Posts from the ‘Photography’ Category

Apr 22

Sunny Sunday Morning

Fresh pastries, a pot of aromatic earl grey tea, the Sunday paper packed with supplements on culture and style and food, fruit juice sparkling as the sun throws long shadows across my little city balcony, a sun which finally possesses sufficient strength to cut through the chilly stubborn wintery air which has dogged the UK weather for the last 6 months. Spring has arrived, my balcony is getting green, and surrounded by newly potted plants purchased from a little garden centre squeezed politely alongside North Dulwich’s train station, my partner and I sat down yesterday morning to a Sunny Sunday morning. Every day should begin this way, but as today’s sardine-squished tube journey has reminded me, very few do. Hence why I felt it only appropriate to share the momentous morning that kicked off yesterday’s Sunday so well, instilling hope into us both that the Summer is on its way.

Wishing you all a good week 🙂

Apr 21

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Springtime debuts in Dulwich

Waking up on Saturday to the sun streaming into my room and what looked like the faint glimmer of blue sky seen through a crack in my blinds was an odd sensation. Not having to rush up to turn the heater on before swiftly re-burying myself back into the warmth of my duvet was another. For this kind of good weather just doesn’t happen here in the UK, where winter appears to have reigned for so long that most of us had given up any hope of ever having a summer, the assumption being that the White Witch of Narnia was obviously back in power again. Indeed after the coldest March for over 40 years, and an equally chilled start to April, the final debut of Spring this weekend, right at the end of April, was not an event that could be allowed to pass unmarked.

Better late than never I say, and how better to celebrate this sunny saturday than by behaving as a tourist in my own city? Yes, it was to the London suburb of Dulwich, in the south east of the city, and more specifically to the village thereof that we headed to mark the arrival of Spring, a village which, despite some 10 years as fully fledged resident of London, I have never visited. The reason for this? Generally speaking the fact that there is no tube there – but as we found out today, the village is well connected by both bus and train. We took the no. 37 from Clapham Common, which got us to Dulwich, via Brixton and Herne Hill in around 20 minutes.

Dulwich Village is, as my photos will demonstrate, a secluded and rather affluent little enclave, full of picket fences, young families of well-oiled business men and plenty of “ladies that lunch”, yummy mummies and the like. Best of all, what with all the wealth and the family living, together with the rather large expenses houses and spacious gardens, the area of Dulwich is particularly green, full of blossoming trees and robust lawns as well as large open spaces such as Dulwich Park which has its very own boating lake, tennis courts and well-manicured gardens. All very civilised. And of course perfect surroundings for a day which felt ripe with the first inklings of Spring.

The main purpose of our visit was to visit the Dulwich Picture Gallery, a gallery which is so well-established (and is in fact the oldest public gallery in the UK, opening in 1811 at the bequest of Sir Francis Bourgeois RA) that again I wonder why on earth I haven’t visited before. The gallery, which boasts in its permanent collection a singularly impressive selection of notable artists from Velazquez and Gainsborough, to Rembrandt and Canaletto, is quite small but perfectly formed. This first visit to the gallery had been moreover prompted by a temporary exhibition, Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship, which, as the name suggests, explores the work of a master of the Spanish golden age, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1618-1682), and in particular the particularly prolific body of work he created under the patronage of collector Justino de Neve.

De Neve was a man with some not insignificant sway in 17th century Seville, the city of Murillo’s birth, and managed to secure for Murillo a number of high profile commissions, including works for Seville Cathedral like The Baptism of Christ whose exhibition in this show marks the first time the painting has been removed from Seville Cathedral since it was put there in the 1600s. There are various others of those commissioned religious set pieces in the show which has been curated to represent something of a gloomy baroque atmosphere, with darkened walls, and a central “nave” to the exhibition, lined with large lunette canvases and culminating with the star of the show, the Inmaculada Concepcion de los Venerables, a stupendously ephemeral, light infused portrait of the immaculate conception, boasting all of the trademarks for which Morillo became famous, such as the vaporescent light, idealised figures and soft melting forms. The painting, exhibited for the first time back in the sumptuously carved frame for which it was originally intended, is an incredibly well executed work, with its cascade of angels fading gradually into the distance, and its radiant golden light off-set against the blue of Mary’s robes. Yes, it’s a little saccharine for some tastes, but when seen in the right light, it’s an undeniably impressive almost awe-inspiring piece. Sadly, correct lighting was not something that this gallery did particularly well, with so many of the darker paintings being almost eclipsed by reflective light with the result that one could only see the painting by standing at a very specific and distant angle – it’s luckily the gallery was not busier or I fear everyone would have been vying for the same spot.

Murillo, Inmaculada Concepcion de los Venerables (1678)

Murillo, The Baptism of Christ (1967-8)

After a stroll around the Dulwich Picture Gallery’s fine accompanying gardens, complete with a winding path suitable for a contemplative perambulation, and various sculptures to tempt the eye, we headed back into Dulwich Village, where the bustling restaurant Rocca seemed a batter choice than the chain fodder of Pizza Express and Cafe Rouge across the way. As the name suggests, the restaurant presents italian fair, but its menu is depressingly anglicised. Pasta with peas and cream, spaghetti bolognese and tagliatelli carbonara – it doesn’t get much more cliché – and the pizzas, which came in a range of ingredient combination, also lacked the innovation (and the requisite crispy thin base) that comes to be expected of modern Italian cuisine. Nonetheless, we started the meal with a delicious octopus carpaccio (pictured) which was well seasoned and marinaded in chilli and oil, while a lemon and orange tart for dessert, in a rich buttery pastry went down particularly well.

