Welcome to my blog. This year starting from July 9 and ending July 21, 2012, I will be traveling to Spain. My primary goal is to attend the famous "running of the bulls" in the city of Pamplona. I hope to capture the event in still photos, some short videos and to experience the pageantry. While I lack the courage to risk my life for the thrill of being persued by frightened killer bulls, I hope to experience this right of passage made famous by the writings of Hemingway. After that I will explore Madrid and other cities with a tour group. Hopefully I will record some beautiful images and pass along my experiences and personal observations
Spain - Friday, July 20th, the Al Hambra
Today is the final day of this vacation. We visited the Al Hambra palace before leaving Granada and heading back to Madrid for the flight home in the morning.
The Al Hambra and GeneralLife or simply the Al Hambra, was initially the palace of the Moorish king, Muhammed XII ( or Boabdil), who ruled the area called Andalucia. It is perched on a hill high above the surrounding city of Granada. The palace was one of the last Moorish strongholds in Spain. It is considered one of the most beautiful palaces in the world. It reached its apex in the 14th century. The Boabdil was defeated and turned the palace over to the king Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. Thankfully, they kept the palace in tact. The Moorish king left Spain for good taking only he bones of his ancestors with him to North Africa looking back in tears.
The site is a sprawling complex of buildings and gardens. There are springs and fountains everywhere which suited the Moorish love of water and the sound of water. The walls and ceilings are covered in intricate Islamic carved designs in wood and stone. We also walked through the intricate gardens. The only downside of the visit was the huge crowds which I tried to obscure in my photographs where ever possible. See below.
OVERALL VIEW OF THE AL HAMBRA COMPLEX FROM GARDEN
TYPICAL WALL DESIGN THROUGHOUT THE PALACE
CLOSEUP OF STONE CARVING ON WALLS
CLOSEUP OF TYPICAL CARVED WOODEN CEILINGS
"COURT YARD OF THE LION" FOUNTAIN. UNDER REPAIR
TYPICAL HALLWAY THROUGH BUILDING
PLACID POOL SURROUNDED BY MYRTLE PLANTS
FOUNTAIN GARDEN
PHOTO OF BUILDING FROM GARDEN
ANOTHER GARDEN VIEW
PATH OUT OF THE AL HAMBRA COMPLEX
Spain - Thursday, July 19th, Cordoba & Granada
Today is another travel day. We stopped over at Cordoba Spain on the way to Granada, which we reached by early evening. 
VIEW FROM ROAD OF AREA AROUND CORDOBA, SPAIN
In Cordoba we stopped to see the famous Cathedral which was also the largest Mosque in the world in the 12th century. Cordoba was a bright capital of learning and commerce in the 12th century and the capital of al-Andalus where Muslims, Christians, and Jews studied Greek and Roman texts and Algebra was newly introduced to Europe from the middle east. The mosque called La Mezquita boasted of 40,000
worshipers in 1236. In the 16th century after conquest by the Christians, it was preserved except the center of the building, which was torn out for a Christian alter and royal chapel. The character of the building still remains, however. The streets still have the feel of the old medieval city with its whitewashed buildings and narrow streets.
THE NARROW STREETS OF MEDIEVAL CORDOBA
12TH CENTURY ORIGINAL INTERIOR OF MOSQUE IN CATHEDRAL
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF CATHEDRAL ISLAMIC DESIGN
ISLAMIC DESIGNED ALCOVE IN CHURCH
CHRISTIAN ALTER ADDED TO MOSQUE IN 16TH CENTURY
EXAMPLE OF THE CHURCH TREASURE STORED IN SPECIAL ROOM
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO OF THE GOLD TREASURE ROOM
OLD ROMAN BRIDGE INTO ANCIENT CORDOBA
We left Cordoba and reached Granada for the evening. We had dinner about 8:00PM and later that night went to see a Gypsy dance review in the Gypsy barrio of Granada. We walked through the streets at night and saw the Al Hambra at small park along the way. See photo. The bar was in a cave with an intimate ambiance. The Gypsy dance has the flavor of flamenco but is less structured and more passionate than Flamenco.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF AL HAMBRA IN NIGHT TIME GRANADA
GYPSY DANCE BAR EXTERIOR
CAVE INTERIOR OF GYPSY BAR IN GRANADA
GYPSY DANCERS IN GRANADA SPAIN
I should also note on a more somber note that I have encountered another public demonstration protesting the bad economy in Spain. Unemployment is about 3 times that in the US. People are frightened, especially the young, about their futures. This demonstration like the one in Madrid was near my hotel. All appeared to be peaceful so far.
