Earth 2010

Crete and the Greek odyssey!

143 days since selling up. David Jones recording.

Yes! The blog is back we are finally travelling again. After successfully arriving in blighty from France with the help of the Resistance following the first leg of our world tour: "Earth 2010", we were welcomed with open arms from our families, until they realised we needed a place to stay for a month. Thankfully both our families accepted the challenge and we were well looked after. Thanks everyone.

We spent the latter part of August making arrangements for the second leg of our journey and finalising our round the world ticket for the third leg. Courtesy of "wifee" provided by "the families".

At the end of August we flew to Crete and have just enjoyed two weeks lazing around the pool overlooking Souda bay. I know it's all we seem to do, but hey I'm travelling with a creative and he needs the "artistic space" to help him write. Yeh right! We just like being on holiday. For those waiting for the publishing date of the novel Agatha's now over half way. Anyone know of a good agent to get a publishing deal? We will need some money when we get back!

  

We had a new travelling companion for the first two weeks in Greece. A good friend Lynn who helped bring joy and peace to two crotchety old backpackers. Thanks Lynn.

The villa was wonderful, stunning views and sunsets. Apart from the annoying older English man who lived in the villa next door. I think he was an ageing rocker: lots of Queen, Phil Collins and War of the Worlds blasting out. There is nothing like an "ooh-laaa" to enhance the stunning sunset, just imagine it whilst you look at the next picture (only War of the Worlds fans might have got the last reference: ooh-laaa is the sound the invaders make).

 

Crete is beautiful: rugged shoreline, olive groves, goats and sheep wandering on the road, donkeys, you know the thing, after all, it's Greece!

We had great fun driving along the motorway to and from the airport, using the hard shoulder as the second lane. It's how they drive in Crete.

Lynn unfortunately had to return to England after two weeks so we dropped her off at the airport spent our last night on Crete in Heraklion, the capital, before catching a ferry the next morning to Santorini.  Our first Greek ferry experience. I'll leave that story for the next blog, such fun!

Allo! Allo! Listen very carefully I shall say this only once!

106 days since selling up.  Michelle of the Resistance recording.

Listen very carefully I shall say this only once.  The two English airmen who 'ave been under cover in Spain as tourists for the last 3 months 'ave been successfully smuggled across the frontier into France. We 'ave been 'iding them in secret locations as we 'ave moved them up the country.

"Hello!" From Carcassonne.

The only problem is the buggers keep running around trying to be tourists still, and we've 'ave 'ad an 'ard time keeping them 'idden.

When we were in Sarlat we disguised them as locals and put them in a Citroen Dolly. This seemed to be a success.

"Hello!" From Sarlat.

 

 

 

 

 

We then decided to give them very clear instructions using the very latest technology to find an 'iding place in the famous Chateau that stands over the Loire.

A picture of one of the air men receiving the instructions...

...but still they weren't able to follow them!

 

 

 

 

"Hello!" From Chateau de Chenonceau.

 

 

 

We 'ave finally got them near the Channel today, and 'ave been reacclimatising them to the weather back in Blighty.

 

 

"Hello!" from the Chateau Falaise, birthplace of William the Conqueror.

 

 

 

 

We 'ope to get them on a boat tomorrow and across the Channel under cover of night. They will be bringing the merchandise and their dirty washing! They will contact you again when they're back in Blighty, getting ready for their next mission. Cheerio!

 

 

Don't cry for me Espana!

104 days since selling up! David Jones recording.

It's all over! Espana is no more! I'm writing this from central France, yesterday we crossed the chaotic border between Spain and France at La Jonquera/Le Perthus. And I have to say I thought I'd had enough of Spain after three months, but now I'm missing it. All this French lark - it's so confusing, I can't stop myself saying "por favor" and "gracias" and keep getting blank looks from impatient French people! And it's already started to get cool, we drove through the beautiful Dordogne today, and although it was sunny and clear, it was distinctly less tropical. No more palm trees, no more shady squares with fountains to escape from the heat, no more Menu del Dias (although we did have a rather nice Menu Touristique in Sarlat today...)!