We ended our day by strolling around Dulwich Park, another of the vast green areas of which London so can proudly boast to be one of the greenest cities in Europe. Here the sense of familial civility reached its height, with young families and loved-up couples enjoying the warmth and serenity of a first day of Spring, bobbing around in the peddle-boats of the boating lake as they did so; a scene of such unabashed idealism that I thought for one moment that I could see the golden glow of Murillo’s paintings emanating into the ephemeral space above.

Murillo & Justino de Neve: The Art of Friendship is on at the Dulwich Picture Gallery until 19 May.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Murillo at Dulwich Picture Gallery, review (telegraph.co.uk)

Apr 13

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Mallorca (Part X) – Photography Focus 3: Favourite Shots

A super-season of Mallorca posts closes with a collection of some of my favourite photographs of the bunch. Consistent with the photographs posted with my 9 previous Mallorca posts, these shots are characterised by the indefatigable spread of resplendent colour across the island, by the elegant historical streets of Palma and by the luscious coastal scenery. They exude the caressing warmth of an early summer’s sunshine, creating complex images interlaced with delicate shadows which add a second dimension to the subject captured; they are a manifestation of the tradition and charm which is inherent within every narrow street or cracking green shutter, in the ritualistic Easter parades, and the dominating influence of religious ideals; and they are a an assemblage of now cherished memories, tastes and sensations, collected together for prosperity.

From lush cacti by the dazzling Mediterranean sea and sundrenched geraniums in a picturesque patio garden, to the perfectly geometric classical architecture of the Cathedral and the palaces of Palma, to sunsets, and plant pots and fountains and street furniture, these are the details of Mallorca which caught my eye, small hidden gems which can so often be lost in the spread of a wider landscape or ignored by comparison with the grand spectacles on offer all around: Art in themselves, but made all the more desirable within the carefully measured composition of a photograph. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.

: Port de Soller

Thanks to everyone who followed my Mallorca trip on the Daily Norm. For now, it’s back to England, the land of the Norms who are surely due a post or two. But coming soon not too long down the line: Provence. See you then!

All photos and written content are strictly the copyright of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown © 2013 and The Daily Norm. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Mallorca (Part I) – Day 1: Banoffee bienvenido back to the good life (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part II) – Photography Focus 1: Semana Santa (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part III) – Day 2: Port d’Andratx and Es Baluard (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part V) – Day 3: Moorish Mallorca and the Sóller Ferrocarril (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VI) – Food Focus 2: Simply Fosh (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VII) – Day 4: Palma, city of art (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VIII) – Photography Focus 2: Modernista Architecture (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part IX) – Day 5: Picture-Perfect Pollença (daily-norm.com)

Apr 12

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Mallorca (Part IX) – Day 5: Picture-Perfect Pollença

What is about to follow should carry a health warning. A place which is so inexplicably stunning that photographs can barely carry the burden of the beauty that they must nurture between their two dimensions; a landscape of such paradisal similitude that words alone can barely acknowledge the almost unfathomable idyll of this earthly heaven. What is about to follow is the town and port of Pollença on Mallorca’s Northern coast.

Since first seeing a photo of the port of Pollença, its faultless panorama of distant misty mountains behind a crystal aquamarine sea, in a booklet advertising the various branches of my favourite of all cafés, Cappuccino Grand Café, I knew that I had to visit. But tucked away in a little natural marina, surrounded by vast rocky outcrops and large irregularly shaped mountains, and situated at the very Northern tip of the island, Pollença seemed to me as it looked: an almost unobtainable dream-town, far from reach, and always left to another trip. But on this triumphant return to Mallorca, I was determined to make the journey to this paradise on earth, no matter the effort it took, and in so doing feast my eyes on the town which had inspired writers like Agatha Christie, and artists like Anglada-Camarasa, while also enabling me to tick the final Cappuccino of Mallorca off my list – the last of the café’s branches in which I would unapologetically indulge.

As it turned out, Pollença wasn’t all that difficult to get to from Palma. All it took was a direct bus service from Palma’s main transport hub in the Plaça España and a journey of around 1hr 15 mins (at the cost of around 6 euros each, one way). The only downside was that the buses weren’t regular. We took a bus at around 12.30, but were restricted to taking a return bus at around 19.15 (since the only one in between would only have given us just over an hour in the port) – however this extended stay gave us time to explore the town of Pollença in addition to the port, something which I wouldn’t have missed for the world.

Now I won’t lie. When we reached the port and got out of the bus, I wasn’t sure we had arrived in the right location. Assuming the port to be something of elysium, I was surprised when we were dropped off in a busy run of the mill seaside resort, with souvenir shops and restaurants aplenty. My partner and I exchanged seriously sceptical glances – maybe we would have to take that early bus back after all. But we shouldn’t have worried. Just a short stroll eastwards out of the centre and the beach starts getting nice – really nice. The waters make you want to rip off your clothes there and then and jump in the crystal cerulean elixir, the soft golden sand tempting you to roll about in its soft embrace, feeling its tiny clean granules slink and slip their way between your toes and into every fold of your clothes.

