Tag Archives: Spain

Walled Cities are Worth Visiting

9 Sep

There is something about a walled city that intrigues me.  I do not know if it is the history of the site, as many have UNESCO World Heritage designation or, perhaps the romance.  In my mind, a walled city is connected to a castle, to a fairytale and to a prince and princess. The walled cities in Europe were the fairytale castle cities.

But then walled cities are also associated with war and wealth.  The cities and the castle were walled in to keep the invaders out. Most of these also had forts associated with the walls.  I saw these types of walled cities in South America and the Caribbean and North America, where pirates worked diligently to steal the gold and silver that the Spanish and Portuguese had stolen from the indigenous peoples.

Within the walls people were safer and better off than those who were kept outside the gates.  I think in the days when the walls were important, I, as a Jewish woman, would have been kept out of the gates.  But now, I can walk through these cities and enjoy what has remained.

I have been to many cities throughout the world that still have remains of the walls, and in places where the walls are complete. The highlighted ones are the ones I liked the most. With so many walled cities to visit, I have decided on my top walled cities, some of which I have visited more than once.

Jerusalem, Israel,  is my top walled city.  I lived there for a year when I was in college and had many wonderful experiences.  That was over 50 years ago and the world has changed dramatically since then.  But Jerusalem with its stone buildings, archeological sites and important historic religious importance, has to be number one. You cannot walk through the Old City, or walk along the walls without thinking about all that happened. In Jerusalem. You walk in the steps of our ancestors, wondering about their lives and the intersections of the continents that made Judea such an important part of the ancient world.  You cannot forget Jerusalem and how the sun reflects unto the buildings at sunset creating a glow to the city. (UNESCO World Heritage)

Ephesus, Turkey, is my second amazing walled city. If you have ever been to the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus it will stay in your mind forever. This once walled city that had three main gates was a port city. But over the centuries the port was filled in and the city disappeared. Now the spectacular remains, included the facade of the library, keeps your attention. If you have the chance, this is a place that needs to be visited.

Tallinn, Estonia, really does look like a storybook, fairytale town.  I enjoyed looking out of the walls to the city below and walking through all the shops.  It didn’t have the history or meaning for me as some of the other cities.  But I just thought it was quaint and lovely. (UNESCO World Heritage site)

The entrance to Lubeck, Germany, is so impressive. I thought it was amazing.  What was also amazing is that it survived the Second World War in somewhat good shape.  I loved the Braille 3-D map near the gate, where you could see the city in one place as if from above.  I enjoyed eating the Marzipan and strolling throughout the town.  But for me, seeing that a synagogue survived the Nazi era was important.   It survived because it was close to a church.  To me that seemed to have meaning.  If a church building could protect a synagogue, perhaps the people should be able to protect other citizens.  But as we see now, the world is not very kind or understanding. (UNESCO World Heritage site)

Number three is Vatican City, Rome, Italy. Both a city and a country in the midst of Rome.  I have only spent four days in Rome, but like Jerusalem, this city immerses a visitor in history.  Walking past structures that I studied in school is a bizarre experience. In my mind I could see the past that I studied. As we walked through the endless halls of wonders, I was overwhelmed by all the works of art from throughout the world. It was almost too much to see. Then to see the Sistine Chapel and later the St. Peters Basillica, I was done.  (UNESCO World Heritage)

Since I am discussing Italy, I must mention the lovely walled town of Como, Italy. We went to visit this walled city because my father suggested it. He had been involved in the textile industry for his entire career and used to travel to Italy all the time. Since we were in Milan, he told us we had to visit Como as it was once the capital of the Silk Trade. In fact, at one time there was a school to learn about silk there. Now it is a museum. I loved this city. We spent a day there visiting the museum, walking about and shopping. We ate lunch a little outside of town at a restaurant on the beach of Lake Como. I also must say, there is no car traffic in the walled old city. So it was a wonderful place to walk around and shop!

The college town of Guimaraes, Portugal, was also amazing. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been a town for students since 1315.  We loved walking around the campus seeing the ‘modest’ student chapel, the spectacular library, the special dungeon for students who did wrong, and the room where students presented their work.  We were there near graduation, so we got to see a group of students having their graduation photos taking.  A great day.

After spending five days in Porto, Portugal, I feel like I really know this city as we walked everywhere.  Probably 30 miles over these days, from the lovely gardens, to the museums, to the port, across the bridge to the Port sellers, up the Funicular, just exploring this lovely UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many of the city’s walls have been demolished. But you can see them along the river and in a few areas. The most important part of Porto are the hills, the views and the gardens!

