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Needlepoint Newsletter October 2005 - Samantha Taylor News |
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Spain To the ancient Greeks - she was - the land where Hercules* golden apples grew - - to the Arabs - the ground floor of heaven - - to writers such as George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway - she was an arena - where history skittered between heroic feats - tragedy - and bullfighters flirting with death - in the work - of one afternoon. Few places - so dramatically - arouse the imagination - and no other attract so many visitors. We now take you to Andalucia - *Al-Andalus* - much more will be written in months to come - again - very - slowly. 1988 Midi by Koeichi Mitsuhara - turn the music off - if it disturbs you - press the second - ll - button.
Cordoba If
Seville - is Scarlet O*Hara - then Cordoba
- is Rhett Butler. Handsome - honorable and - forthright
- without benefit of a marked gypsy grace - to soften - the keen masculine
edge.
A Street in Cordoba ( Top ) In the beginning - of the eighth century - emirs from the Damascus Caliphate - had already established themselves - yet with the arrival of Abderrahman I in 756 - a discernible dynasty was founded - consolidating the power to rule over all of Muslim Spain - which the Moors referred to as - *Al- Andalus*. Cordoba was - then - possibly - Europe*s most civilized city.In the 10th century - it founded - a university - of great renown. Literature and science - were encouraged - schools of philosophy and medicine promoted - and libraries were established.
La Mezquita - The Mosque Begun
in 785 - the Mezquita - was
- two centuries in building - expanding with the population before
reaching the full size of 570 by 450 feet (174 by 137 meters).
Again - do not complain if - you take so long - finishing your needlework - just think of building the Mosque in Cordoba. Inside - a forest of 850 columns create - a repetitive motif of crisscrossing alleys - similar to the feel of a hall of mirrors.
In
the great mosque of Córdoba - the geometric effects are breathtaking.
Cascading matrices of arched stone - which once framed thousands of worshippers
- lead the eyes outward toward the ever-receding edges of perceptible
space.
Later Islamic styles - retain that sense of enclosure and complexity - filigreed ornamentation surrounds arches and windows - shaping the inner world as much as framing the outer one.
That world - whether
in a mosque or a palace - presumes submission and declares mastery.
It - also seduces - for within its all-encompassing bounds
- playful ornamentation - and speculation take flight. However - the individual is not the focus of attention. The position or status of the individual is. This is quite different from the humane ideal - so often attached to Andalusia*s name. The outcome is not a version of tolerance - though at its best it can offer - a version - of the sublime. The viewer is absorbed
in a formal world that overwhelms - inspiring awe with intricacies that
seem beyond comprehension. Impresionante - - Read more - if you like - about - > La Mezquita
![]() Typical
- Southern Spanish Architecture
- the inside of the homes are built around interior patios or courtyards
- as seen above.
This
concept is very Arabic - and - - NO
- - front lawns to mow.
Read more about - Cordoba - this couple has an excellent feel for Spain. ...
and - even more about > Cordoba
View Our Canvases of - Andalucia - and read more - about the arts from this - fascinating corner of the World.
Luna y Bombé - and - - - The Water Yes - - a friend suggested - quite awhile ago - that we spray the kitties with water - - to show them - when - their acts of mischief - truly disturb us. We had forgotten this tip - yet - remembered in - a moment - of complete - - des-es-per-a-tion. IT WORKED - DENISE - THANK YOU - - SO MUCH !!
Bombé is terrified of - the spray bottle ( we only had to use a - wee squeeze - just - once ).
Luna - well - she had this - tremendous expression of hurt and - total confusion fused together - - carried on a disjointed - babble - with - detonating tones - yet now knows - that - there - IS - a limit. They will both be on holiday soon - as they have been invited to - a cruise around the Greek Islands - so the spray has also been a fortunate introduction to future experiences. If any of you - would like - their delightful company - please Email them soon - as their social agenda is filling very quickly this season.
