Las avenidas de Andalusia

At the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula the inhabitants of Andalusia have cultivated a rich cultural identity. As a historic gateway between Europe and Africa there are so many unique details and stunning architecture. It was difficult to wander the streets of Andalusia and not shoot everything, but here are a few shots that remind me of the hot summer afternoons in Espana.



Hammam Arabic baths throughout Andalusia fill underground cisterns with cool water, beneath the sizzling summer heat, and reflect the remaining Moorish influence in Southern Spain.


Peeking in past the hot stone walls of the street revealed cool lush patios.
The walled courtyards of Granada are beautiful carmens, gardens with shadowed trellises and ponds.




















Late afternoon sun illuminates boys skateboarding on the outskirts of Granada.

As always, I couldn't resist a self portrait, this time in a door handle.

City on Seven Hills

Before I get ahead of myself and delve into Spain, I wanted to share a few more street shots from Istanbul. 

The skyline of Istanbul is marked by the pointed minarets of mosques. There are somewhere are 3000 mosques in the city. The Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque) at the center of the old city, the Suleymaniye with its Ottoman architecture, Yeni Cami (New Mosque) beside the Spice Bazaar surrounded by flocks of birds, too name a few. Even the Hagia Sophia, which was once a basilica then a mosque and now a historic museum, combining the elements of both backgrounds. Throughout the day I could here the call to prayer from various mosques in whatever neighborhood I happened to be exploring, the voices of the muezzins blending, yet each voice distinct. 

The Topkapı Sarayı (Palace) was the seat of power for the Ottoman Sultans for duration of their reign, over 400 years.  The Topkapi is located on the Seraglio Point, overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, as well as the Bosphorus. The architecture is a dazzling array of arches and gates, patterns and gilt separated by gardens with geometrical designs and mirrored pools. The palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards interwoven with smaller buildings and enclosures. Nearly 400 of the rooms were devoted to the Imperial Harem, with a complex with intricacies of its own. 

Tinto de Verano

The city of Granada is nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The city is believed to have taken its name from the Spanish word "Granada" meaning "pomegranate". But I also heard the the meaning of Granada referrred to as "hill of strangers"

Granada  is a mixture of cultures, where West meets East. Occupied by the Muslims, there are beautiful examples of Moorish architecture tucked away on every block, from El Bañuelo to the Alhambra. Later reconquered by the Reyes Catolica the inahibitants of the city were forced to convert to Christianity, but the ornate architecture was left in tact. The ancient Moorish quarter of the city, the Albaycin, is still filled with white wash walls, hidden arab baths and stunning views of the rest of the city.


The tapas culture reflects the Spanish approach to life. A very relaxed meal, while socializing and tasting lots of delicious morsels. There is no sense of urgency, meals may take hours. Just like the locals who are expected to be at least 15 minutes behind schedule. A "tapa" is a "lid" or "cover." In the early days of tapas a slice of cheese or ham on bread was given with your drink and placed over the drink, to cover the wine while you were not drinking. There is an old law on the books in Granada that states that a tapa must be served with every alcoholic beverage. The story goes that the King wanted to to "cover" the drunkenness by having drinkers eat a bite with every beverage, thus not getting as drunk as on an empty stomach. I loved that even late at night you would find drinkers sitting under the street lights sipping a Tinto de Verano ("summer wine") and nibbling tapas as they converse. 

The Sunken Palace

 Istanbul's Basilica Cistern, also called the Sunken Palace in Turkish, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul. The cistern was originally constructed by Justinian in 532 to supply water to the Byzantine Palace. 


A total of  336 columns extend across the space, supporting the roof, which is now the modern day city streets.



One local I met told me a story of how the forgotten cistern was rediscovered in modern times. He said that a Dutch explorer visited in the 1550's to studyByzantine remains. While he explored the neighborhood of the Aya Sofia, he met locals who claimed to catch fish by lowering buckets through the floors of their homes. The archaeologist began to investigate and was able to unearth an entrance to the cistern, with its forest of columns stretching into the darkness. 



Hidden in a far corner of the towering columns, are two pillars with the face of Medusa carved into the base. No evidence why just these two, or why sideways, but the urban legend claims that the placement wards off evil. For those unfamiliar, Medusa hails from Greek mythology and is believed to be one of the Gorgons, and her gaze could turn whoever she looked upon to stone. Though however the Greek root of the word means "guardian, protectress." Perhaps this is why the column was placed as it was. 

Faces of Constantinople

 The Ottoman Empire stretched across continents for the better part of six hundred years. The harem the Jannisaries recruited thousands of young children from every reach of the empire, and brought them to Constantinople. And though the empire fell in 1923 the shadows of conquests echo in the myriad of faces seen on the streets of modern day Istanbul. I shot a variety of candid portraits, trying to capture some of the different ethnic features of the united Turks. From the spice markets to the mosques, and fishermen to the whirling dervishes.

Turkish Delight

Istanbul was immediate sensory overload. The humid air of the city hangs heavy with a myriad of tastes, smells and textures. After settling in and orienting myself in the oldest part of the city, the Sultanahmet, I set off for the Spice Bazaar. Located adjacent to the New Mosque, it is a bustling neighborhood of locals mingling and shopping. The colors and scents of the spices was intoxicating.

The culture of tea in Istanbul seems essential to their way of life. The traditional black tea is very strong, so it is served in small, tulip shaped glasses. Throughout the city, both Old and New, Eastern and Western, there are tea runners, serving tea to shoppers, business owners, and anyone else just hanging out. Some runners carried the tea on trays, cups already poured, and the deftly navigated the busy streets, other times, I saw boys running between the pedestrians carrying huge, steaming Samovars, to take refills to patrons. Generally it was always men drinking the tea. They sat together, squatting in a doorway, sipping, gossiping and just taking a break from the day. But everywhere I went, there were little cups and saucers left for the runners to collect, delicate glass and porcelain left among the millions of feet on the ancient pavement.

Halbtrocken (Half-Dry)

Half-dry, but mostly soaking wet... After an intense lightening storm, I hopped on a train just as the first rain drops began to fall. Not much of a view as the drenched Bavarian landscape slid by. So I immersed myself in my book, The Sultan's Harem, and imagined the warm weather that I would find in Turkey the following morning. When the train finally pulled into my stop, the rain had intensified and a low fog clung to the countryside, obscuring everything. I waded through puddles and found my way to the front steps of the Kloster Andechs, monastery and church.

In addition to providing a quiet place to worship, the Benedictine brothers of Andechs have been brewing their own beer since the Middle Ages. According to the rules of St. Benedict himself, it is ordained that, “All strangers who come should be received as if they were Christ himself”. The tradition continues into present times, as a house kitchen and brewery run by the monks, offers a hearty meal to "pilgrims" (aka tourists). The Klostergasthof (monastery restaurant) was packed with visitors enjoying the dish of the day with homemade pretzels. In keeping with Medieval traditions, the portions were huge, including the crispy pork which could feed a Viking.

I am told the cloisters are perched on a hill top between two lakes. But due to the inclement weather, there was nothing to see beyond the dripping trees. So I hopped the train to head to the airport, and warmer climates. Next stop- Istanbul.