An air of Muslim and wind of La Mancha

Catedral de Cordoba(Mezquita)

In this trip to Spain,I was impressed with Basilica of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and  Alhambra palace in Granada  and one more building is Catedral de la Cordoba. We can see about 850  columns that support double arch with combination of red and white inside. Here was a space of prayer in Islamic era.
This catedral has both a chapel of Christian and a mosque of Muslim. This style is rare.

Mihrab and Maksula

the dome of Maksula

Cordoba was founded before  Roma era  and flourished as a capital of  the Second Umayyads in  the mid 8th century.
This catedral was started building at the place where the chapel of christian used to be,not destroyed by the order of the founder of the Second Umayyads, and  extensions and reconstructions were repeated by the successive califs. In the latter half of the tenth century,it became the biggest mosque in the world.(24000 square meters)
After Cordoba was reconquered by Christian in 1236 at reconquest , the Cathedral was started using as a chapel again. They didn't crush the arches or Mihrab( it's a hollow that showing the direction of mecca that Muslim prays) or Maksula(it's space that emphasize Mihrab)etc, inside the mosque. That is the reason  this catedral has a chapel and a mosque.

The chapel at the center of Mezquita

The old Jewish town is near Mezquita

 

The Catedral  de Cordoba

Don Quijote de la Mancha

As you know, this story was written by Cervantes  in the 17th century.
The main character, Don Quijote was a  nobleman in a lower class. But as he read too much chivalry stories, he took himself for a knight. So he started  traveling to conquer the wrong like other knights.

I saw the wild reddish brown earth expanded around the district of  la Mancha.

windmills at la Mancha that Don Quijote mistook for giants

Don Quijote pushed forward his delusion, riding on his horse, taking his follower Sancho Panza.        .
The negotiations between Don Quijote and Sancho Panza  is  interesting and his justice or dream are very impressed for me live in this world where it's easy to depend on the trend. But I couldn't grasp the real sense of this story.
I heard this story contains metaphors. For example, the windmill is likened Holland and Don Quijote is likened Spain. He fought against  the windmill and lost. And Holland became independent from Spain. There might be patriotism, not delusion.
If I knew the background in those days, I could read it more pleasantly.
Many performing arts "Man of La Mancha"have been produced from this novel. They sing in the performance. Click here.
               
                      "The impossible dream"
               To dream the impossible dream,
               To fight the unbeatable foe,
               To bear the unbearable sorrow,
               To run where the brave dare not go,
               To right the unrightable wrong,
                      .............
                      .............
                To reach the unreachable stars!



The hill near Alcazar in Segovia city.....Wild red poppy or many flowers
 must have been blooming in Don Quijote's days.

Alcazar in Segovia city....the model of the castle of "the Princess of White Snow"
 by Disney.. Don Quijote's beloved lady was not living a castle like this.