PROTESTING THE ECONOMY IN GRANADA SPAIN
Spain - Wednesday, July 18th, Seville
Today we explored the city of Seville. It is Spain's fourth most important city. It is in the southern most part of Spain in an area called Andulucia area. The city dates back to the 12th century. It has been under the rule of both Moslem and Christian kings. The city bears the remnants for Moorish, Jewish and Christian buildings throughout the city's history. As walls and buildings were torn down and built over as the captors felt.
The temperature got up to 108 degrees. So it was tough just staying out of the sweltering heat. We visited some of the city's landmarks, the old cathedral, took a short cruise on the river, and went to see a local flamenco show.
MAIN STREET THROUGH SEVILLE
The city was host to the 1929 worlds fair. In 1992 the Olympics were held in Seville. We visited the old 1929 embassy building complex. See photos,
BRIDGE IN SPANISH EMBASSY FROM 1929 WORDLS FAIR
PORTRAIT OF ME ON BRIDGE
We then visited the visited the Catedral de Seville. It is a huge gothic church started in 1402. The church was second only to St. Peters in Rome, and St. Paul in London in size at some time in history. Besides dozens of gold incrusted alters and paintings you will find the final resting place for the remains of Christopher Columbus. See photos.
VIEW OF CATHEDRAL OF SEVILLE
INTERIOR OF CATHEDRAL OF SEVILLE
ALTER IN THE CATHEDRAL
FAMOUS STAINED GLASS IN CATHEDRAL
We then took a trip up and down of this a river that runs through Seville. It is called the Guadalquivir. It runs for hundreds of miles and is always the source for trade and invasion armies. The river separates the Gypsy quarter from the rest of town. I suspect that is why the security at the hotel is especially tight compared to other hotels I have stayed in Spain.
The ethnic diversity, the Andulucian history, and the influence of gypsies is what created flamenco music and dance. There is even a flamenco museum here in Seville. We went to a flamenco show here in toI found the show was not as exciting as Madrid. In between the passionate flamenco dance, there were ballet like dances arranged with the music of Bizet's master piece opera, Carmen, in the background. See a short video clip below.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO TO SEE FLAMENCO DANCER
Spain - Tuesday, July 17, Merida & Seville
Today is mostly a travel day. The object for today was to travel southward from Madrid to the city of Seville. We stopped in a town called Merida on the way. This trip was more than 500 miles. 
VIEW OF THE LA MANCHA PLAINS
LA MANCHA PLAIN OLIVE TREES
We traveled across the plains of La Mancha into the mountainous state of Extremadura. This area, located in the southwest of Spain, was the crossroad for Ancient Romans and others conquerors. We will stop at Merida to see the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheatre. When it was a Roman city it was called Augusta Emerita. It was a sort of retirement town for Roman soldiers as a reward for service to the state. Obviously, it was named after Augustus Caesar and the word emerita is Latin for something to which is given esteem. The English word emeritus is often used in reference to scholars and people from universities and organizations who are not working for that organization; usually because of retirement. See photos.
ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE IN MERIDA SPAIN
ENTRANCE INTO ROMAN THEATRE
ANOTHER ENTRANCE INTO THE THEATRE
After leaving Merida we had lunch and continued our travel to Seville. It was late afternoon when we reached our hotel, called the Novotel Seville, in the city of Seville. The tour of Seville will start tomorrow. We had the rest of the evening to ourselves. Since the temperature was about 102 degree Fahrenheit! Most of stayed in our hotel rooms until the late evening before venturing out to dinner on our own.
Spain - Monday, July 16th, Toledo
Today our tour takes us to the medieval city of Toledo. Toledo is located in the area called plains of La Mancha. The name resonates in Cervantes book "Don Quixote" where he was also called the Man of La Mancha. For centuries Toledo was controlled by Moslems called the Moors.
During that time, Christians and Moors fought to make Toledo their own. The population of Toledo consisted of Moslems, Christians, and Jews. Although the Moors ruled the town, they were tolerant of other religions. The diverse mixing of cultures made it a thriving and innovative city. Later it lost its status as Spain's capital to Madrid in 1560 when king Felipe II move the capital.