But of course we resisted, for what we saw, looming in the distance like a heavenly mirage in a dessert was Cappuccino, in a location every bit as splendid as the photographs suggested – set in a decadent old hotel directly overlooking the waterfront, and benefitting from tables jutting out to sea on a little decked pier, a pier on which, to our great fortune, a table in the front line seemed to wait for us, beckoning us to sit and enjoy what must have been one of the most stunning views I have ever enjoyed over lunch.

And so there, listening to the tranquil jazz of Pepe Link’s Cappuccino soundtrack, back on their finest albariño white wine, and tucking into yet more samplings from their faultless kitchen, we were in such an ecstacy of pleasure that for a time, we actually went silent. How on earth can life be so beautiful? Is it truly possible to be sat in front of a earthly view of paradise, benefiting from the full strength of a glorious Spring day’s sun, when only a couple of hours away in the UK, it was snowing?!

Our disbelief at the beauty of Pollença’s Cappuccino was only augmented further when, taking the “pine walk” along the almost 180 degrees curve of the bay, we found ourselves ambling along a path dappled with sunshine as it bled through the branches of lush, hanging pines extending over the sea, contrasting in deep verdant tones against the pure paradisal blues of those waters. I have never seen sights like it.

While we could easily have stared at the port of Pollença all day, time was inevitably ticking fast, and with only 2 hours until that bus back to Palma, we thought we had better visit the town of Pollença itself. Situated around 6km inland from the port, Pollença is a small labyrinthine town which benefits from a stunning situation against a backdrop of foreboding granite mountain cliffs, rising like a volcanic explosion out of the ground behind the town. At its centre, a charming Plaça Major is full of bustling little cafes and nobbly looking trees, while all around, little narrow streets are flanked by green shutters and cosy stone houses. But undoubtedly the most stunning sight of Pollença, and something which for us was completely unexpected, is the Escalera del Calvari, a steep straight 365-step cypress-lined stairway which leads up to a simple chapel and some pretty spectacular views. The staircase is understandable the town’s most treasured landmark and makes for something of an aweinspiring sight when you turn out of the Plaça Major and see the steps looming in the distance.

Of course as soon as we saw the stairs, we knew we could not leave Pollença without reaching the top, and that is exactly what we did, bounding at first up those steps before slowing down to an agonising but thrilling climb, turning every few steps to see the view of the town, transforming from stone houses to roof tops, flanked more and more by the bigger and stunning mountains as we got higher – all the way to the top where the view, stretching all the way out to sea was just phenomenal.

And it was up there, at the top of the Calvary stairs, that I had a realisation of just how perfect this trip to Mallorca had been, each day an adventure of some new and beautiful location, a trip on which Palma had become like a home to us, and Mallorca had opened its arms to us in a gastronomic, artistic and historical embrace. And here we were, each day getting better and better until, at the very end, we climaxed at this highpoint of the trip, both physically and metaphorically, at a high point of the island, looking over the roof tops of beautiful Pollença, and with a trip of truly treasured memories now behind us.

And as for the journey down – while yes, it felt almost symbolic, forewarning of our return home to reality the following day, we were also able to stride confidently, knowing for certain that this will not be our last ascent of that stairway, nor our last adventure on this wonderful island. With so much more to explore, and such joy in the repetition of revisiting those places we have loved so much, how could we not return to the incredible island of Mallorca?

Mallorca (Part I) – Day 1: Banoffee bienvenido back to the good life (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part II) – Photography Focus 1: Semana Santa (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part III) – Day 2: Port d’Andratx and Es Baluard (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part V) – Day 3: Moorish Mallorca and the Sóller Ferrocarril (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VI) – Food Focus 2: Simply Fosh (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VII) – Day 4: Palma, city of art (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VIII) – Photography Focus 2: Modernista Architecture (daily-norm.com)

Apr 11

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Mallorca (Part VIII) – Photography Focus 2: Modernista Architecture

As readers of my Valencia series of posts back in February will know, I am a huge admirer of architecture, both ancient and modern. But perhaps my favourite style of architecture is a period sitting somewhere in between – an era when curved decorative lines replaced rigid linear forms, when natural forms such as flowers, leaves and waves appeared to sprout, almost like nature has regained supremacy over man, from the plasterwork and wrought iron of buildings, and when aesthetic considerations reigned over calculations of cost and practicality. I am of course talking about the era of the art nouveau, which, in a progressively more industrialised Catalonia at the beginning of the 19th Century, had its very own, perhaps more eccentric off-shoot – modernisme.

While perhaps not as abundant as the prized examples of modernismo architecture which can be found in the city of Barcelona, a lesser known collection of what are quite frankly gems of the period are ripe for discovery in Palma de Mallorca. Palma was developing a wealthy and increasingly outward-looking bourgeoisie by the end of the 19th century, and come the 1900s, the development of wealth and industry, as well as an increased awareness and pride in Catalan identity, encouraged the rich of Palma to display their wealth in a progressive and concrete form – through the construction of modernist palaces.

The result is a central core of Palma (from the Passeig de Born Eastwards to the Placa Major) which is full of surprisingly rich examples of modernismo, surely second only to Barcelona, who’s most famous proponent of modernismo, Antoni Gaudi, himself spent time in the city of Palma, overseeing the restoration of Palma’s cathedral. While Gaudi did not add any of his infamous weird and wonderful architectural creations to the streets of the city, many of his rivals in Modernisme did. These included Lluis Domenech i Montaner, who built the lavish Gran Hotel (which is today the home of the Fundacio La Caixa), and Josep Cassayas who built two exquisitely curvaceous twin apartment buildings on the Placa Mercat, just opposite the Gran Hotel. I love in particular the detailing of these apartments, for example the curved window shutters which seamlessly align with the curves of the building’s delicate facade.

