"I see no ships!"

On returning to Hotel Martin after the evening meal in Toledo I looked at my mobile phone and saw I had two text messages.   Horror of horrors!   Brittany Ferries had contacted me to say that because their crews had been staging wildcat strikes they had decided to suspend all sailings.   There would be no 24 hours cruise from Bilbao to Portsmouth on board the Car Finisterre on the following Tuesday.   Their advice was to drive up to Calais and take a P & O crossing when our tickets for Brittany Ferries would be accepted.

This would mean arranging some overnight accommodation in France for Tuesday and also a meal that night.   I therefore when downstairs on my way to get my laptop PC from the car to surf the net and fix up something.   As I passed through reception I mentioned what had happened to the receptionist.   She was incredibly helpful and brought out her netbook to find out the distance from Bilbao to Poitiers in France where she had once stayed on route to Calais.   It seemed the right place to stop for the night.   I popped out to the car and returned with my laptop which I set up in reception and used their free Wifi service.   By this time it was time for changeover for the reception staff and the evening man came on duty.   He was told the news and he too began to help me.   I found a very cheap place called Class Hotel and booked a night's stay for £35.   We were fixed up.

 

The next day we drove to Bilbao where we had already booked a night in the Barcelo Nervion.   This hotel turned out to be far better than the Tripadvisor.com reviews had suggested.   We had an excellent evening meal and breakfast, the following day, was also top rate.   On Tuesday morning we set off for the French border and began our use of the toll motorways.   These French motorways were way past their sell by dates and were being upgraded to three lanes each way.   The trouble was that there were hundreds of HGVs using them.   They were travelling slowly along the inside lanes and I had to drive very carefully as, occasionally, a car would come from that lane into the "fast" lane.   On occasions the entire massive convoy of lorries would come to a halt, creating a vast lorry park!   During this time we also experienced torrential rain which slowed us down too.   By the time we reached Poitiers we had undergone a stressful time.

We then found that we had chosen to stay in a hotel which was extremely "basic" and the room was tiny with a bed that creaked at high volume!   But they did offer Wifi so I surfed the net to find an eating establishment in the town.   We agreed to go to Bistrot du Boucher, the number one choice of Tripadvisor.com reviews.   We asked the manager to call a taxi and when we were driven to the restaurant it cost us 21 euros!   However, the meal was absolutely wonderful.   We chose rump steak with chips and salad.   For wine, I selected a Bordeaux Superieur.   The desserts were also excellent.   Pauline had creme brulee and I had sorbet.   It was a popular restaurant for people were arriving all the time.   The return taxi cost 16 euros so we felt a little happier.

 

Whilst in Bilbao I had a phone call from Brittany Ferries to ask what our plans were.   When I said we were to head for Calais the woman advised that we would receive back the cost of the return fare (£359) and £200 towards travelling costs.   I thought this was excellent customer care and thanked her.

 

On Wednesday we drove to Calais where we followed the Car Ferries sign to the port.   Our tickets were accepted and we were booked on the 5.45pm sailing.   This didn't leave until 6.05pm but we then sat down and waited for the journey to end in Dover one hour and 35 minutes later.   There we had chosen to stay at the Dover Ramada Hotel before leaving the next morning for home.   Our evening meal was very good indeed.   Our room was comfortable, if a little crowded with furniture.   In the bathroom was the world's noisiest ventilation fan!   We got a good night's sleep and next day ate the best hotel breakfast we had ever experienced!!   Then we set the Satnav for home.   The road was busy and the M25 was a hive of activity but quiet against its reputation.   Eventually we gained the M6 and thought we were doing well.   It was at junction 18 that we joined a stationary queue and found to our horror that they were closing the motorway because an accident was blocking it.   We took the exit and found that we were on a very direct route for North Wales.   What luck!   I filled up at a service station and advised the woman there that she might have a busy afternoon as the motorway was closed!   "Not again!" she exclaimed.

