ES-518010 Atardecer en la bahia de San Sebastián

San Sebastián (Spanish) or Donostia (Basque) is a coastal city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, 20 km (12 miles) from the French border. The main economic activities are commerce and tourism, and San Sebastián is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Spain.
This lovely postcard shows an oil painting of the sunset over the bay and it came from Jose (Postcrossing, 25 June 2018).  The painting was by JJ. de Garay.

ES-513019 Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid, Spain

Cuatro Torres Business Area (CTBA), Spanish for "Four Towers Business Area", is a business district located in the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, Spain, on the former Ciudad Deportiva of Real Madrid. The area contains the tallest skyscrapers in Spain, and some of the highest in the European Union: the Torre Espacio, Torre de Cristal, Torre PwC and Torre Cepsa. Construction of the buildings finished in 2008. The complex was formerly known as Madrid Arena.

Torre de Cristal
Designed by Cesar Pelli and built by Dragados, Torre de Cristal (Spanish for Crystal Tower), with a height of 249 meters, is the tallest building in the country. In April 2007, its structure surpassed the height of Torre Espacio. Its highest point is intended to house a garden.

Torre Cepsa
Designed by Norman Foster and built by a joint venture of Dragados and Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, the 45-storey Torre Cepsa (Spanish for Cepsa Tower), with a height of 248 m, is the second tallest building in the area, surpassed by Torre de Cristal by 1 metre.  It was first known as Torre Repsol and was to have served as headquarters for the oil and gas company Repsol YPF. During the construction of the tower, Repsol decided to change the location of its future headquarters, and the financial institution Caja Madrid (currently Bankia) purchased the building for €815 million in August 2007. In 2015 it was loaned to Cepsa for its main headquarters and hence the tower was renamed again as Torre Cepsa.

Torre PwC
Designed by Carlos Rubio Carvajal and Enrique Álvarez-Sala Walter and built by Sacyr Sau, the 52-storey skyscraper, formerly known as Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso, is 236 meters (774 feet) tall. It is the only one of the four to be designed by Spanish architects. Torre PwC houses the five-star hotel Eurostars Madrid Tower, which occupies 60% of the tower, with rooms between floors 6 and 27 and at its upper part, a two-storey dining room offering a panoramic view of the city. It is the only tower with double skin facade and it is covered entirely of glass in the form of flakes. On the upper deck there are 3 wind turbines capable of producing wind energy for use in the building. A production of 25 kWh is estimated.

Torre Espacio
Designed by Henry N. Cobb and built by Obrascón Huarte Lain, the 57-storey Torre Espacio (Spanish for Space Tower) is 224.5 metres (737 feet) tall. In November 2006, its height surpassed that of the Gran Hotel Bali, thus making it the tallest building in Spain, although it retained that title only for a short time. The structure was topped out on March 19, 2007.

This postcard came from Lanire (Postcrossing, 18 June 2018)

DE-6238878 The Osborne Bull - an icon of Spain

The Osborne bull (Toro de Osborne) is a 14-meter (46 ft) high black silhouetted image of a bull in semi-profile. 

The Osborne sherry company (founded by Thomas Osborne Mann in 1772) erected large images of bulls starting in 1956 to advertise their Brandy de Jerez. The images were black (with the brand "Veterano" in red on it) advertising boards located near major roads throughout Spain. The original image was smaller and slightly different in design. The current larger image was created to comply with a law that prohibited advertising within 150 meters of a road.

In 1994 the EU passed a law that prohibited all roadside advertising of alcoholic beverages, and the bulls were therefore to be removed. By this time the signs were nationally renowned and public response resulted in the signs being retained, but completely blacked out to remove all reference to the original advertisers. The Court eventually allowed these signs to remain on the grounds that they have become a part of the landscape and have "aesthetic or cultural significance", thus turning the bulls into public domain images. (Source: Wikipedia)

There are about 90 examples of the Osborne bull. See map for distribution in the various Spanish provinces.

This postcard came from Marc of Detmold in Germany (7 June 2017) who bothered to locate this great postcard for me.

Personal Note:
We toured Spain in 2013 and from the coach, I noticed this iconic bull.  I had always wanted a postcard of this image as I was unable to photograph it.

