Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from me and my family to all my faithful blog readers.

From left to right (Top row): María, Brian, Tom, Cristina, Mr. Watson.
(Lower row) María, Cristina & Brian, Tom & María, Cristina

My son Brian has also been producing his own holiday cards in Photoshop over the past few years.  The twist is that he always appears multiple times in the same scene.  This year, his Grandmother (Abuela) also appears a couple of times.

Also, be sure to check in with this blog on New Year's Eve.  I will be republishing a fan favorite!

You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

This blog has been named one of the top 75 fine art photography blogs on the planet.

Going Home

Preparing to go home from a trip is never easy.  It's not like you just zip open your suitcase, throw in the clothes and walk out the door.  For me, it involves shopping to buy gifts for my family and friends. Mostly, they're very small gifts -- just something to let them know I was thinking of them while I was away.  But even very small gifts can say a lot.

This isn't an easy blog post to write.  I had intended to document my Spanish shopping excursions and  show you all the cool items I found.  Then I realized that my family and friends read my blog.  The question suddenly becomes:  Do I destroy the element of surprise and write an awesome blog post showing all of the nice gifts; or, do I keep the surprise and not show anything to my loyal and faithful readers?

Sorry, loyal and faithful readers.  My family and friends won this round.

Buying for my wife, María, is the most difficult.  When I give her a gift, the exchange usually goes something like this:

Me: "I really put a lot of thought into it and hope you like it."

María:  (ripping open the box and wrapping paper) "Oh, I love it!  I love it!  (long pause)  But, you wouldn't mind if I exchange it for another color would you?   The green doesn't really go with anything I have.  And if they had it with a different neckline...  You know, I have several sweaters similar to this, but I saw one that was really cute in another catalogue...  You wouldn't mind, would you if...."

Don't worry.  I'm used to it.  The only problem is that whatever I choose this time has to be right, because I can't return it.

So, I won't show you what I'm buying, but I'll show you a few of the shops I've checked out on my gift-buying ventures.  You'll see some gift shop windows that I might or might not have found something to buy. Family and friends, you can use your imaginations!  Loyal readers, sorry, you'll have to use your imaginations, too!

You can probably guess that I didn't buy anything here.  I can wait until I get home to buy the M&M's and Twinkies.  (You can click on photographs in this blog for a closer view.  Hit the "escape" or "esc" key to exit to an normal view.)

This is a nice shop for typical food and drink products of León.  You can bet that I didn't buy the meat since customs doesn't like it when I pack it in my luggage.

Meats, pastries, cheeses, and drinks are in this window.

A souvenir shop in front of the Cathedral.

All sorts of figurines.

More from a souvenir shop display.

Ceramics are always popular gifts.

A bottle of local herb liquor.  Very tasty.

Bracelets.  The scallop shells represent the Way of St. James (the Camino de Santiago.)

Anyway, now you've seen some of the cool shopping options I've had.  Hopefully, I made some good decisions.

This will be my last blog entry from Spain, but I've much more to share, including a road trip to Astorga, a fantastic restaurant and trout soup in Órbigo, tapas, more reflections on Holy Week, etc.
Tune-in in a few days after I'm back in Illinois, and I'll still be blogging about my trip to Spain.

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You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

This blog has been named one of the top 75 fine art photography blogs on the planet.

 

León's Storefront Displays of Devotion

Now that Holy Week in León is over, I want to share with you some of the fun demonstrations of devotion that I didn't have time to post before.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, storefronts celebrate Holy Week with displays that portray the processions and pasos (giant religious floats.)  Below are photographs of some of those displays, including more of the Legos.

A wide view of the Legos procession. (You can click on photos in this blog for a closer view.  Press the "escape" or "esc" key to return to a normal view.)

Legos figures in black papones (hoods and gowns) carry a paso.

The Legos creations are so detailed as to include babies, bicyclist, dogs, musicians, and much more.

It's important to note that Legos characters with umbrellas can always be found in this display since the possibility of rain is a constant danger to Holy Week processions.

This much more realistic depiction of one of the pasos can be found in the window of a fabric shop.

Another of the model pasos in the fabric shop.

A pharmacy on the main street of León depicts activities of the processions with packaging from medicine, such as this pill box that serves as the table for the Last Supper.

A wide shot of one of the pharmacy windows.

A box for energy pills serves as the platform for one of the pasos.  Presumably, the hooded figures took the pills to maintain enough energy to lift and bear the heavy pasos.

Bottles of wine wear the hoods typical of Holy Week at a store that deals in typical wines, meats, and foods of León.

Another hooded bottle

Representations of women in traditional Holy Week dress in a cosmetics store.

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You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

This blog has been named one of the top 75 fine art photography blogs on the planet.

 

Processions Are For Teaching and Learning

Dating back to the middle ages, Spain's Holy Week processions have always been tools for teaching.  As the gigantic religious floats (pasos) were carried through the medieval streets, people who were largely illiterate could see the Biblical stories come to life before their eyes.  In today's world of television, Internet and multimedia, the tradition of carrying the pasos continues. However, while the pasos continue to illustrate the traditional stories, the processions have evolved into tools of "active learning."  Active learning is defined as learning by doing.

Children and entire families now participate in the processions.  The traditional Brotherhoods, some hundreds of years old, actively welcome women and children to march with them.  For the children, it is a learning experience that allows them to become part of the story.

Holy Tuesday's (martes santo) Procession of Forgiveness (Procesión de Perdón) in León was at 6:45 p.m.  This was early enough that more children could be involved.