We then had an uneventful drive home and stopped at Waitrose in Menai Bridge to get essentials to last until our main visit there for groceries the next day.   We arrived home and sighed a sigh of great relief.   It was good to be home after taking an unexpected extra 999 miles from Bilbao to Calais.   Home sweet home!

Two days exploring Toledo

This was the final part of our holiday.   Last year, Pauline had struggled bravely to visit just the cathedral in Toledo.   She was suffering great pain from Spinal Stenosis.   Last December she had an operation that successfully took her out of pain.   So she looked forward to this visit until she broke her left femur at the end of April.   Her walking distance is still very limited.   However, she was determined to do as much as she could.

On our first morning we returned to the cathedral and I took a great deal of video footage of the great building.   For me, the most amazing experience was to view the famous Transparente where an intricate sculpture is lit by excluding part of the beautiful vaulting at the rear of the altar.   Of course we drooled once more over the roofs of the chapter house and its ante room and in the sacristy we loved the great El Greco paintings.   The retable behind the altar seemed to continue upwards forever!

From the cathedral we walked slowly up the hill to Adolfo's restaurant where we had a lovely lunch in a stylish atmosphere.   My mobile phone rang whilst at lunch - it was a call to arrange delivery of a new sofa the following Friday!   Then we walked further up the hill to Zocodover Plaza.

Just before the top of the hill we found ourselves in the middle of a great commotion.   Behind me, a young woman had been caught trying to snatch a purse.   She had swiftly unzipped a man's waist bag which he was wearing across his shoulder and extracted his wife's purse which was inside.   It was an object lesson that told me never to take out all my cash (which I had done) and never to put it in  a zipped pocket.   A buttoned pocket is much harder to open for a pickpocket.

In the afternoon we visited the El Greco museum and later enjoyed the peace and quiet of its garden.   We took a taxi back to the hotel where we had a rest before going out for an evening meal.   Our outdoor meal was not without incident.   Our taxi driver delivered us to the restaurant and we found a spare table.   The young waitress spoke little English but we coped using body language and pointing to the menu.   She was quite a character and we marvelled at the way she held aloft her trays of drinks and wove her way between tables.   However, she got it wrong later in the evening and dropped the  lot right next to our table.   There was an almighty crash and a one splinter of glass hit my spectacles as the explosion of items occurred.   I was glad I wore specs because the glass would have hit me in the eye otherwise.

The next morning we bought tickets for Trainvision which, last year, was called Zocotren.   It is a road train that encircles Toledo mainly on the outside of the walls.   A new set of equipment was operating this year.   Headphones were supplied with the tickets (we didn't use any) with commentaries in many languages.   Last year it was a public address system in Spanish and English.   We were sitting with a group of travellers from Portugal and they were a really friendly crowd!   The best change to the journey was when we stopped at a viewpoint and were able to get out and take photos of Toledo across the river gorge.   The view was wonderful.

The previous day, we had watched a group of young people dancing in Zocodover Plaza and today they turned up again.   They brought a portable music amplifier (not switched to loud!) and put up posters to say what they were doing.   The dance was hop and they performed it well.   There they were, dancing away with the biggest smiles on their faces!   I got plenty of video footage!

Later that afternoon we visited the Iglesia de Santo Tome where we knew there was a great painting by El Greco.   The church was not beautiful in our opinion but when we stepped inside we spotted the painting of the Count of Orgaz's funeral.   It was wonderful to see this great work - much better than the photos we had seen.   El Greco's work was based on the story that because the Count of Orgaz was such a pious man that when he died two angels, St Augustine and St Stephen, came to the funeral.   It is said that one funeral mourner in the painting was El Greco himself (self portrait) and he certainly included his son, Jorge Manuel in the painting.

That evening we took a taxi to a favourite restaurant of ours.   As we got out of the car the heavens opened and we were treated to a long torrent of rain.   It was a cloudburst in magnitude!   We had to move from the outdoor covered area into the building as the rain was bouncing and wetting our legs as we sat at the table.   This was a portent for the following journey.   More of this later.