Meanwhile, just south of the Placa Mayor, the Can Rei, which today houses a takeaway of my beloved Cappuccino Grand Cafe, bears the closest resemblance to the great masterpieces of Gaudi, the use of ceramics and floral motifs, as well as balconies flanked with dragons reminding me of Gaudi’s Casa Batllo in Barcelona, while next door, the former department store L’Aguila by Gaspar Bennassar features beautiful geometric windows which appear to forecast the move towards the more linear art deco. Further afield beyond Palma in Soller, the pupil of Gaudi, Joan Rubio i Bellver, made his mark, building the astonishingly original and imposing facade of Sant Bartomeu church, while next door, he constructed the fortress-like structure of the C’an Prunera, which includes a wonderful twin corner balcony and some beautifully complex wrought iron window grilles.

I leave you with a selection of my photos of these stunning feats of architecture, and in particular many of the details which make the buildings so utterly unique, and aesthetically superior to anything built before or since. In addition, these photos include a few shop fronts which appear to slot seamlessly into the Modernist mood. Palma’s modernist profile is just another facade to this captivating creative city, but one which to my mind is too often overlooked when compared with cities such as Barcelona. As these photos will show, this is yet another reason why Palma should be proclaimed a priority destination of artistic pilgrimage for art and architecture lovers everywhere.

: The Gran Hotel

: Tiles on the Can Rei

: The Gran Hotel

: Can Rei

: Window of L’Aguila

: Window grill in Soller

: Window detailing on the Can Rei

: The Cassayas apartments

: Rubio i Bellver’s fortress building in Soller

: The church in Soller

: Shutters in the Cassayas apartments

: Beautiful wooden miradores

: Fine lamp detailing

: A Modernismo shop front

: The Cassayas apartments

: Grand miradores balconies

Valencia (iii) – Photography Focus 1: Modernista architecture (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part I) – Day 1: Banoffee bienvenido back to the good life (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part II) – Photography Focus 1: Semana Santa (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part III) – Day 2: Port d’Andratx and Es Baluard (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part V) – Day 3: Moorish Mallorca and the Sóller Ferrocarril (daily-norm.com)

Apr 10

4 Comments

Mallorca (Part VII) – Day 4: Palma, city of art

After two days of travel both Westwards along to Andratx, and Northbound along the rickety mountain pass of the Ferrocarril de Soller, we thought that it was probably about time we stayed put in Palma for once. After all, the city is close to bursting at the seams with cultural, gastronomic and historical attractions for the discerning city visitor, so it was only right that we should spend a day pursuing such pleasures (also, being that the Saturday was the one day between an almost solid block of Easter public festivals when all the museums were actually open, we thought we had better make the most of it).

I’ve already mentioned that Palma is a city which is exceptionally well-endowed with art aplenty, especially in proportion to its size. In Palma, not only do you have the temple to contemporary and modern art that is Es Baluard, but in addition there are two museums founded by the formerly super-rich March family, one by Juan March and the other by his son Bartolomé, both of which boast an impressive array of contemporary art; there are various bank-owned foundations, displaying, usually for free, their own permanent collections and temporary exhibitions; and in addition there are a spattering of privately owned art galleries and collections rising up all over Palma’s elegant historic streets.

The Palau March

Sculpture out on the terrace of the Palau March

It was to the two March centres of art that we ventured first, starting with the impressive Barbie pink, colonnaded private palace of the Bartolomé March household, the Palau March, which sits astride both the Almudaina palace and the Cathedral, thus demonstrating from its position alone just how unfathomably rich Señor March must have been.

Upon entering the palace, you arrive on an open colonnaded terrace with commanding views over the Avenida Antoni Maura and the port beyond it, views which could however be missed, such are the array of attention-grabbing contemporary sculptures on display. Amongst March’s fine collection are some of the biggest names of 20th century sculpture, from an organic, curvaceous twin structure by Barbara Hepworth, to an impressive bronze torso by Rodin. However, of the various sculptures on show, our favourite had to be the sculpture by Joan Robert Ipousteguy (Untitled, 1920), an entirely captivating piece, were an almost fused interlocked embrace of two lovers carved in a smooth rounded marble is interrupted by the odd hole or chasm, inviting the viewer to peer into the sculpture for the details which lay, almost hidden from view, inside the marble, such as the passionately intertwined tongues of the kissing lovers, to a view of a small air pocket, seemingly created in the gaps between their bodies, in which defined body parts can just about be made out. How the sculptor achieved such startling detail in the most inaccessible of places I will never know.

Hepworth, Autumn (1966)

Joan Robert Ipousteguy (Untitled, 1920)

Inside the Ipousteguy

Rodin torso

Having been enthralled by the sculpture on the outside, we were equally captivated in the inside of the palace, first by a vast 18th century Neopolitan nativity scene, full of fantastic details, including scenes of whole villages, shops, dwellings and landscapes asides from the main nativity scene; second by a collection of superb Dali print works, which were religiously charged throughout. Then, moving upwards through the palace, we gazed in wonder at some of the ceiling frescos which had been painted there, as recently as the 1940s. One scene in particular, in which a series of gymnasts hanging off variously sized hot air balloons were rising and falling in the illusionary airspace, was particularly original in its depiction – it certainly beats the normal scenes of cherubs and angels.

