Ben Barclay
@benbarclay.bsky.social
Translator and textbook writer. Post on climate, energy, health, Spain, Brexit and other stuff.
Produce VoiceMap audio tours of Andalucía: https://voicemap.me/publisher/ben-barclay#tours
Substack: https://thegreentransition.substack.com/
Produce VoiceMap audio tours of Andalucía: https://voicemap.me/publisher/ben-barclay#tours
Substack: https://thegreentransition.substack.com/
Speaking of the Sierra Nevada, we stopped on the way home to snap some photos of it. Storm Claudia has left it looking at its best.
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Speaking of the Sierra Nevada, we stopped on the way home to snap some photos of it. Storm Claudia has left it looking at its best.
And in all directions, the views are magnificent, with the white houses against a background of grey-green olives, red soil, deep blue sky and, in the distance, the snow-capped Sierra Nevada.
November 19, 2025 at 5:48 PM
And in all directions, the views are magnificent, with the white houses against a background of grey-green olives, red soil, deep blue sky and, in the distance, the snow-capped Sierra Nevada.
The church, built on the site of a former mosque and ransacked by Napoleon’s troops is a mix of late Gothic and early Renaissance.
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November 19, 2025 at 5:36 PM
The church, built on the site of a former mosque and ransacked by Napoleon’s troops is a mix of late Gothic and early Renaissance.
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But what’s really special about La Mota is that it’s the well-preserved ruins of a medieval frontier town, complete with a military district, houses with courtyards, horse troughs, storerooms with great big urns, etc.
It feels more like visiting a medieval Herculaneum or Pompei than a castle.
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It feels more like visiting a medieval Herculaneum or Pompei than a castle.
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November 19, 2025 at 5:33 PM
But what’s really special about La Mota is that it’s the well-preserved ruins of a medieval frontier town, complete with a military district, houses with courtyards, horse troughs, storerooms with great big urns, etc.
It feels more like visiting a medieval Herculaneum or Pompei than a castle.
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It feels more like visiting a medieval Herculaneum or Pompei than a castle.
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The fortress itself is impressive enough, with an interesting entrance design involving shrinking arches followed by an s-shaped passage to make life difficult for potential attackers.
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November 19, 2025 at 5:26 PM
The fortress itself is impressive enough, with an interesting entrance design involving shrinking arches followed by an s-shaped passage to make life difficult for potential attackers.
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Today’s castle was the Castillo de la Mota, in Alcalá la Real.
Originally a Moorish fortress and town, it exchanged hands several times during the 13th century before being taken by Alfonso XI in 1341 the year after the Battle of Salado.
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Originally a Moorish fortress and town, it exchanged hands several times during the 13th century before being taken by Alfonso XI in 1341 the year after the Battle of Salado.
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November 19, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Today’s castle was the Castillo de la Mota, in Alcalá la Real.
Originally a Moorish fortress and town, it exchanged hands several times during the 13th century before being taken by Alfonso XI in 1341 the year after the Battle of Salado.
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Originally a Moorish fortress and town, it exchanged hands several times during the 13th century before being taken by Alfonso XI in 1341 the year after the Battle of Salado.
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Remember that SMRs are like IKEA chairs?
In Argentina, they’ve spent 45 years developing and building their IKEA chair, and it’s still nowhere near being finished.
www.neimagazine.com/news/argenti...
In Argentina, they’ve spent 45 years developing and building their IKEA chair, and it’s still nowhere near being finished.
www.neimagazine.com/news/argenti...
November 15, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Remember that SMRs are like IKEA chairs?
In Argentina, they’ve spent 45 years developing and building their IKEA chair, and it’s still nowhere near being finished.
www.neimagazine.com/news/argenti...
In Argentina, they’ve spent 45 years developing and building their IKEA chair, and it’s still nowhere near being finished.
www.neimagazine.com/news/argenti...
And the Torre de las Infantas, where Washington Irving set one of his most famous Tales from the Alhambra.
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November 12, 2025 at 1:07 PM
And the Torre de las Infantas, where Washington Irving set one of his most famous Tales from the Alhambra.
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More photos from the same area.
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November 12, 2025 at 1:05 PM
More photos from the same area.
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And the Sala de las Camas.
The bright colours are 19th century reimaginations of what the Alhambra might have looked like originally, strongly influenced by Owen Jones’ chromolithographs.
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The bright colours are 19th century reimaginations of what the Alhambra might have looked like originally, strongly influenced by Owen Jones’ chromolithographs.
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November 12, 2025 at 1:04 PM
And the Sala de las Camas.
The bright colours are 19th century reimaginations of what the Alhambra might have looked like originally, strongly influenced by Owen Jones’ chromolithographs.
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The bright colours are 19th century reimaginations of what the Alhambra might have looked like originally, strongly influenced by Owen Jones’ chromolithographs.
