Hi everyone who followed our Blog last year.
We are now ready for another trip and another new Blog.
When checking our old Blog it was found that all the pictures on the posts had disappeared. Why - who knows. But regardless it was necessary to re-establish the links with our picture gallery. Brian did this successfully but unfortunately completing the edit process meant you all probably received copies of many of last year's posts.
Sorry about all this - the solution for you all is far simpler than ours - just delete the damned things.
We are about to set up a new Blog called something like "North to the Lake District" which is where we will be heading for in August of this year. So when you hear from us under this title don't delete it, at least not until you have read it.
Watch this space - we will advise you of the new blog address.
12 June 2011
27 July 2010
FAREWELL TO SEOUL
22nd JULY, 2010. .
I just had to use these as the closing photos in our blog North to Andalucia.
Almost as soon as we arrived in Alhama de Granada, Brian had started looking for a hat, but could not find one big enough. On our last day in Seoul, we found the main market and a stall that had hundreds of hats. After some searching the proprietor found this one – I took the photos outside the Grand Ambassador Hotel, Seoul, where we were waiting for the bus to take us to the airport and also at the airport. I think it really suits him. What do you think?
20 July 2010
Homeward Bound
Wednesday, 14 July 2010 Alhama de Granada to Cordoba
We said our final farewells to the people at our Spanish class as well as our neighbours and loaded up the car for our short trip to Cordoba. Fed in the route instructions to 'Sofia' and off we set. Spain has recently built a new autovia into Cordoba from the south which 'Sofia' was not aware of. Consequently, she tried to take us off this autovia onto the old highway but we ignored her and she sulked for awhile until we got over the new section and she came back on line. Arriving at Cordoba itself was a real hassle as the access to our hotel that Google mapped out, as well as 'Sofia', was not available because of a street closure. Apparently Cordoba is tarting up the town with a view to winning the title of Europe's cultural capital in 2016. We spent an hour trying to find our way through very narrow streets until we final gave up and parked the car in the street near the closure and walked to the hotel where they gave us instructions as to how to get there. Everything was then ok and we checked in and put the car in the hotel garage where it remains until we leave.
We then went on an orientation walk but not before the necessary refuelling with Ron y Coca Cola y Cerveza at a local bar with a very surly but attentive waiter. After our walk we finished up at the same bar and had some tapas and more fuel this time just cerveza and sangria. Later we walked down to the Puente Romano to which the Cordoba authorities have obviously committed a serious amount of resources to its renovation. We had deliberately left it until dusk thinking the walls of the bridge would be illuminated but alas only the walkway was lit (this bridge is only a pedestrian way similar to the Roman bridge in Prague.
THURSDAY 15 July 2010
The breakfast at Hotel Conquistidor was not as good as most we have had in Spain. The food warmers did not keep the food warm and the scrambled egg and bacon were pretty awful. We were not really impressed with the hotel, although the room was comfortable and there is a nice internal patio - where the smokers have breakfast.
The reception staff were very helpful, but Brian decided that it is the management that is at fault. Their failure to address the problem of finding the hotel due to road works was a serious oversight, especially as there were a number of comments in this regard in the ratings given to the hotel on the net.
So, after a negative breakfast experience, we embarked on a rather overwhelming one in visiting the Grand Cordoba Mesquita. This is a magnificent building which was originally built as a Mosque when Andalucia was a Muslim dominated state. It eventually fell to the Catholics, and the uniqueness of Cordoba is that when the Catholics took over, in what appears to be an early attempt at interdenominational faith, the Catholic Monarchs built a grand Cathedral within the Mosque. According to the Lonely Planet however, the King who authorized the construction recognized that it had not been a good idea. As someone pointed out - if you look at the building simply as the combination of two magnificent pieces of architecture, it is impressive, but if you look at it from the Muslim point of view, the construction of the Cathedral destroyed the form and function of the original Mosque. What was once a light airy building has had much of the light taken away by the construction of Catholic chapel devoted to different saints etc., but the construction of which have enclosed the open aspect of the Mosque.
Both 'churches' however, are magnificent. The Mihrab (altar for want of a better description) is magnificently decorated with delicately coloured mosaics outlined in gold. It was created by Byzantine artisans sent to Muslim Cordoba by a Catholic Monarch.
Afterwards more exploration of the new part of Cordoba and of course more fuel (the rum and cokes here are something else!). That night we found a very old fashioned restaurant where we had our first beef dish in Spain - Ox Tail (rabo de toro) with a delicious salad (ensalada mixta a dish in which the Spanish excel). In Alhama the standard meat diet is pork and chicken although we did not ever see a pig or poultry farm not even a pig or a chicken. Occasionally we were able to find lamb which may well have been goat as we did see a herd of goats in the gorge.
FRIDAY 16th July, 2010 Cordoba to Aranjuez
This morning we visited the old fortress of the Catholic Monarchs following the Christian conquest of Andalucía in 1492. The castle itself was interesting but the gardens were a delight and were the equal to if not better than the Alhambra gardens.
Archaeological excavations in the oldest Plaza in Cordoba - similar to St Marks in Venice, and the one in Madrid - revealed some wonderful Roman mosaics. They were removed and have now been reconstructed and are displayed in the Castle.
We checked out of our hotel and headed off for Aranjuez. This was an easy run on the autovia A4 which took us almost to the door of our luxury hotel in Aranjuez - Hotel Principe de la Paz. This was an old building originally occupied by some famous general and later became a military barracks. It was revamped by NH Hotel Group in 2000 and must have cost a fortune.
Like all the old buildings it has high ceilings and the revamp has made it into a very nice hotel. The décor is very modern Spanish style of dark wood with marble type tiles in the bathrooms. This was the first bathroom that we have had that had both a bath and shower recess. The great thing in the shower recess was that the floor had been made slip proof yet it looked exactly like the wall tiles.
We were intrigued by one of the men on the reception desk who spoke English with an upper class English accent. It turned out that he is bilingual his mother is an English teacher and his father is Spanish.
Everything in Aranjuez was closed when we got there - except for a couple of restaurants that were packed which Brian decided were the remnants of very long Friday lunches.
We eventually found a place that was open with a group of young people in it playing cards. It turned out to be Lebanese - so they probably don't subscribe to the traditional siesta. We chatted for a while with the waitress in a mixture of English and Spanish, but as we have found like most Spanish speakers she wanted to practice her English. Her name is Corinne, and after discovering that Brian wanted a hair cut, she took us around the road to introduce him to the hairdresser she and her family go to. I left him there and when he arrived back at the Hotel, he had a very spunky hair style.
Went back to Corinne's restaurant for dinner and had a great meal of eggplant with a meat and tomato sauce. Then kibbe and chicken kebabs with chips.
