Tag: andalusia
Barcelona
Jaume I of Aragó was one of Barcelona’s many notable figures. Descended from French and Byzantine nobility, his exotic origins were matched by an illustrious childhood spent in the thick of the Occitan struggles.
The thirteenth was the century in Europe that instigated the beginnings of a consolidation of power from which Jaume would personally profit …
Córdoba
Containing some 500,00 inhabitants, tenth century Córdoba was home to Europe’s largest urban population.
The Caliphate, a dynasty of Ummayad rulers exiled from their Syrian homelands, held sway over rich hinterlands that supported first the consolidation, then expansion of their influence across al-Andalus and the Maghreb.
A legacy of learning
Whilst its scientific and cultural exploits were renowned …
Granada and the Alhambra
It’s late morning and we’re climbing a steep street out of the new city. The white buildings of the venerable Albayzín quarter are dazzling in the spring sunlight. These narrow streets are full of silence and long shadows where once there were the sounds of commerce and prayer.
It’s still March and until an hour …
El Torcal
El Torcal is a nature reserve west of the Poniente and above the town of Antequera. It is one of Europe’s most outstanding examples of Karst topography.
There are three trails from which visitors can choose. J and I arrived relatively early on a very busy day. It was actually hard to leave the park with …
Andalusia
Illuminated by the sunlight of southernmost Spain are the last traces of a great state whose grandeur and importance seem disproportionate to its lack of prominence in European history.
Perhaps the footnote status of Al-Andalus is partly due to being sandwiched between Roman civilisation and the discovery of the “New” World. Still more likely is that …
Law of Desire (La Ley del Deseo)
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Spain, 1987
There’s much to like about the performances in Law of Desire. Eusebio Poncela plays a marvellously ambivalent, sexually ambiguous film director as his insouciance gives way to raw emotion while Carmen Maura takes well to her role as his gold-hearted, rough diamond sister.
But the real turn here is delivered by Antonio Banderas …
Elsewhere on MikePadgett.com …
Les Poupées Russes (Russian Dolls)
Director: Cédric Klapisch France/UK, 2005 Russian Dolls begins a new episode in Xavier’s (Romain Duris) life as he turns thirty: it’s a sequel whose events unfold five years after those twelve eventful months in …
- Originally published: 20 Mar 2007 in Film
Warche and Warenne
A quiet corner of the Belgian Ardennes, the Warche-Warenne valley is just east of Malmedy. Highlights on this walk included the beautifully restored Château Reinhardstein (originally dates from 1354), long riverside sections and …
- Originally published: 23 Aug 2009 in Walking
La Molignée
The village of Maredret rests in a shallow river valley, in the long shadows of two abbeys, the famous Maredsous and the smaller, newer Maredret. Preference for the monastic life appears to have …
- Originally published: 22 Nov 2009 in Walking
Beloeil
Beloeil is a commune in the Hainaut region to the west of Belgium. The famous château of the same name is still owned by the House of Ligne, the origins of whose …
- Originally published: 18 Oct 2009 in Walking
Buena Vista Social Club
Director: Wim Wenders Germany, 1999 Ry Cooder visited Cuba in 1996 to record sessions for an intended Afro-Cuban collaboration. The Africans never made it out of Mali leaving Cooder and World Circuit’s Nick Gold …
- Originally published: 4 Nov 2007 in Film
Who is that guy?
Hello you. I'm Mike Padgett and I work in the technology sector as an Information Designer.
I also enjoy travel, concerts, films and walking.
I'm based in Brussels, Belgium. My current favourite Belgian beer is St Feuillien Brune.