Santiago de Compostela, Spain, is another city with religious history embedded in its being.  The focus of those following “The Way,” the Camino de Santiago, as people focus on arriving at the Church of St. Andrew, or Santiago.  The walled city is easy to walk through, with all roads leading to the Cathedral.  I enjoyed our three days three visiting the museums, listening to the music, exploring the sites, and watching the pilgrims arrive at the spacious square in front of the Cathedral. (UNESCO World Heritage)

Old City, Barcelona, Spain.  Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in the world mainly because I love the work of Antoni Gaudi.   But I also loved walking through the old city and visiting sites there including the. Old synagogue, that still exists.  My heritage is from the Spanish and Portuguese Jews who fled north to Amsterdam. We have been to Barcelona two times, and each time I have found new places to explore.  Most of the wall is gone, although you can see it in some places.  And although the city itself is not A UNESCO World Heritage site, it has nine sites in the city that are protected by the UNESCO including seven Antoni Gaudi creations.

Leon, Spain, intrigues me.  Even though many of the walls are down, we entered through what was once the Money Gate, or Puerta Moneda, the entrance that lead to the Jewish area. This is the only gate of the city that remains.   It was amazing to walk the streets and know that Leon was once the home to a large Jewish community.   In fact, in Leon here were many reminders of the community that was destroyed, including an old synagogue that is now a church, which you can visit.

The walls of Loga, Spain, are amazing.  To see them from outside the walls makes you take a breath! But then to walk on the walls later and look out at those same places you saw it for the first time is also amazing.  The walls of Loga were the widest walls I ever walked up.  You could actually have a party there.  And I bet some people do, because there are houses that are built into the wall.  I also enjoyed walking through the old city. But it is the walls themselves that stand out. Although the city of Loga is not a World Heritage Site, these walls have the UNESCO World Heritage designation.

Edinburgh, Scotland, We walked the hill up to the Castle.  Then we walked up the hill in the Castle. Then we looked down upon the city from the top of the Castle. Then we walked down the long hill in the castle, out the doors of the Castle, down the long hill to a street with shops, including ICE CREAM.  What I remember most is the hills.  Most of the city we saw by bus.  Although Edinburgh was traditionally a walled city, much of the walls are now gone. However, the castle makes up for that.  (UNESCO World Heritage site)

The first time I visited Quebec City, Canada, I was on a cruise.  I wasn’t expecting it to be a highlight, I really wanted to see Prince Edward Island and all the Anne Shirley experiences.  But when we arrived in Quebec City and I saw the Funicular I knew I would like it.  I liked it so much with its French and English old-world charm combined together in one city, that we came back a few years later to spend an entire week staying in the old city.  I loved it. (UNESCO World Heritage site).

Just as an aside, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Charleston, South Carolina, both once had defensive walls surrounding them. These no longer exist. But both cities still have the charm of a walled city!

San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a place I have visited many times.  The first time was on my honeymoon.  I have visited it three other times.  Each time we were on a cruise.  The last time was a few months before the big hurricane came and decimated the island. During that trip we took a walking tour through the old walled city, La Ciudad, and even visited the Fort, walking throughout and looking out at the views of the ocean.  I cannot believe that I hadn’t done that before.  I was amazed by the teeny yellow house, La Casa Estrecha.  It was the first time I had seen a house built in an alley.  But since I have seen such a house in another country.    The day we walked around there were artists selling their work, and many people enjoying what was lovely weather. (UNESCO World Heritage site)

I remember the heat of Cartagena, Columbia, as we walked around the old city, the las Ciudad amurallada.  We visited several museums including the one dedicated to the Inquisition in Columbia, which mainly tortured the indigenous people.   My comment was that you did not have to torture anyone, just make the stand outside for hours without water. Between the heat and humidity, they would give in. Cartagena’s walls were used to keep the Pirates out because Cartagena is the port that the Spanish used to ship the gold and silver back to Europe.  Of course we visited the gold museum there, Museo del Oro Zenu.  It had the best air conditioning, which made us all happy!

I have visited walled cities on four continents, on islands in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. Each walled city has its own charm. When I travel, I always try to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites because they each have some special aspect that you do not see in other places around the world. Visiting walled cities makes you think about the people who figured out how to build them to protect their cities. The enormity of stability of these walls to last hundreds, even a thousand years, makes you think about how modern construction does not last as long.

Walled Cities are Worth Visiting. Enjoy!

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Palaces, Walls, and A Castle In Spain!

12 May

When we planned our Road Scholar trip to Portugal and Spain I was excited that we would be going to many World Heritage sites, including castles and palaces.  Let’s be honest, I was born along with DisneyLand in 1955 and I grew up seeing the Disney castle every week on the Wonderful World of Disney.   I remember so well the evil villain of Babes in Toyland singing, “My Castle in Spain.”  For me this was going to be a highlight.