Saturday. 17th July 2010 Aranjuez to Madrid
After breakfast we walked around the Jardin Isla - a huge area of land on one side of the castle. It is a very European stylized garden with lots of fountains, most of which we only turned on just as we completed our tour. There is also a large forest section, which is also laid out in a very formal way.
After checking out and then lounging around the hotel until mid afternoon we set off for Madrid. Check in time in Spain is usually 2 or 3 pm so as the trip to Madrid was short we didn't want to arrive too early. As it turned out the AC Coslada Hotel was almost deserted. It is a business type hotel in an industrial zone but very close to both the airport and the office where we had to return the car. The restaurant was closed, presumably because there was little call for the service in a business hotel on Saturday night.
Later that evening the fellow at the reception advised us of the railway station that was only 10 minutes away where we could catch a train into Atocha Station in Madrid. So off we went and were able to have dinner in the very vibrant Saturday night area close to the station. A few drinks and a quick easy meal of the famous ensalada mixta and rabbit and we got back to the hotel for an early night.
Sunday 18th JULY, 2010 Madrid to Seoul
An uneventful day. Returned the car the Citroen agency who then shuttled us to the airport. Got there about 3.15 pm believing we had four hours to kill before our direct flight to Seoul left at 7.10 pm only to find that it was going via Amsterdam and thus was leaving at 5.10 pm. The good news was that we would be on our way 2 hours earlier but the bad news was that we would have to stop in Amsterdam and be packed into the cattle shed they choose to call a Transfer Lounge (positively Orwellian). I can understand why many visitors to Amsterdam, especially European, choose to use ferries, trains, buses or cars to get there.
MONDAY 19th JULY, 2010.
We arrived safely at Incheon Airport after the usual tiring and boring 13 hour flight but then of course had to catch the bus into Seoul which took us about an hour and a half. After checking into our room (upgraded from Superior to De Lux!) we showered and went straight to bed, but only for a couple of hours. Took us ages to find an ATM that would accept our card only to find the bank was about 2 minutes way (of which the reception did not advise us). However, we decided to eat in the hotel having just a sandwich and beers and then coffee - well it wasn't just any sandwich it was a pastrami made from Australian beef. By the way our room TV even has an Australian news channel so we are slowly getting up date on the mad monk's ambition to steer us into the early 19th century - oh boy back to the future with Tony, what a ride that would be.
The upgrade means that the room we have is very comfortable. It has a large king sized bed, a lounge and a desk with connection to the internet. The bathroom is large and has a bath plus show recess, and a toilet with the most amazing menu to choose from. You can wash and blow-dry both the back and front ends, as well as changing the 'pulse' rate and water flow. You can also lower or increase the height of the seat - in fact you almost need a license to drive it!
Tuesday, 20 July, 2010
This morning we went on a half day tour that was included in our stopover package - Buddhist Temple, Royal Palace and the changing of the guard.
Back to the hotel for a siesta and to finish this entry. We are planning to go down town for dinner tonight.
Seoul looks to be a very prosperous city. It reminds us of Singapore and Hong Kong. There are lots of Korean cars on the roads, and we have seen many office blocks or buildings with the names of well known Korean manufacturers on them.
Logging off now back to OZ tomorrow see you then - well some of you!
We said our final farewells to the people at our Spanish class as well as our neighbours and loaded up the car for our short trip to Cordoba. Fed in the route instructions to 'Sofia' and off we set. Spain has recently built a new autovia into Cordoba from the south which 'Sofia' was not aware of. Consequently, she tried to take us off this autovia onto the old highway but we ignored her and she sulked for awhile until we got over the new section and she came back on line. Arriving at Cordoba itself was a real hassle as the access to our hotel that Google mapped out, as well as 'Sofia', was not available because of a street closure. Apparently Cordoba is tarting up the town with a view to winning the title of Europe's cultural capital in 2016. We spent an hour trying to find our way through very narrow streets until we final gave up and parked the car in the street near the closure and walked to the hotel where they gave us instructions as to how to get there. Everything was then ok and we checked in and put the car in the hotel garage where it remains until we leave.
We then went on an orientation walk but not before the necessary refuelling with Ron y Coca Cola y Cerveza at a local bar with a very surly but attentive waiter. After our walk we finished up at the same bar and had some tapas and more fuel this time just cerveza and sangria. Later we walked down to the Puente Romano to which the Cordoba authorities have obviously committed a serious amount of resources to its renovation. We had deliberately left it until dusk thinking the walls of the bridge would be illuminated but alas only the walkway was lit (this bridge is only a pedestrian way similar to the Roman bridge in Prague.
THURSDAY 15 July 2010
The breakfast at Hotel Conquistidor was not as good as most we have had in Spain. The food warmers did not keep the food warm and the scrambled egg and bacon were pretty awful. We were not really impressed with the hotel, although the room was comfortable and there is a nice internal patio - where the smokers have breakfast.
The reception staff were very helpful, but Brian decided that it is the management that is at fault. Their failure to address the problem of finding the hotel due to road works was a serious oversight, especially as there were a number of comments in this regard in the ratings given to the hotel on the net.
So, after a negative breakfast experience, we embarked on a rather overwhelming one in visiting the Grand Cordoba Mesquita. This is a magnificent building which was originally built as a Mosque when Andalucia was a Muslim dominated state. It eventually fell to the Catholics, and the uniqueness of Cordoba is that when the Catholics took over, in what appears to be an early attempt at interdenominational faith, the Catholic Monarchs built a grand Cathedral within the Mosque. According to the Lonely Planet however, the King who authorized the construction recognized that it had not been a good idea. As someone pointed out - if you look at the building simply as the combination of two magnificent pieces of architecture, it is impressive, but if you look at it from the Muslim point of view, the construction of the Cathedral destroyed the form and function of the original Mosque. What was once a light airy building has had much of the light taken away by the construction of Catholic chapel devoted to different saints etc., but the construction of which have enclosed the open aspect of the Mosque.
Both 'churches' however, are magnificent. The Mihrab (altar for want of a better description) is magnificently decorated with delicately coloured mosaics outlined in gold. It was created by Byzantine artisans sent to Muslim Cordoba by a Catholic Monarch.
Afterwards more exploration of the new part of Cordoba and of course more fuel (the rum and cokes here are something else!). That night we found a very old fashioned restaurant where we had our first beef dish in Spain - Ox Tail (rabo de toro) with a delicious salad (ensalada mixta a dish in which the Spanish excel). In Alhama the standard meat diet is pork and chicken although we did not ever see a pig or poultry farm not even a pig or a chicken. Occasionally we were able to find lamb which may well have been goat as we did see a herd of goats in the gorge.
FRIDAY 16th July, 2010 Cordoba to Aranjuez
This morning we visited the old fortress of the Catholic Monarchs following the Christian conquest of Andalucía in 1492. The castle itself was interesting but the gardens were a delight and were the equal to if not better than the Alhambra gardens.
