Mark & Gill

Day 5 – Cartegena

Significant port and major naval port. (Saw a small sub out in the bay as we came in). Strategic location obvious!

Most of these countries have long histories of glorious and turbulent occupations by different civilisations- Cartharginian, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines & Moors so any different cultural heritages and influences can be seen.

Drove to Elche today through beautiful Mediterranean countryside – fruit bowl of Spain with most fruit & veg grown here. Currently tomatoes, artichokes, lemons & oranges. Lots of irrigation. Also grow asparagus, sugarcane, tobacco, grains, avocados. Drove parallel to coast- significant tourism and resorts including “Little Sea” – shallow salt lake spa.

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Day 4 Ibizia! Pop usually 100,000 but in summer grows to around 1 million with young clubbers descending onto the island they say – must be awful! Island about 8 miles wide & 25 miles long (old measures here) & relatively quiet until discovered by the hippies in the 60s.

Also known as Isle of Pines and/or White Island. Most imposing feature on arrival is the old city Dalt Vila – a  walled city & World Heritage site. Hence the historical & hedonist background to this area.

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Cruise Day 1 Barcelona (in port)

Embarked! Nice accommodation! Berthed opposite Montjuic Mountain, old fort on top now a museum and grounds landscaped for Olympics.

Afternoon spent visiting Barcelona Cathedral – plans laid down in 1298 & finished 1913. Usual impressive windows, bell towers & organ but unique cloister with orange & medlar trees, tranquil fountains & ponds, shady palms & a gaggle of white geese.

Wandered back down Las Ramblas (old riverbed) to waterfront and ambled along the 1.5 km-beautiful beach, well provided with services – restaurants, public amenities and super clean! Impressive Frank Gehry “Fish Sculpture”. Area all redeveloped for 1992 Olympics including lovely Port Vell. There is an overhead cable car from port to Montjuic- quite a distance & works by counterbalance. Dined at the impressive Toscana restaurant on board – outstanding.

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Yesterday (18th Sept) we spent the day exploring the modernist architecture of Antoni Gaudi (1853-1926). Fantastic!
Got the hang of the Metro (underground) and headed off!

Casa Mila (La Pedrera) is interesting for its facade curves & elaborate metalwork. Casa Batllo (World Heritage Site) has ceramic tiles and mosaics. Both buildings have chimneys of all shapes and kinds characteristic of Gaudi’s work and the interiors,which we didn’t view, are also just as well known.

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Good trip to Barcelona this afternoon. Left the London rain and saw sun 15 mins after takeoff. Great views of the coast as we flew in. Barcelona Airport was gleaming and spotless – very impressed.
Very pleasant temperature here and we are well located in the heart of the city. Champagne on arrival at hotel.
Have enjoyed a lovely evening wandering fascinating little alleyways around the old part of town. Lots of shops tucked away amongst restaurants and bars – surely destination places for the locals and finds for the tourists!
Yummy tapas and sangria (they serve this in very big glasses!!) for dinner on The Rumblas- said to be the most characteristic avenue and the nerve centre of the city.
Flower stands and stalls selling plants and packets of seeds decorate the top part of the street and then there are the street artists and tourist stalls. Fascinating watching streams of people go past.
I bought a fabulous pair of eye glasses (they flash blue lights with 3 different settings – very becoming) from a passing salesman as we ate dinner. We haggled over the price and did quite well (who would really know). Told myself we were supporting an enterprising chap who would otherwise be unemployed – unemployment said to be 27% here and high percentage under 25 years.
Some street performers seen too – amazing acrobatics – bet they are black and blue tomorrow!
Also wandered about the wonderful Boqueria Market – under cover and selling all kinds of meat, fish, fruit, herbs, spices, nuts, breads and vegetables – all attractively displayed and a vibrant atmosphere.
Masses of pidgeons in the square – barely move and waiting for food. Children were loving them.
The camera battery was discovered to be flat (oops) so will have to retrace my steps again tomorrow!

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A splash of sunshine this morning was enough to entice us out on a day trip to Brighton on the south west coast.
We arrived there to  a howling gale and thousands of motorcyclists, scooter-riders and others on similar machines! Motorbikes as far as the eye could see parked along the beach front.
Enjoyed cod and chips before strolling the promenade (being bowled along might be more accurate) and the famous pier. Lots of amusements, including the Brighton Wheel. Maybe a bit tacky but fun to see (photos – see link below). Would have loved to use the free blue and white striped deckchairs but clearly not an option in that wind.

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Great to be enjoying time with the London Browns. Lots of cuddles and fun with the little boys – reading, puzzles, games and chat!

The weather has been disappointing (making up now for the great summer reportedly had!) but we have managed to get out for some walks.

Yesterday we went to Ham House and Gardens – reputedly the finest surviving example of a 17th century house and gardens, largely unchanged since it was built in 1610. One of many fine homes and palaces along the Thames, it is managed by the National Trust. I’ve enjoyed reading up on the history of the house and following the lines of inheritance.

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Well this is something different!
Woke up this morning in time to watch two very healthy looking urban foxes playing in the backyard. They were having a grand old time rolling around in the grass, tumbling over each other and leaping in and out of the foliage. Bit of a surprise to see how brave these critters have become and how “domesticated” they are in a large urban area. If they weren’t such pests I might be inclined to think cuteness but no! They leave their calling cards (yuk) and rummage in anything that they can find.

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A quick walk, after arrival last night through Canbury Gardens to the Thames and through the market square – looks like this will be a great part of London to explore!
Seemed very appropriate to “Google it”  . follow this link  Kingston upon Thames

“Kingston upon Thames, also known as Kingston, is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned. Kingston is situated 10 miles (16.1 km) southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan.[1] Kingston was part of a large ancient parish in the county of Surrey and the town was an ancient borough, reformed in 1835. It has been the location of Surrey County Hall from 1893, extraterritorially since Kingston became part of Greater London in 1965…….” Read more at the above link…

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No posts for awhile and no big trips. A lot of work and some saving, an incentive and we’re off again.

Big family news, since we last posted, with the arrival of 2 grandchildren in August 2013.

Amelia to Andrew and Sarah (Hamilton NZ) and Benjamin to Matt, Kat and Micah (London UK). Only 2 weeks apart.

So London calls but it will be much harder to leave Hamilton this time! Most of our 6 weeks away will be spent in London and the south of England with a cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon also booked.

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