DAVID MAYOR
She waits. Only the cierzo has got here first. That wind that roars down from the north, shredding the light of day into thin sheets. The cierzo penetrates everyday life, shunting it along with its great force, moving it from place to place, with slanted gaze and twisted senses; the trees barely withstand the onslaught, the traffic lights sway, and buildings remain standing in their cracks, speaking in repeated ghostly whispers. She takes refuge in her long, buttoned-up red felt coat. A long scarf flutters elegantly, perfectly extending her neck. She keeps her gaze, between tears from the cold air, firmly trained on the gentle slope going up from the castle. She waits, together with her shadow, which also resists the wind’s assault. She waits and remembers the hug she is missing, the kisses that leave their traces, the silence of complicit understanding through gesture. She waits and remembers. She waits because she knows he will come. Love is the only thing they still have, my love, your love. She looks at the tower. And she knows he is there. And she smiles.
She waits. Only the cierzo has got here first. That wind that roars down from the north, shredding the light of day into thin sheets. The cierzo penetrates everyday life, shunting it along with its great force, moving it from place to place, with slanted gaze and twisted senses; the trees barely withstand the onslaught, the traffic lights sway, and buildings remain standing in their cracks, speaking in repeated ghostly whispers. She takes refuge in her long, buttoned-up red felt coat. A long scarf flutters elegantly, perfectly extending her neck. She keeps her gaze, between tears from the cold air, firmly trained on the gentle slope going up from the castle. She waits, together with her shadow, which also resists the wind’s assault. She waits and remembers the hug she is missing, the kisses that leave their traces, the silence of complicit understanding through gesture. She waits and remembers. She waits because she knows he will come. Love is the only thing they still have, my love, your love. She looks at the tower. And she knows he is there. And she smiles.
La Aljafería. Troubadour Tower, 10th-11th and 14th centuries, a name that evokes the main character in the Romantic work El Trovador (The Troubadour) by García Gutiérrez, which in turn inspired the libretto for Verdi's opera of the same name.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
La Aljafería. Arches in the northern arcade, in the ensemble making up the sacred royal Taifal palace,
11th century.
© Javier Romeo
11th century.
© Javier Romeo
La Aljafería. Patio de Santa Isabel, commemorating the birth of Isabella of Portugal (1271-1336) in the Christian fortress.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Eastern façade, reinforced with turrets and a single entrance between two of these, like the Umayyad palaces in the
Syrian Desert.
© Angélica Montes
Syrian Desert.
© Angélica Montes
Espiral mudéjar by Diana Larrea, beside the Pabellón Puente. The banks of the River Ebro are criss-crossed by promenades punctuated with works of art.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Pabellón Puente, designed by Zaha Hadid for Expo 2008. A fantastic bridge over the Ebro with various spaces and rooms for exhibitions and other events.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Puente del Voluntariado, designed by Javier Manterola as a tribute to the volunteers that took part in Expo 2008.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Expo Zone pavilions recently adapted to house the Zaragoza Justice City.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Playing with water.
Interactive fountain on the grounds of Expo 2008.
© Angélica Montes
Interactive fountain on the grounds of Expo 2008.
© Angélica Montes
Expo 2008 Convention Centre, designed by the architects Nieto and Sobejano. Nearby, the work Alma del Ebro, by Jaume Plensa.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Zaragoza Convention Centre, viewed from Pablo Ruiz Picasso Street.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Parque del Agua. Leisure park based on the theme of water. In the background, the Water Tower designed by the architect Enrique de Teresa.
© Angélica Montes
VIDEO
© Angélica Montes
Sunset behind the Torre del Agua (Water Tower).
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Puente del Tercer Milenio by Juan José Arenas. The longest bridge in the world with a bowstring arch made of concrete.
© Angélica Montes
VIDEO
© Angélica Montes
Zaragoza-Delicias Station, designed by a large group of architects and engineers, led by Carlos Ferrater and José María Valero.
© Daniel Surutusa
© Daniel Surutusa
Interior of the station. Opened in 2003, the following year it won the FAD Architecture Award.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Delicias footbridge links the station of the same name to Etopia Centre of Art and Technology. The work of engineer Juan José Arenas, 2008.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Ranillas fountain.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes
Glacier fountain.
© Angélica Montes
© Angélica Montes