Leaving the palace, and soaking in sunshine over a cafe on a cobbled terrace beyond, we headed up through the colourful yellow and green Plaça Major, full of street performers and excitable tourists and locals alike, past Palma’s ancient olive tree, and onto the second of the March cultural foundations, this time founded, from what I can gather, by Bartolomé’s father, Juan March. His collection forms the Museum of Contemporary Spanish Art a superb collection of the Spanish greats such as Dali, Picasso and Miro as well as many lesser well-recognised names. While the collection is quite small, it’s free to see, and held within the beautiful old palace where Juan March was born.

The Plaça Major

My particular favourite of the collection was the transformation of Velazquez’s famous Las Meninas into a modern domestic scene by Spanish art duo, Equipo Cronica. As I have since discovered, this is one of many reimaginations that the duo have made of Las Meninas and other iconic Spanish works. We also thoroughly enjoyed a temporary exhibition of the work of artist Eduardo Arroyo, who through both photography and painting created a whole series of magnificent portraits, of both famous artists and personalities, and people personal to his own life. I particularly enjoyed his photographs, covered with round stickers to create a polka-dot veil, semi-obscuring the portrait, a little like Lichtenstein but taken one step further. Also particularly original and whimsical were his painted parodies of artists such as Van Gogh and Fernand Leger.

Equipo Cronica, The Little Room (1970)

The Eduardo Arroyo exhibition

Eduardo Arroyo’s portrait of Leger (in the foreground)

Subsequently, and I’m not entirely sure how (it’s exhausting me even describing it), we wandered into yet another art gallery following the March foundation, this time the Fundacio La Caixa, a brilliant cultural foundation run by the Caixa bank and held within the stunning modernist building which used to house Mallorca’s Gran Hotel (see my photography post tomorrow for more on Palma’s modernismo architecture). The foundation lays on various temporary exhibitions throughout the year, such as the one currently on show examining past and modern high rise buildings and towers. But my favourite aspect of the foundation is their permanent collection, and in particular the works of Mallorcan artist Anglada-Camarasa, who painted vast canvases literally alive with a plethora of vivid colours used to describe pictorially the spirit and fervour of Spanish gypsy culture, flamenco, fiestas, and Valencian costume.

Anglada-Camarasa’s vast work, Valencia (1910)

Exhausted, and almost overwhelmed by the artistic capacity of what is fundamentally a small Spanish city, we lunched and rested before setting out for more of a tranquil afternoon within the shady narrow back streets of the historic core of Palma in the vicinity of the Cathedral. There, not far from the Plaça Major, we indulged in a time of contemplation in the stunningly tranquil sun-dreched cloisters of the Real Convento de San Francisco, followed by a further dalliance with history`in the nearby Arab Baths, the last surviving wholly-Moorish building in the city, and also with its own seductively serene gardens in which to enjoy the sunshine dappled through the verdant hanging palms, lush ferns and vivid pink geraniums.

The cloisters of the Real Convento de San Francisco

…and the Convent’s stunning exterior

The Arab baths and gardens

Finally, believing the day’s activities to be at an end, Palma pulled out yet a further artistic treasure from its magic hat of apparently ceaseless culture – the Museo Can Morey de Santmarti which holds a vast and completely impressive collection of some 200 lithographs, etchings and other prints by Salvidor Dali. And thus ending the day as we had begun it, we gazed again at the thrilling works of this Surrealist master, but this time doing so almost on our knees, such was the exhaustion of our legs after so comprehensive a day of artistic and historical discovery – a state of physical exhaustion which is clearly testament to the sheer abundance and variety of attractions on offer in this utterly compelling Mallorcan city.

Mallorca (Part I) – Day 1: Banoffee bienvenido back to the good life (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part II) – Photography Focus 1: Semana Santa (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part III) – Day 2: Port d’Andratx and Es Baluard (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part IV) – Food Focus 1: Forn de Sant Joan (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part V) – Day 3: Moorish Mallorca and the Sóller Ferrocarril (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part VI) – Food Focus 2: Simply Fosh (daily-norm.com)

Apr 8

7 Comments

Mallorca (Part V) – Day 3: Moorish Mallorca and the Sóller Ferrocarril

Palma de Mallorca is every bit a city living for the present. Its vibrant city streets are bursting with a thriving cosmopolitan cafe culture and lined with all the latest shopping brands, at its centre it welcomes visitors through a state-of-the-art transport hub, and its galleries and architecture have very clearly embraced the modern art movement, from the avant garde to the daringly contemporary. Yet at its very core, Mallorca, and in particular its capital city, is an island rich in historical heritage, from the few surviving influences of the Moorish occupation, and the gothic spendour of grand churches like La Seu, through to the exquisite examples of modernista architecture which are bounteous in and around Palma’s centre.

Today we went on a voyage back in time, both metaphorically, and literally, starting the day by exploring Palma’s Moorish heritage, followed by a journey on Palma’s century old Ferrocarril de Sóller, a rickety old railway which takes visitors from the centre of Palma, through some stunning mountain passages, across to the idyllic little town of Sóller on the North coast of the island.