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Had the fortune of doing a guided tour of the Alhambra with an art historian, including some bits you can’t normally visit.
This is the Peinador de la Reina, ir Queen’s Dressing Room.
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This is the Peinador de la Reina, ir Queen’s Dressing Room.
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November 12, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Had the fortune of doing a guided tour of the Alhambra with an art historian, including some bits you can’t normally visit.
This is the Peinador de la Reina, ir Queen’s Dressing Room.
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This is the Peinador de la Reina, ir Queen’s Dressing Room.
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That reads more like a sales pitch for investment in Italy than an opinion piece. Yes, Italy has lots of strengths, but it has some pretty glaring weaknesses too. By most measures, Spain's economy is doing much better than Italy's at the moment, including growth, bond yields, deficit, and debt.
November 10, 2025 at 10:23 AM
That reads more like a sales pitch for investment in Italy than an opinion piece. Yes, Italy has lots of strengths, but it has some pretty glaring weaknesses too. By most measures, Spain's economy is doing much better than Italy's at the moment, including growth, bond yields, deficit, and debt.
Finally, a couple of pictures of the main church with its former courtyard of ablutions, and the Puerta de Sevilla fortress seen from a distance.
Carmona’s importance derived from its position guarding the lower Guadalquivir, on the Via Augusta between Hispalis (Seville) and Corduba.
Ends
Carmona’s importance derived from its position guarding the lower Guadalquivir, on the Via Augusta between Hispalis (Seville) and Corduba.
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November 9, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Finally, a couple of pictures of the main church with its former courtyard of ablutions, and the Puerta de Sevilla fortress seen from a distance.
Carmona’s importance derived from its position guarding the lower Guadalquivir, on the Via Augusta between Hispalis (Seville) and Corduba.
Ends
Carmona’s importance derived from its position guarding the lower Guadalquivir, on the Via Augusta between Hispalis (Seville) and Corduba.
Ends
It was the first proper archaeological dig in Spain, and one of the men behind the project was George “Jorge” Bonsor, a French-British painter turned archaeologist whose fondness for a local pastry of Arabic origin gave it its modern name - torta inglesa.
We sampled one in a quirky café.
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We sampled one in a quirky café.
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November 9, 2025 at 7:23 PM
It was the first proper archaeological dig in Spain, and one of the men behind the project was George “Jorge” Bonsor, a French-British painter turned archaeologist whose fondness for a local pastry of Arabic origin gave it its modern name - torta inglesa.
We sampled one in a quirky café.
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We sampled one in a quirky café.
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Last stop in Carmona was the amphitheatre and necropolis, which is the most important Roman necropolis in Spain, with 100s of tombs.
As well as the massive Servilia family tomb, once surrounded by ornately decorated builds, it has the tomb of the elephant, named after a statue found there.
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As well as the massive Servilia family tomb, once surrounded by ornately decorated builds, it has the tomb of the elephant, named after a statue found there.
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November 9, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Last stop in Carmona was the amphitheatre and necropolis, which is the most important Roman necropolis in Spain, with 100s of tombs.
As well as the massive Servilia family tomb, once surrounded by ornately decorated builds, it has the tomb of the elephant, named after a statue found there.
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As well as the massive Servilia family tomb, once surrounded by ornately decorated builds, it has the tomb of the elephant, named after a statue found there.
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The nuns had a good view from their tower.
Social hierarchies were maintained, with nuns from poorer families wearing white and doing menial tasks, while posher nuns in black managed “spiritual“ affairs.
You could take your photo in the cloister, but we moved on for a glass of something.
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Social hierarchies were maintained, with nuns from poorer families wearing white and doing menial tasks, while posher nuns in black managed “spiritual“ affairs.
You could take your photo in the cloister, but we moved on for a glass of something.
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November 9, 2025 at 7:15 AM
The nuns had a good view from their tower.
Social hierarchies were maintained, with nuns from poorer families wearing white and doing menial tasks, while posher nuns in black managed “spiritual“ affairs.
You could take your photo in the cloister, but we moved on for a glass of something.
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Social hierarchies were maintained, with nuns from poorer families wearing white and doing menial tasks, while posher nuns in black managed “spiritual“ affairs.
You could take your photo in the cloister, but we moved on for a glass of something.
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After the town museum, we visited the Santa Clara Convent. There‘s a small museum where they explain the history of the Poor Clares and how they lived in Carmona from the foundation of the convent in 1460.
You can see the small trunks they brought with all their earthly belongings.
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You can see the small trunks they brought with all their earthly belongings.
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November 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM
After the town museum, we visited the Santa Clara Convent. There‘s a small museum where they explain the history of the Poor Clares and how they lived in Carmona from the foundation of the convent in 1460.
You can see the small trunks they brought with all their earthly belongings.
