Hello from Seville Spain, where I am meeting with my friend from Arte Patchwork, who has been a lovely host and tour guide despite the terribly hot weather. After trying to see the sights as the temperature went up to 107 F, now I understand why everyone takes a siesta in the afternoon, and then everyone eats late and is out on the streets in the cool of the evening. We are sleeping from 1-8 am, and 3-5 pm. It is very strange to see little kids out playing in the streets at midnight, but understandable when it gets up to 100+ F almost every day.
7 years ago I came to Spain for the first time, and I especially fell in love with the art and culture of Andalusia, where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together in peace. I love the blend of cultures that is expressed in the cathedrals, temples and mosques…blending Moorish ceramic geometric tiles, with Baroque ornamentation, and several thousand years of history in stone and mosaic.
Part of the reason I wanted to come back to explore more of the Moorish art in Andalusia, is because the geometrics of their decorative surface designs really lends itself to quilting! It has been especially fun to tour Sevilla with my quilter/publisher friend, because we delight in seeing potential quilt patterns everywhere we look.
Today I realized a longtime dream, visiting the mosque/cathedral of Cordoba, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The thousands of years of expansion of this massive complex, means that every section has its own story, even though there is a consistent visual theme running throughout the indoor spaces.
What is so interesting is how I keep finding the story of Cuba intertwined with the story of Spain. In Sevilla we visited the first factory in Europe – the tobacco factory – which is part of the story of the opera Carmen. It was the fist time that women were able to work outside the home and make their own money. The tobacco leaves they were rolling there, were coming from Cuba.
In Cordoba today, in the center of the massive mosque, is a baroque cathedral. The choir had 109 intricately carved “chairs” made from Cuban mahogany. It took 40 artisans 10 years to create the choir area. The mind boggles.
Today in Spain there is 70 percent unemployment for the young people, so almost all of them leave the country to find work. Most of the adults told us their kids had worked in several countries all over Europe. 7 years ago in Barcelona I was told the unemployment for young people was 45%.
And yet, the arts are still vividly alive here. There are dozens of high-end ateliers in Sevilla that design and make Flamenco dresses. There is also a local industry making the famous embroidered shawls. Tonight I am going to see the famous painted ceramics in Triana. There are musicians everywhere, and I plan to see as much flamenco dancing and music as possible during my week in Andalusia. There is a fierce pride in the culture of this region, and at its roots is the blend of Moorish and Spanish history, incorporating some obvious Moroccan influences.
I am taking tons of photos so I can share these inspirations with you! However for the moment I am trying to get through the jet lag and weird sleep schedule of the extreme heat. Everything comes alive as the sun goes down. Everyone comes out to walk their dogs as the streets become cool and dark. The full moon this week cast a magical glow on the evening tableau, and I hear the theme of Scheherezade in my head as we’ve wandered through the Moorish palaces of the Spanish royalty.
If my travels have taught me anything, it’s that Art is the thread that connects us all, and these threads are everywhere. When I interviewed the Tentmakers of Cairo in 2011, our customers loved seeing these Egyptian designs. When I visited Russia, and went to Leo Tolstoy’s house, there was a concert grand piano on the 2nd floor of the house. The room was a huge dining room and concert space, and Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky would come and play their new pieces in that room. So I also imagine the evening when Scheherezade was perhaps previewed on the piano in that room, evoking the tales of the Arabian Nights, inspiring another dazzling spiral of creativity.
It will “only” be 96 F when we visit Jerez tomorrow. I’ll be on the lookout for more threads that lead to spirals of creativity.
sharing your Passion for Fabric…
Luana and Paul