We saw a number of  castles and palaces on our trip.  Some were absolutely extravagant; others were just empty stone shells without much romance.  I always knew that the tapestries were created to keep the rooms warmer.  But until you walk through a large castle and see the size of the rooms, and the small size of fireplaces and heaters, do you realize that these places would be extremely cold in the winter.  In fact, our guide told use that most people had to walk around wrapped in a blanket.  BRRR

Even still, with this reality check, with knowing when I saw the Castle in Segovia that it had been heavily damaged by a fire and most of it was reconstruction, I could not help but be joyful.  Why? Because was like seeing the real Disney Castle in Segovia, I knew my wish had come true.  So instead of starting at the beginning of our trip and describing our experience in order, I must start with our second to last castle, Alcazar!

Throne Room

The Disneyworld Cinderella Castle’s towers and windows were based on the Alcazar of Segovia, Spain.  Perhaps other elements come from other castles.  But once you see the Alcazar, all you can do is hum, “When I Wish Upon A Star.”  I did that for the entire time we toured the castle.  I might have made my sister and husband crazy.   

After walking uphill through narrow, ancient streets of Segovia we came upon the first sight of Alcazar, which has been a World Heritage Site since 1985. Some castles you cannot enter.  But this one was not only renovated, it had furniture in some rooms to make you realize what it once looked like.  It is also a museum. 

Before I leave Segovia, I must say there is another important site to see there, the Roman Aqueduct that is about six stories high when goes above ground , while its underground route through the town is marked with different stones.  It is an amazing feat of construction!!

Now that I have finished swooning over Alcazar, I will return to the beginning of our adventure and talk about the Palacio da Borsa, the original Board of Trade.  Although it is not a castle, it is definitely a palace.  Some of its rooms are absolutely stunning. I understand why it is an event space for conferences, conventions and if someone could afford it, what a place for a wedding!!

From the Grand Staircase, to the meeting rooms, –  each one has its own character and special artwork, on the ceilings, the walls, the floors, the furniture- the building is elegant.  The trial room with its ornate carved wooden furniture and beautiful art; the views; the room where Gabinete De Gustave Eifel worked when he was in Porto; The Hall of Countries.

Entrance to Golden room.
Some of the detail.
The ceiling
The floor

All of it fabulous. But nothing prepares you for the Golden Room.  Many people oooh and Ahhh over the Amber Room in Catherine’s Palace near St. Petersburg.  And that room is stunning, I admit when I saw it in 2018. But to be honest, the Golden Room with all its intricate carving and inlaid is something special.  It made me think of the inlay at the Taj Mahal. The inlaid wooden floors were reminiscent of the ones I saw in the Hermitage in Russia, but actually more intricate. From floor to walls to ceiling to columns, there is not one spot untouched and plain.  My pictures will not do it justice. But if you ever have a chance to go to Porto, you must visit the Golden Room.  My brain was exhausted after seeing it.

The walls are sitting on granite boulders.

Thank goodness our next stop, the first castle on our tour, was less ornate but also fascinating in its own right: The Castelo de Guimaraes in Guimaraes. We did not actually go into this10th century edifice, we walked around the stone fortifications and massive walls. It is built on top of a granite mountain, and some of its walls are the granite stones.  And they are enormous.  They are everything a castle should look like from the outside.  It was constructed by order of Countess Mumadona Dias to protect a monastery from  Moorish invaders.  Although the castle is not a world heritage site, it is a Portuguese National Monument since the late 1890s.

On the grounds of the castle are two more buildings. First the Church of Saint Michael.  This little chapel was the place where Portuguese King Afonso Henriques was baptized in 1927. There is no furniture in the church as the entire floor are the tombstones of important people.  In fact, you can only walk around the inside perimeter, so you do not cause damage to the engravings.

The Palace of the Dukes of Braganza is there as well. We only walked along the outside.  It was renovated in the 1930s and served as the residence for the then President Antonio Salazar. Although part of it is open to the public, we did not go inside.

Although not a palace or a castle, the University of Coimbra, founded in 1290, definitely feels like one.  I am not sure I would be able to actually go to classes there, especially in some of the older buildings.  I would be too busy looking around.

Underground student prison.
Our tour guide on the ‘toilet.’
Room for presentations.
Ceiling of Presentation Room.
Part of the Courtyward and the view.

 We were not allowed to take photos of the famous library.  It is a stunning work of carved wood and bookcases filled with ancient tomes.  It is still used by students and scholars, but the books must be ordered in advanced and not allowed to leave the campus.

The lecture room, where students present their PhD dissertations also makes you think of a castle great room.  The ceiling is stunning as is the woodwork. 