Archaeological excavations in the oldest Plaza in Cordoba - similar to St Marks in Venice, and the one in Madrid - revealed some wonderful Roman mosaics. They were removed and have now been reconstructed and are displayed in the Castle.
We checked out of our hotel and headed off for Aranjuez. This was an easy run on the autovia A4 which took us almost to the door of our luxury hotel in Aranjuez - Hotel Principe de la Paz. This was an old building originally occupied by some famous general and later became a military barracks. It was revamped by NH Hotel Group in 2000 and must have cost a fortune.
Like all the old buildings it has high ceilings and the revamp has made it into a very nice hotel. The décor is very modern Spanish style of dark wood with marble type tiles in the bathrooms. This was the first bathroom that we have had that had both a bath and shower recess. The great thing in the shower recess was that the floor had been made slip proof yet it looked exactly like the wall tiles.
We were intrigued by one of the men on the reception desk who spoke English with an upper class English accent. It turned out that he is bilingual his mother is an English teacher and his father is Spanish.
Everything in Aranjuez was closed when we got there - except for a couple of restaurants that were packed which Brian decided were the remnants of very long Friday lunches.
We eventually found a place that was open with a group of young people in it playing cards. It turned out to be Lebanese - so they probably don't subscribe to the traditional siesta. We chatted for a while with the waitress in a mixture of English and Spanish, but as we have found like most Spanish speakers she wanted to practice her English. Her name is Corinne, and after discovering that Brian wanted a hair cut, she took us around the road to introduce him to the hairdresser she and her family go to. I left him there and when he arrived back at the Hotel, he had a very spunky hair style.
Went back to Corinne's restaurant for dinner and had a great meal of eggplant with a meat and tomato sauce. Then kibbe and chicken kebabs with chips.
Saturday. 17th July 2010 Aranjuez to Madrid
After breakfast we walked around the Jardin Isla - a huge area of land on one side of the castle. It is a very European stylized garden with lots of fountains, most of which we only turned on just as we completed our tour. There is also a large forest section, which is also laid out in a very formal way.
After checking out and then lounging around the hotel until mid afternoon we set off for Madrid. Check in time in Spain is usually 2 or 3 pm so as the trip to Madrid was short we didn't want to arrive too early. As it turned out the AC Coslada Hotel was almost deserted. It is a business type hotel in an industrial zone but very close to both the airport and the office where we had to return the car. The restaurant was closed, presumably because there was little call for the service in a business hotel on Saturday night.
Later that evening the fellow at the reception advised us of the railway station that was only 10 minutes away where we could catch a train into Atocha Station in Madrid. So off we went and were able to have dinner in the very vibrant Saturday night area close to the station. A few drinks and a quick easy meal of the famous ensalada mixta and rabbit and we got back to the hotel for an early night.
Sunday 18th JULY, 2010 Madrid to Seoul
An uneventful day. Returned the car the Citroen agency who then shuttled us to the airport. Got there about 3.15 pm believing we had four hours to kill before our direct flight to Seoul left at 7.10 pm only to find that it was going via Amsterdam and thus was leaving at 5.10 pm. The good news was that we would be on our way 2 hours earlier but the bad news was that we would have to stop in Amsterdam and be packed into the cattle shed they choose to call a Transfer Lounge (positively Orwellian). I can understand why many visitors to Amsterdam, especially European, choose to use ferries, trains, buses or cars to get there.
MONDAY 19th JULY, 2010.
We arrived safely at Incheon Airport after the usual tiring and boring 13 hour flight but then of course had to catch the bus into Seoul which took us about an hour and a half. After checking into our room (upgraded from Superior to De Lux!) we showered and went straight to bed, but only for a couple of hours. Took us ages to find an ATM that would accept our card only to find the bank was about 2 minutes way (of which the reception did not advise us). However, we decided to eat in the hotel having just a sandwich and beers and then coffee - well it wasn't just any sandwich it was a pastrami made from Australian beef. By the way our room TV even has an Australian news channel so we are slowly getting up date on the mad monk's ambition to steer us into the early 19th century - oh boy back to the future with Tony, what a ride that would be.
The upgrade means that the room we have is very comfortable. It has a large king sized bed, a lounge and a desk with connection to the internet. The bathroom is large and has a bath plus show recess, and a toilet with the most amazing menu to choose from. You can wash and blow-dry both the back and front ends, as well as changing the 'pulse' rate and water flow. You can also lower or increase the height of the seat - in fact you almost need a license to drive it!
Tuesday, 20 July, 2010
This morning we went on a half day tour that was included in our stopover package - Buddhist Temple, Royal Palace and the changing of the guard.
Back to the hotel for a siesta and to finish this entry. We are planning to go down town for dinner tonight.
Seoul looks to be a very prosperous city. It reminds us of Singapore and Hong Kong. There are lots of Korean cars on the roads, and we have seen many office blocks or buildings with the names of well known Korean manufacturers on them.
Logging off now back to OZ tomorrow see you then - well some of you!
13 July 2010
THE END OF OUR STAY IN ALHAMA DE GRANADA
We can't believe that we are now at the end of our stay in Alhama de Granada.
It has been an enjoyable one. The house lived up to expectations, and we, plus our visitors have been very comfortable here.
We have been impressed by the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals, and have enjoyed joining in or observing their festivals and activities.
Our Spanish has definitely improved, but we still have a long way to go to be fluent. Still we have managed to get buy on most occasions. The one big exception was the problem with the car and we are grateful to both Antonio and Lisa. Antonio for having the good sense to go and fetch Lisa who was so helpful in translating that what appeared to be a problem was not in fact a problem. My only regret is the poor man who arrived to have his car fixed at the same time we did, had to wait for such a long time. Because our car was a leased one, and because we did not explain that we were staying in Alhama, Antonio had to give us priority and so the local had to wait.
We really enjoyed having Ian and Diane and Andrea visit - they certainly made us get out and visit most of the restaurants and bars in town as well as further a field. As a consequence we have both put on weight and will need to do something about it when we return.
We have had good weather - except that the last three weeks have been very hot. Just like a Pomona summer in fact. Too hot to do any long day walks, which we were planning to do. There are not many shade trees, so the walks are all very exposed and with almost constant sunshine and high temperatures it would be about as enjoyable as walking in the rain. Something neither of us likes doing.
It has been an enjoyable one. The house lived up to expectations, and we, plus our visitors have been very comfortable here.
We have been impressed by the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals, and have enjoyed joining in or observing their festivals and activities.
Our Spanish has definitely improved, but we still have a long way to go to be fluent. Still we have managed to get buy on most occasions. The one big exception was the problem with the car and we are grateful to both Antonio and Lisa. Antonio for having the good sense to go and fetch Lisa who was so helpful in translating that what appeared to be a problem was not in fact a problem. My only regret is the poor man who arrived to have his car fixed at the same time we did, had to wait for such a long time. Because our car was a leased one, and because we did not explain that we were staying in Alhama, Antonio had to give us priority and so the local had to wait.
