Visiting Andalucia
Starting with Seville, and continuing our trip through Ronda, Arcos de la Frontera, Granada, and lastly Malaga, we would like to share our traveling impressions. As the highway started to give us some clues by presenting mansions scattered on the far sight by their colonial style, we left the humble style behind, which is seen in the Portuguese border. Our first destination Seville, welcomed us with a relatively contemporary interventions along the architecture of legacy. Set in a medieval urban plan, vibrant city life had us the cheers for our upcoming days. Mostly dazzled by the intricate details surrounding us, we indulged ourselves to the delicious world of tapas. One questions if there is a connection between the cuisine of the region and the people, who later shapes the architecture around them. Being at the intersection of the past and the contemporary in our visit of the Seville Cathedral and surrounding old city was impressive. Togetherness of ceramics, patinated walls, rusted metals combined with colors of the furnitures, these spaces both give the imperial feeling which dominated centuries ago and the playfulness today at the same time.
Not just historical landmarks, but modern installations were hard to only pass by. Having its platforms situated above, this new landmark is a typical example of the relationship we are talking about.
The second stop on our trip was ”Arcos de la Frontera”, also known as one of the “White Villages”. As explanatory as its title, this town showed us the Mediterranean face of Andalusia. We were able to trace the many traditional building techniques and the way they shaped life overall. Houses are mostly with a courtyard, to host a life inside, which is not affected by the high temperatures and sunshine. Walls are painted with white lime, which to this day gives you the feel of the layers beneath and the freshness we have in the Mediterranean regions.
Exploring the lifesaver drink of Southern Spain “Tinto Verano” here, we continue our road through Ronda, where we stay in this Medieval city for a day.
Our next stop is Granada. Known by its most famous Alhambra Palace, which we give remarks to, since it captured us emotionally and visually. Having witnessed endless examples of craftsmanship throughout the complex, we were amazed. The play between the courtyards, landscape, and high-detailed ornaments carved on the surfaces moved us to sketch some of the details and feelings we wanted to capture.
Ending our trip to Malaga, we returned back to work with many nice memories and inspirations.