Andalucía, where two seas meet, where two continents blur and where millions of stories have been written and forgotten. Dreams of Andalucía have called the faithful of three religions, the songs and poems tell a destiny as intricate and vibrant as blood running through the sand, written first by firelight on the walls of caves and remembered forever by olive trees that are older than us all.
There is an idea of Andalucía, something at once loud and energetic, the snorting of the bull, the explosions of Semana Santa, the swirling colour and wall of noise of the flamenco stage. Startling, exciting, tempting but familiar through centuries of shared memories.
There is also an idea more fleeting but far more all encompassing. It can be caught at midnight, coming from the aroma of an elusive night jasmine. It can be seen marked by ochre deep inside Andalucía itself. It’s found decorating and illuminating Caliph’s palaces and Roman towns. It can be heard, clapping out of the palms of the pueblo and seen in the black dresses and the endless wrinkles of a generation of widows.
It’s an idea that means so much, to so many, so differently. How do we begin to unravel it all and find the roots of the idea of Andalucía? By tracing its roots, Andalucía can be illuminated, understood, even just for a tantalising beat before being lost again and above all else and all other senses, felt – surely it’s a simple feeling that ties all of Andalucía’s destinies together, a feeling shared over the passages of time, the feeling of home.
Andalucía, Al-Andalus, Bética, the land of the Vandals. Passages of civilizations that mark the passages of time. As cultures fade, so do their stories and memories. The walls collapse, the forests grow back and Andalucía continues flowing through history. By remembering their dreams of paradise, listening to their long silent songs, reading their ancient philosophies and walking their ruins we can enjoy, passionately, the intoxicating dream of Andalucía and hopefully become a part of this most ancient and most wonderful of stories.
Lost Passages is inspired by these stories and shared histories. I’m obsessed with Andalucía’s near-endless past and adore its countryside, where every hilltop village boasts centuries of history – loved fiercely by its people, no matter which side of time they stand on. Its kind, generous and above all welcoming people make Andalucía home. As an outsider, I carry an insatiable curiosity and a strange pride in the stories, memories, ideas and dreams that pulse through every corner of this enduring wonder
Through Lost Passages, I hope to spark your curiosity – or deepen it, I hope you enjoy walking its history with me.