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You can see the small trunks they brought with all their earthly belongings.
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The mosaics include Eros windsurfing on an amphora of wine.
As you do.
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As you do.
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November 8, 2025 at 8:42 PM
The mosaics include Eros windsurfing on an amphora of wine.
As you do.
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As you do.
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In the museum in Carmona, they had oriental-inspired pottery from the 1st millennium BC, which were found alongside ivory spoons.
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November 8, 2025 at 8:38 PM
In the museum in Carmona, they had oriental-inspired pottery from the 1st millennium BC, which were found alongside ivory spoons.
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In the walls, you can see how the Roman stonework sits on top of the massive Carthaginian ashlar stones.
The keep uses the Muslim “tapial” construction technique.
Solar panels show Visigoth influences.
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The keep uses the Muslim “tapial” construction technique.
Solar panels show Visigoth influences.
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November 8, 2025 at 5:38 PM
In the walls, you can see how the Roman stonework sits on top of the massive Carthaginian ashlar stones.
The keep uses the Muslim “tapial” construction technique.
Solar panels show Visigoth influences.
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The keep uses the Muslim “tapial” construction technique.
Solar panels show Visigoth influences.
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Next we continued to Carmona, where the Puerta de Sevilla fortress has significant Carthaginian remains, which are relatively rare.
It was modified and reinforced by the Romans and then Muslims, and finally by Pedro 1 of Castile.
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It was modified and reinforced by the Romans and then Muslims, and finally by Pedro 1 of Castile.
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November 8, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Next we continued to Carmona, where the Puerta de Sevilla fortress has significant Carthaginian remains, which are relatively rare.
It was modified and reinforced by the Romans and then Muslims, and finally by Pedro 1 of Castile.
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It was modified and reinforced by the Romans and then Muslims, and finally by Pedro 1 of Castile.
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The “adult“ content is the 3 graces, ffs.
Anyway, there are older baths beneath the villa, with an unusually shaped mosaic featuring the River Nile personified riding a hippo, and pygmies fighting a crane.
They have ”speech bubbles”, so it’s a sort of ancient cartoon.
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Anyway, there are older baths beneath the villa, with an unusually shaped mosaic featuring the River Nile personified riding a hippo, and pygmies fighting a crane.
They have ”speech bubbles”, so it’s a sort of ancient cartoon.
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November 8, 2025 at 5:17 PM
The “adult“ content is the 3 graces, ffs.
Anyway, there are older baths beneath the villa, with an unusually shaped mosaic featuring the River Nile personified riding a hippo, and pygmies fighting a crane.
They have ”speech bubbles”, so it’s a sort of ancient cartoon.
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Anyway, there are older baths beneath the villa, with an unusually shaped mosaic featuring the River Nile personified riding a hippo, and pygmies fighting a crane.
They have ”speech bubbles”, so it’s a sort of ancient cartoon.
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This morning we went to Fuente Alamo, the last of the three great Roman villas in Andalucia.
The mosaics aren’t as brilliant as the ones at Villa Salar (and light was awkward), but still pretty cool. And the excavations are much more complete.
Triumph of Bacchus and 3 Graces are most famous.
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The mosaics aren’t as brilliant as the ones at Villa Salar (and light was awkward), but still pretty cool. And the excavations are much more complete.
Triumph of Bacchus and 3 Graces are most famous.
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November 8, 2025 at 5:12 PM
This morning we went to Fuente Alamo, the last of the three great Roman villas in Andalucia.
The mosaics aren’t as brilliant as the ones at Villa Salar (and light was awkward), but still pretty cool. And the excavations are much more complete.
Triumph of Bacchus and 3 Graces are most famous.
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The mosaics aren’t as brilliant as the ones at Villa Salar (and light was awkward), but still pretty cool. And the excavations are much more complete.
Triumph of Bacchus and 3 Graces are most famous.
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It looks like we have our first lemon of the season.
November 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM
It looks like we have our first lemon of the season.
Here’s an another example of what I posted about this morning.
Did Spanish environmentalists have an iron grip on power from 2012-18, before being rounded up and sent to the Canary Islands so solar PV could flourish?
[No, a right-wing govt effectively banned solar power.]
Did Spanish environmentalists have an iron grip on power from 2012-18, before being rounded up and sent to the Canary Islands so solar PV could flourish?
[No, a right-wing govt effectively banned solar power.]
November 3, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Here’s an another example of what I posted about this morning.
Did Spanish environmentalists have an iron grip on power from 2012-18, before being rounded up and sent to the Canary Islands so solar PV could flourish?
[No, a right-wing govt effectively banned solar power.]
Did Spanish environmentalists have an iron grip on power from 2012-18, before being rounded up and sent to the Canary Islands so solar PV could flourish?
[No, a right-wing govt effectively banned solar power.]