Travelling to Toledo

On Friday 21 September we set off at 9.45am to drive up to Toledo, the half way point in Spain.   It was the usual comfortable drive on the great Spanish motorways.   To pick up the motorway from the filling station outside Colmenar I managed to take a wrong turn and found myself driving along a road I did not know for a good many kilometres.   I was concerned at one point where road works appeared to totally block this country road.   However, when I reached this point the workers had left room for passing and it was controlled by temporary traffic lights.   A little farther along the way a woman in a red car flagged me down to ask - in Spanish - if this was the way to Granada.   I couldn't help her and later realised that I should have said "follow me" as I had forgotten the motorway ran past Granada airport.

 

After driving for a number of hours we were almost at our destination and saw Toledo from a distance - what a sight!   We checked in at Hotel Martin near the Bisagra Gate and paid the residential parking fee.   When she realised I was driving a British registered car, the receptionist suggested I need not pay as the authorities would only chase a Spanish registered car to get payment if not made.   I declined this and paid the small sum for 2 day's parking outside the hotel.   Whilst we had booked Hotel Martin, we actually stayed next door in their Hotel Duque de Lerma as had happened the previous year.

Last day at Finca Manolo

Well now, our stay at Finca Manolo is coming to an end.   It was not without event.   It began on Monday 3rd September when I got an email asking if I was OK as it appeared no one was in residence here.   My reply was that we were still at home and not due here until 8th September.   Further emails revealed that whilst our confirmation was for the correct dates we had been put in the diary as arriving on 1st September.   The outcome was that we could stay for only 13 days to facilitate a changeover for the next people.   On the way here I decided that if we were to get our full quota we should press on and not stay in Toledo for a day.   We phoned ahead and arrived at the house to find the owner's father dealing with a water leak in the bathroom.   Had we not made this late change the leak would have continued a further 24 hours and flooded the house.   Fate was on our side.

A few days after our arrival we experienced the Spanish Police stopping me for speeding - 2mph above the limit.   So I opted for the 50% reduction for payment on the spot and made a contribution to Spain's debt crisis.   After this all was plain sailing.   We managed to get two days out to visit Iglesia del Carmen in Antequera and the Mezquita-Cathedral in Cordoba.   We had lots of BBQs by the pool and one night I got confused and placed the charcoal where the food should be!   We had the company of two cats, the dog from across the road until I got her back to the other side of the gates, and plenty of flies and wasps.

 

We had earlier bought a lot of wine at the Eroski Supermarket near Velez-Malaga but decided today to drive over for a further supply.   We shall be bringing home lots of wine plus six bottles of Manzanilla that we love as an aperitif.

 

Saturday and Sunday will be spent in Toledo to visit places we could not see last year.   We shall once more include the cathedral and the street train.   Then we shall travel to Bilbao to stay one night before boarding the ferry, Cap Finistere, and a 24 hour cruise to Portsmouth.   So we have not yet finished our 2012 holiday!

We have enjoyed our break once again and recommend Spain and Andalucia as a holiday destination.   If you prefer, you can just fly to Malaga and use a hire car whilst you are here.   That is the quicker way that most people opt for today.

 

Thank you for reading the blog and I hope you found it of interest.

The Mezquita-Cathedral of Cordoba

 

 

Yesterday we drove to Cordoba, a distance of about 150 kilometres from our base.   For a long time I wanted to visit just to see the famous Mezquita.   It began life as a mosque when the Moors ruled Spain.   After construction it saw two enlargements until it became the largest mosque in Europe.   Eventually Christianity returned to Spain and, in the case of Cordoba, an architect was engaged to design and build a Gothic cathedral.   What we saw yesterday is the result of his work.   It is amazing place, though the Spanish king of the day was not at all pleased to see a cathedral set inside the mosque.   He believed the architect had ruined a historical building!

 

Knowing this, I expected to see a cathedral in the middle with a mosque surrounding it.   But it is not that at all.   Yes, the church is in the middle but the walls of the mosque, linked by hundreds of horseshoe arches, contain a number of chapels where are buried some of the worthies of yesteryear.   The way the architect did his job was originally to have a cathedral with no doors as the mosque doors were the eventual entrances to the building.