We really enjoyed having Ian and Diane and Andrea visit - they certainly made us get out and visit most of the restaurants and bars in town as well as further a field. As a consequence we have both put on weight and will need to do something about it when we return.
We have had good weather - except that the last three weeks have been very hot. Just like a Pomona summer in fact. Too hot to do any long day walks, which we were planning to do. There are not many shade trees, so the walks are all very exposed and with almost constant sunshine and high temperatures it would be about as enjoyable as walking in the rain. Something neither of us likes doing.
Our last excursion was on Sunday to Antequera. It is another town in this area which dates back to Roman and Moorish times. Like most of the towns in Andalucia it is a white one. It has an Alcabazar (closed when we were there) plus some interesting churches (also closed) and some roman baths. We did not find the oldest ones dating back to BC, but did find the 1,300 ones but they were also closed. So we had some nice chorizo sausage (similar to the ones our Pomona butcher makes) and beer before walking around town. Then some coffee and cake after it!
We were not impressed by all the litter in Antequera, something that we have not noticed in the other places we have visited. It is an old town with a large industrial estate and while we haven't seen much evidence of the economic problems Spain is reported to be suffering in the other places we have been to, it may be that Antequera has been affected more than the others.
We arrived back to Alhama in time to watch the World Cup Grand Final, which we did in the square. Started out doing a bit of a bar crawl but ended up watching it on a large screen TV in front of the Al Dente. Brian decided that the thoughtless people who settled themselves directly in front of the screen thereby blocking the view of all the other tables were probably Dutch or British, but as we did not hear them speak we will never know. By craning our necks and twisting and turning we did manage to see most of the game, but really didn't need to, the crowd soon let us know when something happened.
But when they scored the goal, there was uproar. Someone in the Bar Andaluz next door gave a very good karoke performance singing what I assume is the equivalent of Up there Cazale and then the cars started arriving from the new town tooting their horns, waving flags and singing Viva España. They all did a few circuits of the old town and when we left there were still fire crackers and car horns tooting away.
We got home around 1.00 a.m. and shut the house up in an attempt to keep out the noise, but I couldn't do much about the noise inside. I've decided that Brian's snoring has gotten worse here due to the extra large rums they serve in Spain.
We have spent today cleaning and packing and tomorrow we will have one last class with Lisa and then drive to Cordoba for two nights, followed by one in Aranjuez - where the King has his summer palace - perhaps we will be invited to dinner - and then our final night in Madrid at the same hotel we stayed in when we arrived.
We leave on Sunday afternoon, have two nights and almost three days in Seoul and arrive in Brisbane early on Thursday morning. Brian says he will be going home on Thursday, but I am staying in Brisbane to go to a concert with Alison on Friday night. So hopefully I will be home in time for Pomona's King of the Mountain Festival on Sunday.
Thanks to all of you who have commented on the blog and as they say in Oz
Katchyalatta!
Mary and Brian.
09 July 2010
WOW! BARCELONA!
BARCELONA – 2 – 6th July, 2010.
Headed off to Granada airport in time to catch the 12.30 flight to Barcelona.
Caught a taxi to the booking office where we were given keys and directions to the apartment we had at 25 Bruc No.3 on the 4th floor. Very comfortable, all the furnishing and fittings from Ikea. Nice and quite with a view of sun roofs where Brian was pleased to see some topless sunbathers!
Wow what a city! Andrea told us it was vibrant with something happening all the time and she was not wrong. After sleepy little Alhama, we thought that Granada was busy enough, but Barcelona was much more. It seemed even busier to me than Madrid but the taxi driver assured us that Madrid is a much bigger city, so I think it must be the tourists who take over Barcelona in the summer.
On Andrea’s recommendation, we bought tickets for the tourist bus, and used them for the first two days to get to most of the outside places like the beach and Park Guiel – a Gaudi project and also up to the gardens, and then walked just about everywhere else.
The apartment was not far from the main square and we found it fairly easy to find our way around the newer parts of the city. The old town was a different story though and as is usually the case, Brian being a long distance ahead of me, I could not stop to look at a fabric store, and when I finally caught up with him, we could not find it when we went back later.
We found some good restaurants, ate in the apartment a couple of times, did some people watching at the beach, and visited the sites. The Casa Batillo is amazing and Brian took lots of photos. I lost him at one stage and spent a worrying 15 minutes wondering if something had happened to him, but he was up on the roof. I didn’t think visitors were allowed up there, especially as there were doormats in front of some of the apartments (don’t think I could live in a place teaming with tourists all the time) but the doorman found him and told me where he was.
The 1992 Olympic Games were obviously important in reviving the older derelict parts of Barcelona especially around the port and the coast. But like every large city there were also building works going on especially around the Cathedral and the Gaudi Sacrada Familia Cathedral.
The pick for me was the Palau de la Musica – it was designed by a contemporary of Gaudi’s – Llluis Domenech I Montaner and the concept was to have a light filled hall for choir and concert performances. It was privately built by the members of the choir and it is stilled owned by the choir, but like all these great buildings a lot of government money as well as private sponsorship has been put into it as well.
And light filled it is. The external walls around the auditorium are glass with fantastic art noveau designs – a different coloured glass for each level, pale pink like we have at Pomona with roses and other flowers in circles and borders, light aqua on the next with bows and long strings of ribbon and then various symbolic designs including the cross of St George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The stage backdrop is very ornate with an orange tiled back ground with sculptured female figures of different Spanish speaking nationalities imposed on it.
The crowning glory (pardon the pun) is the roof. It is a spectacular dome which is comprised of different sized roundels in about four shades of orange and lemon. Moving out from the circle of the dome to form the flatter part of the roof are magnificent stained glass panels of angels in shades of blue and white highlighted by their red lips and blonde hair. This is a rectangle panel over the centre of the auditorium and the remainder of the roof is comprised of flat stone columns which actually look like wooden beams, and at each end there are big sculptured roses also in stone and painted in pinks, yellows and green.
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos in the building, but we got one of the street front entrance.
There was a very good audio visual introduction and Elizabeth our guide was excellent. I found her accent delightful especially when she was talking about areas because it sounded like arias – appropriate in a musical context!
We also visited the opera house and having been to the Palau de la Musica beforehand found it interesting that the opera house was very much an upper class venue where the wealthy could purchase boxes etc., whereas the founders of the Palau de la Musica were more democratic. Their palace would be open to everyone regardless of class. (So long as you could afford the price of the ticket I suppose!)
The opera house was burnt down twice the last time in the early 1990s, and needless to say lots of government money went into restoring/rebuilding it. We did wonder why they didn’t opt for a more modern building – especially as the design of the older style opera houses have limited vision spaces, but I guess old money would not allow that to happen.