But I have to be honest the part that capture most of our attention was the fantastic view of the city and the river; watching the students take their graduation photos; and finally visiting the underground ‘dungeon’ that was a special prison for students who got into trouble.  This is not your usual dungeon, because since the students were from the upper class, even when they got in trouble they did not suffer like the riff-raff. In fact, we were amazed that they actually had a two-seat stone toilet to use.  They could spend anywhere from a day to several months here depending on their misbehavior.

Later photo shows me between the window openings.

Next stop the monstrous and magnificent Roman Walls of Lugo. We walked around them from the outside.  And then we walked on the walls in two different places.  Once the walls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also had multiple towers surrounding the city.  Now just vestiges of the towers remain.

Along the wall, people stroll.
Part of the tower that still exists.
House built into the wall with an entrance.

Walking along the walls give you a great view of both the old and new cities, but also make you aware of how technologically advanced the Romans were as these walls have lasted centuries.  Over time, some people had the opportunity to build their homes right into the wall and have the walls paths as their backyard.  People can no longer do this, but those who have this cannot be destroyed.

Our final Palace was La Granja, or Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, was the summer home of the Spanish kings.  It was walking distance to our hotel, the Parador De La Granja. Our hotel was once part of the Palace grounds and was the home of two children and their attendants. 

This is made in France with porcelain flowers.
These weigh almost 200 pounds each

The Palace is enormous, we only got to see about ¼ of the total rooms, just walking through the open rooms on the bottom floor.  Through the windows we could see some of the fantastic gardens. Unfortunately, they were closed because that evening some of the fountains were going to be opened. But from what I could see these gardens are much like the ones in Russia at the Peterhof Palace.

The chandeliers and ceilings in this palace were stunning. The Royal Glass company is in San Ildefonso, so many of them were made in the town for the Palace. For  this palace I will just show you some of these fantastic and some fanciful chandeliers.  To be honest after going through these rooms I became somewhat overwhelmed.  But it was definitely a great final stop on our tour.

Inicio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room

Paço dos Duques – Home

https://www.uc.pt

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/987/ https://www.spain.info/en/destination/san-ildefonso-o-la-granja/

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Gaudi’s Casa Botines, or La Casa Del Dragon

6 May

I really enjoyed our time in Leon. Besides my interest in the bits of Jewish history that still remained, I was also intrigued to learn that a building designed by Antoni Gaudi was there are well.

My two trips to Barcelona have made me a Gaudi fan.  While there, I made a point of visiting all of the Gaudi sites that are open to the public.  To have another Gaudi site to see in Leon was an unexpected joy. 

The side turret/tower
The sculpture of George and the dragon.

Unlike Casa Batllo, Casa Vincens or Casa Mila, from the outside Casa Botines seems simple and calm. Situated on San Marcelo Square, it is a large rectangle building whose main eccentrics are noticeable in the four corner turrets and towers, the notable wrought iron fence and the sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon above the front door.  (Which is why it is also known as the Dragon House.) Gaudi designed the sculpture, while Lorenzo Matamala actually carved it.

I loved the gate and fence. It seemed to reflect the idea of a dragon protecting the house in my mind.

The side gate.

Inside the house is also much simpler than other Gaudi creations. This makes sense as it is one of Gaudi’s earlier works. Cassa Batllo was built in 1902-4 and Park Quell from 1900 – 1914.  Cas Botines was built decade earlier, in the 1890s, so perhaps Gaudi had not yet reached the apex of his most creative and inspired and colorful visions.  Thus the Casa Botines seems a bit conservative after seeing his other works.  Many are filled with vibrant colors and art.  Whereas Casa Botines is mainly defined by the woodwork and staircase. Although there are stained class windows and colored glass in the house.

The woodwork is beautiful as in all Gaudi’s homes. The window frames, doorways, floors and staircases are stunning.  I love the windows in the turrets and also the multi-paned window that frame the outdoor scenes.  I can imagine living there and enjoying the warmth of the wood.  However, Casas Botines was not actually built as a home, rather as the headquarters for a business.

My favorite, the heart chair.

Currently, Casa Botines is a museum about Gaudi.  The rooms have some furniture that he created, including a heart chair, which I loved.  There is much information about the building of the Casa Botines and about Gaudi.  But there are also some items that make no sense to me as to why they are there.  Like the dentist’s office set up in one of the rooms. But I think that is because a dentist used to live there.

Outside the house, in the courtyard, sits a statue of Gaudi sitting on a bench and sketching. I imagine him looking at the space and trying to plan what he would build there. I always wondered how he came up with his fantastical ideas. Of course they always began with a sketch.

Stained glass in Casa Botines.
Inside the cathedral in Leon. Did it inspire Gaudi?