 

The various sections of the cathedral have an architectural beauty far surpassing any Gothic cathedral in Great Britain.   From the outside, GB wins, but inside there is a "wow factor" of surprising magnitude.   Since visiting Toledo cathedral last year I have been taken to a new level in appreciation of cathedral architecture.   Old Spanish churches are very ornate in their internal decoration, with vaulting to surpass anything we have back home.   They are, quite simply, worth a visit.  

 

The area surrounding the high altar is very beautiful.   However, it does not compete with either the retable at Iglesia del Carmen in Antequera or the soaring example at Toledo.   nevertheless, it is lovely, as is the entire building.

 

The Muslim decoration remaining in the Mezquita is truly beautiful and quite different from any Christian work.   One thing stands out for me - the Spanish authorities of the day were very aware of the heritage they had from Muslim rule and saw to it that it was not lost forever.   I think they were very wise and cultured in the way they saw it all as part of Spain's rich historical tapestry.   Thankfully, they never had to endure dissolution as did GB under Henry VIII.

 

Well, after working hard to push Pauline in the wheelchair, hired from the Red Cross, all the way to the Mezquita, encountering many kerbs that ought to have been lowered, I was able to feel the thrill of being in a unique place.   By the time we left the Mezquita we were hungry, so we popped into the restaurant across the street and sampled some excellent Spanish food in a late lunch.   I set off with a will, pushing Pauline back to the car park, and capitulated when I spotted a taxi.   It was time to drive home.   As we approached Colmenar, two motor cycle police gave us hard looks after having had to wait to overtake the British car driving slowly along the road.   Had I increased my speed they would have had the joy of fining me once again!   Not likely, constable!

Trip to Antequera

 

 

We set off yesterday with a will to visit the small town that we first saw two years ago on our first holiday here.   We had quite a bad start as I was stopped by the police for speeding - 2 mph over the limit!   It cost me an on the spot fine of 150 euros (£120).   Even though I was warned about the anonymous parked car I missed it as it was hidden from oncoming traffic.   We had to drive back to get some more cash for our visit!

 

However, we arrived in the town and tried to drive up to a church we had seen two years ago when it was closed.   However, after driving in circles we could not get there this time. so we settled for another church called (I think) Santa Maria del Carmen.    Above is a photo of the pulpit and it shows how lavish to decoration of Spanish churches is.   It was beautiful throughout but you can't help thinking of the expense and how the money was raised 300 years ago.

 

We then drove back through town until we found the huge archway that welcomes the traveller.   Right next to this is the municipal underground car park we discovered two years back.   Having parked up I opened the boot and got out the Red Cross wheelchair to push Pauline up the main street to where we knew we could get something to eat.   When we came out of the lift at ground level we discovered right there an eating place.   So we sat down and had two very enjoyable chicken sandwiches washed down with beer.   After this we drove back to Finca Manolo and made use of the pool!   "That's the way to do it!"

Day of rest

Tuesday was a true day of rest.   Pauline needs plenty of time to relax and do a little swimming to help her hip joint get more flexibility.   She found it painful on Saturday when we did the big shop at the Eroski supermarket.   By the time we were checking out she was suffering.   Think of Tescos and double it to get an idea of how big the supermarket is.

 

So yesterday she stayed put and in the morning I drove the 7 kilometres into Colmenar to do a little shopping for items we had not thought of at Eroski.   To drive that scenic route is sheer pleasure and relaxation.   The road is a narrow country road and you have to take care passing, especially with steep drops in many places.   But I am quite used to narrow roads, having lived in Anglesey for 8 years.

 

I got back to Finca Manolo and found I had forgotten to get some bread!   Luckily we do have some and I hope to catch the mobile bread man this morning as he passes the house.   We tried some of his bread on Monday, courtesy of Terry (father of Sue who owns our house here).   He came to feed the cats and left a loaf in a bag hanging on the kitchen door.

