A useful antidote to the disappointing "Civilizations", and object lesson in how it should be done...I watched the first episode of Andrew Graham-Dixon's The Art of Spain last night, covering the 700 years of Moorish Spain, or rather Al-Andalus. He followed very much the trajectory of my first few visits to Spain, starting in 1972 and soaking up the architecture of Córdoba, Seville and Granada (actually I went to Granada first, then Córdoba, but he was rightly following the narrative). His ability (ably supported by his producer and cameraman) to describe and interpret a space, whether it be the Mezquita, the Alcázar or Alhambra, unequalled among today's TV presenters (I remember him, years ago, "doing" the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel). I've felt less comfortable with his two-handed travels with Giorgio Locatelli, where the mateyness has seemed forced, but AGD to camera as good as it gets. The one duff note was his trying to do a bit of flamenco singing, which ended up as a send-up, though the ladies clearly took a shine to him.
Sad to see the Alhambra today, where he had to compete for space with the tourists. I witnessed this on my second visit, 30 years ago. In summer of 1972 there had been very few other tourists, you could buy a ticket and spend all day wandering around, alone with your thoughts. I went for at least part of every day for a week. I took my wife there in 1986, promising her how marvellous it was - it was rammed with tourists and utterly grim. The same with Córdoba. In 1972 you could wander through the forest of pillars...on our 1986 trip, a large part of it was partitioned off for a philately exhibition (of all things
). It was looking pretty good in the programme, the act of cultural vandalism that is the cathedral nicely skewered by AGD. He mentioned how Charles V realised it had been a mistake - he could have mentioned the palace that bears Charles V's name which disfigures the Alhambra. My run of bad luck continued in 1989, when the Alcázar in Seville was closed off for some sort of government meenting, lines of black limos and men in shades....
Sad to see the Alhambra today, where he had to compete for space with the tourists. I witnessed this on my second visit, 30 years ago. In summer of 1972 there had been very few other tourists, you could buy a ticket and spend all day wandering around, alone with your thoughts. I went for at least part of every day for a week. I took my wife there in 1986, promising her how marvellous it was - it was rammed with tourists and utterly grim. The same with Córdoba. In 1972 you could wander through the forest of pillars...on our 1986 trip, a large part of it was partitioned off for a philately exhibition (of all things
). It was looking pretty good in the programme, the act of cultural vandalism that is the cathedral nicely skewered by AGD. He mentioned how Charles V realised it had been a mistake - he could have mentioned the palace that bears Charles V's name which disfigures the Alhambra. My run of bad luck continued in 1989, when the Alcázar in Seville was closed off for some sort of government meenting, lines of black limos and men in shades....
), followed by Trujillo, Guadalupe and Salamanca, remarkable places all. 
). Velazquez the greatest Spanish painter of all? Perhaps, though if forced to choose just one I'd go for Goya, who we haven't got to yet, though it would be like comparing apples and oranges. 
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