Hello lovely girls! I'm still on holiday. This time on the ocean coast, not the Mediterranean coast. We're not far from Portugal actually.
My postcard is not one I received but one I have bought locally:
It's a place that we went to last night. These are replicas of the ships Columbus sailed to America with. Fascinating to visit and then to realize how small they were.
For those who haven't read Friday's blog, I'm on holiday in a place called Matalascañas, near Huelva in south west Spain, on the Atlantic coast.
The weather is not so good, but at least I've been able to go out for walks and do excursions.
We visited the convent where Columbus lived with his son Diego, for several years while he was trying to find sponsors for his journey. When he got sponsored by the queen, he recruited sailers from the nearby village of Palos de la Frontera as they were used to ocean sailing and had sailed to Canaries Islands (but never any further than that). Their vessels were ocean worthy.
The wharf was built for the 1992 Seville Expo which celebrated the 500th anniversary of the first voyage of discovery to America
The sanctuary is dedicated to the Virgin of the Ribbon, the patron saint of the city . The ribbon is, in Marian iconography , a symbol of consolation and protection.
Wikipedia writes: The legend of Huelva speaks of the existence of a shoemaker called Juan Antonio, a pious man who had the custom of giving shoes to poor children on the day of the Nativity of the Virgin . One day, when he was on his way to Gibraleón , he suffered a strong pain in his side that forced him to stop. When he invoked the Virgin of the Nativity, a ribbon appeared that he tied around himself, soothing his pain. When he got home he told the story and a painter friend of his, called Pedro Pablo, offered to paint an image of the Virgin in thanksgiving for the miracle .
The painter portrayed the Child Jesus naked but wearing sandals, in memory of Juan Antonio's charitable gesture towards poor children.
The above image is also from Wikipedia as there were too many people about for me to get a good picture.
It was quite a pretty place. Inside was very crowded and I only took a few photos. This is a part of a mural which tell the story of the shoemaker:
It was tiled throughout. And of course I had to take a picture of the door, which wasn't spectacular, but still typical:
And outside on the forecourt were beautiful trees:
And the view over the estuary was stunning.
As I will be joining Elizabeth and Bluebeard's T-Party, I will need a drink:
As our group entered the dining room, the tables were already prepared for lunch and there are always wine bottles on the table (Wine and water are included in the price).
That is all for now.
Happy T-Day all!
Lisca
7 comments:
I haven't seen the same ships you've seen, but I did once see another exact replica of one of Columbus' ships (not sure which one), and I can agree, they were small. A lot smaller than I thought. It looks like you're visiting some beautiful spots. Enjoy the rest of your trip. And have a happy T day. hugs-Erika
I never thought the ships were so small. Quite brave that men, back then. The picture with the loaded tree is beautiful. Enjoy your rest of the trip, happy T-Day.
Nice pictures, have a wonderful holiday and happy T-day.
All the best
Violetta
Great photos! It looks like you're having a lovely time on your travels 😊. Have a wonderful March and Happy T Day wishes! Hugs, Jo x
Dear Lisca,
I love such "old" wooden sailing ships (even if they are replicas) - I would love to spend a few days on one of these. We once booked a "holiday on a pirate ship" in Croatia, but then unfortunately (because there weren't that many available) there was no pirate boat, just a normal motor ship. The holiday was still nice and the crew was delightful, but we would have enjoyed sailing...
In the Netherlands we once visited an old sailing ship (unfortunately I can't remember the name...), which was also much smaller than you think and above all the beds were so tiny!
I like the story of the charitable shoemaker (and why the baby Jesus is wearing sandals in the picture)! The tile art looks like the one we have seen in Portugal - I was so taken with the azulejos.
You asked me whether the compression packs really make a difference. Oh yes, if you roll your clothes, pack them in these bags and then close the second zip, it takes up very little space. And you have everything neatly stowed away in the suitcase. You don't need to rummage around... ;-)
Happy T-Day!
All the best and a lovely March, Traude
In Plymouth, Massachusetts, there's a replica of the Mayflower which the Puritans who left England in 1620 sailed. Yes, very small and must have made for an uncomfortable voyage. My great uncle was a shoemaker so I found the story of Juan Antonio quite charming. Beautiful painting and Baby Jesus' sandals made me smile. Lovely picture of you by the beach, too. You're giving me Summer fever. Happy T Day and safe travels
I was truly impressed by those ships. They look quite large in the photos, but I can't imagine a crew sailing across the ocean in one. Nice to see you at the beach, too.
I enjoyed reading about the sanctuary and the Virgin of the Ribbon. It was great to see the baby Jesus with only sandals. Great photo. Those blue tiles were amazing!
Looks like you were treated quite well on this trip. And having wine with your meal must have been a delight for you. Thanks for sharing this leg of your trip with us and the wine for T this Tuesday, dear Lisca.
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