“Sipping on my sangria, overlooking the massive valley of Granada holding tightly in its bosom the small, beautifully awkward, cobble-stoned streets, heart-wrenching flamenco, 16th century houses, and dominating Moorish castle Alhambra– towns and farms and land history possibilities spewing for light years… for one moment I’ve forgotten about the conquistadors… the election, the madness, the poverty, the war… I have no enemies… for one moment I have the luxury of closing my eyes and understanding that this moment is the meaning of life…::sigh::…yeah…” – Granada, Spain March 1, 2008
Granada was the Moorish capital during their domination of Europe from 700 A.D.-1492 A.D. The castle, “Alhambra”, is soaked in both triumph and tragedy as it is one of the largest displays of African conquest of Europe and the last stronghold prior to their defeat. The Alambra isn’t beautiful or feminine– it’s hard, daunting and masculine particularly against the lush and flowering valley that it’s cradled in. This amazing display of architecture, irrigation and sophisticated water system inspires one to question history. It makes one wonder why we never learn about the Moors who came up from North Africa to take over this place. What would happen if it got out that Black people were once powerful enough to have taken over Europe? History is all a matter of perspective unless it is experienced personally so for now all we can do is question. With its lavish structures and overbearing presence, it wreaks of a culture of greatness and dominance that Black people, all people, globally should know and experience.
Spain is also host to the very old, very intimidating but achingly vulnerable Almazteca in Cordova– the largest mosque in Europe. This place is so intricately carved, so haunting hollow that it seems as though you’re walking into a living tomb, a place where you could spend a lifetime and still miss something. It was taken over by Christians after the inquisition, and holds so many gold Jesus’ one forgets that he was just a simple carpenter who was more interested in healing than having..
Madrid is a city not too dissimilar from other European capitals. It is bustling, touristy, filled with shops and 18th century architecture; it is nice but not extraordinary. I preferred the smaller more obscure places such as the small, fishing town of Aguilas with its transparent water, humanesque street dogs, and homes built into mountains, with snakelike cobble-stone streets, sadly only kept alive by its cheap tourist trinkets.It is best to travel through the country via train, “Renfe” and the bus. You can move from one side of the country to the other for about $60 and really get to see the vastness and distinct climate and cultural changes. There are deserts and farmlands and almond trees that bleed across the countryside. There are crumbling castillos with small towns, where the people have been unmoved and content for generations—they follow you from north to south. Land travel enables you to experience Spanish life from a distance.
Like every other country Spain has its contradictions and its negatives. Aside from being a colonial empire that enslaved and murdered millions, it also is home to large group of African prostitutes. Being brown-skinned and walking around during the daytime I was an anomaly—something only seen on TV and therefore received long but innocent stares… the African prostitutes came out at night. Their softness and femininity having been consumed by a host of poverty and fight for survival… their eyes cold and hard as they aggressively go after single and sometimes coupled men… those were the ones who made it… who’d made to this land of “opportunity”… it’s a heartbreaking cultural reality but one that is never discussed in travel guides or books on Spanish culture…
Spanish life for the comfortable is simple. Eat, drink, siesta, family and love. They are tight-knit people who don’t care if they dance off beat to bad techno music, who are full of confidence; appreciate art, quality food, history, culture and love. Spain for the tourist can seem slightly xenophobic, especially for the Californian who is accustomed to Central American Spanish–the lisp can be a bit of a killa– but Spain re-inspires its visitors to see the beauty in simplicity– to enjoy the seemingly little things, and see that they are small blessings in the grand scheme of things and relearn the lesson that I’m constantly relearning and that is that borders are fiction.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hating. Love it, but I’m hating
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I wish I could book a ticket right now.
Love the pictures!
Interesting review. You write quite well. Would you happen to know of any other blogs that focus on black American/Canadian/British women in Spain? Thanks.