WEDNESDAY 7th July
Returned Tuesday night in time for a Spanish class on Wednesday. Then of course out to the square for the semi-final in the World Cup. As members of the anti-football league we are definitely traitors. As you can imagine when Espana beat Alemana there was much excitement. We were surprised that there were not many people in the square, but when the game was over there was a parade of horn tooting flag waving cars streaming around and around. Brian said he could still hear the hooting of the trumpets the next morning.
Far too hot to do anything but write, study or read at the moment. 40 degrees for the past three days and looks as though it is going to continue for the next few days as well
08 July 2010
Visit to Bobastro
THURSDAY 1st July.
Today we decided to explore an archaeological site about two hours drive from Alhama. The drive was pleasant and Sofia did a good job in getting us there without too much hassle.
First stop was Ardales (pronounced Arr-da-les). We were impressed by the green lawn and gardens at the entrance to the village as well as the tourist information/cultural complex close to where we parked. The museum looked interesting but we were more interested in finding something to eat and learning how to get to Bobastro which according to the Lonely Planet Guide to Andalucia has the remains of a 9th century fortress set up by a kind of Andalucian Robin Hood.
We were advised by an enthusiastic guide at the information centre that if we walked up into the square we would find lots of restaurants. He also gave us a brochure about the site and said that it would be open and easy to get to.
We found a nice looking place where we thought we could have lunch, but what we thought was the restaurant turned out to be the town hall! The restaurant was off to one side – we could not see any signage as to its name, but followed the waitress through a bar, down a long corridor into a very large air conditioned restaurant. She subsequently told us that it is called the Juan Vera Restaurant. All round the walls were photos of the various sites and they all looked interesting. The town is obviously trying to build up its economy using tourism. From the little we saw it has a lot of potential and the town looked very prosperous.
We did find it but when we got to the entrance, the guide waved us through, so we continued to drive up the mountain where we came to a dead end but with a fantastic view of Garganta del Chorro (the El Chorro Gorge). As it is only about 50 kms from Malaga, it is a popular drive into the hinterland but it is also more famous for its rock climbing. According to the guide book, the gorge is “about 4km long, as much as 400 metres deep and sometimes just 10 km wide”. Its sheer walls and rock faces are what attract climbers in Andalucia. (Not for the Smiths though!)
When we got to the dead end, we had a fantastic view and realised that we had come further than we needed to. We stopped to talk to some people who were also at the lookout. They were from Robe in South Australia – didn’t know Mike Gibson, but asked if we knew Peter and Leslie from Pomona! Took me a while to realise that we do know them, but by then the Robe ites had moved on. We asked them if they had been to Arr-da-les, but realised afterwards that we should have asked them if they had been to Ardales!
We turned around and went back to the stall where we had been waved through and discovered that the entrance to the site we wanted was on the opposite side of the road and was not visible from the road.
Paid the 3 Euro entrance fee and the Gatekeeper unlocked the gate and let us into the site. It is a very interesting one. According to the labels, Omar Ibn Hafsun got into trouble as a young man when he was in the army in Cordoba and in order to avoid being sent to jail fled to his uncle’s home in Morocco. He came back to Spain and converted to Christianity (thus becoming a Mozarab) and built the Iglesia Mozarabe around the large boulders on the site. The Church became the focus of a small town and at times it became the centre for the protection of Christian refugees fleeing the control of the Moslem controlled Cordoba, which ruled most of the settlements in Western Andalucia. Hafsun was recaptured at one stage and taken back into the Army in Cordoba where he was promoted, but he rebelled again and returned to Bobastro which is where he died. (This really appealed to Brian!)
Omar Hafsun was buried in the crypt of the Church at Bobastro but when Bobastro was finally conquered by Cordoba in 927, his remains were taken away for posthumous crucifixion outside Cordoba’s mesquite (mosque).
The site is on sloping ground and would have been a fantastic fortress because the views from it are spectacular. The labels are very clear and give a very good interpretation of the site, so we were really pleased that we went to see it. Brian thinks that it is probably even more significant than the Alhambra! I’m not sure that I agree, but I did find it very interesting.
Today we decided to explore an archaeological site about two hours drive from Alhama. The drive was pleasant and Sofia did a good job in getting us there without too much hassle.
First stop was Ardales (pronounced Arr-da-les). We were impressed by the green lawn and gardens at the entrance to the village as well as the tourist information/cultural complex close to where we parked. The museum looked interesting but we were more interested in finding something to eat and learning how to get to Bobastro which according to the Lonely Planet Guide to Andalucia has the remains of a 9th century fortress set up by a kind of Andalucian Robin Hood.
We were advised by an enthusiastic guide at the information centre that if we walked up into the square we would find lots of restaurants. He also gave us a brochure about the site and said that it would be open and easy to get to.
We found a nice looking place where we thought we could have lunch, but what we thought was the restaurant turned out to be the town hall! The restaurant was off to one side – we could not see any signage as to its name, but followed the waitress through a bar, down a long corridor into a very large air conditioned restaurant. She subsequently told us that it is called the Juan Vera Restaurant. All round the walls were photos of the various sites and they all looked interesting. The town is obviously trying to build up its economy using tourism. From the little we saw it has a lot of potential and the town looked very prosperous.
We decided on the menu del dia and at her recommendation chose the soup of pumpkin, potatoes and meat. It was truly delicious and came in its own tureen. (Brian thought that very economical because it meant that they did not have to throw it away if we hadn’t eaten it all). We followed that with salted cod and coffee and then headed off to find Bobastro.
We did find it but when we got to the entrance, the guide waved us through, so we continued to drive up the mountain where we came to a dead end but with a fantastic view of Garganta del Chorro (the El Chorro Gorge). As it is only about 50 kms from Malaga, it is a popular drive into the hinterland but it is also more famous for its rock climbing. According to the guide book, the gorge is “about 4km long, as much as 400 metres deep and sometimes just 10 km wide”. Its sheer walls and rock faces are what attract climbers in Andalucia. (Not for the Smiths though!)
When we got to the dead end, we had a fantastic view and realised that we had come further than we needed to. We stopped to talk to some people who were also at the lookout. They were from Robe in South Australia – didn’t know Mike Gibson, but asked if we knew Peter and Leslie from Pomona! Took me a while to realise that we do know them, but by then the Robe ites had moved on. We asked them if they had been to Arr-da-les, but realised afterwards that we should have asked them if they had been to Ardales!
We turned around and went back to the stall where we had been waved through and discovered that the entrance to the site we wanted was on the opposite side of the road and was not visible from the road.
