I took this picture of some of the marvelous stucco designs in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, one of the greatest of all works of Islamic architecture. The faceted parts on the lower left are called muquarnas, sometimes called stalactite moulding because they resemble the stalactites that hang from the ceilings of caves. The curving grape vine motif is fantastic with a riot of encircling growth, a symbol of plenitude, abundance and the pleasures of life.