PANORAMIC VIEW OF TOLEDO SPAIN
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO TO SEE PANORAMIC VIEW
SELF PORTRAIT AT TOLEDO SPAIN
VIEW INSIDE THE TOWN OF TOLEDO. CHURCH IN VIEW
ISLAMIC STYLE DOORWAY IN TOLEDO
Toledo is known for two major things. It is the massive Catholic church known simply as Catedral and that it is home of the painter El Greco, El Greco came to Spain in 1577 having been trained in the arts in Italy under its renaissance masters. He never left Toledo and is buried in the confines of the church. The Catedral is the major repository of the paintings of El Greco although his greatest works resides as a single large mural sized painting in a small parish church called Santo Tome' not too far from the Catedral. The Catedral is a massive church with artists' works from sculpture to painting to its massive organ. It took over 270 years to complete.
MAIN ENTRANCE INTO CATEDRAL
VIEW OF SEVERAL HALLS INSIDE CATEDRAL
ONE OF SEVERAL ALTERS INSIDE TOLEDO
VIEW OF THE GREAT ORGAN INSIDE TOLEO
INTICATELY CARVED WOOD CHAIRS 
SCULPTURE-PAINTING OVER ONE ALTER
Spain - Sunday, July 15th, Pamplona & Madrid
Today is another travel day, as I head back to Madrid to begin a commercial tour. I traveled 3 hours from Pamplona back to Madrid by train. The tour picked me up at the Marid train station and took me to a hotel called the Florida Norte. There I met our guide for the rest of my vacation and the rest of my fellow travelers. There were about 30 people of which less than a half dozen spoke English. A half hour after walking into the hotel and getting my room, we were on a bus and headed to dinner.
We disembarked from the bus and walked through the busy night crowds to the restaurant. We stopped briefly in the famous old town square called Playa Mayor. It was literally the center of Madrid. It was transformed in 1619 from a market square over the centuries to what it is today. It has seen everything from bullfights to executions, including the public confessions of the infamous Spanish inquisitions where many lost their lives, heads, and limbs if it was believed one was not true Christian and therefore in league with the devil (an idea that some 21st "Christians" still hold belief in). The playa has been rebuilt many times over the centuries as the city surrounded it. The square is now home to restaurants, street artists, and a diversity of people. I noticed one wall with medieval paintings on it that are actually 1990's paintings of zodiac themes painted in the style.
GIANT BUBBLE MAKER FASCINATES KIDS
NORTH WALL OF PLAYA MAYORS' PHONEY MEDIEVAL PAINTING
CLOSEUP OF ONE THE FRESCOES
After dinner we drove back to the hotel. The city is well lit at night and I have included some night shots of a couple of those monuments. The lighted fountains and monuments are too numerous to count
MONUMENT TO JUAN CARLOS III, SPANISH KING
ONE OF MANY LIGHTED FOUNTAINS
Spain - Saturday, July 14th, Pamplona
Today is the day. Today is the last day the bulls will be released to run through the streets for the 2012 festival. I joined a balcony observation group, at cost of 125 euros. For the privilege of being on the very street and above the action, I had to get up at 5:00 AM to be picked up by bus along with the 8 others who also paid for the privilege. Once we got near the site we were lead through the gathering throng of participants. Most had been up all night drinking their courage. The streets were littered with empty and partially empty drinking vessels that crunched under our feet. At one point a couple of playful drunks snatch the ID placard from our petite guide's hands and played "keep away" with it. I and another person, in our group, ran after them and retrieved it for her. We were taken through a locked entrance and escorted to a narrow second floor balcony, where we stood for an hour before the 8:00 AM release of the bulls. It was amazing to watch the authorities close down the streets, usher the milling crowd off the street, hose the trash to center of the street, and clean away the debris with mechanical street sweepers. 
FAMOUS PAMPLONA SCULPTURE. TOO MANY JOKERS!!
ME IN FRONT OF SCULPTURE. NOTICE NUT BACKWARDS ON BULL.
The participants, in the streets, were manhandled into being an orderly mass of white clothed runners by the police. The crowd filled the streets for at least 3 city blocks. The balcony we stood on was so narrow that we side by side in single file. My visibility was obstructed by the people in front of me so taking photos was really difficult. While it seems to take forever in videos you've seen, the really bulls actually only take a minute to run past. At exactly 8:00 AM a rocket is fired, the crowd below suddenly changes from static standing into a panicked running mass as everyone knows the bulls are coming. If your camera isn't ready at that moment the opportunity is lost. See the photos and video I shot below.
