Madrid Teacher

Just spent a wonderful weekend in Jaen, we stayed where we usually stay with R´s family in Menjibar (more on Menjiibar in the next few days and why it is worth a visit when driving through Andalucia), but paid a visit to Jaen capital. We often visit this provincial capital but usually a night because although blessed with Olives and the best people, it doesn´t have the greatest nightlight except in the capital. We have been to Jaen castle in the past which has been renovated and possesses an excellent visitor sentre with a google earth type computer which allows you to focus in on the houses in the town (this must break EU privacy law).This time we visited Jaen Cathedral. It was magnificent. It has a beautiful, well maintained borroque facade which enters into a Cathedral which is unlike another in Spain which I have seen, it is ornamental but not fussy. The stone work is a browny sandy colour which reflects the lighting well, so it seems to be a more jolly rather than sombre religious monument. The alter table is actually quite plain, but the backdrop the Main Chapel is a neo classical delight. In fact every chapel in the Cathedral is a unique example of Church art.

We drove back through the old town by mistake but we couldn´t have made a better error. It contained several churches and convents, a jewish quarter and lots of lovely traditional houses. Apart from the cars it could have been from fifty years ago. We had already eaten in Menjibar so we just has coffee and ice cream at La Columbiana, which had an amazing variety of gout bombs.

We had only intended to go shopping so I didn´t have a camera, so here are some stolen from the Internet


The facade




The Cathedral (I assume photo taken from the castle where the views are spectacular)



The Dome

Labels: history, life in spain