Anyway you left us dropping Paul's Mum and Dad off at Alicante Airport. We decided to take things easy and spend a night in Alicante before starting the long drive north. And what a good decision. Alicante's really nice, lots of shady banyan trees, wide esplanade along the marina, nice beach (sadly packed - it was 31 July) and we found the most perfect square with a fountain to have a menu del dia lunch. It was shaded by three huge banyan trees, the cafe was Morrocan influenced and served us the most delicious lamb tagine. Yum, one of my favourite lunches of the whole Spanish tour. Paul's mum and dad would have loved it, but they were too busy tucking into their EasyKiosk lunch. We just had a video call with them and were shocked to see they were browner than both of us after two weeks of Spanish sun. They look like the ones who've been away for three months!

We then moved on to Benicarlo a very Spanish seaside resort on the Costa del Azahar. We stayed in our second parador of the tour.  It was like a Miami 1930's beach front hotel.  A little bit faded around the edges and played gentle piped music through out the hotel.  We definately felt like the golden girls but in a retirement home.  Having said that it was very relaxing after our long drive.

We then moved on to Barcelona. A vibrant and exciting city.  Very cosmopolitan and "trendy" but in a relaxed way.  It didn't seem as Spanish as the other places we had visited, people seemed friendlier.  The driving seemed polite as well.  We drove straight into the city found our hotel and parked in the underground car park with no problems.  We must almost be Spanish!

We visited all the tourist sights: Sagrada Familia, Ramblas, old town and cable car. One of our favourite destinations at the end of the day was the roof top pool for a quick dip and cocktails.

We also found some good restarants and had good food tapas in the old town and then tapas sitting by the marina. And I had a Starbucks!

The worst experience here was when we decided to venture to Gaudi's Park Guell. Well us and every other tourist in Barcelona decided to go on that day.  It was like Trafalgar Square at lunch time without the pigeons.  The queue on the escalators going up to the park was like a Universal theme park ride.  Anyhow we didn't stop long, just enough time for Paul to get some quick shots.  Though there were so many people you couldn't really see the architecture through the crowds.  All that said we had a great time in Barcelona before moving on to our final Spanish city Girona or as Ryan Air says Girona Barcelona!

 

 We explored the medieval streets of Girona and visited the cathedral and walked the wall.  The most fun we had, was at a restaurant in a small square where we ate lunch both days.  This was because the waitress that served us was very friendly, if a little bit mad!  We would listen to her telling every customer that it was very busy and that might have to wait and did they really want to stay, despite the place being half empty. Anyhow we had two great menu de dias: our last of our tour.  Finally whilst in Girona, Paul could not resist the temptation to kiss the lioness's bum.  So the legend says if you kiss the bum you will return to Girona. I have the photograph (it's in the album) but too rude to show on this blog page!

 

Whilst in Spain I moaned about the heat , the driving, not knowing what time of day to eat and where, no road signs, ridiculously small underground carparks, did I say Spanish drivers.  I also said I had had enough and would not need to go back for ten years.  Now away from all that, those are the things I miss.  So may be three or two! Don't cry for me Espana the truth is I never left you! Luego Espana!

Muchos fiestas, bulls on the loose and a Ruby anniversary!

100 days since selling up! Paul Twocock recording.

Your usual avid reporter is completely pooped from three days running around Barcelona, so you've got the spare driver instead. We've had a two week WiFi blackout - and so much has happened. We thought it was going to be a quiet two weeks, little did we know we'd hit our first full blown Spanish fiestas of the whole trip around Spain.

My Mum and Dad flew in on 17th July to Alicante, and we rented a villa back in Benitatxell (see May for our last visit). They came out to celebrate their 40th Anniversary on 25th July.

I think they thought they were in for a quiet fortnight too... but on the first full day we got wind of a fiesta in nearby Xabia, and I whisked us all all down to the port - rudely waking Dad from his siesta.

It was a Moors and the Christians extravaganza!

A riot of amazing costumes, brilliant brass bands, big thighs in tights and cigar smoking, sword wielding senors! It lasted hours and after a lovely portside dinner we were treated to a midnight firework display to rival any. Well that's what we thought until the little town of Benitatxell started it's fiesta a few days later. Events and bands every day and not one but two huge firework displays, one on Mum and Dad's anniversary! There I was getting up tight about coming to Spain for three months and not bumping into any major fiestas, and then two come along at once.