 

At present the water pressure is low, so we have problems getting the dish washer to work.   So washing up is sometimes a manual affair.   Low pressure affects the washing machine and the shower so I hope it picks up soon.  

 

The holiday is going very well and we are sleeping very well indeed.   We have fun trying different recipes for our evening meals.   I found out the other day how to make tortillas so that is now part of my repertoire.   Today will be another rest day before we set off to see Ronda and Antequerra, two old towns worth visiting.   I am hoping to get some photos of a lovely church in Ronda.

Our source for leather

This is the third time we have been to Andalucia and each time we have visited Mijas Pueblas.   This is white village/town in the hills quite near Benalmadena where many tourists go to wander around its lovely old street and purchase souvenirs.   Our first time was two years ago when we met some old friends of mine.   Judith had been my clerical officer in the Nalgo trade union branch office at Oldham Council over twenty years ago.   She and husband, Mike, had a house not far away and we agreed to meet in Mijas.   Sadly, last autumn, whilst in Spain, Mike collapsed and died.

 

After our meeting with Judith & Mike we went back to Mijas and bought some leather items - mainly four belts for me.   The price far exceeded my expectations at 4 euros.   Last year when we went there Pauline bought a leather handbag.   This time she bought a leather handbag in a different colour and I bought another four belts (now 5 euros each) as I have lost four inches from my waistline.

 

It was very obvious, this year, that there was a much lower number of tourists around.   Pauline overheard a waiter commenting that this was their worst year for trade in ten years.   This is such bad news.   Spain is one of the countries that has been hit hard by the economic downturn.   Earlier last week in Toledo there was no evidence that people were staying away - it was as busy as always.   But on the coast things are very different.

 

If we travel to Spain again I think I shall have to upgrade or replace my Satnav because there are new roads not included on this one.   Coming down from the Montes de Malaga we encountered a new motorway junction and realised that the relief motorway from Malaga Airport was now completed and in use.   Speaking of my Satnav, I am reminded that when we drive from our base we are often instructed to turn down non-existent tracks and roads.   You have to know when to ignore the Satnav voice telling you to go where to do so would be nothing short of suicide!

 

Going back to Mijas this time we were reminded of the recent danger of wildfires burning in that area.   Today the police and fire brigade were there in large numbers, obviously making sure that no fired broke out and threatened the local residents.   No doubt it was a means of assuring the people that they were ready.   Another addition to Mijas was a travelling fair that filled the town centre and would probably deafen the locals tonight when it opened for business.

Going shopping

Yesterday was our first chance to do a weekly shop, so we drove over to the Eroski supermarket near Torre Del Mar.   It is the main part of a large shopping centre and is a huge version of Waitrose in that it is owned by its staff.   The sheer volume of food and goods available is mind blowing.   Across the rear of the store are the fish and deli counters.   You have never seen such a range on offer.   There are lots of different fish - many unknown specimens, and a huge variety and amount of shell fish.   We bought a load and did paella last night.   It was a great meal.   The number of different hams of differing grades and quality was also impressive.   It's fun when you are choosing and deciding on how much/many you want with staff who largely do not speak English.   Body language takes over!   I needed to buy a cafetiere and passed the electrical department to find one.   I was amazed to see the equivalent Satnav for mine at £80.   It was a good deal because if I were to upgrade the maps on mine it would cost £75 on line and take hours probably.

 

We had slept so well the previous night that it was 11.00am when we set off to Eroski.   Lunchtime was well gone when we got back at 4.15pm!   Since last year the roads have been repaired where we encountered broken surfaces falling away and detour signs.   It was a very smooth ride this year.   Mind you, when we drive the final 400 metres back to Finca Manolo, it is a concrete road and not very well laid.   The final bend is quite challenging as it turns sharply and steeply at the same time.   The Satnav seems to have a mind of its own in this area so we ignore till we are through Colmenar.   We get instructions to turn right over a cliff edge or through houses that seem to have been there for years!

