Today we boarded the SDARL bus, left the city of Seville and headed for the country. As we traveled the countryside in Spain, we first encountered the flat plains where cereal grains are grown and then through hill country where we could see vast fields of olive trees. Our destination was the village of La Rambla, which is noted for artisan ceramic pottery.
Our class was greeted by Master Ceramist Alfonso Alcaide and his daughter, Soledad. He and his family create and hand paint ceramic items for sale in his shop and around the world.
Alfonso demonstrated how to create pots from a block of clay and then asked if any SDARL class members would like to try molding a pot.
A few classmates took the opportunity. Here, Sara Berg creates a masterpiece!
After viewing the showroom and purchasing souvenirs, our class traveled to the Museo De Ceramica. The museum highlights the history of ceramic pottery. The ceramic pot was first developed 6500 years ago for the storage of grain. The museum displays unique pieces of pottery and also hosts an annual competition of ceramic pots made by Ceramists. Alfonso and his sister, Cati, are recognized as the most awarded Ceramists in this competition. Below, SDARL class member Warren Rusche photographs unique pieces.
The class enjoyed a traditional Spanish "tapas" lunch in a local restaurant.
We then traveled to the city of Antequera where we spent the night.