The Almudaina

and its Moorish gardens

Unlike some of the cities in the South of Spain, it’s not always terribly obvious that Mallorca was once ruled by the vast Moorish kingdom of Al Andalus, before being wrestled back from Moorish rule by the Christians as part of the 2-century long reconquista in 1229. However, one not insignificant building sat bang opposite Palma’s iconic cathedral makes the connection to Mallorca’s Moorish past more obvious: the Palau de l’Almudaina. The palace is, in its very fabric, a manifestation of Palma’s long and complex occupational history, with its Roman foundations built in 123 BC, its Moorish enlargement, and a series of changes and refits being made to the building across the centuries, from the reconquista, right up to the last major restoration in the 1970s. Today, what was for centuries a royal palace for Mallorca’s Kings (for example when the kingdom of Mallorca was annexed to Aragon) is now largely a museum, but retaining as it does the essence of Moorish Spain, it provides something of a bubble of tranquility in an otherwise bustling city.

We started by exploring the beautiful gardens which extend horizontally along the lower terraces of the palace, from the bottom of the Passeig de Born to the sea. Stunning in their tranquility, and bearing all the hallmarks of a perfectly geometric Moorish design, these gardens are thankfully free to enter and consequently form the backdrop of one of my favourite walks in Palma. Meanwhile, inside the vast stone palace, a roof terrace planted with cacti and aromatic herbs provides a picture-perfect vantage out to sea, while at the centre of the palace, a courtyard garden is a regal proclamation of the building’s importance, with its stone lions and grand central water feature. The rest of the palace was a little sparse, what with its large lofty banqueting halls and various stone chambers. It was interesting to see how more recent inhabitants had attempted to introduce some comfort to the cold interior with large rugs and soft furnishings. Still it’s no surprise that today the palace is better used as a museum piece rather than as a place of work or residence.

The clock was ticking and up in the Plaça España, Palma’s main transport hub, a rickety old train was awaiting us. Passing under the Victorian-looking wrought iron gateway spelling out the name of the Ferrocarril de Sóller, we made our way onto a delightful wooden train which looks and feels like something straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. The railway, which these days serves largely tourists, has been running for 100 years, providing the remote Northern town of Sóller with a life-line link to Palma, originally so that the town could sell its bounteous harvest of citrus fruits and almonds in the capital. The trains which now take tourists along the 27 kilometre route are almost exactly the same now as they were then (save for the electrification of the railway in 1929). As you travel along the old rumbling rail track, initially through Palma, but then through the dense countryside before ascending through a completely stunning mountain pass, it feels like you have gone back in time.

The Ferrocarril de Soller

Around midway through the journey, the train heads into a narrow dark tunnel under a huge mountain (one of 12 tunnels on the journey) and coming out the otherside the train stops so that passengers can literally gawp in disbelief at the completely stunning panorama which unveils itself beyond the rail tracks. The vista is like none other I have ever experienced. The gigantic mountains, which rise up almost incessantly to the skies, make us, mere mortals, feel like tiny insects in their wake, while in the sprawling valley below, the idyllic town of Soller springs up amongst splatterings of citrus trees and almond trees in full bloom. Breathtaking is certainly the word.

From there, the train made its slow spiralling way down the mountain side before arriving in the centre of Sóller, where another rickety old tram awaited to take us to the beautiful little port, another natural harbour like the Port d’Andratx, but this time hemmed in by even larger mountains giving the impression of a cosy, idyllic port-side paradise. Down on the port, alongside pastel coloured buildings reminiscent of the French Riviera and next to the quietly lapping waters, rows of yachts and fishing boats, we sat out to eat another utterly hedonistic luncheon, sipping upon a chilled bottle of albariño and eating innovative tapas, such as “hairy prawns” coated in a crisp angel’s hair and dipped in wasabi mayonnaise, and a juice-dripping melon with salty-sweet serrano ham.

The tram

and the harbour

After lunch, and with time on our hands until the rambling little train journey back to Palma, a stroll along the harbour side turned inadvertently into a hike up the steep slops of the little streets between the shops and houses as our adventurous side kicked in. And once at the top where we could climb no further, we were greeted by a stunning view over the other side of this narrow natural harbour, so that while, one one side, we could look back to the tranquil little port, on the other we could look out to the severe ruggedness of a stark, sheer cliff drop down to an unforgiving sea thrashing against the rocks. Hard to believe that these two ocean environments were only a narrow strip of land apart.

One side…

and the other

With that discovery, we took a little tram back into Sóller, having just enough time to look around the little town centre, and gaze in admiration at the unusual Modernista architecture of the Sant Bartomeu church by Gaudi-fan architect Joan Rubio i Bellver, and also appreciate the unbelievably comprehensive collection of both Picasso ceramics and Miro lithographs which were held in beautiful galleries either side of the Ferrocarril railway station – can you believe the wonder of this place, where even the train station has an art gallery stuffed full of priceless Spanish art? And with that final hurrah we boarded the train home, allowing the rumbling train, the darkening evening and the pinkening skies to slowly lure us into a semi-hypnotic state of calm and utter satisfaction, as after a day of historical adventure we travelled, through the most stunning mountain passes, back to the future.

The Ferrocarril de Sóller is a must-see of Palma. For more details, look at the website here. Trains run every day, fairly regularly (5/ day in the winter, going up to 7/day over the summer).