 

What was left of yesterday afternoon was spent reading and swimming.   We also sampled the hot tub but the cycle was too short.   I later discovered that I had pressed the buttons in the wrong order!   But I did remember how to get the huge insulating lid off this time.   Last year I tried to lift it off completely and then discovered it was easier doing it the way the book said!!!

 

Today I have risen, leaving Pauline snoring in bed - as usual.   The view surrounding this place is inspiring.   There are so many hills and mountains in this area that there is no direct way to go anywhere.   We drive round one mountain and then another.   Driving down to Torre Del Mar we could see where our place was from every conceivable angle by taking a bearing from Comares which is on top of a very high hill just across the valley from El Romo where we are based.   In a straight line we could probably make the supermarket in 5 mins!

Water, water, everywhere

At the very outset we encountered the problem that, because our host had incorrectly entered us in her diary, we could have only 13 of our planned 14 days at Finca Manolo.   Luckily we were at home in Anglesey when we picked up the initial email.   We were not best pleased but since we have pulled back the problem and we shall have 14 days here.   The answer was to drive straight here via an overnight stay in Toledo.   This means Pauline will get her full quota of relaxation  that she craved.   However, it was a case of good news - bad news.   The bad news was that there was a water leak in the bathroom when we got here and our host's father was already dealing with it.   The reason he was here to discover the leak was that we had phoned to say we were on our way.   The good news was that if we had not arrived early the whole house would have been flooded.

Just before we left Hotel Chateau La Roca in Santander I told the owner how pleased we were at the welcome we get at the hotel.   Our room and bathroom absolutely sparkled with cleanliness.   We filled up at the filling station next door to the hotel and set off for Toledo.   The journey was fairly uneventful and with such quiet roads it was easy to keep clear of stress.   However, one noteworthy fact was the number of La Vuelta a Espana support vehicles we passed on the early part of our journey south to Toledo.   One section of the motorway network was a toll road between Madrid and Toledo.   When we reached the toll booth with its single operator we realised why it was a one person operation.   We had been the only car on the road!

 

We rolled into Toledo mid to late afternoon on Thursday and quickly found Hotel Martin.   Once more we dealt with a very friendly and helpful reception clerk.   We settled in and later went to Plaza Zocodover to have a beer and people-watch.   It is an excellent place for this.   After this we went over to a restaurant in a street, El Trebol,  where we had enjoyed Tapas last year.   It was just as good!

 

This morning we set off to drive the final 289 miles to Colmenar and thence to El Romo a few kilometres on the other side.   On arrival I elected to be the bucket emptier as the friendly plumber fixed the leak.   It was soon fixed and we stripped off to enjoy the pool.   Absolutely fabulous!   After some essential shopping after siesta time we barbecued some sausages and cooked rice salad.   It went down well with a glass of beer!

And so to bed.

Back in Spain

After a 24 hours sail from Portsmouth to Santander we arrived in port at 5.00pm GMT.   It took a further 45 mins to drive off the ship and then, near the end of a long road in the port area we had to wait a further 20 minutes for a lifting bridge to come down  before setting off.   The roads and motorways have totally changed since last year and it was a circuitous route of about 9 miles (should have been 4!) to get to the hotel.

Last year, at this hotel, a Russian professional cycling team were staying.   This year there is a Spanish team and a French team here.   La Vuelta a Espana, the Spanish equivalent of the Tour de France is taking place just now.   I noticed it on Eurosport on Sky TV last week and wondered if there would be any competitors here.   There were so many that I could not drive back to the hotel car park after checking in!   A kind member of one of the teams moved some barriers to let me through.   When I got to the hotel car park, seeing my British number plates, a staff member moved some more barriers to allow me to park in a car park bay they had reserved for me.   As we arrived a lady ( the owner's wife) came over to welcome us back!   We had received an email at the end of January to ask which room we would like as they remembered us booking in 2011!

Well, after some hard travelling we are now going downstairs to sample Paella in the dining room.   Watch this space.   It may be Saturday before I get an Internet connection that is free of charge like this.   Tomorrow we set off for Toledo, an amazing historic city full of fantastic architecture and culture.