The Procession of Forgiveness is both traditional and very modern.  (You can click on images in this blog for a closer view.  Use the "escape" or "esc" key to return to a normal view.)

A young participant.

This girl is in traditional Spanish dress.

Even today, viewing a Centurion in a relatively authentic costume is a learning experience.

Even the child in the baby carriage is dressed in traditional penitent robes.

The lady pushing the baby carriage, presumably the mother, marches with bare feet, a true display of penance and devotion.

A girl munches on an oblea as she greets those along the route.  An oblea is two thin wafers filled with a sweet, sticky paste similar to caramel. 

This boy is obviously very pleased to participate in the procession.

This girl's pigtails fall from under her hood.

Despite all the children I've shown you, adults also learn from the experience.  Tonight at midnight, I will wear the hood and robes of the Brotherhood of the Seven Words of Christ on the Cross to march in the Solemne Via Crucis Procesional (Processional of the Way of the Cross.)  For me, that will certainly be a learning experience which I will report to you tomorrow.

I will be blogging about Holy Week from León and much more in the upcoming days.  If you would like to follow along and receive a notification when a new post appears, please subscribe by clicking here and entering your email address.

You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

This blog has been named one of the top 75 fine art photography blogs on the planet.

I Told You So!

Over the past several years, I've posted several articles, complete with photographs, about the delicious food to be enjoyed in León, Spain.  My emphasis has been on my favorite variety: tapas.  For those of you who don't know, tapas are an ancient culinary tradition in Spain.  Tapas, in simple terms, are snacks served whenever you order a drink.  But as you'll see, they're much, much more!

However, tapas are only part of the culinary legacy of León.  The people of León love food.  You'll find amazing dishes everywhere, from small bars that serve only drinks and tapas, to fine restaurants that serve everything from traditional Spanish foods to modern, innovative creations.  That's why I'm pleased to tell you that my favorite culinary city has been named: "Capital Española de las Gastronomía 2018."  Or in English: 2018 Gastronomic Capital of Spain.

In the video below that promotes León's achievement, you'll see many of the places I've photographed and presented in this blog.

You can view the article from León's daily newspaper by clicking here.

My photograph Modern and Medieval is taken from one of the streets that radiates from the Barrio Húmedo (the wet district, which is the area with many bars and tapas venues.)  In the background is León's famed Gothic cathedral. In the foreground is a wall with a modern mural.  This photograph will be exhibited this fall and winter at the 2017 Shrode Photography Competition and Exhibit at the Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The opening reception will be Saturday, October 21, 6:30 p.m. and the top award winners will be announced that evening. Three Cedarhurst galleries will be opening their new exhibits which will be celebrated with food, a cash bar and dessert.  The exhibition will be open from Oct. 22  through Dec. 31, 2017.  (You can click on the image for a closer view.)

Bars like the Camarote Madrid serve tapas along with every drink.

Below are some links to some of my previous article about the food and tapas of León.

Spain Means History, Tapas, more Tapas ...and Photographs

Photographing (and Eating) Tapas in León, Spain

Photographing (and Eating) Tapas in León, Spain - Part Two

Preparing for Easter Week (Semana Santa) in León, Spain – An Unexpected Surprise of Tradition, Legos, Family, Pharmaceuticals, Food & Drink

Holy Week in León -- Family, Tradition & Food

Photos from León

Are Tapas Evolving?

You can view my website at: www.tombellart.com.

 

This blog has been named one of the top 75 fine art photography blogs on the planet.

 

 

 

 

New Photos from Greece and Spain

I returned to Illinois last week from three weeks in Greece, Turkey, and Spain.  I'm just beginning to go though the few thousand images I took.  However, I thought that I'd share a few now, with more to come in the upcoming days and weeks.

The mural on the side of the building, just across from León's famed  Gothic Cathedral (Spain) is new since I was there last year.  (You can click on images in this blog for a closer view.)

Old wooden Greek fishing boats,called kaikis, are quickly disappearing as the days of the lone fisherman are giving way to large-scale industrial fishing.  I'll have more images of kaikis in the upcoming days.

This Orthodox priest was resting with his dog at the Monastery of Agios Panteleimonas on the Island of Tilos.

You can view my fine art photography website at:  www.tombellart.com.

My Photography Year in Review - 2016

2016 was a good year for me, photographically and generally.

On January 1, I retired from my position as a College administrator.  This gives me more time for photography.

In March I traveled to Spain to photograph the Holy Week traditions in León.  I also had the opportunity to eat lots of tapas, and blog about my experiences during my stay.

In the Fall, I had a photography show with a number of my works on display at the Yellow Moon Cafe, through the Anthill Gallery.

Below are some to the highlights from this year.

The Eyes of Santa Nonia is an image from my coverage of the Holy Week in León.  This photo was selected as a finalist in the prestigious Black & White Spider Awards. It was also part of my Fall exhibition.

If you're interested in the traditions of the Spanish Holy Week, check out the 10 blog entries I wrote in March and April of 2016, starting here.

I also wrote about and photographed Spanish tapas.

Spanish street scenes are always fun.

I also photographed scenes closer to home.  This is from my hometown just before the 4th of July.

Another Illinois scene not too far from home.

I found this while checking out local back roads.

The Headrest Barbershop on Michigan Avenue in Chicago was a street photography find as I was walking with my family.

Please feel free to check out posting from my blog from 2016 or any of the past years.  You might also enjoy viewing my website at:  www.tombellart.com.