On a side note, according to our tour guide, Gaudi’s visits to the cathedral in Leon, with its many stain glass windows, vibrant colors and extremely high ceilings, was inspiration for his masterpiece, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.  Perhaps, a bit. But actually they are very different.

You can learn about my previous experiences with Gaudi in these two blogs:

My Architectural Love Affair With Hundertwasser and Gaudi
I Do Love Gaudi! My Second Barcelona Gaudi Adventure.

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The Jewish Connection We Discovered While in Portugal and Spain

4 May

Whenever I travel to the Iberian Peninsula, I am intrigued and drawn to any information I can gather about where the Jewish communities lived before the forced conversions and the expulsions. I am a direct descendant of these Jews.  I imagine my ancestors walking the streets, attending the synagogues, traveling between towns and living their lives in joy before it was all destroyed.

For over two weeks we visited many cities and towns in Portugal and Spain.  We saw streets that once were the homes of Jewish communities.  We saw the evidence of Judaism left behind in street names and buildings. 

We started our trip in Porto, where once a large Jewish community existed. We took a food tour while there, visiting the Market, the oldest restaurant and several pastry shops.  At the last one, our guide brought us out macaroons, saying that this was a treat the Jews ate during Passover.  A treat we still eat.  She said that we were eating it here because this was the area where the Jewish people once lived. And she pointed us to the street where the synagogue once stood.  When the tour ended, we returned.

There is not much left of the Jewish presence in what was the Judiaria Nova do Olival.   But we walked Rua De S. Bento Da Vitoria, the street where the community once lived viewing the site of the destroyed synagogue.   Where it once stood is a public building that was originally a monastery. There are two signs, one next to the building and one on the building commenting on the Jewish community that used to live.  It is currently under renovation, thus the plaque on the wall was difficult to read, so the photo I am showing came from the internet.  It says:

“In perpeturam memoriam…In memory of all Portuguese Jews who, by decree of 1496, were given by God the choice between forced conversion or death. May their blood never be forgotten. May the blessed memory be restored to all those – the shepherds and the sheep – who for five centuries kept alive and ever present the word of the prophet Moses on Mount Horeb: the bush burned with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.  Their burning embers were not destroyed by the flames – nor by those who sought to destroy them  through the most terrible tortures – forcing them to renounce their sublime faith at the fount of life: For the Just man lives by his faith.”

On Day 7 we went to Coimbra, the site of the Coimbra University and Library.  It was a truly lovely site up on a mountain, where you could see the river below.  Of course, a college town would have had a Jewish population.  In fact, the street where the Jews lived was directly across from the main church. Rua Dos Coutinhos, an ancient narrow street. No sign of any Jewish life now.

Santiago Jerusalem Street

In Santiago de Compostela, the city that is saturated with spirituality as it is the end of the pilgrimage at the Cathedral of the Portical of Glory, we saw Ruela de Xerusalem, Jerusalem Street.  Our guide told us it is believed this was the street for the Jewish population.

Puerta Moneda. The Coin Gate, where the Jewish People lived, the money lenders in Leon,
The first marker we saw put up by the Network of Jewish Quarters in Spain.
The full house with the plaque.
The Jewish area of Leon. Here is one of the symbols embedded in the ground to show the entrance to the Jewish quarter.

In Leon, we saw much more signs of Jewish life.  We entered what was once a walled city through a street where there was once a gate, the Puerta Moneda, or the Coin Gate.  Immediately we guessed it was the entrance to the Jewish area where the money lenders lived.

Our guide pointed out a long, narrow street that once was filled with vibrant Jewish life, as well as the square where they held a market.  In was in Leon that we first saw the markers placed by the Red de Judarias de Espana (Network of Jewish Quarters in Spain.)  Their symbol includes the Hebrew letters that spell out Sefarad and mark important Jewish sites.

The first one we saw was on a plaque on Calle De Juan De Arge marking the home of a Jewish family that lived there from 1370 until 1481.  We saw another marker later on that was embedded in the ground. 

Sergovia last remaining synagogue. Now a church
The symbol embedded in front of the former synagogue.

Finally Segovia, where we visited the only surviving synagogue in all the towns we visited. Once a synagogue, now a church, this synagogue used to be one of five that served the large Jewish community of Segovia, where about a third of the town was Jewish. It was the MAIN Synagogue, La Sinagoga Mayor, located in the center of the Jewish area.

When you first look at it, it seems to be a small building.  I wondered how it could be the MAIN synagogue. But it is a false front.  When it was opened later in the day, my sister and I entered the courtyard and explored the building.  There are still indications of its use as a synagogue.  It is an open room where the bima would have been in the center. And there is a women’s balcony above, with screens so that the men could not see them, but they could see what was happening below. It remained a synagogue until 1419.  In 1899 the Synagogue/Church was damaged by a fire.  It was restored in 1902 and remains open today.

