my quest blog

Travel

Granada Photo Journal

Henry Lewis on November 15, 2017

Granada may be world famous for its magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site, the Alhambra, but this fascinating city has so much more to offer. A stroll up hill from the city center and the Granada Cathedral will take you through the ancient Muslim quarter known as the Albayzin with its narrow lanes and palaces.

The historic Realejo, Granada’s former Jewish district, is also a must see with its hipster hangouts where I was lucky enough to find a delicious vegan restaurant. Granada is home to more than 80,000 university students so the city is always buzzing with activity.

Travel

Granada Video Journal

Henry Lewis on November 12, 2017

GRANADA, the last kingdom of the Moors in southern Spain, is a treasure trove of historic architecture. The apex of any visit to the city are the marvelously detailed palaces of the Alhambra, which were built on a hill overlooking the city center. While I personally didn’t find the buildings comprising the Alhambra to be any more beautiful than those of the Alcazar in Seville, the Alhambra’s setting in a magical forest high above the city is what makes it truly special.

Granada Photo Journal coming soon…

peace~henry

Travel

Seville Photo Journal

Henry Lewis on November 5, 2017

What an amazing city! Seville proudly wears its historical legacy while still embracing all the best aspects of the modern world, from architecture, the visual and performing arts to marvelous cuisine.

Seville has witnessed the kind of varied and illustrious history that few cities can boast. Settled by the Romans, it later became a capital of the Moorish Caliphate of Al Andalus which enjoyed dominance over the region for more than two centuries until the Reconquista, the Catholic conquest of the Muslim Empire in what is now southern Spain.

In the years following Christopher Columbus’s so-called ‘discovery’ of America in 1492, Seville became one of the world’s largest and wealthiest cities after being selected by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella as the home port for all the treasures being plundered from the ‘New World’. The Guadalquivir River, which runs through the heart of the city, was utilized as a safe harbor for the tons of gold and silver which were brought back to Spain and stored in the Torre de Oro (Tower of Gold) on its banks.

Travel

Seville Video Journal

Henry Lewis on November 4, 2017

The historical southern Spanish city of Seville will beguile you with the world’s largest Gothic cathedral, the visually delightful Mudejar-style Alcazar, the Gold Tower where the treasures brought from the Americas were unloaded from ships and stored, the passion of flamenco and SO much more. Sit back and enjoy the visuals in this video journal.

Note: I’ll also be posting a photo journal on Seville shortly.

peace~henry

Travel

Cordoba Photo Journal

Henry Lewis on October 29, 2017

For those of you who prefer to slowly savor each image, here’s an alternative to the video journal.

Cordoba, Spain is known as the city of three cultures. At the height of its power, Cordoba was a great center of commerce and education and was the largest city in Western Europe. The population was made up of people from many regions who practiced Islam, Christianity and Judaism.