PL-1103716 Lanzarote - Canary Islands

Lanzarote is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands (which belongs to Spain) and has a volcanic origin. It was born through fiery eruptions and has solidified lava streams as well as extravagant rock formations. The island emerged about 15 million years ago as a product of the Canary hotspot. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated Timanfaya National Park (see .http://flynnfrogg.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/timanfaya-national-park.html)

This postcard came from Anna (4 September 2015) Postcrossing.

ES-368427 The Mudéjar style of architecture in Zaragoza, Spain

These 4 churches in Zaragoza are (1) the Church of St Gil (2) the Church of St Pablo (3) Church of Sta. Maria Magdalena and (4) the Church of San Miguel. They all exhibit a distinctive style of architecture.

The Mudéjar style, a symbiosis of techniques and ways of understanding architecture resulting from Muslim and Christian cultures living side by side, emerged as an architectural style in the 12th century on the Iberian peninsula. It is characterised by the use of brick as the main material. Mudéjar did not involve the creation of new shapes or structures (unlike Gothic or Romanesque), but the reinterpretation of Western cultural styles through Islamic influences. Mudéjar art was influenced by ancient Arabic scripts which follow repetitive rhythmic patterns.

The dominant geometrical character emerged conspicuously in the accessory crafts using less expensive materials: elaborate tilework, brickwork, wood carving, plaster carving, and ornamental metals. To enliven the planar surfaces of wall and floor, Mudéjar style developed complicated tiling patterns. Even after Muslims were no longer employed in architecture, many of the elements they had introduced continued to be incorporated into Spanish architecture, thereby giving it a distinctive appearance. The term Mudéjar style was first coined in 1859 by José Amador de los Ríos, an Andalusian historian and archeologist.

This postcard came from Alena (2 September 2015) Postcrossing.

WC 85-506 Sketching of the Cathedral of Málaga

The Cathedral of Málaga is a Renaissance church in the city of Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain. It is located within the limits defined by a now missing portion of the medieval Moorish walls, the remains of which surround the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782. Its interior is also in Renaissance style.

The façade, unlike the rest of the building, is in Baroque style and is divided into two levels; on the lower level are three arches, inside of which are portals separated by marble columns. Above the doors are medallions carved in stone; those of the lateral doors represent the patron saints of Málaga, Saint Cyriacus and Saint Paula, while that over the centre represents the Annunciation.

This postcard came from Amyncognito (8 July 2015) Swap-bot.

ES-314636 Costa Daurada

Costa Daurada (Spanish: Costa Dorada, meaning in English "Golden Coast") takes its name from the colour of its sand when the sun is shining. At such times, its beaches are reminiscent of gold.

Costa Daurada is a coastal region with an area of 2,999 square kilometres at the southern tip of Catalonia. It is between Cunit and Alcanar on the Mediterranean Sea. It has 92 kilometres of Mediterranean coast. Costa Daurada is entirely included in the province of Tarragona.

Costa Daurada is graced with a quintessentially Mediterranean climate, marked by mild winters and warm summers with little rain. In winter, the climate is influenced by the mistral wind, which blows in from the northwest, and the garbí, which blows from the southwest; in summer, the region's low humidity prevents the formation of fog.

The region's mountainous geography likewise contributes to its stable climate, making it an optimum place to enjoy outdoor activities all year long.

This postcard came from Dennisse (1 October 2014) Postcrossing.

ES-314870 Almansa

Almansa is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Albacete, part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha.  Almansa has more than 25,000 inhabitants.

From 30 April to 6 May, Almansa holds a series of festivals in honour of Nuestra Señora de Belén (Our Lady of Bethlehem).  The Moros y Cristianos festival is one of them.

Almansa is built at the foot of a white limestone crag which is surmounted by a Moorish castle (the Castle of Almansa).

This postcard from RosanaB (1 October 2014) Postcrossing shows a winter scene featuring the Castle and the City Hall with its interesting façade.

ES-302631 Animals of Menorca

Menorca or Minorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its highest point, called El Toro or Monte Toro, is 358 metres (1,175 feet) above sea level.