( Nice try Samantha !! - - Thank you Jan )
Our Favorite Recipes - From Cordoba
Salmorejo - Umm ... so - Sumamente - Suave Salmorejo is similar to Gazpacho - as it is - an Andalusian cold soup. However - the Salmorejo ( which hails from the beautiful Moorish town of Cordoba - of course ) - does not contain cucumber or peppers - and it has the additional - ham and egg - which Gazpacho does not. Ingredients Place the following - in the blender - tomatoes - garlic - vinegar - bread and salt - blend. Then add the olive oil - in a steady stream - to emulsify the mixture and - produce a nice - thick - salmorejo. This
can be used as a sauce - to serve with vegetables or fish - or on toast
- with thin slices of Serrano ham - or thin slivers of desalinated cod
- as a tapa or ... serve as a first course in a bowl - garnished
with diced ham - and chopped hard-boiled egg. Serves 6. As always - there are many versions.
Experiment with other recipes - Salmorejo More about the Cuisine of Al-Andalus - ( Excellent Article ) Read more about - > Spanish Cold Soups
Cordero
a la Miel
- ( Lamb with Honey - Lovely ) Ingredients:
Cut
lamb into thick pieces. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté
the onion - peppers and the garlic. Add the pieces of lamb and brown them.
Cut the lemon - peel and cut all into shreds - add to the lamb with the
brandy and wine. Dissolve the saffron in a little liquid and add to the
meat with the paprika - pepper - cinnamon and salt. Cook - covered - until
the meat is very tender - about 1 hour. When the meat is done -
add the vinegar and honey and cook for 10 minutes more.
Pouring
Sherry Be certain to test the Sherries of Southern Spain - a perfect match for wine - though - are from *Montilla-Moriles* - made with the grapes of Pedro Ximénez - Layrén - Bacardí and Moscatel. Do not plan to drive for awhile after ... Please. A siesta - will be perfect now. There are three basic types of Montilla wine - young fruity wines - aged (crianza) wines and generosos. The varieties include - *el fino* - *el amontillado* - *el palo cortado* - *el oloroso* or *el Pedro Ximénez*.
FIESTAS OF SPAINNo nation on earth is quite as good at enjoying itself as Spain. There are so many fiestas that even if you could attend more than one a day - you would not be able to visit them all in a single lifetime. La Velá de la Fuensanta ![]() A Flamenco Festival in Cordoba September
8 The finest Flamenco is found in Andalucia - *Al-Andalus*
Plan a Trip The planning is very entertaining - almost more than the travel itself. A - day trip - - weekend - preferably a month ... ... all trips are fine ( except on a rock ). We suggest - traveling to New York City - visit the Art Galleries - Museums and - especially - plan a visit to Phone:
212-288-0700 - Fax: 212-628-4417
1
East 70th Street ( between Madison and Fifth Avenues )
New York, NY 10021-4967 Exhibitions at The Frick Collection October
12 - December 31, 2005 Memling*s
Portraits - The Frick Collection*s special fall exhibition - offers the
most comprehensive gathering to date - of works in this genre by the celebrated
Netherlandish artist Hans Memling (c. 1435 - 1494). Memling*s oeuvre comprises
some one hundred paintings - of which thirty are portraits. Memling*s Portraits made its debut at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid - in February of 2005 - later - traveled to the Groeninge Museum in Bruges - June 2005 - before its presentation in The Frick Collection - October 2005 - the final venue of this tour. On this bifrontal panel - considered to be - one of the jewels of the Thyssen Collection - you see - on one side - the figure of a Gentleman Praying - and - on the other side ... ... a superb
- Vase
of Flowers c.
1485 ( listen to the recordings These two paintings - most probably belonged to a triptych - with an image of the annunciation on the central panel - and the portrait of the wife on the other side panel. This assumption is based upon the bifrontal character - as well as - the pilgrim*s vase containing Madonna lilies - irises and columbines - symbolic flowers related to the Virgin - ( divine grace - innocence - forgiveness of sins and yearning to be with God ). The quality of the work speaks for itself. The Gentleman Praying - is enclosed within an exterior - velvet light -, giving life to the textures - defining the golden tones and capturing details with a truly refined technical skill. The Vase of
Flowers is placed within a perspective cube - also with a remarkable
suggestion of light. In the autonomous treatment of flowers and
objects you see a clear precedent of the still life genre. The painting
measures 11.5 x 9 inches - (29.2 x 22.5 cm).
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