About the photographer
and this region of Spain:
"We live in a hamlet (300 families) called Bacor-Olivar
and hardly have electricity and Internet. Until the
year 2000 this hamlet was virtually unknown to exist.
Neighbours went on horseback to the nearest village,
Freila, to buy food if necessary... When the Pantano
del Negratin, today one of the largest fresh water
reservoirs of Europe (16 x 1 mile) was finished, this
region opened up for visitors and ... us!
Regarding my snapshots
from our region in Andalucia it will most likely be
clear to you, that they represent a "different"
Spain. Apart from the obvious details from our fairly
unknown region there are other important facts. Although
Spain is said to be 90% Roman Catholic, recent statistics
show that visiting a RC Church is something only 30%
of its population does regularly. My estimate however
is, stemming from my observations, that 90% maintains
the Catholic traditions, such as processions. The
colourful "Moros y Cristianos Fiestas" in
Spain are an example of such traditions, reminiscent
of the time of the Reconquista.
Since there are only
37 million Spanish people (number rapidly decreasing)
a lot of work is done by foreigners from Africa or
people from Columbia and Equador, mostly inofficially
working on the fields. I guess this group makes up
some 5-7% of the population.
The role of woman
and role of the family is usually judged to be "old
fashioned" for Spain by people from "the
North". Families (nearly clans) still cling together,
but their numbers are dwindling now.
Photo descriptions:
-Various pictures
from our surrounding: the North-Eastern Andalucian
Desert next to the so-called Altiplano de Baza.
-the
rather hidden Facultad de Estudies Andalusies, where
we studied Arabic language and Islamic sciences (cultural
history Al Andaluz). It is situated in the mountains
near Puebla de Don Fadrique.
-the only small group
of sequoia trees in existence in Europe between Huescar
and Don Fadrique. Hardly anybody know their position!
Better so..
-Tturkish bath!
-my youngest son Daniel
while preparing "salchisas" after a matanza,
During December traditions require to butcher your
pigs (in the open air, factually prohibited, but who
cares as so many in smaller villages still do that)
and prepare all kind of sausages and ham for the rest
of the coming year. Next to the fact that most have
their "campo" with small shed or "casita"
and grow vegetables, olives and fruits. So one is
largerly self-sufficient, particularly with fresh
water streams from the Sierra Nevada and Sra. de Baza
all year. It is for me as a psychologist interesting
to see how these families hold together and succeed
infending off civilization!"
Read more about Andalucia