Anyhoo, it all got a bit serious towards the end of Benitatxell's 10 day long fiesta. Police cars and helicopters scoured the countryside for an escapee bull. And frankly we weren't surprised. The bull ring, what there was of it, was improvised in the town square. Hooray for the bull for getting out! We don't know if he's still ranging around the Valencian countryside as we speak.

So, there were a lot of fiestas, and a bit of excitement but don't worry we found time to relax; and Mum and Dad had a fantastic anniversary and break. Well that's what they told us! Despite the compulsory water volleyball which meant Dad had to miss his siesta on many afternoons.

We even found time to zoom up the coast to Valencia to see the wonderful city of arts and sciences, the musical fountains and had lunch in our favourite square - the Plaza Rodrigo Botet.

So, fully recharged we said hasta luego to Ma and Pa at Alicante Airport, and began our last leg of phase one of our round the world tour. Just one more week in Spain, four days in France and a three week break in the UK beckoned. More on that in the next blog. David's just told me over my shoulder that this is getting too long. So I'll leave you with a couple of images from Valencia. Adios amigos!

Andalucia, Granada and Heat!

82 days sinces selling up. David Jones recording.

It's our last day at this casa with a pool before moving on to Benitachell back in the Valencia region of Spain.  The weather has been perfect and we have spent much of the time lazing around the pool.  Agatha Christie has been catching up on his book.  There has been drama, re-writes and bringing back characters from the dead.  Speaking of the dead, we have been visiting the famous Alahmbra in Granada, which some say is the jewel in the spanish crown.  It was nice but unfortunately on the day we went and certainly for the rest of the summer the moorish palace was being restored and the most famous patio with elegant fountains and moorish marble was a building site.  It was very easy to get to though and lots of parking, like a theme park. Personally I preferred the palace in Sevilla. Continuing the theme park theme were wandered aroung Granada in 104 degrees and found the perfect square with fountain and restaurant with mist spayers like in a theme park in Florida.  It did help to cool us down.

 

Speaking of cooling down, the pool at the casa has been wonderful for cooling down, but as it is an above ground pool it is a bit tricky to get into. Especially after a gin or two.  The picture below is prime example of my grand entrance or was it an exit from the pool?  Thankfully I haven't fallen off but I think  the top platform is starting to crack.

"Such fun"

We are going to meet Paul's parents at the airport tommorrow.  We are spending two weeks with them in a villa with a pool in Benitachell. It's their ruby wedding anniversary while they are away.

Unfortunately the villa doesn't have wifi so there will be a two week blog black out. I can tell you are all relieved!

Luego!

Catch up with the three C's

75 days since selling up, David Jones recording.

What are the three C's? The places we have visited over the last two weeks after we left Sevilla: Chiclana, Cadiz and Cordoba. We are now in rural Andalucia about 50 miles from Granada.  Let me paint the picture. I am writing this sitting in a restored 17th century spanish farm house, in a small hamlet of 6 houses surronded by olive groves. We don't have the whole house only a small part that may well have been the pig pen.  But it's beautifully restored now.  I am writing with the electric fan directed at my feet sitting in the lounge whilst typing this blog.  After a day of exploring Granada in 104 degrees I have a case of prickly heat. Not a pretty sight.

Well back to the catch up.  Chiclana is on the atlantic coast of Spain we stayed in a villa near the famous La Barossa beach. Miles of unspoilt coast line with white sandy beaches.

Its also near to the old port town of Cadiz with its city walls and medieval centre.  We spent much of our time here just going for walks along the beach and sitting in the sun.  

We also took a trip to the ruins of the Romano port town of Baelo Claudio by the beach.  You can wander around the forum and streets and visit the theatre.  All in the hot sun with a wonderful sea breeze.

We then moved on to the wonderful city of Cordoba the city of patios and stayed in an apartment with a patio!  We spent the days exploring the city and eating lunches in squares and cooling drinks.  Cordoba has a particular cold soup Salmorejo,  a thick tomatoe soup to which you add egg, ham and olive oil. It is also famous for the mosque of many pillars, the Mezquita, which then became the cathedral when the moors where expelled from Spain.

I have uploaded lots more photos in the albums.

"Such fun!" 

The fan has done the trick on my heat rash, much better!

Luego!

Bravo Toro! Carmen and the madness of Sevilla

69 days since selling up, David Jones recording.