The visit to this synagogue was a highlight for my Jewish journey. We are descendants of Iberian Jews who left Spain for Portugal, then left Portugal for Amsterdam, then made the mistake of leaving Amsterdam for Galicia in Austria.  But then even in Amsterdam the Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis.

The one final sign of Jewish life in Spain startled me.  Although Portugal had a Jewish community before WW2. In fact, Jewish people started returning to Portugal in the 1800s.  But Spain was a different story.  It wasn’t until 1869 that the new Spanish Constitution allowed Jewish people to settle in Spain. But there were not many.  However, it is believed that about 15,000 Jews survived by escaping to Spain.

But the “Stolperstein,” stumble stone, I found tells a different story.  Fermin Cristobal Lopez died in Dachau. Born in 1894, he was exiled from France, and Deported from Sergovia on the Ghost Train in 1944.  I do not know if Fermin was a Jew or a political prisoner.  But I do know he died in Dachau.

In these times of Jew hatred, for me it is important to know where we once lived and how we were forced to find new homes and new places for sanctuary.  In Spain it was very obvious that the status of Jews is precarious.  In every city in Spain we visited, except Sergovia, there were giant banners calling supporting the Palestinians.  But nothing to recognize what the Israelis and Jews have suffered.

I asked our tour guide if she felt the Jewish people of Spain were safe.   She differentiated between Israelis and Jews.  Saying the government and people were angry at the Israeli government. But she believed Jewish people in Spain were safe. I guess we shall see.

In Portugal it was different. No Palestinian Flags.  No feelings of queasiness as I walked down the streets.  For me, as a Jewish person,  I will not soon return to visit Spain.

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Learning about the Crypto-Jews/Conversos in Santa Fe

28 May

As the descendent of a Jewish family that was forced to leave Spain in 1492 or convert, I have always been interested in learning more about the Crypto-Jews/ Conversos of New Mexico.  It was in the 1980’s when the information about this still hidden group first started to be revealed. It started when a Jewish man named Stanley Hordes because New Mexico’s State Historians, and people started coming to him to tell him their stories.  To me it was absolutely amazing that 500 years after the Inquisition in Spain, that descendants were still hiding and still keeping this secret!

I had wanted to attend the Roads Scholar program: “New Mexico’s Conversos and Crypto-Jews in Santa Fe” since 2019.  Covid interrupted my plans. But finally we were able to attend. My family were also once impacted by the Inquisition and Spain’s quest to either convert or eliminate all Jews.  My family chose to move to Portugal and then to Holland.  Our story is written in an earlier blog. (See below.)

We had lectures from the authors of the top two books.

Our first speaker was Professor Ron Duncan Hart, who gave us an overview of the history of the Jews journey to New Mexico. He wrote, “Crypto-Jews, The Long Journey.” Jews were in Spain were given a choice, convert or leave.  Many stayed, they could not afford to go or they thought it would not last long and they would just hide their Jewishness, some decided they really would become Catholic.  But all were doubted because they were not “pure of blood, “meaning they were not just Spanish, they were tainted by either having Jewish or Moslem descent. Those converted in name only and still practiced their religion in secret, known as Crypto-Jews…hidden Jews. Those who were forcibly converted and known as anusim also secretly practiced Judaism.

In fact, so many of the Portuguese who came over to Mexico in the 1600s were of Crypto-Jewish ancestry, that calling someone Portuguese was just another way to say he/she was Jewish. Since my family went from Spain to Portugal, I began to wonder if some of my family made this arduous journey to escape the Inquisition. To be allowed to go to the New World, you had to show that you were purely Spanish, not tainted with Jewish or Muslim blood.  Horrifying!  People actually had their genealogy redone to eliminate their Jewish past to fit the needed requirement.

The Crypto-Jews of today still live in the mountains in northern New Mexico.  They still keep their secret.  In fact, one of our speakers, when asked how many crypto Jews there actually was, basically said, “We do not know. They keep hidden.  They do not talk about it.  They know who the other families in their community are like them. But it is not discussed”

We heard from two women who have reclaimed their Jewish identity.  They were each the child in the home who a parent said “Somos Jodios,” “We are Jews.”  Maria Apodaca told us how difficult it was to come out of hiding and join a congregation and have a ceremony of return.  How family members were not always happy about what they had done.  Many feel, with the way the world is now, it is better to stay hidden!

Isabelle Medina Sandoval wrote a novel based on her family’s history: “Guardians of Hidden Traditions.”  She can trace her ancestry back to Portugal and was able to claim Portuguese citizenship based on her family history.  But she also said that coming out of hiding is a difficult process.  A poet, she has written poems about the Crypt-Jewish experience.