STREETS ARE CLEANED AND CLEARED BEFORE BULLS RUN
RUNNER POISE JUST BEFORE BULLS ARE FREED
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF BULLS CHASING PEOPLE
RUNNERS AFTER THE BULLS PASSED THROUGH
The object of "running the bulls" is to get them to the bullfight arena. Later in the day there are to be bull fights. While I did not want to see a bullfight, I did sign up to a more humane event where participants compete for points by trying to put rings on the horns of younger bulls. It is no less dangerous as you will see from the photos and video. The bulls get to live for another day, which is fine with me.
BULL RING WITH NONE LETHAL BULL TAGGING
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO FOR WIDE VIEW OF BULLRING
PARTICIPANT PUTS TAG ON HORNS OF BULL
TAGGING THE BULLS IS VERY DANGEROUS
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO FOR CLOSER VIEW OF ACTION
At the end of the day the event is capped off with a fireworks display in nearby park. The locals and visitors gathered on the grounds of the park and watched the fireworks. See the photos and video below.
WAITING IN PARK OF START OF FIREWORKS
FIRST FIRE WORKS STARTS THE SHOW.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF FIREWORKS FINALLY
Spain - Friday, July 13th, Madrid to Pamplona
Today is the day I board a train in Madrid for Pamplona. The mission is to take photographs and videos of a part of the event involving the encierro, or " the running of the bulls". But first, a brief background history. The event is a catholic celebration of St. Fermin. He was born in Pamplona, of Roman decent, in the third century and later became its bishop. For his first martyrdom he was said to have been dragged by his feet by a bull in 257AD, and in his second martyrdom he was beheaded in France in 303AD. The first miracle claimed the bull stopped at a site that later became a church, the second miracle was the observation of the faithful, that his grave gave off a sweet order (saints' dead bodies often have the odor of flowers, they say) that melted snow, caused flowers to grow, and healed the sick. Apparently he died twice?? You are skeptical; I am too. Check it out on the internet.
Many believe the celebration started in the 1700's but its present configuration was created in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The religious part of the celebration has taken a back seat to a drunk fest mentality. Made famous from Hemingway's book called "The Sun Also Rises". Now a million people come to the St. Fermin celebration, the younger of whom spend the night getting drunk, dancing, and other irreverent behavior so they have the courage to run in front of a dozen frightens bulls. There are other things going on besides the running of the bulls and the subsequent bull fight and carnage which occur every night for 7 days. There are fireworks and parades to name a few. This event has become one of Spain's most famous celebrations.
You will see people wearing white clothing with red bandanas around their necks and red sashes around their waist. I think this red around the neck represents blood due to St. Fermin's beheading and the red sash represents his being dragged to death by bulls.
I attached a little video of the Spanish countryside below. The ride from Madrid was about 3 hours long. The countryside is interesting.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO VIEW COUNTRYSIDE FROM TRAIN
Once I got to Pamplona in went into town to check out the people and the route the bulls ran. The videos I have included give you an idea of the noise and pandemonium that takes place every evening. There seemed to be a bar every 100 feet. The crowd was lively but not threatening. I saw lots of children, and baby carriages. 
STREETS ARE FULL EVEN AFTER THE RUN
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF PAMPLONA CROWDS
SIGNS EVERYWHERE ASKING YOU TO JOIN THE BRAVE AND DRUNK
THESE STRANGE LITTLE POSTERS ARE EVERYWHERE
THIS STUFFED BULL IS WAITING FOR A PHOTO WITH YOU
SEE THIS STRANGE LOOKING SCULPTURE IN FRONT OF THE BULLING FIGHT STADIUM
Spain - Thursday, July 12th, Madrid
Today I decided to walk in the opposite direction from the direction I took yesterday. The objective was to see the royal palace called Palacio Real. It was an expression of the "gilded age" when cost was no object for the princes of Europe. The palace is modeled after the opulent palaces of the Hapsburgs. The building reflects the taste of the royal families from the seventeenth through the 1930's. I was not allowed to photograph the interior but did photograph the gardens and court yard outside.
FRONT VIEW OF PALACE AND GARDENS
STATUE IN THE PALACE GARDENS. 
MORE OF THE PALACE GARDENS
VIEW OF PALACE COURTYARDS LOOKING NORTH
VIEW OF PALACE COURTYARDS LOOKING SOUTH
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF PAN OF PALACE COURTYARD
ME AGAIN AT THE PALACE
Not to be outdone, I secretly snapped a photo of a corridor but it shows nothing of the interior rooms.
