Portugal and Spain Tour (1 Viewer)

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Here are some unusual toy soldiers and model figures.

 

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large scale model figures 1/6 and a small vignette 1/32.

 

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Seville is really attractive. Just strolling around, I came across these two displays. The Toys soldiers were priced about 8-10 Euros each.

 

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Moving on to Cordoba. It's a small town with most of the historical and archaeological sights in the town centre. The reason I wanted to stop by was to visit the famous Mestiza mosque, with its fabulous red white arches. it didn't disappoint!! Here's a pic.

 

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Without realising it, I stumbled into the Royal stables of Cordoba, a famous riding school. I didn't get to see the show but saw them exercising, grooming and training the horses.

 

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Moving on to Grenada, I visited the famous Alhambra palace. Mixture of Moorish and Christian architectutural styles. Here are three ceiling panels not usually seen.

 

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Did a day tour to visit Avila and Segovia, two towns north west and north of Madrid.

Avila is famous for the wall and turrets surrounding the town and its gothic cathedral.

 

[jazzeum]

Did you visit the aqueduct in Segovia that was built by the Romans? It is still in use today. Any chance you went to Meson del Cándido for lunch. Touristy but in my day the food was good and Cándido (who I’m sure is now dead) would come by our table for a chat.

 

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Hi Brad,

I really enjoy sharing these pics so I'm glad these pics are bringing back memories for you. Perhaps you should do a return trip yourself soon, eh?

I've now reached Segovia. Yes there is the fancy lunch meal but we opted for the budget tourist meal - tortilla...
Segovia has the very famous Roman aqueduct and their Segovia castle. The turrets of this castle were apparently the inspiration for the famous Walt Disney castle. Inside the castle, some nice settings and suits of armour.

Rgds Victor

 

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[Louis Badolato]

Moving on to Grenada, I visited the famous Alhambra palace. Mixture of Moorish and Christian architectutural styles. Here are three ceiling panels not usually seen.

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Victor,

When I visited Spain many years ago as a college student studying abroad from a campus in Italy, I brought my well-worn, dog eared cooy of Washington Irving’s Tales of the Alhambra and red it while sitting by the fountain with the lions. The Alhambra is one of my favorite places.

 

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Hi Louis,

Thanks for sharing! Those very unique Moorish lions were at the fountain! A lot of these pics I took were with my wife and on here camera and other places didn't allow photography at all.

Grenada was a very hilly place. It was murder to walk around.

 

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I visited the Escorial Monastery the day after General Franco's body was exhumed and reburied elsewhere. The Escorial was located near his former burial place which was the Valle de Los Caidos, about an hour's drive out of Madrid.

The Escorial is the burial place for many of the famous Spanish kings and their queens. Philip II was buried there. Dour looking buildling. Quite interesting inside but many pics were on my wife's camera.

 

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In Madrid, I visited the Madrid City Museum. It turned out to be quite interesting - a hodge podge of various artefacts.

scale model of a church. The figures appear to be made from a plaster composition.


two paintings showing processions in the city
A small scale model of a bull ring. About 1/72 scale

 

[jazzeum]

The Escorial reflects Felipe II’s personality: ascetic, austere. A fun person he was not. Franco is buried at a cemetery near his home, El Pardo, next to his wife, Carmen Polo. El Pardo is north of Madrid.

I went to the Valle once. No desire to ever go again.

 

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The back of the bull ring model

 

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There were a lot of paintings. I'm just posting those with a military theme.

 

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Finally reached Barcelona. I took a day excursion to visit Girona where they filmed Game of Thrones etc. But the real reason was to visit Art Girona Miniatures located there. This company produces some of the best model figure kits and this shop did not disappoint. Father and son business. The business was started many years back by the father who produced some figures depicting Catholic festivals in procession. The son took over the direction (lucky guy). Besides the pics, I naturally spent a small fortune in acquiring some very rare and OOP figures... My wife tactfully left me for an hour to do this.

 

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