From these two women we learned some of the cultural/religious/cuisine that continues from their Jewish ancestry, like lighting candles on Friday night, covering mirrors when someone dies, making a fried treat at the winter holidays, cleaning the house on Friday.  It is amazing to me that these traditions continue.

Schelly Talalay Dardashti, spoke about: “The New World: Jewish Ehtnicity, DNA& Genetics.“ Schelly is the founder of Tracing the Tribe – Jewish Genealogy on FB. She explained the difference in the different DNA tests and how some do not look for Sephardic DNA, only Ashkanazi.  We were told that between 20-40 percent of people in New Mexico had some Jewish ancestors.  That there are genetic links between those living in northern New Mexico and isolated areas in Central/South America.  People who were also trying to hide away from the Inquisition.  And the final link, a rather sad one, the fact that the BRCA1 mutation that causes brest cancer in Jewish women, is also found in the Hispanic population in Mexico and New Mexico and came from those original converso/crypto Jewish arrivals from Spain in the early 1500s.   Wow.

We attended a performance of “Parted Waters,” a play written by Robert F. Benjamin about the Crypto Jewish community. It tells the story of three generations of a crypto Jewish family.  The grandfather, a crypto Jew; his son, who knows the background, but identifies with his life as a Catholic and does not want to talk about it; and his son, who has never been told about his ancestry.  When the grandson makes a racist comment to a Jewish woman, the truth comes out along with the ramifications.  It pulled together all that we had learned over the week.

Our last lecturer, Chris Herbst spoke about Outliers/Ousiders and Religion.”  He provided us some history about the area of northern New Mexico and more explanations about the genetic composition of the populations today in Spain and in New Mexico.  He said about 1/3 of the population of Spain today has either Jewish or Moorish ancestry.

Throughout all of our talks we were referred back to the book written by Stanley Hordes, who wrote an indepth book about the Crypto Jews called, “To the End of the Earth.”  The Spanish/Portuguese Crypto-Jews traveled to the End of the Earth, the mountains of New Mexico above Santa Fe, to escape the Inquisition.  It is like reading a college dissertation, but it was fantastic in the depth of the research.

The Hebrew is in the triangle.

We did not spend all of our time learning, we also had time on our own to visit museums and explore Santa Fe.  We went to the  main cathedral of Santa Fe, where over the mantal of the front door, is an inscription in Hebrew and a Jewish Star on an internal wall. 

As part of our Roads Scholar program we also ate at many different restaurants with the most delicious food, toured historic Santa Fe, with our wonderful leader, Vennetta, and went to Taos and the World Heritage Site of the Taos Pueblo.

This was just a wonderful learning experience, where we were able to learn, experience, make new friends and enjoy the true wonders of Santa Fe, New Mexico. If you have any interest in learning more about the Crypto-Jewsof New Mexico, Mexico and Spain, I highly recommend this Roads Scholar program.

I will write about the other places we visited in future blogs.

Santa Fe’s  Multitude of Museums
The Great Rio Grande River Gorge and Taos Pueblo
As Spain Welcomes Back Jews Expelled in the 1400’s, I Share my Spanish Roots
Finding My Heritage In Spain
Discovering My Amsterdam Heritage in Amsterdam

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Watching Tango, Flamenco and Arabic Dance Performances is Like Watching Ballet

6 Oct

After years of ballroom dance lessons, by husband and I still dance whenever we have the opportunity.  But besides dancing ourselves, we enjoy watching other, who are much better, dance as well.

My favorite dance is the tango.   We never danced a true Argentine tango, we danced more of American ballroom tango.  We did learn a few basic and important tango steps like the ochos (figure eight swivels), corte (a sort of forward lunge for the woman), and the gancho (hook a leg around your partner’s leg).

Although we never became proficient in our tango, we have enjoyed watching others dance it professionally.    I loved the tango scenes in the movies Zorro and True Lies.  But to be honest Antonio Bandaras dancing a tango is quite nice whether it is in Evita, Take the Lead or Zorro.

A favorite for me is the tango between Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez in Shall We Dance.  MY husband and I both loved that movie.  It was so fun to watch an awkward man, uncomfortable with dance, become better throughout the movie. This tango is the start of his ability to actually dance.  The movie reflects my husband’s improvement.  He started out not knowing anything about dance. But now he loves to dance.

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Tango in Buenos Aires. You can see the band above the dancers.

We have been to Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, the two cities where researchers believe tango was created in the 19th century.  Of course, we had to go see a true tango, which we did while we were in Buenos Aires.  It was excellent.  The dance is so quick in Argentina, unlike the slow dance we do in American ballroom tango.

