El Palmeral - the palm grove of Elche

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Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Visigoths and Moors have in turn, invaded the Land of Valencia and nowhere in this region are the legacies left by these ‘guests’ more evident than in Elche.

The most visible memento is the palm trees that were planted by the Moors. Elche is simply inundated with them! Over 200,000 palm trees surround the city making it more like a forest than an urban landscape. The Moors formally laid out the ‘Palmeral of Elche’ in the 10th century. They installed elaborate irrigation systems and these are still functioning today as are the agricultural practices developed by these enterprising people. 

Elche is a World Heritage site because the palm forest is so impressive and important…. 

(extract from “Spanish Matters (chap 3 – El Huerto de Cura)”

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http://www.lulu.com/shop/robert-bovington/spanish-matters/paperback/product-5615863.html

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Other blogs by Robert Bovington:
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“Photographs of Spain”	http://bovingtonphotosofspain.blogspot.com/
“Spanish Impressions”	http://bobbovington.blogspot.com/
“you couldn’t make it up!”	http://bovingtonycmitup.blogspot.com/
“a grumpy old man in Spain”	http://grumpybobbov.blogspot.com/
“bits and bobs”	http://bovingtonbitsandblogs.blogspot.com/
“Spanish Expressions”	http://spanishsayingsbovington.blogspot.com/
“Spanish Art”	http://bovingtonspanishart.blogspot.com/
“Books About Spain”	http://bovingtonbooks.blogspot.com/

Amazon.es: robert bovington

Amazon.es: robert bovington:

1.

Spanish Matters de Robert Bovington (Tapa blanda - 3 noviembre 2009)

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Spanish Impressions de Robert Bovington (Tapa blanda - noviembre 2009)

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SPANISH VISIONS de Robert Bovington (Tapa blanda - 20 junio 2010)

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Níjar

Níjar has a distinct Moorish feel about it with its narrow streets and whitewashed houses. It lies in the foothills of the Sierra Alhamilla and is popular with tourists who make the short excursion from coastal towns like Roquetas de Mar and Mojácar. They mainly visit in order to purchase the attractive and unusual glazed pottery. That is what Níjar is famous for - pottery. And carpets!

There are many pottery shops, some with thousands of pieces on display ranging from ashtrays to large planters and decorative lampshades. The most characteristic of the area is the blue and green pottery, produced from clay and marl with a kaolin coating. The other handicraft most typical of Níjar is the manufacture of jarapas - colourful cotton and wool rugs and blankets.

There are many other hand-made items on sale in the shops: leather ware, jewellery, decorative ironwork, furniture as well as edible items such as honey, cakes and wine. Soaps, candles and many other items made from natural products can also be obtained in Níjar.

I find the town a pleasant place to stroll. The high street is attractive with its many shops and bars and there are quaint narrow cobbled streets with the traditional whitewashed houses so typical of Andalucía. At the top of the main thoroughfare is the town's main square with an attractive church. The 'Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación' was built in the 16th century.

Probably the best time to visit Níjar is in the evening when most of the tourists have gone. Many of them would have combined a trip to Níjar with a visit to the nearby Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, so the town is quite empty in the afternoon too but, at that time of day, many of the shops are closed - the shopkeepers are taking their siesta!

Just outside the town is El Hoyazo, a volcanic crater. I once spent a hot and dusty but, nevertheless, enjoyable hour collecting garnets there. Unfortunately the stones were a bit on the small side!

extract from “Spanish Matters” by Robert Bovington

ISBN 978-1-4452-0773-5 available from www.lulu.com

Some pics of Níjar…

Spain - a web site

A web site intended as a photographic and written celebration of places in Spain. I will share with you my impressions of Spain, its places and its people.
Robert Bovington (author of Spanish Impressions, Spanish Visions, Spanish Matters.)

Click on the following link:
Spain:


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Robert Bovington's Travel Books

Robert Bovington's Storefront - Lulu.com

Just some of the books on offer:-

SPANISH IMPRESSIONS (book) Print: £13.24 Robert Bovington is an Englishman living in Spain. He is so enthralled with his adopted country that it has inspired him to write about his experiences. From Almería in sun-kissed Andalucía to Zaragoza in historic Aragón, the author takes us on a tour of Spain. We visit the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Córdoba's Mezquita and the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela. We explore Spain's diverse natural landscapes – the Picos de Europa, the Sierra Nevada and the vast plains of La Mancha. During our travels, we will encounter famous Spaniards – Isaac Albéniz, Pablo Picasso and many others. Football, fiestas and flamenco are experienced whilst food and drink, Spanish style, is on the menu. We will encounter Romanesque cathedrals, Gothic churches, Moorish castles, Modernist civil buildings and beautiful plazas. Throughout the journey, the keyword is diversity. It is this diversity that has inspired Robert Bovington to provide us with his "Spanish Impressions"

SPANISH MATTERS (e-book) eBook: £6.00 Bob and Diane have made the life-changing decision to retire to sunny Andalucía. Instead of lazing on the beach they explore the countryside of their adopted country. They visit 'pueblos blancos' in the Alpujarras. They enjoy the wonderful scenery of Andalusia. On one such journey to the medieval city of Ronda they discover the spectacular Sierra de las Nieves – a biosphere reserve. This type of encounter is to be repeated throughout their expeditions. They experience the stark beauty of the Tavernas desert; the enchanting Palmeral of Elche; the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada and the fantastically diverse landscapes of the Cabo de Gata with its unique flora and fauna. On their journeys they explore the culture and customs of the Andalucian people – tapas, fiestas, music, soccer, bad driving, noisy Spaniards. In short, Bob and Diane have fallen in love with their newly adopted country and are looking forward to visiting other areas of Spain and learning the language properly because Spanish matters!

SPANISH MATTERS (book) Print: £8.99 Bob and Diane have made the life-changing decision to retire to sunny Andalucía. Instead of lazing on the beach they explore the countryside of their adopted country. They visit 'pueblos blancos' in the Alpujarras. They enjoy the wonderful scenery of Andalusia. On one such journey to the medieval city of Ronda they discover the spectacular Sierra de las Nieves – a biosphere reserve. This type of encounter is to be repeated throughout their expeditions. They experience the stark beauty of the Tavernas desert; the enchanting Palmeral of Elche; the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada and the fantastically diverse landscapes of the Cabo de Gata with its unique flora and fauna. On their journeys they explore the culture and customs of the Andalucian people – tapas, fiestas, music, soccer, bad driving, noisy Spaniards. In short, Bob and Diane have fallen in love with their newly adopted country and are looking forward to visiting other areas of Spain and learning the language properly because Spanish matters!

Roquetas y la Costa de Almería (e-book) eBook: FREE El escritor Inglés, Robert Bovington, ofrece al lector una guía de Roquetas de Mar y sus alrededores.