'q'uel est un homme?'

PICENA, Granada, Spain (31/12/2011 - 06/01/2012)

I recently returned, after a 6-7 year hiatus, to ‘my adopted’ village Picena, in Spain. I bought a house there, some 9 years ago. I have family and some friends there too, so it was quite the treat to catch-up. The hiatus was due to my move to the U.S., some 5+ years ago. Getting across to Spain from either the U.S. or England has always been thwarted for some reason or another… The following photographs are of the village, and the surrounding area.

Picena itself (like the surrounding villages), is an old Moorish village, that clings to the lower South of the Sierra Nevada. There, Piceneros still incorporate and utilize Moorish techniques of irrigation. Even the house planning is relatively similar to that of the Moorish descendents. In fact Picena, and other local villages, were that last strongholds of the Moors, before the Reconquista. Later years saw marked divisions and losses, when Franco et al seized power.

(Many years ago, I was talking with a an ex-Francoista at a bar, in Picena. He showed me photographs when he was a boy-informant-in-uniform, sort of like Hitler’s Youth Party. It was difficult for me then, not to feel shocked and angry. But this was not my story, this is not my land, this is not my village; and besides: history IS history)

Continued: PICENA, Granada, Spain (31/12/2011 - 06/01/2012)

HIKING

Images taken around Picena and the mountains around.

I Have this ‘thing’, a thing about people who take incessant pictures of their (& other’s) food. I know the Japanese suggest food presentation should be ‘eaten with one’s eyes’, so let’s leave it at that. Yet photographing food? Plain odd. And yet, here I am, breaking my cardinal rule… My point is this: some food ‘stuffs’, are begging to be photographed (textures, colours, composition - whatever), if not documented. So I photographed SOME foods, that I ate, just to show you, for example, how simple tapas should be (not to mention FREE with every beer); fresh produces as they near-should-be; as well as the situations one eats amongst…

Some faces from Picena

Berja, Granada, Spain

The town of Berja is a little way down (south), of the mountains, from Picena. I have some (new found) friends, also from England, who now reside there full time. They were kind enough to take me to an old Roman town, situated on the outer edges of Berja.

All that remain are vague ruins. Sadly, Spain doesn’t have the financial infrastructure (or possibly the desire), to renovate, preserve or archaeologically investigate many of her Roman, Moorish or Visigoth legacies. UNESCO is so under-funded, that I doubt they would protect or preserve many of Spain’s archaeological interests either. From this standpoint, it would be best to just cover everything in soil and rock, until another generation or culture is prepared to put in the physical and financial ‘leg work’. I say this, because everywhere on this site, one can find millions of shards of (possibly) Roman pottery. 

As a potter, and an avid fan of ancient pottery, my opinion was greatly sourced. Though I’m no archaeologist or an expert in this field. However, I can say this: pretty poor clay bodies, very low firing conditions (kilns were probably still in their ‘nappies’, at this periodical juncture), and no glaze application (either not needed, or the technology wasn’t there). Yet I did find a semi-glazed shard, though further investigation would yield a precise date. I was actively encouraged to take pottery shards home with me, an act I found both an act of vandalism, as well as temptation ( - who else is looking out for the archaeological interests!?).

It is also thought, that nearby, the Romans used the hills for the mining of lead. Evidence of the material is still in relative small pockets. However, I saw no evidence of mines, or the technologies used to extract (smelt) the lead material…

INSERT FILM (La Calahorra), POST PRODUCTION…

A song that was much in my head, over this period…by the southern Spanish band, Radio Tarifa, Rumba Arelina.

Interior of Castillo La Calahorra

Sadly, as Antonino sternly pointed out at the beginning of the ‘tour’ - photographs are strictly prohibited (fotografia prohibitar!)… However, I did manage to get one or two shots, as well as a rather clumsy film [see above].

The exterior of the castillo does not reflect the interior. The interior is modeled on the Italian renaissance style, Corinthian columns, Italian marbled floors, sparse molding and colouring… If you’ve ever seen Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu, then Castillo La Calahorra reminded me of Dracula’s castle in Transylvania - cold, emotive, minimalist… Actually quite gorgeous. If I were making a film, I’d sure love to use this as a set; not to mention my frustration, in that, I like photographing places where humans dwell, as sort of non-physical portraits. Castillo La Calahorra is a sadly missed photo opportunity for me… 

Castillo La Calahorra

This is the exterior of the castle/fort. Until I find the precise dates of when this fort was built, I’ve included a nifty link, discussing the history of the place, post reconquista.

The Village of La Calahorra with a view of the Moorish Fort/Castle (el Castillo) in the distance…

En Route to La Calahorra, Spain.

Views of the Sierras…

I was traveling (my first time driving in Spain, which I add, was a doddle; when compared to driving in the UK, America, Costa Rica, etc) to an old Moorish castle - their last frontier or fort before the Spanish Reconquista, 1508 - La Calahorra.