Paid the 3 Euro entrance fee and the Gatekeeper unlocked the gate and let us into the site. It is a very interesting one. According to the labels, Omar Ibn Hafsun got into trouble as a young man when he was in the army in Cordoba and in order to avoid being sent to jail fled to his uncle’s home in Morocco. He came back to Spain and converted to Christianity (thus becoming a Mozarab) and built the Iglesia Mozarabe around the large boulders on the site. The Church became the focus of a small town and at times it became the centre for the protection of Christian refugees fleeing the control of the Moslem controlled Cordoba, which ruled most of the settlements in Western Andalucia. Hafsun was recaptured at one stage and taken back into the Army in Cordoba where he was promoted, but he rebelled again and returned to Bobastro which is where he died. (This really appealed to Brian!)
Omar Hafsun was buried in the crypt of the Church at Bobastro but when Bobastro was finally conquered by Cordoba in 927, his remains were taken away for posthumous crucifixion outside Cordoba’s mesquite (mosque).The site is on sloping ground and would have been a fantastic fortress because the views from it are spectacular. The labels are very clear and give a very good interpretation of the site, so we were really pleased that we went to see it. Brian thinks that it is probably even more significant than the Alhambra! I’m not sure that I agree, but I did find it very interesting.
30 June 2010
Andrea's Visit
23rd June to 27th June
Having deposited Ian and Diane at the airport on Wednesday 23rd June, we picked Andrea up from there later the same day.
While Ian and Diane were here we began to wonder what was going on with the arrival of large trucks which began unloading strange looking shapes etc into the main square. Posters started appearing around town and a program entitled Fiestas de Alhama de Granada 24th to 27th June arrived at the front door. Having seen all the preparation it was unfortunate that Ian and Diane missed the start of the fair, but Andrea was here for most of it.
It was a bit like King of the Mountain meets the Noosa show with all the usual attractions. Motor cycle exhibitions, jumping castles and slippery dips, side show alley rides, stalls selling the usual sunglasses, leather goods, toys and the trilby hats which are all the rage here.
On the first day there were bike races for the school kids and a concert for the senior citizens.
We think that the performers were the 2009 winners of Spanish Idol who were appearing with an obviously well known Spanish professional called Marisol Delgado. We waited until the show started, but the sound system was not the best, and as we could not understand what she was saying or singing, we headed off to Bar El Tigre for a nightcap around 11.00pm. Antonio the owner of Bar El Tigre invited Andrea and me in for a sherry and it was on his TV that we saw Kevin and Julia. The first bit of Aussie news in Espana! Therese had sent a text telling us about it, so of course we began to follow it on the internet.
As well as all the Fiesta activities we took Andrea through the Gorge to El Ventorro for lunch one day and while we ate out most of the time, she and I went shopping on Saturday morning and bought the shoulder quarter of a lamb which we cooked and ate at home before going to a concert in the Church. It was advertised as a choir of 13 tenors and baritones and it was being held on the smaller of the two main churches in town. It was advertised to start at 8.30 pm so we showed up then, but found that we had to sit through Mass before the concert began. The choir did sing throughout the Mass and Andrea and Brian were very patient. They sat through it and Brian says that because he spoke Spanish so clearly, he would like to have the Priest as his Spanish teacher!
After some very nice ice-cream in one of the main squares in Granada we left Andrea and headed back up to the car park and then back to Alhama.
Andrea had been to Barcelona before coming here and her enthusiasm about it reignited our interest as well. We had talked about going there but once we got settled in Alhama shelved the idea because it seemed such a long way to drive especially there and back. So Brian started looking at the internet. He has booked us to fly on Vueling the equivalent of Jetstar on Friday afternoon and return on Tuesday afternoon. He has also booked us into an apartment in the old town of Barcelona so we are both looking forward to a ‘short break’ as they say in England.
It is hard to believe that we are now more than half way through the trip. The time is going so quickly we’ve hardly had time to relax!
We have decided to visit Cordoba on our way back to Madrid and to spend one night in Aranjuez where the King has his summer palace – before we hit the big smoke for one more night before getting on the plane back to Seoul and then Brisbane where we arrive on 22nd July.
Andrea has been holidaying in Italy since April. She lives in Brisbane and we hardly ever see each other, but she was delighted when she heard that we would be close to Granada at the same time as she was in Italy and had enough room to put her up for a few nights. Ever since she saw a program about the Alhambra she has wanted to visit it so she arranged her timetable to suit us and booked the highlight for us all to go to see the Alhambra on her way back to Italy.
On the first day there were bike races for the school kids and a concert for the senior citizens.
There was a disco every night in what was called the Caseta Juventud which was held in the patio of the town hall. We called it the ‘blue light disco’ not only for the Aussie connection but because it was lit with blue lights and the local police were nearby.
The Sports Union took over one of the few car parks in town, so everyone had to find different parking spots – including us – and on Saturday night it was packed with football fans watching the Spain versus Chile match. Needless to say there was much excitement when Spain won.
There were lots of fast food outlets, and on the first night there was a band playing dance music which attracted a number of couples that looked as though their ages ranged from 50 to 80. Andrea was concerned that there were tables at that end that hardly had any takers by the time we were heading home, but we told her that we were leaving just as most of the locals were heading out. Hardly anything started before 10.00 pm and nearly everything ran late. On Sunday night (after Andrea was no longer in Alhama) the grand finale took place and there was not a spare seat anywhere near the stage.
As well as all the Fiesta activities we took Andrea through the Gorge to El Ventorro for lunch one day and while we ate out most of the time, she and I went shopping on Saturday morning and bought the shoulder quarter of a lamb which we cooked and ate at home before going to a concert in the Church. It was advertised as a choir of 13 tenors and baritones and it was being held on the smaller of the two main churches in town. It was advertised to start at 8.30 pm so we showed up then, but found that we had to sit through Mass before the concert began. The choir did sing throughout the Mass and Andrea and Brian were very patient. They sat through it and Brian says that because he spoke Spanish so clearly, he would like to have the Priest as his Spanish teacher!
On Sunday morning we headed off again for Granada and the Alhambra. Andrea had booked us into the Nasrid Palace between 9.30 and 10.00 am, and having learned that the optimal route was too windy and sunny when we took Ian and Diane there, we had a very good trip via the Autovia. It was slightly longer but far less stressful.
After about six hours we were Alhambrad out, so took Andrea to her hotel which was very nice. It is in the same chain of hotels that we stayed at in Madrid, but the sink in Andrea’s room was an opaque perspex whereas the one in Madrid was clear perspex – I really liked the clear one, but don’t know if I would buy one. Maybe just a bit too radical for conservative me.
After some very nice ice-cream in one of the main squares in Granada we left Andrea and headed back up to the car park and then back to Alhama.
Andrea had been to Barcelona before coming here and her enthusiasm about it reignited our interest as well. We had talked about going there but once we got settled in Alhama shelved the idea because it seemed such a long way to drive especially there and back. So Brian started looking at the internet. He has booked us to fly on Vueling the equivalent of Jetstar on Friday afternoon and return on Tuesday afternoon. He has also booked us into an apartment in the old town of Barcelona so we are both looking forward to a ‘short break’ as they say in England.
