Window To The Crescent Moon
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House hunters international…
Unlike my long-suffering travel companion, as far as books are concerned, I am not a big fan of fantasy fiction. I have yet to pin down exactly why. I have read most of the Harry Potter series and even started JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. As well written as some of these books are, somewhere around… Continue reading
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In a Ronda-bout fashion…
In the first chapter of his Tales of the Alhambra, Washington Irving captures the essence of the Andalusian countryside. Many are apt to picture Spain to their imaginations as a soft southern region, decked out with all the luxuriant charms of voluptuous Italy. On the contrary, though there are exceptions in some of the maritime… Continue reading
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A vision of Jannah…
Jannah (“Paradise” in Arabic), the equivalent of Heaven in the Christian tradition, is beautifully captured in Surah (“Chapter”) 55 of the holy book of Islam, the Quran. The recurring themes are clearly water, nature, and repose. Continue reading
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A tale of The Alhambra…
I am hard pressed to describe the magnificence of The Alhambra. It is my romantic dream of Arabia come to life. The right words still allude me even after having read “Tales of the Alhambra” by American writer Washington Irving (author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) before our trip in… Continue reading
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The last stronghold…
It may be best to start at the end. 1492. The year Columbus sailed the ocean blue. The year the last Muslim ruler surrendered Al-Andalus (Romanized to Andalusia) to the Spanish monarchs; the very same rulers who had sponsored the expedition to the New World. The year the last Arab stronghold of Granada fell. While… Continue reading
