Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana

Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana is a Spanish mission in Mission Hills, California.  It was founded on September 8, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuen.  He was a native of Vitoria, Spain and served as Presidente of the California Missions for eighteen years.  It is the seventeenth of twenty-one missions established in California.  It is named for Saint Ferdinand, King of Spain in 13th century.

The Old Mission Church is the fourth church to be built here and is an exact replica of the one built between 1804 and 1806.  The walls are seven feet thick at the base and taper to five feet at the top.  Pope John Paull II visited the church in September of 1987.

The elaborate altar, gold-leafed reredos and pulpit are carved from walnut and date to 1687. They were originally installed in the chapel of St. Philip Neri at Ezcaray, Spain.  They were then removed and reassembled in part at San Fernando.  The altar depicts its patron saint being welcomed into heaven by the Holy Trinity. Father Junipero Serra stands on his left and the figure of St. Mary Magdalene stands on his right.  The only piece that did not come from the original church is the statue of St. Ferdinand, which was added to reflect the history of the California missions.  The statue was carved for the mission when it was built in 1797, but had to be restored after an earthquake in 1971.

The East Garden features a flower shaped fountain that was copied from one in Cordova (Cordoba), Spain.  The garden also contains an assortment of rare trees, cacti and seasonal flowers.

Moorish-style arches in the Convento.  The adobe walls are four feet wide and the windows stills have their original iron grilles.

Mission San Gabriel Archangel

Mission San Gabriel Archangel was founded on September 8, 1771.  It is the fourth of twenty-one missions founded in California. 

The mission was founded two years after the discovery of the San Gabriel Valley.  The founding missionaries came from San Diego to determine the exact site for the mission.  They were met by a group of Tongva Indians, who seemed determined to drive them away.  One of the priests brought out the three hundred year old painting of "Our Lady of Sorrows" and spread it on the ground for the Indians to see.  The Indians were so impressed with the beauty of the painting that they offered signs of friendship.

Father Antonio Cruzado was the church building designer.  He was born and raised in Cordova (Cordoba), Spain.  The design may have been based on the Cathedral of Cordova in Spain, which was once a Moorish mosque.

The buttressed walls, vaulted roof and fortress-like appearance of the church was influenced by Moorish architecture.

The walls of the building are original and are more than four feet thick.  The sections throughout the buttresses are up to seven feet thick.

An earthquake in 1804 damaged the original vaulted roof and ceiling.  The roof was replaced by a flat roof made of brick and mortar.  That roof was damaged in the 1812 earthquake.  The current roof is made of cedar shingles installed in 1993.

The church was built between 1791-1805 using cut stone, brick and mortar which is unusual.  The other missions are built from adobe.  It is the oldest structure of its kind south of Monterey, California.

The ruins of the original bell tower are to the right in the above photo.

In the 1790's, the main altar was made in Mexico City and brought to the church.  The retablo is Churrigueresque-style with wooden polychrome statues that were hand-carved in Spain.  On the left side is San Francisco de Asis.  San Joaquin is below him.  On the right side is San Antonio de Padua.  Santo Domingo is below him.  Archangel Gabriel is in the center.  The Purissima Concepcion is over the Tabernacle.  Buried beneath the floor of the Sanctuary, in front of the altar, are eight Franciscan friars.

The altar and the crucifix were damaged during the 1812 earthquake.  The statues fell and were broken into pieces.  Repairs were completed in 1813.  They were also restored again in 1993.

 The mission is one of the best preserved, with many of its original features still intact, including the baptistry domed ceiling, floor and walls.

The Camp Santo Cemetery was first consecrated in 1778.  It is the oldest cemetery in Los Angeles County.  The foundations are original, but the surrounding walls were rebuilt in 1940.

The Peace Garden includes a hand-made tile picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Granada, Spain

Andalusian poet Manuel Machado described Granada in four words--"Secret water which cries." 

The Alhambra is the last and greatest Moorish palace.  Granada was held by the Nazarids, an ethnic group of Spanish Muslims, until 1492. 

In Tales from the Alhambra, Washington Irving writes: "Such is the Alhambra. A Moslem pile, in the midst of a Christian land; and Oriental palace amidst Gothic edifices of the West; an elegant memento of a brave, intelligent, and graceful people, who conquered, ruled, and passed away."

Water was rare and precious in most of the Islamic world.  It was the purest symbol of life to the Moors.  The Alhambra is decorated with water--standing still, cascading, drip dropping, and masking secret conversations.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British colony on the Iberian Pennisula.  The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the area.

The King Fahd Mosque was a $20 million gift from the Saudi sultan.  It was finished in 1997.  Gibraltar has over 900 Muslims that worship here every Friday, five times a day.

The Rock of Gibraltar is home to over 200 "apes."  They are actually Barbary macaques, a type of tail-less monkey.  Legend has it that the apes are a symbol of British sovereignty and if they go the British will leave Gibraltar, "That's why we have to feed them". When their numbers diminished during WWII, Sir Winston Churchill gave strict orders that a minimum of 24 should be maintained.


Be careful. They will come after you if they see you carrying food or plastic bags. 
 

Gibraltar is a narrow peninsula.  It is only three miles long and one mile wide.  To enter Gibraltar from Spain, you will need to cross the airfield.

Cabo da Roca, Portugal

"Onde a tera se acaba e o mar comeca" 

"Where land ends and the sea begins."

Luis de Camoes

Cabo da Roca was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon.

Monument declaring Cabo da Roca as the westernmost extent of continental Europe.  Its location (38°47′N 9°30′W / 38.783°N 9.5°W / 38.783; -9.5) is inscribed on the monument.

Sintra, Portugal

Sintra is just 15 miles northwest of Lisbon.  Portugal's kings would often come to Sintra for the summer.  Palacio Nacional housed royalty for 5oo years up until 1910.  Today it is still used for official receptions.

Sintra is a small town.  It is situated at the foot of a hill.

Obidos, Portugal



Obidos was founded by the Celts around 300 BC.  It was later ruled by Romans, Visigoths, and Moors.  The city name comes from the ancient Roman times and means "walled town."  The aqueduct was built in the 16th century and connects Obidos to a nearby spring.



Obidos is protected by the government from modern development.

The main gate in Obidos has blue and white tiles that depict battles and religious scenes.  Tiles similar to these once covered the walls until an earthquake in 1755 shook them off.



Other tiles found throughout the city...

Obidos wall

Obidos Castle