FORBIDDEN VIEW INSIDE THE PALACE HALLS
I saw rooms resplendent with rococo patterns in silver and gold. Another room was covered entirely with porcelain panels done in a flowers and vines motif. Still another room housed 3 violins and 1 cello all made by the legendary violin maker Stradivarius for the royal family in the 1700's. These instruments are worth tens of millions of dollars. "Sorry No Photos" is a mantra I hear often in many museums but they will try to sell you an expensive book full of those illegal pictures . By the way, the cathedral behind the gate is part of the palace grounds. Its name is Santa Maria la Real de La Almudena.
There are many gardens and parks in the city in this area. So after leaving the palace I walked through the largest park called Parke del Oueste until I stumbled upon a curious Egyptian stone ruin and museum called Temple de Debod. It was given to the Spanish government for their help in saving the Ancient Abu Simbel ruins which were threatened when the Aswan Dam was built across the Nile River. I took some stylist photos of it. See below.
VIEW OF THE TEMPLE OF DEBOD
ANOTHER VIEW OF TEMPLE OF DEBOD
Tomorrow I leave Madrid for a couple of days in Pamplona for the "Running of the Bulls" ceremony. I hope to capture some of the event in photographs. It's going to be difficult as far as I can tell. Wish me luck. Tomorrow is mostly a travel day so I might not have any photos. Wish me luck.
Spain - Wednesday, July 11th, Madrid
Today is my first time to explore Madrid by myself. My plans are to visit the famous Prado Museum, visit the Botanical garden, and in the evening attend the flamenco dance at the adjacent restaurant and bar. Since all of these venues are within walking distance of my hotel.
The walk to the Prado was about a miles downhill to the major downtown. The parks surrounding the museum are verdant and shady. Since Madrid is a hilly city, I sort of dread the long walk back up the hill to the hotel. I am most interested in seeing the works of two of Spain's greatest 19th century painters. They are of course, Velazquez and Goya. They also have the well know works of Raphael and El Greco. The Prada is built into an adjacent to a hill. The roof is covered with trees. Very impressive.
Prado Museum View from Above
This street guitarist, in front of the Prado, played well. See video next.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO
Afterwards I went to the nearby gated botanical garden called Real Jardin Botanico. It lies adjacent to the huge park called Parque del Buen Retiro, which reminds me of Central Park in New York. It was established in the 18th century and boasts more than 3000 flower species and 1000 species of trees. The garden was not as lush as I hoped. Probably owing the near draught the area is experiencing. 
I was surprises to stumble upon a building on site housing a photography exhibition. The work was creative and very large in scope.
I made my way back to my hotels and took a long nap, have succumb to the long walk and the ever present "jet lag". Luckily the dances was in the restaurant next door. I captured plenty of videos which I hope you can see below. I am scheduled to see another round of flamenco when a joint a prepackaged tour next week. I can compare the style and quality of the dance between Madrid and Toledo. 
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF DANCER
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF FLAMENCO GUITARIST
To top the evening off we had a rather larger fire just outside our hotel. It appeared to be construction related and no one was hurt.
CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF FIRE INCIDENT
Spain - Wednesday, July 10th, Madrid
I arrived in Madrid Spain at 8:00 AM European time. The flight was grueling but uneventful. I passed through customs rather quickly. This is surprising because as solitary traveler authorities normally consider me a prime suspect for unknown dastardly deeds. I guess being an senior citizen with white hair and beard makes me less threatening. I grabbed a cab and gave the cab driver my hotel name and location in simple understandable spanish, thanks to my quicky 10 day spanish course. I arrived at the hotel Regente (pronouced ree-hent-tay) located in the central business district near the major parks and museums in Madrid.
I was tired as a result of the jet lag but quickly signed up to a half day tour of the city to get my bearings. Someone was dispatched to the holtel to walk me to the tour bus office since it was only 10 minutes from the hotel. When the tour ended, to my chagrin ,I was left to find my way back the hotel. Needless to say I got lost a bit. The streets meander and wander in all directions. I considered it a challenge to find my way back to the hotel. After stopping at one of numerous cafes and bars I was able to get directions. Getting lost is part of the adventure to me when I travel. Tomorrow is another day. I should be more rested and at ease as I try to see more of the city by foot. See photos below taken on my first walk to and from the hotel.
Market Street Near the Hotel, Playa Del Callao
View From A Bridge Over the Manzanares River
People Resting Under Statue of Spanish Conquerer
The famous Playa De Toros Bull Ring
Me in front of the Scupture at Playa de Toros
Night Strolling on the Gran Via Avenue