It is hard to believe that we are now more than half way through the trip. The time is going so quickly we’ve hardly had time to relax!
We have decided to visit Cordoba on our way back to Madrid and to spend one night in Aranjuez where the King has his summer palace – before we hit the big smoke for one more night before getting on the plane back to Seoul and then Brisbane where we arrive on 22nd July.
24 June 2010
SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY.
Took our purchases back home and then Ian, Diane and I, tried the remaining bars we had not been to. We decided that the best tapas were at Bar Ochoa, but have discovered that it is not open as often as all the others. Ian found some animals to photograph in the Plaza.
Ian and Diane cooked up a great lunch of seafood, and then we had to have a rest before heading out for more bar crawling, finishing off with a pizza – which was only so so. Then out to see the English wedding party at the big church – were astounded to see some of the men in really nice outfits wearing thongs! And I’m amazed at how the girls manage the cobble stone streets in those really high heels!
Then off to the other restaurant at the end of the Gorge – El Pato Loco (The Mad Duck). Definitely the best restaurant so far. We had a parrilla (which is a type of BBQ or grill) plus a delicious red pepper salad and then Brian and Diane had desert.
Brian went back to the card rules and we went for a walk to the thermal pools at the opposite end of town.
MONDAY
We drove down to the coast to La Herradura to give Ian and Diane a look at the coast. It was a beautiful day. We drove along the beach, and then walked down to find the restaurant recommended in the Lonely Planet. It turned out to be very good, but muy caro (very expensive) compared to the ones in Alhama.
TUESDAY
Early morning start – up at 6.30 to leave for Granada at 7.30 so that Ian and Diane could get into the Nasrid Palace, at the Alhambra at their appointed time slot of 9.30 – 10.00.
We made it but Brian found driving east into the sun a bit difficult – we went later in the day the last time and then it was not a problem. However, Sofia got us there with time to spare.
We then checked into the Hotel Alixares which Ian had found and booked into before leaving home and then Brian subsequently booked a room for us... We had intended only to leave the car there, but the man on reception changed the room numbers we had originally been allocated and allowed us to check in at 9.30 instead of waiting until 2.00pm. We were very happy because they had all their heavy camping etc luggage in the car
We explored parts of Granada we had not seen last time and met up for dinner followed by drinks on the roof top of the hotel. It would be spectacular on a night when both the Alhambra and the Albayzin are lit, but that probably only happens on weekends.
WEDNESDAY
After breakfast, Diane and I went down to the Cathedral and a wander through the Albayzin. Then back to the Hotel and off to the airport. Sofia let us down this time and it was a pretty stressful trip through Granada. There is a warning that says that she is only an aid, and on this occasion she took us through down town Granada when it would have been much easier if we had gone another way. Just goes to show that you can’t beat local knowledge.
Three more days that were much of the same. Brian started the morning by trying to buy some mussels and prawns at the newest fish shop in town – the lovely Adriana’s but gave up after two attempts because all the women ignored him, including Adriana. He says it is like the butcher shop syndrome in Oz where men are usually ignored, and according to him are seen as the cart horse to carry the purchases home. After listening to his complaints, Di and I braved the fish shop, and Brian was right, there was only one man there, and he did carry the purchases! However, I was impressed by the friendliness and courtesy of the women who were there. They all knew that I spoke and understood only a little Spanish but when another came and was told by Adriane that there were no more mussels other than the ones I had my eye on, she asked me if I was waiting to buy them, the rest told her that she should have come in earlier.
Brian spent most of the day working out how we could play cards with the pack that he had bought on Friday. They are Spanish but have suits that are coins, swords, cups and clubs. When we came back around midnight, he taught us all the rules. Diane reckoned he was inventing them but she came out the winner so Ian and I don’t know what she had to complain about!
SUNDAY was motor cycle racing in Spain, so while Ian spent about 6 hours glued to the TV set, and Brian went back to the card game rules, Diane and I responded to the Church bells and went in for the first half of midday Mass.
Brian went back to the card rules and we went for a walk to the thermal pools at the opposite end of town.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Early morning start – up at 6.30 to leave for Granada at 7.30 so that Ian and Diane could get into the Nasrid Palace, at the Alhambra at their appointed time slot of 9.30 – 10.00.
We made it but Brian found driving east into the sun a bit difficult – we went later in the day the last time and then it was not a problem. However, Sofia got us there with time to spare.
We then checked into the Hotel Alixares which Ian had found and booked into before leaving home and then Brian subsequently booked a room for us... We had intended only to leave the car there, but the man on reception changed the room numbers we had originally been allocated and allowed us to check in at 9.30 instead of waiting until 2.00pm. We were very happy because they had all their heavy camping etc luggage in the car
We explored parts of Granada we had not seen last time and met up for dinner followed by drinks on the roof top of the hotel. It would be spectacular on a night when both the Alhambra and the Albayzin are lit, but that probably only happens on weekends.
WEDNESDAY
After breakfast, Diane and I went down to the Cathedral and a wander through the Albayzin. Then back to the Hotel and off to the airport. Sofia let us down this time and it was a pretty stressful trip through Granada. There is a warning that says that she is only an aid, and on this occasion she took us through down town Granada when it would have been much easier if we had gone another way. Just goes to show that you can’t beat local knowledge.
19 June 2010
The arrival of our first guests.
18th June 2010
Ian and Diane arrived on Wednesday night (or I should say Thursday morning). Their flight which was due to arrive around 10.45 was delayed by 50 mins. By the time they got their luggage and cleared customs it was past midnight.
They have had a great holiday so far. Ian was absolutely wrapped about the bike races in the Isle of Man. They spent that week camping. Diane thoroughly enjoyed both the races and the camping because the campsite was so good... Then they flew to Ireland stayed in the Independent Hostels. They enjoyed the pubs and the craic. When they got to Madrid though, we got a text message from Ian saying that they were at the tapas bar at the airport and he was already loving Spain because the beer was half the price it had been in Ireland!
We had a typical Spanish tourist day yesterday. Got up late – around 10.00 am. And after doing some chores took them out to see some of the Alhama sites. The tourist guide was just opening the Convent of St Carmen Church when we got there, so they were able to go in. Then to the square for coffee and biscuits at one of the many bars; some shopping for essentials like beer and wine, back to the house for a change of shoes, and then we did the walk through the Gorge to the restaurant for a great lunch of grilled lamb, fried rabbit and salad plus a bottle of red wine.
Diane was enthusiastic about the fact that we didn’t start eating until about 3.00 and were just heading back around 6.00 and it was still broad daylight. Spain is on double daylight saving time, so getting up at 10.00 is really like getting up at 8.00 am, and so our lunch was close to when we would usually have it, but the double daylight saving means that about 20 of the 24 hours are mostly light, and the siesta is still timed to cover the hottest part of the day.