Menorca has a population of less than 100,000. The two official languages are Catalan and Spanish. Natives to the island speak the variety of Catalan called Menorquí.

In October 1993, Menorca was designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.

Although this postcard is titled “Animals of Menorca” Menorca does not have any large mammals native to its environment. There are some small mammals including rabbits, rats, mice, pine marten and the North African sub-species of hedgehog.

This postcard was sent by Teresa (8 August 2014) Postcrossing.

DE-4383285 Timanfaya National Park

El diablo - the logo of the Park

Timanfaya National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional de Timanfaya) is a Spanish national park in the southwestern part of the island of Lanzarote, Canary Islands. The area is 51.07 square kilometres (19.72 sq mi). The parkland is entirely made up of volcanic soil.

Timanfaya is one of the best examples of volcanic habitat just colonised by vegetation and inhabited by 180 different plant species that live off organic matter transported by the wind.  There are more than 25 volcanoes, with some iconic ones, such as the Fire Mountains, Cracked Mountain or Wort Kettle. This area still has volcanic activity and hot spots exist on the surface to reach 100 to 600C at 13 metres (43 ft) deep.  For tourists, a demonstration is usually conducted by pouring water into the ground; this will result in a geyser of steam.

Volcanic landscape - DE-4383285

After all the recent (1730-1736) volcanic eruptions, the volcanoes of Lanzarote have entered a lull having left their mark and preventing the habitability of the entire area.

 

The postcard was sent by Lita A. (29 June 2014) Direct Swap Postcrossing and the second postcard of Timanfaya National Park came from Renate (30 July 2015) Postcrossing.

 Where is Lanzarote?

Lanzarote is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands and has a volcanic origin. It was born through fiery eruptions and has solidified lava streams as well as extravagant rock formations. The island emerged about 15 million years ago as a product of the Canary hotspot. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated Timanfaya National Park. See: http://flynnfrogg.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/pl-1103716-lanzarote-canary-islands.html

 

SW AY-075 Alicante

Alicante is a city and port in Spain on the Costa Blanca. It is the capital of the province of Alicante. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,329 and the metropolitan area (including Elche and satellite towns) was 771,061 as of 2011 estimates. Alicante was one of the fastest-growing cities in Spain. The boom depended partly on tourism directed to the beaches of the Costa Blanca and particularly on the second residence-construction boom which started in the 1960s and revived again by the late 1990s.  

One of the most notable features of the city is the Castle of Santa Bárbara. The castle is situated on Mount Benacantil, overlooking the city. The tower (La Torreta) at the top, is the oldest part of the castle, while part of the lowest zone and the walls were constructed later in the 18th century. Barrio de la Santa Cruz is a colourful quarter of the old city, situated on the south-west of Santa Bárbara castle. Its small houses climb up the hill leading to the walls and the castle, through narrow streets decorated with flags and tubs of flowers.

Another feature of Alicante is the Port of Alicante.  It is a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.  It is used for commercial and passenger traffic. The port is administered by the Port Authority of Alicante. The port has been reinventing itself since the industrial decline the city suffered in the 1980s (with most mercantile traffic lost to Valencia's harbour). In recent years, the Port Authority has established it as one of the most important ports in Spain for cruises.  There were 72 calls to port made by cruises in 2007, bringing some 80,000 cruise passengers and 30,000 crew to the city each year.

I received this postcard from Sandra (sandricherry5) Swap-bot Direct Swap.

 

The Castellers of Barcelona

In Catalan, the word ‘castell’ means castle.  This tradition of building a human tower by lifting different levels of people until a great height involves hundreds of people. The people who take part in this activity  are called ‘castellers’.  The castellers are grouped in “colles” that normally take the name of its place of origin.

The tradition of building castells originated in Valls, near the city of Tarragona, in the southern part of Catalonia towards the end of the 18th century. Later it developed a following in other regions of Catalonia and, since 1981, when the first castell of 9 levels of the 20th century was built, it has become very popular in most of Catalonia.

The base of a castell is called "Pinya" which is a relatively large ring, onto which the weight of the load above is distributed and which stabilizes the structure. This ring also softens the fall of the castellers when the castell is disassembled.

