't meeting at the Giralda, then we were meeting at the Triana bridge (photos to be posted soon).

I like having a meeting place. A place you can go and know exactly where to find the person you are looking for. This is something that I cannot say I've had here. Why? My guess is that it is because most places I have lived require driving to see people. The glory of Sevilla is that you can literally walk anywhere in the city center.

And boy, did we walk. Many of these walks were right past la Giralda on to other destinations. If I had to choose a destination in Sevilla that was at the "heart" of the city, I'd say it could be nothing other than the Giralda. I think most tourists, locals and gypsies would agree.

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We are slowly sifting through the many photos we took on our trip. It's only been a week, but it already feels like it's been months. Strange how quickly you can get back into the daily grind without even trying. Posting photos and short histories about these places will be a nice way for us to be reminded of our recent trip. Hope that you will also enjoy the ride, errr, walk.

Bridge to Spain

I don't think that a week goes by without the thought of Spain crossing my mind. This has especially been the case in the last few weeks since two of my favorite festivities have taken place: Semana Santa (Holy Week) and Feria. We are anxiously waiting for the year when these two festivities are scheduled back to back so that we can plan a two week trip across the pond. (Hopefully with some luck we'll be there again before this happens too.) While I don't see myself wearing a flamenca dress unless pm wears one of these (ha ha!), I guess we'll see what happens. Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.

For whatever reason I have Spain on the brain big time today. It may have to do with the warm breeze and sunshine, although my guess is it has to do with my desire to travel. I'm getting a case of the travel bug again. Not sure when I will be able to find a remedy for it, but I am hoping that it is sooner rather than later.

So this photo is of the bridge (la barqueta) that pm got to cross everyday on his way to the university. Not a bad view, right? (Check out other images of this bridge here). I'd say there are very few bad views in Sevilla in general. Until we meet again at least we have plenty of photos.

Paraiso

The reminiscing about Ireland has got me thinking about some of my other European adventures. The more I think about each of those, the more I think about Spain. (I also find it much easier to think about Spain when the temperatures rise above freezing, people crowd the streets, and birds sing from dawn until dusk.)

This photo is taken in route to the Catedral in Sevilla with our super sampler camera. When I first was in Sevilla as a student this area of the city was not strictly reserved for pedestrians and the metra; in fact, I am certain thousands of cars whizzed by this historical masterpiece on a daily basis. The wear and tear of our modern life was beginning to show adverse effects on the structure of the cathedral - among them: graffiti tags along the exterior and pollution damage to the outer structure. Needless to say, and as you can see in this photo, restoration has since been completed. I love walking around this area. Now instead of having to time the shot perfectly around traffic, the only thing getting in our way are people. It could be worse. :)

[I've got to say, it always amazing me how buildings with such strong historical significance continue to "exist" in our modern society. The U.S. is more recognized for our natural wonders, so there isn't as much of a chance to pass such a historical treasure on our way to the grocery store, bar, gym, or on an afternoon stroll. I always miss this when I am here and not there. *sigh. Although on that same token, I guess the people that do live so close to these historic gems often forget it. Can you imagine living across from the Colosseum or Aqueducts and having it be "normal'?? ]

If you could choose one wonder (be in natural or not) to see on a daily basis, what would it be?

Home away from home

Tonight it's a tribute to the homelands. Paella, serrano ham, olives, and red wine. These are only a small sampling of the many things we *love about Spain. The only thing that could be better than eating them here would be to be enjoying them with friends and family as they celebrate (well now celebrated) the day of Andalucía.

Southern Spain, much like many other places in the south, beats to a different beat and has its own flavor. People enjoy life to the fullest - the streets are always bustling with residents and tourists. Its rich heritage (and cuisine) keep people there (not to mention its balmy temperatures in the summer and temperate temps in the winter) and keep tourists coming back from more.

La tierra de amor. At least that's where the story of am. & pm. all began. Somewhere on a winding cobble stone road in the heart of Sevilla.

So tonight we raise our glasses to you, Sevilla. Salud!

(* Here a secret steal on some excellent Spanish wine: Estola Reserva. It's the tempranillo we always keep stocked in our wine rack. You can find it at Trader Joe's for under $7. A bargain well worth it. Click here for a review from albinnyc who is drinking her way through wines at Trader Joe's one glass at a time. We'll be bookmarking this site! :))

Dream of Horses

If I had to dedicate myself to a creative form, it would without a doubt be double exposures.

I love how no two are the same. You can take the most photographed landmark in a city and make it different by overlaying another image on top of it. Double exposures are original, and very infrequently turn out just how you had in mind when you took both photos.

This particular double exposure did not just happen. I had been waiting in the plaza by the cathedral (yes, still in Spain!) for some time. I kept watching the horses and carriages come and go, come and go. It was a constant movement.

The horses were able to rest between rides, but a humid summer afternoon heat certainly is not the best condition for a restful rest. I started to wonder: Do these horses know how much better their life could be? Are they treated well, feed well, kept well? How do they endure day after day with the same routes, same tourists, same heat?

I took this particular photo thinking about how the horse and the wheel of the carriage essentially have the same job. Without one another the job could not be complete. If one is broken the workload becomes harder. Is this fair and right when one component is living and one isn't?

I think that photography should be more than just a click of a button. It should be beautiful at times, ugly during others. But, for me, more importantly - I think it needs to bring new meaning and thoughts to things we see in our daily lives.

Photography should make you think beyond the image.

Holga is back

We have about 10 Holga rolls from Spain to scan and more important, some time to do it, so expect some blurry pictures from the old world coming soon :)

Through the eyes of a horse

Photo by AMB
Carriage horse right outside of the Catedral in Sevilla, Spain