St Mary's Calne
Over the May Bank Holiday, 20 Fifth & Sixth artists travelled together to Southern Spain for five days of cultural experiences. Here, they report on their artistic adventure!
On our first day, we spent some time beside the pool working our sketchbooks with pen, pencil and watercolour and appreciating the excellent weather after our flight. This was followed by lunch at a beautiful beachside restaurant, sitting outside under parasols. We headed down to the beach to take some pictures using the resources Mrs Pallot gave us. We were assigned a challenge to try out different angles and poses to create more subject focus and higher definition photos. We took pictures in various areas of the beach. We conversed with some locals and, overall, it was an amazing experience which resulted in some incredible photos. We learned how different angles can create such different perspectives and can really take our photography to the next level.
In the evening, we had a local tapas experience in a courtyard surrounded by beautiful flowers and climbing greenery.
The following day we visited the Alhambra, known as ‘The Red City’ in Arabic, built by the last Muslim rulers in Spain. It was the city of the Muslims until 1492, which was when Isabella I and Ferdinand II, who were Catholic monarchs, took control over Alhambra. First constructed in the 13th century whilst Granada was still a Muslim state, the Alhambra’s architecture is a blend of various styles and cultural influences; for over 200 years it was gradually expanded and renovated by members of the Nasrid dynasty.
We visited the three palaces of the Sultan and were amazed by the intricate details on the ceilings and walls of the buildings as well as the scale of grandness that was displayed on the site. It was fascinating to learn about the history surrounding Alhambra as it was an ancient city inside the city of Granada and how it brought people of three different faiths (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) together, and we enjoyed the tour very much as our tour guide was passionate in telling us insights, which made our tour more interactive and interesting.
With this continuous change and the rich cultural history of Granada, the Alhambra has a wide variety of architectural features such as mosaics, carved stucco, Corinthian columns (which feature acanthus leaves also seen in the garden), and pomegranate motifs. My favourite element of the Alhambra’s design is the use of Muqarnas vaulting (also known as stalactite or honeycomb vaulting). This vaulting is a key part of Islamic architecture, especially in the Middle Ages, and the intricate, stalactite-like forms that decorated parts of the Alhambra were filled with so much detail and pattern that it was almost overwhelming. Looking more into this element after the tour, it turns out that the Muqarnas in the Alhambra’s Palace of the Lions is considered an especially sophisticated example, making our chance to see the Alhambra’s architecture up close especially exciting. In the evening, we all enjoyed some free time in a plaza filled with dancing, music and souks ready for us to make a range of purchases.
On the Sunday, we visited the Alpujarras, the area between the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the sea. Going to Pampaneira was a very unique experience as there were streams running through the the streets. The buildings were all painted white and there were many colourful carpet shops which contrasted the buildings. We really enjoyed walking around and visiting the chocolate factory. We also went to a waterfall which was such a fun experience as all the mud in the river leading up to the waterfall was bright orange. We think everyone should see this waterfall once in their life.
Afterwards, we went to a gourmet ham tasting experience. When we arrived, we were greeted by a local Spanish butcher who took us through to a room where plates full of hams and cheeses were laid out on a table. The three different hams we tried were; Salchichon, Chorizo and Serrano. The hams wouldn’t have tested the same without the rich, soft cheese and the contrasting, crunchy crackers. After the meal was over, the room was swarming with Calne girls desperate to buy large amounts of meat to take back to England for our families.
We had a delightful dinner at a restaurant before going to our final excursion - to watch a traditional flamenco performance. We arrived at the Plaza de Toros and sat down in rows around a small spotlit stage. We were served drinks and, shortly after, the lights dimmed. Two women dressed in traditional ruffle dresses of blue, black, and gold spun onto the stage accompanied by a classical guitarist and two men, one being a singer while the other was a dancer dressed all in black. They sat on stools placed on the stage and they began to strum, sing, clap and tap in a springy rhythm while smiling and laughing with each another. The first dancer took the stage as the rhythm quickened and she stomped her heels, echoing around the room while she flung her skirt and arms from side-to-side. She returned to her chair as the crowd cheered in amazement. The guitarist began a new tune which the dancers and singer picked up on straight away. The next dancer glided across the stage and moved her arms in spirals. And lastly, with a new song once again, the final dancer took off from his seat, marching back and forth while tapping his heels and toes to meet the rhythm of the singer and guitarist while the other dancers clapped and tapped in sync, enjoying every performance just as much as the audience.
With such joyful music, dramatic lighting and beautifully made costumes, the flamenco evening was an inspiring experience for us all. When it was time to leave, we decided to ask the guitarist and one of the dancers for a selfie as a souvenir of the amazing night we had all enjoyed.
Over the few days we learnt so much about the history of Granada, Alhambra and the entire southern area of Spain. We learnt a lot about the influence of religion on the Sierra Nevada - it was the the last stronghold of the Muslim rulers in Spain before they were conquered by the Catholic monarchs. Led by a very well-experienced tour guide, we learnt about the importance of the mountains during Spain's transition to democracy in the 1970s. Many of the region's separatist movements were centred around the mountains and there were several violent clashes between separatist groups and the Spanish government, in the Basque Country and Catalonia. Our visit gave us the opportunity to experience's Grenada's beautiful landmarks whilst learning about its rich history.
We have loved this trip so much and had the most amazing experience. Thank you again Mrs Pallot and Mrs Owen for an extremely successful trip.
This article is a collection of contributions from the students who attended the trip.