Portugos - Yard

by Juan Carlos Ballesteros

Title

Portugos - Yard

Artist

Juan Carlos Ballesteros

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

Portugos is a town in the Alpujarra (Granada-Spain).
"The Alpujarra is a natural and historical region in Andalucia, Spain, on the south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent valley. The average elevation is 4,000 feet above sea level. It extends over two provinces, Granada and Almeria; it is sometimes referred to in the plural as "Las Alpujarras". There are several interpretations of this Arabic name: the most convincing is that it derives from al-bugsharra, meaning something like "sierra of pastures". The administrative center is Orgiva. Trevelez, at 4,840 feet (1486 meters) above sea level, is the highest village in Europe.

The Sierra Nevada runs west-to-east for about 80 km. It includes the two highest mountains in mainland Spain: the Mulhacen at 3479 m. and the Veleta, just a little lower. As the name implies, it is covered with snow in winter. The snow-melt in the spring and summer allows the southern slopes of the Sierra to remain green and fertile throughout the year, despite the heat of the summer sun. Water emerges from innumerable springs; human intervention has channeled it to terraced plots and to the villages.

Olives are grown on the lower slopes, and in the valley below which extends from Orgiva to Cadiar, through which flows the Guadalfeo river, plentiful water, a milder climate and fertile land favour the cultivation of grapes, citrus and other fruit. There is also a developing production of quality wine on the hills between this valley and the sea, and almond trees thrive on its southern slopes. The eastern end of the Alpujarra, towards Ugijar in the province of Almeria, is much more arid.
The terracing and the irrigation of the hillsides (the "Alta Alpujarra") was the work of Berbers, who inhabited this area after the Moorish invasion of 711 AD. They also created villages on the hillsides in the style to which they were accustomed in the mountains of North Africa: narrow, winding streets and small flat-roofed houses." (WP)

Canon eos 5d mark III

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June 21st, 2015

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