The group dances were invigorating, but I loved the performances best when it was just one couple on the stage dancing together. This is the moment that I thought I saw true tango.  This is the tango I wish I could dance!

I also love the music in tango!  At the tangos I have seen, musicians play the guitar and the bandoneon, which is a small accordion-like instrument.  But I have also seen when even more instruments are played, including violins, flutes and piano in addition to the guitar and bandoneon.

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The group we saw in Malaga, Spain.

Instruments also play a part in Flamenco.  The guitar and a drum to sound the beat are usually played. Flamenco, which is a much older dance from at least the 18th century, is another dance we enjoy watching.  No one knows exactly how it started, except that it was different groups of people who came together in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the Flamenco was born.  For me in was interesting that there might even be a Sephardi Jewish influence in the dance.

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The woman in the red scarf sang with such emotion.

But Flamenco, unlike tango, has other important part besides the dancing.  There is the singer, who sings a story with unleashed pathos. Also, unlike Tango, one person can dance Flamenco, without a partner.

We have seen Flamenco danced in Barcelona, Spain; Malaga, Spain; and at a performance in Kansas!  That surprised me as well. But the group who came to a local college was wonderful and the performance was packed.

I admit that some of the Flamenco shows I have seen were touristy.  But even in these some of the performances were extraordinary. Flamenco is not a dance you can just learn for social dancing. This takes intense emotion, training and experience. However, you can still watch and appreciate the performance.

I will admit that to me the Flamenco reminds me of a belly dance or Arabic dance performance.  This is something I do know, as in my younger days I took years of Arabic dance lessons.  Like Flamenco, the older Arabic dance is a form of folk dancing, this one originating in Egypt.  I see in this dance and the Flamenco the movements of the torso and the hips and the intense emotion of the dancing and the artist.  It is also another dance, unlike ballroom dancing, where one person dances alone intent in his or her own emotions.

As I was doing research for my blog, I saw that there is a theory that this type of Arabic dance is one of the elements that combined together to create the Flamenco.

I love dancing.  But just like when I go to a ballet, and realize I cannot do what the wonderful dancers can do.  I realize I can enjoy the performance, which is exactly what I do when I see tango, Flamenco and Arabic dance programs.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_tango

https://www.tejastango.com/terminology.html

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24a_2NPleg

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco

https://www.britannica.com/art/flamenco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibaPTk0D5Xg

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance

 

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Jose Sala Sala and the Sanctuary of Mary Magdalena in Novelda, Spain

10 Oct

The Santuario de Santa Maria Magdalena is stunning! This modernist church built in the 1900s was designed by Jose Sala Sala, a local boy who moved to Barcelona to study architecture, and ended up learning with Gaudi. The Gaudi influence is strong in this stone and ceramic building.

Standing on a hill above Novelda and sharing the mountain with the ruins of the castle Mola , the church can be seen for miles. The winding road takes you to the parking lot, so when you first approach the church, you see the back first.

Back of the church.

No worries. It is also beautiful. Our guide, David, said as he heard the group oohing and aahing, “If you think this is lovely, wait until you see the front of the church.”

He was so correct. Each side of the church is just delightful. The stone, ceramic and brick intertwined in wonderful patterns lifting your eyes to the sky and to the torrents that grace the front.

The interior is classic and simple. No gold leaf and overdone interior here. Just simple elegance and paintings and tapestries. The church was built in stages from 1918 to 1946.

But the best is not yet complete.

Where the organ will be. A special cement base was poured to hold the weight

At the back of the church, by the entrance is a giant marble base made of Alicante red marble that will hold the marble organ that has been worked on for 26 years. Large white marble ovals represent the tears of Mary Magdalena. Each hollow pipe is made of red marble. 54 are complete. There are hundreds of pipes still to be carved. But then we know that in Spain it seems great things are worth waiting for!

But you can hear the lovely sounds that it will eventually make through a short concert of the completed pipes . We heard several minutes of Pachelbel’s Canon in D and it was astonishing. I can only image that when the full organ is completed, it’s music will not only fill the church but for miles around!

I kept thinking, what a lovely place for a wedding. When our guide told us that our bus driver and his wife were married there 12 years ago. We all congratulated him on the good choice.

The vista from the front of the church includes the town of Novelda, the vineyards and some of the marble factories that brought wealth into the area.

Bicyclists and their picture.

While we were visiting a group of bicyclist came to the top to see the church. They asked our guide to take a group photo of them in front of the church. I too needed a photo of my husband and I there. It was so beautiful.

But then even the sides of this church are so intricate. I loved every angle of it!

Gaudi is one of my favorite architects. I do not know what else Jose Sala Sala designed, but the influence of Gaudi runs strong in his work. I would love to see more. And for those traveling to Spain, go see this church!

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