Today we started out with tea toast and fruit for breakfast on the back terrace, then down to the market where Diane bought her first pair of shoes (every girl must buy shoes in Spain) and some other bits and pieces. I saw just the thing for Therese as well. Then up to the best supermarket in town, followed by drinks in the new part of Alhama – we had two each, so had two lots of tapas which were enough to do us for lunch. Enjoyed a siesta after that and then happy hour on the roof terrace followed by dinner at home – a delicious spit roast chicken and salad, then up to the square around 10.00 for more tapas some Sangria for Diane and me, beer for Ian and a rum and coke for Brian. They have decided they really like this life and are bemoaning the fact that it will not be too long before they have to go back to work.
We are taking them to Granada on Tuesday morning where they have booked into see the Alhambra. We have booked into the same hotel, and will take them to the airport on Wednesday when they fly back to London, where they will be staying for a while before heading up to Southport for Ian’s conference...
Ian and Diane arrived on Wednesday night (or I should say Thursday morning). Their flight which was due to arrive around 10.45 was delayed by 50 mins. By the time they got their luggage and cleared customs it was past midnight.
They have had a great holiday so far. Ian was absolutely wrapped about the bike races in the Isle of Man. They spent that week camping. Diane thoroughly enjoyed both the races and the camping because the campsite was so good... Then they flew to Ireland stayed in the Independent Hostels. They enjoyed the pubs and the craic. When they got to Madrid though, we got a text message from Ian saying that they were at the tapas bar at the airport and he was already loving Spain because the beer was half the price it had been in Ireland!
We had a typical Spanish tourist day yesterday. Got up late – around 10.00 am. And after doing some chores took them out to see some of the Alhama sites. The tourist guide was just opening the Convent of St Carmen Church when we got there, so they were able to go in. Then to the square for coffee and biscuits at one of the many bars; some shopping for essentials like beer and wine, back to the house for a change of shoes, and then we did the walk through the Gorge to the restaurant for a great lunch of grilled lamb, fried rabbit and salad plus a bottle of red wine.
Diane was enthusiastic about the fact that we didn’t start eating until about 3.00 and were just heading back around 6.00 and it was still broad daylight. Spain is on double daylight saving time, so getting up at 10.00 is really like getting up at 8.00 am, and so our lunch was close to when we would usually have it, but the double daylight saving means that about 20 of the 24 hours are mostly light, and the siesta is still timed to cover the hottest part of the day.
Today we started out with tea toast and fruit for breakfast on the back terrace, then down to the market where Diane bought her first pair of shoes (every girl must buy shoes in Spain) and some other bits and pieces. I saw just the thing for Therese as well. Then up to the best supermarket in town, followed by drinks in the new part of Alhama – we had two each, so had two lots of tapas which were enough to do us for lunch. Enjoyed a siesta after that and then happy hour on the roof terrace followed by dinner at home – a delicious spit roast chicken and salad, then up to the square around 10.00 for more tapas some Sangria for Diane and me, beer for Ian and a rum and coke for Brian. They have decided they really like this life and are bemoaning the fact that it will not be too long before they have to go back to work.
We are taking them to Granada on Tuesday morning where they have booked into see the Alhambra. We have booked into the same hotel, and will take them to the airport on Wednesday when they fly back to London, where they will be staying for a while before heading up to Southport for Ian’s conference...
16 June 2010
A Drive to a Pass with a View
We decided that we should take a trip to the coast via this route so the next day we booked in at the Hotel Sol Los Fenicios at La Herradura for a couple of days. We drove down on Sunday and the traffic was light and apart from the windy road down to Velez Malaga the roads were excellent - much of the way being on the A7 Autovia. The hotel was very comfortable and only 44 rooms on just three levels. Some pics of the centre of the hotel are in the gallery and the rooms are built around this garden.We had lunch and then took a walk looking for the Marina del Este but succeeded in finding only heaps of luxury houses and gated estates. I suppose the word 'Marina" should have alerted us.
That evening we found a charming little bar/restaurant called Mesón El Tinao. We dined at the bar and on the TV viewed the demize of Australia in their first group match against Germany going down 4-0. My pre dinner drink was a beer but Mary had a Sangria in a wine glass that must have held half a litre. We shared a skewer of lamb with French fries and chatted in Spanglish to the two barmen.
La Herradura is a lovely bay, with a grey sand/pebble beach so it not particularly appealing, but the Germans and the Brits seem to love it. The hotel was full of Germans all lapping up the sun, and most of the Brits seem to be expats living there. The only English station at the hotel was Fox News but there were at least four German stations. We decided that the Hotel owners must have done a deal with German Travel Agents who promoted the hotel as the place to stay.
Having spent I don't know how many years travelling in buses and trains, I was having withdrawal symptoms, so suggested to Brian that we should go by bus to Almuñécar - the much larger coastal town on the Costa Tropical. It was really a case of deje vu because as usual we could not find out anything about the bus services. All along the front there are bus stops with the same route marked on them. The timetable stated that it ran from Almuñécar, but there was no timetable for the opposite direction, and on the other side of the road, there were no bus stops.
As usual nearly everyone we asked never travelled by bus even the man at tourist information office knew nothing about it. We did a couple of circuits, and finally asked at the petrol station and the lady on the desk there as well as an expat put us in the right direction. We decided that the lady we had seen sitting there was not just having a rest, especially when several others started hanging around in the general vicinity. When it arrived, it was a very large bus which would not have been able to get through the narrow streets to where the other bus stops are, so we decided that the others must be a special holiday run during the holidays - like the park and ride service run at Noosa.
Almuñécar is another beach resort with lots of high rise and hotels and another grey sandy/pebble beach. When we arrived we decided to have a coffee at a cafe that had lots of people sitting at it. The waitress greeted us with "Hi Guys" so our attempts at Spanish disguise are definitely not working! Then spent a bit of time trying to find the monument to Laurie Lee which had been erected by the Mayor of Almuñécar as a tribute to the Englishman who put his town on the map!
We asked Hi Guys and she found out that it was close by. But of course we didn't find it first off, so again we went to the tourist information office and asked where it was, but she had never heard of it. She was helpful though and gave us a map and as we were leaving Brian discovered that it was on the map - so we went back and showed it to her. I got the distinct impression that she was not very happy with us for pointing out to her something that she should have known.
We eventually found it and took a photo.
Returned to the bus station and back to La Herradura for siesta, and then back to the same restaurant for dinner. Our two Spanish waiters from the night before told us that there would be music by a Dutch guitar player and when we arrived it turned out to be a Dutchman and two Englishmen, one on drums, and the other on the electric guitar. We enjoyed both the food and the music.
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