I must not be in Kansas anymore

I mean, I must not be in Arab lands anymore.












The image of Mary and what I guess is the unborn Christ is in the Mezquita in Cordoba. "Mezquita" means mosque, but has not served as one since the 13th century when the city was conquered by Christians and rededicated as a cathedral. And yet the Moorish architecture, with its indebtedness to the mosques of Damascus and Jerusalem (all products of the first Muslim dynasty, the Umayyids). Until, that is the 15th century when a massive cross-formed chapel was build in the middle of the old mosque, disrupting the flow of the colonades.

Spain

Christmas in Madrid.

My travels are ending in Spain, where, later than these three photos were taken, I travel to Andalusia to see the Moorish monuments in Seville, Granada and Cordoba.


Joined now by my wife, Jordan. This picture was taken in a park on Christmas day.
















And Gwen, my sixteen-year-old daughter, who would frankly rather be at home hanging with her homies than in Spain with Mom and me. Go figure. But she finds a moment of happiness with some chocolate over-indulgence. I didn't want all that chocolate ice-cream and hot fudge and brownie myself, but I couldn't let her eat alone...