In the meantime, I leave you with some more photos of the day…

Moorish arch at the Almudaina

The Port de Soller

The port viewed from a plant-filled balcony

The colourful buildings of the port

The church in Soller

And finally, the sunset on the journey home

Mallorca (Part I) – Day 1: Banoffee bienvenido back to the good life (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part II) – Photography Focus 1: Semana Santa (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part III) – Day 2: Port d’Andratx and Es Baluard (daily-norm.com)
Mallorca (Part IV) – Food Focus 1: Forn de Sant Joan (daily-norm.com)

Apr 5

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Mallorca (Part II) – Photography Focus 1: Semana Santa

I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I love the way the Spanish celebrate Easter. Their Semama Santa (Holy Week) processions are amongst the most atmospheric and moving sights that you will see in Spain. Originating in Southern Spain and still at their grandest in Seville, the processions have been overshadowed elsewhere by a common misconception that the nazareños, those participants who dress in pointed hoods by way of penitence for their sins, and who march along silently holding candles alongside the huge tronos (floats) are, or at least resemble, the dreaded Ku Klux Klan.

It’s true that the resemblance is uncanny, but that is where the resemblance ends. The sanctity and purity of these stunning Spanish spectacles do not deserve to be overshadowed by a hideous clan of bigots who ripped off the costume for their own immoral pursuits. Rather, while the hooded figures of the Spanish parades certainly lend something of a sinister feel to the spectacle, they are integral to the magical solemnity which results.

Knowing as I do that the parades are at their biggest in Andalucia, I wasn’t really expecting to find any processions in Mallorca. However, as we ventured out for dinner on our first night, the very familiar drum beat of a Semana Santa procession began to ring in my ears, and as we approached our pre-designated restaurant, we met, by sheer coincidence, a procession just as it passed through the very same street.

The processions in Mallorca are smaller than the Andalucian affairs, but lose none of their power as a result. This is created largely thanks to the brass bands which play stirring, chromatic melodies which are enough to bring tears even to the eyes of even the most hardened atheist. Meanwhile, the pointed nazareños amble slowly along, burning a passage of candles as they process, and behind them, a life-size statue, normally Jesus or Mary, is carried along on a trono (throne). In Andalucia, these are carried by a number of men baring the huge weight of both the statute and its often elaborately gilded platform. Here I was interested to see that the tronos were carried by men actually hidden underneath the platform, and surrounded by curtains, so that all that could be seen of the men were their feet making the painstaking journey through Palma’s streets.

These powerful processions are not easy to capture on camera, being that it is often dark, and the parades are always moving. However, I managed to take a few shots which I feel encapsulate the atmosphere and pomp of these wonderful spectacles. Testament to their rich tradition, and also by way of building in further atmosphere, I have taken these shots in black and white, something which I feel really lends itself to the solemnity and distinctive quality of the occasion. Without further ado, I leave you with a gallery of shots.

Apr 4

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Mallorca (Part I) – Day 1: Banoffee bienvenido back to the good life

Mallorca, the biggest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, is too often mistaken for being the haunt of booze-loving Brits, in pursuit of 24/7 clubbing, imported fish and chips, and roasting themselves red in the sunshine. Sure, that horribly embarrassing stain on the island presents itself in the form of the town of Magaluf and its immediate surrounds, but being that the town is on a self-contained peninsular, it can be very easily avoided. In the meantime, the rest of the island presents some absolute gems, natural landscapes which are so stunning, colourful and gigantic in scale and spectacle that the phrase picture-perfect doesn’t quite cover it. Meanwhile, in a semi-circular bay south of the island, the Mallorcan capital of Palma is a cultural hot bed, a city of effluvious and dynamic gastronomic, artistic, architectural and historical offerings and which, for the capital of a small island which is only 59 miles across, is quite incredibly self-sufficient in state of the art transportation, contemporary accommodation, boutique shopping and served by an ample airport close by.

Flying across mountainous Mallorca

It was to Mallorca, and more specifically its capital, Palma, that my partner and I went this Easter, escaping the unseasonably depressing frost-bitten lows of the current UK climate, welcoming in 2013’s official summer-time with temperatures which more appropriately beckoned in the summer season, and weather which showered gold sunlight upon an already magnificent city.

Day one was more of a half day, but that’s not bad. Despite getting up later than I would otherwise drag myself out of bed for work, and after ambling along to the airport for a midday flight, we were in Mallorca at 3pm local time, stripping off the layers of winter gloom, both clothing and spiritual depression, as we emerged into the glowing sunshine.

A short bus ride (made longer by the fact that we weren’t overly sure where to hop off) took us central to our hotel, the super chic Scandinavian owned Hotel Tres, where two roof terraces and a glass-sided plunge pool forged into the side of the terrace gave us ample platform to gawp at the stunning city-centre view of the immense gothic cathedral, La Seu, and gaze in wonder at the potent blue sky.

La Seu seen from the roof of the Hotel Tres

Palma viewed from above

The pool of the hotel

La Seu

The hotel’s inner courtyard

Our welcome to Palma was affirmed by a trip to the nearby Grand Cafe Cappuccino under the sun-drenched colonnades of the Palacio March. Cappuccino, my favourite cafe chain, which emerges from Mallorca but can also be found in my beloved Marbella and Valencia, is bound to feature often in my account of Mallorca. For we intend to make a point of sampling as many of the chain’s exquisitely atmospheric branches across the island as possible, whether they be by the beach or in the city centre. For Cappuccino is a café of consistently high quality, with a soundtrack compilation by Pepe Link which is effortlessly cool, mixing cool jazz and bossa nova with trendy club vibes in the evening. The service is always smooth, and the height of efficiency and the waiting staff easy on the eyes. And above all things the coffee and the food is well worth travelling to Mallorca for.