 

We stayed in Sevilla for 7 nights in a wonderful top floor apartment with roof terrace and Jacuzzi tub. Budget, what budget!  It was hot and humid and the roof top Jacuzzi was a welcome relief after a day of touring the city.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sevilla is a beautiful city with its fountains, plazas and palm trees. We spent a very relaxing week exploring and taking in the atmosphere.  We enjoyed wondering through the Alcazar and its gardens, the famous Moorish Palace of Sevilla.

  

For our last night we bought tickets to see a performance of Carmen in the bull ring of Sevilla.  For those of you who don’t know Carmen is an opera written by Bizet , here is a brief synopsis of the story.  (I only know this from looking it up!)  Carmen is about a beautiful Spanish gypsy; all the soldiers fancy her and want her except one, Don Jose.  He is betrothed to another, so ignores Carmen.  Carmen, not used to being ignored, seduces him.   He falls in love with her and goes to jail for her.  When he gets out of jail he finds she has fallen for another a super star matador and doesn’t want him back.  He is so incensed he kills her at the bull ring in Seville.

 

We were both very excited to see the opera performed at “the actual” bullring.  Curtain up at 10.30pm.  It was really exciting going into the bullring at night with all the lights, especially as we would have never gone to a bullring to see a bull fight.  Like most things in Spain everything is a bit vague.  So curtain came up at 11pm. Thankfully it was a cool evening, but it was fun watching the senoras and some senores flapping their fans.  The performance was not quite what we had expected: a typical Spanish brass band played the music and the performance mainly consisted of flamenco dancing and guitar playing.  The famous songs from the opera pre recorded were played over loud speakers.  But the dancing was good.

Then at the mid point around 12.20am the entire cast sat or stood at the end of the stage, with the empty bullring in front of them.  All the lights went on and a side door to the bullring opened and then we waited 2 minutes,3 minutes, the audience started to chatter.  The cast remained still in there positions. After 6 minutes a big black bull came reluctantly out from the door, with a cheer from the audience.  The senora who was singing started to wail “Bravo Toro!” Then five Matadors came bouncing onto the main arena.  At first I was a bit shocked and hoped we weren’t going to see a bull fight.  The matadors then proceeded to outrun the bull and performed leap frogs over the bull, not using any capes or spears to harm him.  The performance lasted 20 minutes.  Then a herd of cows came into the ring to entice the bull out of the ring. It was fascinating!  The cast then continued with their performance ending with the death of Carmen in the centre of the bull ring, around 1am.  It was an amazing end to our week in Sevilla.

 

"Such Fun!"

 

I have uploaded some more photos today has we have the opportunity to do so with wifi. Let me know what you think: it's a bit strange typing this with not much feed back.  Give me some feedback please! Or this is just like writing your own diary. Maybe it is?! Hasta Luego!

Extremadura the extremes of Spain - Conquistadors, Roman ruins and Storks!

53 days since selling up, David Jones recording.

We are coming to the end of our brief tour of Extremadura.  It is an area of Spain pushed up against the borders of Portugal.  It is a sun-baked landscape of rolling plains and looming mountain ranges. Travelling on the motorways you have the road to yourself apart from the occasional speeding car.

We explored two towns here. The first, Caceres, is a beautiful old town perched on a hill.  The birth place of the Conquistadors who stole the Inca gold which helped build the town.  We spent a lovely couple of days wondering the old town along the narrow streets finding conquistador palaces and searching for ancient gold.  Alas we didn't find any.  But we did have a wonderful time.

In the evening we experienced, certainly for Paul, something better than gold.  Jamon Iberico y Torta de Oveja (ham and big dippy cheese) which is served with country-style garlic bread.  We enjoyed this with a bottle of chilled rose in a wonderful square listening to the storks Rat-a-tat-tating: the noise they make with their beaks whilst nesting on top of the church towers.

In Merida however, the storks have found another suitable nesting place: on top of the roman aqueduct, which is one of the famous sights of the city.  We walked pass this spectacle everyday when we walked into the centre from our hostal on the edge of town.  The other delights of Merida are the famous and possibly the best Roman ruins in the whole of Spain.  The theatre is particularly good, but there are also fantastic villas with mosaic floors and the museum helps to complete the whole experience.  Just a quick plug for the Restaurante Meson Museo Iberico: it's the best.  If in Merida eat here (Calle Sagasta, just along from the roman forum).  Good food, friendly staff and value for money. Here are some pictures of Merida.

