Just Back from Spain, Ireland and England!

Typical street scene in Seville.

We're just back from a three week trip. I'll probably be telling you most about Spain where we visited Seville, Cordoba, Ubeda and Grenada. You can expect lots of food, nice hotels, lovely spring gardens, cathedrals, architecture and design. We had a lovely time and took far too many pictures.  Here are a few to whet your appetite...

There were so many wonderful decorative details in tile and plaster.

The sense of history was inescapable; from the Moors, to the Inquisition, and the "discovery" of America. 

Statue in the Alcazar gardens, Cordoba

"Ferdinand meet Columbus, Columbus do let me introduce you to my wife Isabella" - I wonder how this worked out?

After our time in the Middle East it was striking to see  Moorish architectural and decorative forms in Europe.

The Alhambra in Grenada. 

We visited towards the end of Lent, and while I missed  the famous processions for Holy Week, we did get a sense for the enduring influence of the church  in the elaborate preparations for Easter that were evident throughout our visit.