Depending on the height of the tower, one or two additional ring-shaped floors ("Manilles") are put on top of the pinya.  On top of this, the actual tower is built. The "tronc", Catalan for trunk, consists of several levels with a specific number of people.

Climbing to the top of the tower is only allowed for kids, because of their light weight. This child is called “anxaneta” (Catalan: “enxaneta”)

When the signal to proceed to build a castelle is given, the band  begins to play the traditional Toc de Castells music as a hush comes over spectators of the event. A castell is considered a success when stages of its assembling and disassembling, can be done in complete succession. The assembly is complete once all castellers have climbed into their designated places, and the anxaneta climbs into place at the top and raises one hand with four fingers erect, in a gesture said to symbolize the stripes of the Catalan flag. The anxaneta then climbs down the other side of the castell, after which the remaining levels of castellers descend in highest-to-lowest order until all have reached safety.

The building of castells is a rather rural tradition, which also explains why the first club in the city, the Castellers de Barcelona, was founded quite late in 1969. Each club has its distinctive colours.  The castellers in this postcard are wearing red shirts which indicate they are from the club ‘Castellers de Barcelona’.

 

On November 16, 2010, castells were declared by UNESCO to be amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

This wonderful postcard came from Marta of Catalonia (28 April 2014) Postcrossing. 

SW AC-045 The Rock of Ifach / Calpe / Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain

This very attractive postcard came from Sandra Rico Albert (11 April 2014) Swap-bot.  It shows the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea along the Costa Blanca with the town of Calpe in the background.

Calpe is a coastal town located in the province of Alicante, Spain.  It has an area of 23.5 km². The town is located 67 km from the city of Alicante.  The economy of Calpe is mainly based on tourism and fishing. Many Iberian, Roman and Arab archaeological sites exist in the town.  Some of the most important monuments in Calpe are the ruins of Els banys de la Reina, (the Queen's baths), the flooded salt flats, a bird sanctuary for migratory birds, its Gothic Catholic church and the tower of La Peça, dating from the 18th century.

The Costa Brava is roughly 200 km of coast and is popular with tourists, mainly British and German.

Also seen in this postcard is the Rock of Ifach known as “Peñón de Ifach”.  It is a symbol of the Costa Blanca.  The Rock of Ifach is a calcareous rock rising from the sea to a height of 332 m and one kilometre long, making a total of 50,000 m² of rock. Joined to the land by a narrow isthmus, it is the result of a landslide from nearby Sierra de Oltà, making it one of the most unusual and beautiful geographical features, not only within the Valencian community but also on the entire Mediterranean coast.

La Plaza de toros de Ronda, Andalusia, Spain

Lena sent this postcard of the Plaza de toros de Ronda (18 March 2014).  This bullring is the oldest bullring in Spain and is one of the most visited bullfighting sites. It was inaugurated in 1785.

Where is Ronda?

Ronda is a city in the Spanish province of  Málaga.  It is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of the city of Málaga, within the autonomous community of Andalusia. The Ronda bullright is under the jurisdiction of the Real Maestranzas de Caballería de Ronda.

What is a maestranza de caballería?

Maestranzas de caballería (literally translated as cavalry armories) were noble guilds created by the Spanish Crown, with the aim of giving the nobility practice in horsemanship and the use of weapons. In the sixteenth century, the caballería or cavalry, was the typical military branch for nobles to follow, but the aforementioned skills had become less common as the Spanish aristocracy converted into a class of courtiers. These noble institutions created a dedicated cavalry corps that was directly funded by its members. The participating nobles, or maestrantes, organized themselves under the advocacy of a holy patron and took the internal form of a fraternity.

On August 3, 1573, the nobility of Ronda created the Hermandad del Santo Espíritu under the advocacy of Nuestra Señora de Gracia ('Our Lady of Grace'), which would later become the Real Maestranza de Caballería de Ronda.

This postcard shows a view of the Bullring from the pilaster seats.  Underneath the Bullring's seats lies the Bullfighting Museum. Different artistic and historical pieces illustrate the Maestranza's long history as well as other aspects of chivalry and nobility such as the Collection of Antique Firearms and the Royal Harness Collection of the House of Orleans.