The umbrellas and atmosphere of Cappuccino Grand Cafe

So there it was, under the hazy sunshine of an early Spring evening, that we were served what we had long been waiting for – two glasses of white wine, a plate of super-fresh sushi (sure beats airplane food) and the ultimate in dessert indulgence – an oozing, abundant, creamy and crumbly banoffee pie, a plate of such spectacular hedonistic pleasure that in that moment, as the cool caramel, smooth banana, heady cream and buttery biscuit base hit our palates, we were welcomed back to the good life, the ultimate in Spanish sun-drenched pleasure.

Worth travelling the world for

That incredible oozing banoffee

Welcome to Mallorca, the sunshine island, of crystal clear waters, lush mountainous landscapes, and a hearty Spanish vibe. Many posts will surely follow as I share with you my diary account of the trip, and above all things my vast panoply of photos. I therefore hope that through The Daily Norm, you too will journey with me straight into a Mallorcan summer, taking your first virtual holiday of the Spring.

I leave you with a few more photos of our walk that first afternoon, seeing the magnificent cathedral of Palma from up close and all around, revelling in the vivid blue skies, and gazing over to Bellver castle at sunset. There is much to follow…so see you there!

The cathedral up close

And from the side

Stunning gothic details make La Seu particularly distinctive

Bellver Castle

Mar 11

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Dodging the rain: A weekend in Marbella

Even by my standards, booking a last minute trip to Marbella in southern Spain for a mere weekend seemed extravagant. Was it really worth trekking some 1000 miles out of London for just two days? The forecast on my phone had already dispelled any hope of a weekend in the sunshine, and the 2.5 hour flight time is always inevitably extended 3 fold by the time needed for check in and security on one end, passport control and the luggage carousel on the other, as well as multiple additional journeys linking airports both from and to my permanent and holiday accommodation. But unperturbed by these concerns, I set out last Friday lunchtime from Westminster tube station (taking the afternoon off work to give me a head start), quite determined to make a jolly good go of it. Joining my family (who are staying longer) on a trip to our Spanish holiday home, it was my intention to squeeze in the best bits of a Mediterranean holiday into a tight weekend, ready to back at work in London again the following morning. So how did it go?

Just look at those colours

I love these cacti planted by the sea

The Marina

Despite 15 hours total travel and days spent constantly dodging the rain and running into the sunshine, I had a fantastic weekend as these photographs are testament. No sooner had I stepped out of my taxi into the quaint old town streets of Marbella, and eagerly breathed in the fresher air perfumed with the citrus scent of orange blossom and the subtle hint of garlic being cooked up in the old town cottages, I knew that in a matter of hours I had been transported to another world.

Albeit snapped quickly on my iphone, this small selection of photographs is testament to a weekend which had its fill of glorious spring-time sunshine, blues and turqoises the vibrancy of which you’d be hard pushed ever to find on the streets of London, food fit for a king and, inevitably, a fair dose of rain. Being that the trip was only 2 days, I felt constantly energised not to waste a single minute. Consequently from the moment of my arrival at 10pm on Friday night, I made the most of my stay, heading straight away to the nearest tapas bar where with a glass of full-bodied rioja in one hand and a fork-full of manchego, serrano ham and octopus salad in the other, I toasted the weekend of all weekends, the stress and worries and cold of London swept well away, and the summer pleasures which reignite with every new burst of sunshine slowly creeping through my wintered pale skin.

Some food highlights…

Coffee by the Marina

A Fritura Mixta (squid, prawns and asparagus)

Zozoi’s indulgent pavlova

Cappuccino’s Tarta de Platano is to die for…

From Friday night onwards, a shamelessly indulgent trip of restaurant trips, coffees by the marina, lunch by the seaside and dinners in quaint old eateries commenced. Strolling through the old town streets I sucked in every scent and visual delight, poking my head into old churches to see the tronos of the town’s easter parades already set out, ready to be adorned in flowers for the forthcoming Semana Santa parades, pricking up my ears to the rhythmic sounds of flamenco wafting from the doors of a nearby bar, and revelling in the tranquil atmosphere and picturesque pleasures of this awfully quaint old town.

Blue skies (and a little wind)

Some birds drop in on lunch at Cappuccino Grand Cafe

The Paseo after a recent rain shower

The Alameda park after a shower

Tronos ready for Semana Santa

So was it worth the effort? Of course it was! Leaving at 4.15pm on the Sunday for a 7.45pm flight back to London, I sat on a coach back to Malaga with my stomach doing inevitable cartwheels at the thought of leaving so soon, but equally delighted at how succinctly and fortuitously I was able to dip into this paradisal environment for a small weekend. It wasn’t sunny all the time, and quite often we would eat one course outside in the sun and run inside for dessert as a storm cloud passed over – but this added to the fun and pleasure of this Spring weekend, in which clement temperatures, even under the clouds, made me feel like I was somehow tricking the seasons.

One minute in the sun…

And a few minutes later its drenched in rain

Paradoxical March – sunshine in the rain

They say good things come in small packages, and for this weekend in Marbella, the words wrung beautifully true. Back now in London, horrendously cold, I feel not exhausted but enlivened by this mini-holiday in Spain – a hint of the summer, just at the time when we frozen Londoners need it most. Viva España, perfectly accessible for the holidays, and for a mere weekend too.