SPANISH MATTERS

Granada is a province in the autonomous community of Andalucía. Its capital is the city of the same name. The city of Granada is not the only attraction in this province. The Costa Tropical is another popular destination with tourists, particularly the coastal resorts of Almuñécar and Salobreña. There is also the Sierra Nevada National Park situated in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which Granada shares with the province of Almería. One of my favourite places here is the Alpujarras the area of charming pueblos blancos that tumble down the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. These charming villages with their whitewashed façades adorned with geranium or bougainvillaea are yet another legacy of the Moors. There are many delightful villages in the Alpujarras both in Granada and Almería provinces. In the west of the Granada Alpujarras, Lanjarón, Orgiva, Pampaneira, Bubión, Capileira and Trevélez are particularly notable. Lanjarón is famous for its mineral water and Trevélez is famous for its ham and for the fact that it is the highest village in Spain. It is situated in the foothills of Mulhacén, the highest mountain in the Iberian Peninsula at 3481m. Further east are the villages of Cádiar, Mecina Bombarón, Yegen, Válor and Ugíjar. Gerald Brenan lived in Yegen and based his book 'South from Granada' on his experiences there. Guadix is rather curious. It is one of the oldest human settlements in Spain and around 5,000 inhabitants are troglodytes - they live in underground cave dwellings. There are more traditional buildings in the town centre together with an impressive Cathedral that is a mix of Baroque and Renaissance style.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 898 The Church of Our Lady before Týn (Chrám Matky Boží před Týnem) is one of the most impressive Gothic religious buildings in Prague. It towers over many of the other buildings in the city.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 897 The Astronomical Clock in Prague is well named because it is quite large! It is also an attractive-looking piece of engineering. Why else would people keep gazing up at it! Well - it may be because  every hour, small doors open and animated figures appear and sculptures begin to move on the clock. Death, holding its hourglass, seems eager for the change of the hour. The other three sculptures represent vanity, greed and pleasure. The 12 wooden figures represent the apostles. When the golden cockerel moves its wings, a bell chimes the hour.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 896 Staré Mêsto is the 'Old Town' of Prague (not that the other parts of the city are exactly new)! It dates from medieval times and it shows! It is not squalid though! It is a delightful part of the city with many fine old buildings. Charles Bridge (Karlov Most) is a bridge over the Vltava that connects Staré Mêsto with Mala Strana - well - there are other bridges but Charles Bridge is the most important. Notable places in the Old Town include Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock but the lesser-known sights are worth the visit because the area is steeped in history. Its architectural wonders include Romanesque and Art Nouveau styles and more. The labyrinthine streets, alleys and passageways are a delight!

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 895 St. Vitus Cathedral is the largest and the most important temple in Prague. It is so tall that you can’t really miss it!

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 894 The Powder Gate is a Gothic tower in Prague. It is one of the original city gates and separates the Old Town from the New Town.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 893 Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague. It is located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge. It is a beautiful area with some excellent architecture including:-

Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn

Prague Orloj, a medieval astronomical clock located on the Old Town Hall

St. Nicholas Church a church in Baroque style

The tower of the Old Town Hall offers a panoramic view of Old Town

Kinský Palace houses an art museum of the Czech National Gallery

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 892 The Old Town Hall in Prague is one of the city's most visited monuments. It is located in Old Town Square. It consists of a complex of several Gothic houses, gradually connected together.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 891

Mala Strana translates to "Lesser Quarter" in Czech, though this is something of a misnomer. Mala Strana has as many sights.  It is a hillside area with views across the Vltava river to the old town.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 890 According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². It is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 889

My wife and I visited Golden Lane during our holiday in Prague in 2000. I remember it being an attractive little street with quaint little shops.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 888 The Church of Saint Nicholas is a Baroque church in the Malá Strana area of Prague. Diane and I visited Prague in 2000.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 887

Charles Bridge is a historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Diane and I visited in 2000.

WHERE I HAVE BEEN 886

Poynings is a village in West Sussex, located on the north side of the South Downs near Devil's Dyke and five miles north-west of Brighton. My wife and I frequently went there in the 1980s, often by walking over the Downs from our home in Mile Oak. We particulary liked the The Shepherd & Dog pub at Fulking but we occasionally visited the Royal Oak at Poynings.