| Every year, millions of visitors are drawn to the high rise resorts along the mediterranean coast of Andalusia. Inland there are rugged mountain ranges with forests of pine, cork and wild olive groves. There are undulating hills covered with vines. The Rio Guadalquivir flows through the wetlands of Coto Donana, leaving the Altantic Ocean near Huelva, and on past the Moorish cities of Sevilla and Cordoba. To the South lies the sherry capital of the world, Jerez de la Frontera, and further, Cadiz. To the North of Sevilla is the Sierra Morena and Jabugo, home of the famed jamon iberico (cured ham). From our base in a renovated bishop's palace in the heart of Sevilla, we set out to visit and photograph this region in the middle of winter. | 
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The art of Azulejos. This word derives from the Arabic az-zulayi or "little stones". Cool in Summer, durable and colourful, glazed ceramic tiles have been a feature of Andalusian facades and interiors for centuries. The Reales Alcazales is full of wonderful Mudejar tiles on all the walls and ceilings, but arguably the more eccentric use of tiles was for commercial use. Trouble is, the resultant advertisements were too permanent for their own good. Witness this promotion for a 1924 Sudebaker on the Calle Tetuan in Sevilla. |
| This wonderful domed ceiling is in the Salon de Embajadores, situated in the Reales Alcazares. In 1364, Pedro I ordered the construction of a royal residence. Craftsmen from Granada and Toledo created a jewel box of Mudejar patios and halls, forming the heart of the present day Reales Alcazares. This ceiling dates from 1427 in the Ambassadors' Hall. It is made up of carved and guilded wood in an interlaced pattern. |  |
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Cordoba with its magnificent mosque and Moorish patios is Andalusia's star attraction. The Torre del Alminar towers over rows of orange trees in a courtyard within the magnificent Mezquita mosque. The temperature was 21C, and two vapour trails criss cross the blue sky against a backdrop of palm trees, oranges and the tower. |
| The mighty walls of the great mosque hide a forest of delicate arches, pillars and a dazzling mihrah. More than 850 columns of granite, jasper and marble support the roof, creating a dazzling visual effect. Many were taken from Roman and Visigoth buildings. Part of the mosque was destroyed in 1523 to accommodate a Christian cathedral featuring an Italianate dome, chiefly designed by members of the Hernan Ruiz family. |  |
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Cordoba's core is the old city. Its origins may be Carthaginian. It was a provincial capital under the Romans. Seneca the philosopher was born here. It declined from the year 1236 when it fell to Fernando III but remains a feast for the eyes as every corner of its narrow streets, courtyards and passages reveal more photographs crying out to be taken. |
| Up in the hills to the North and West of Sevilla lie Aracena and the ham capital of Andalusia, Jabugo. Jamon Iberico is a salt cured ham from small pigs fed on acorns. It is a delicious and quite expensive but moister kind of parma ham. The pigs are sometimes known as pata negra because the acorn diet turns their trotters black. Jamon is of course one of the staples of the famed "tapas", snacks served in bars usually with fino sherry - a wonderfully cheap form of food, each bar trying to outdo the other in sheer variety and taste. |  |
Last updated: 16/04/99