Unfortunately the internet connection here isn't the best so will down load more albums when I can. 

Its quite strange to think that we are actually here doing this round the world trip and that I have actually stood on that stage (left, no that's not me in the picture).  There will be proof in the album.

Travelling is odd, you arrive with excitement and leave with memories, and when Paul's around lots and lots of photographs.

We are off to Sevilla tomorrow to stay for 7 nights in an apartment that has a private roof terrace with jacuzzi tub.  It sounds wonderful.  Unfortunately it does not have wifi so I may not be able to keep up with the blog. We will try to experience falmenco and tapas andalucian style.  We then move on to Chiclana de la Frontera to hang out with all the wind surfer dudes.  This is again another wifi free zone.  So our next blog will be in a couple of weeks.

Adios for now and I will leave with you the storks.

Touring isn’t boring, but you get confused about where you are!

51 days since selling up David Jones recording.

 

I am continuing our catch-up on where we have been over the last seven days: a whistle stop tour of different towns in Castilla y Leon, north west of Madrid.

 

Segovia - famous for its roman aqueduct

Avila - famous for its city wall

Salamanca - famous for its university and Renaissance architecture

 

 

 

There, you are all caught up!

 

Of the three we enjoyed Salamanca the most. It was relaxing and the sun shone, so for the first time we could sit in squares and take in the atmosphere with out worrying about putting on our pack-a-macks. It was a beautiful and laid back city.

 

 

 

We have mastered the art of driving into strange Spanish towns and finding our way to the hotel we happen to be staying in. Be prepared to get lost, if there is a direction sign accept it will be the only one and not direct you the whole way.  The best chance is to keep driving around the ring road and eventually you will find it.  The next step is how to park in the garage.  It will be below ground and narrow, your wheels will squeak on the ground.  It will be dark (don’t forget to jump out of the car to turn on the timed light switch).  If the garage is not directly below the hotel beware you might find yourself locked in the stairwell!  I am not saying this has happened but it’s very difficult to explain to the hotel receptionist on the telephone where you are.

 

We are now exploring all that Extremadura has to offer, the most isolated and least known region of Spain.

 

More to come, hasta luego!

The rain in Spain falls mainly…… IN MADRID

51 days since selling up. David Jones recording

 

I am sitting in an air conditioned room at the Hotel don Carlos in Caceres in the Extremadura region of Spain.  The city is famous as the home of the conquistadors and where all the treasures of Mayan gold went.  It is a long way from Madrid 250 miles and 7 days ago.  So I need to catch you up on the last packed week of touring Spain. Madrid is positioned in the centre of Spain and become the Capital thanks to Felipe II who moved the centre of government here in 1561.    

 

Yes we had four days in Madrid and it rained and at times was cold.  So my view of Madrid is a soggy one!

Madrid is pretty.  Some lovely squares, fountains, the usual things, but I’m afraid it didn’t do much for me.  They have lovely art museums the Prado and the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.  It’s all very nice but a bit old fashioned and dull in my mind: lots of Goya, Velazquez and El Greco.  Centro de Arte does hold the most famous Picasso “Guernica”, painted by Picasso as a response to the bombing of the Spanish town by the German Luftwaffe with the consent of Franco during the Spanish Civil War.

 

 My favourite is the museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.  This museo holds what was said to be the world’s greatest private art collection apart from that held by the British Royals. The collection was originally that of German–Hungarian Industrialist whose descendant Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen died aged 88 leaving his collection to his fourth wife a former Miss Spain, Carmen Cervera.

There were many bids for the collection including Prince Charles, but Spain’s bid won, obviously influenced by Carmen.  Who also had influence on how the paintings were hung in the gallery, insisting on salmon pink walls.  The collection does hold the original portrait of Henry VIII by Hans Holbein and this has been confirmed as the original. (Yah boo sucks National portrait Gallery!)

 

From the amazing Madrid train station we took the high speed train to Toledo the original capital of the country.  A town perched high on a hill with medieval streets and beautiful cloisters.  We had a wonderful day exploring the streets and getting lost, sitting in cloisters with fountains, having contemplative moments, and experiencing la vida medieval.

 

 

 

 

I leave you with this thought: if in Madrid, go to Toledo.