261 posts & counting…

lisboa: cais das colunas

Casi das Colunas, 1950s

One of Lisbon’s most iconic viewpoints, not even the 1755 earthquake could destroy this majestic point of entry into the capital of Portugal. The royal palace disappeared forever, but the public square retained its shape during reconstruction… although sporting a new name. Recently the columns returned with “Salazar” cleaned up for all to see. That polemic decision allows visitors & residents alike to engage in a dialogue with Portugal’s recent history.

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sevilla: monumento al sagrado corazón de jesús

España, Spain, Andalucía, Sevilla, San Juan de Aznalfarache, Sagrado Corazón, monumento

Perched on a hilltop with commanding views over the Guadalquivir Valley, the Monumento al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús reigns over Sevilla’s suburbs. Its tall tower in San Juan de Aznalfarache forms part of a larger complex & is often visible on the way to either IKEA, El Corte Inglés or Leroy Merlin… all those special trips. Obviously from the Franco era due to its scale & size, the monument followed part of a worldwide Catholic trend of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus & was sponsored by the cardinal-archbishop of Sevilla, Pedro Segura y Sáez.

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year in review: 2019

2019, travel, year in review
● Where was I? Spain, Portugal, USA, & Italy

Here we go again! As always, I write this for personal reasons but you’re welcome to revisit the past year with me. Full of new destinations, new challenges & very little free time. Par for the course.

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spain: arcos de la frontera

Arcos de la Frontera, panorama, Iglesia de San Pedro

Founded by Romans as Arx-Arcis & later the capital of an independent, Muslim taifa, Arcos de la Frontera entered a golden age after being taken by Christian forces in 1264. The city & surrounding area first became part of a lordship then moved up to become a countdom, gradually increasing in importance. Catholic Monarchs Fernando & Isabel created the Dukedom of Arcos in 1493 for the Ponce de León family while reorganizing noble titles after their consolidation of power in Andalucía. Their grandson, Carlos V, made the Dukes & Duchesses of Arcos automatic Grandes de España in 1520… ranking just underneath any possible heirs to the throne. Amazing to think that the title is still passed down today, & that the castle on the main square continues to be their private property:

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buenos aires: domes

Buenos Aires, domes, cúpulas

Back to Buenos Aires! Well, not literally… I’m still in Spain & don’t plan on returning to Argentina any time soon. But I realized that I’ve neglected to compile & place in this blog one very popular series of posts from the past. From 2007 to be exact. In the day when my only internet presence was line of sight, I wrote one of the most widely read English-language blogs about Buenos Aires. At the same time as I researched early housing projects in the city, I also began looking up & paying attention. I began seeing more domes than I’d ever noticed before, regardless of where my rambling walks took me.

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