GRANADA - I'M FALLING UNDER YOUR SPELL

Just trotting through the streets!

The diversity of culture and landscape in Spain is astonishing and we haven’t even visited half of the country yet. Granada ……if you haven’t been here, make sure you add it to your next visit to Europe.
The Alhambra is astonishing- the gardens, the mosaics - it’s all magical and we topped it by seeing flamenco a few nights back in Sacremonte, the gypsy quarter of Granada! The city at night comes alive, throbbing with people and to sit in a square high up and look across at the Alhambra lit up at night - takes your breath away. We found the perfect place to stay (if you have a car) Hotel Macia Real de la Alhambra or a perfect place (we think) in the city of you don’t arrive by car Hotel Museo Palacio Mariana Pineda, oh and for you bigger budget people, the truly perfect place, Parador de Granada San Francisco!
We also hit Granada during Feria week -celebration of Corpus Cristi-and had a fun night with the locals at open air restaurants with dance floors set up and everyone dancing, drinking, eating - no-one seems to sleep in Spain!

TRAVELLING ISN’T ALWAYS A BOWL OF CHERRIES

Really wanted to tell you about Valencia but seems the “excitement” of the last couple of days has preference.
We drove from Valencia to Alicante Airport to meet Gil (in from Madrid), to hand over his worldly possessions (only 30kg of them!) that we have been schlepping around with us. He flew back to London on Monday to look for flat and job. Headed off to an hotel near the airport in a nice quiet street, unloaded the luggage - just settling in when Alan went to the car for something we’d left there, and……THE FRONT WINDOW WAS SMASHED! Ooi vey! Alan’s prescription glasses (x2!), new camera (his new toy!!!) and ipod stolen - but a huge hassle to get the car fixed-the French (who we hired the car through) were quite impossible-really made it stressful for us! On the other hand, all the Spanish (except the “smash and grabbers“) so helpful-even the non English speaking police. Alan spent a fair bit of time at the police station in Elche-known for it’s wonderful date groves-we saw them but couldn't do the sunset walk -what with phone calls back and forth to France and feeling out of sorts!

We weathered the torrid 2 days and here we are 4 days later in a paradise in Andalucia-up in the mts above Nerja - La Posada Morisca. Off to have an early morning swim and breakfast on the patio -before the temp hits the 30s!

On the way to Andalucia, we passed any number of awful looking resorts and then a wonderful little hotel with single story houses all around it -a perfect place for us -on the beach and only 2 stars!! So we went to reception, got the prices and as we were going to check out the room, I asked the receptionist what VERA NATURA (the name of the community) means-the whole place is a nudist colony!!!! We had a good laugh and said adios (I can’t imagine playing tennis in the nude!) - and landed up at Gorrucha - a real little Spanish seaside town - stayed in Hostal Costas across from the beach -perfecto!

And then drove through miles of unspoilt Spain-unspoilt beaches, - we couldn't get down to this one

but swam at this one -just a few houses, a few people and us.

VINEYARDS & MT VILLAGES
Onwards and into the mountains. First towards Prades - rows and
rows of vines everywhere -cava (sparkling wine) makes this area famous. Then a couple of days of driving through the Prades Mts-ambling driving around all the windy bends -gorgeous scenery - wonderful rocky mountains .
Fortified hillside towns like Montblanc with it’s requisite square and the locals meeting, greeting and eating!-landscape settings so different from the ones we visited in France. - and then we found Villa Engracia in Las Mesies, L’Espluga d’ Francoli-set at the foot of the mts-country lanes leading to other traditional style hotels-like the 1 where we had dinner- part of the Relais de Silence-and I finally managed to get a plate of vegetables! .
　

and the next day as we headed to the coast, another picnbic on the shores of Lake Suriana.

BARCELONA

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Ah, the food market off the Ramblas - how are these mushrooms-never seen anything like them before-if only I had a place to cook them , oh, and Marc, I did have the best Patata Bravas here!!!!

We have seen the usual wonderful sights of Barca-and also found a park not on the tourist trail- Parc Poboulo - beautiful red bouganvillia and yellow mimosa trees in full bloom -artfully designed park with interesting sculptures and wonderful “hanging garden in green” effect all around the outer rims. Had a lovely picnic here. We noticed in Gerona as well, the undersides of overhead bridges plump with greenery -a wonderful effect.

And once again, Parc Guell -truly magical-my favourite.

 Made our way all the way down Avenida Diagonal-interesting modern architecture on the seaside- totally different from the rest of Barca.
This building stands out from far and looks 1 dimensional from certain angles.

oh, and cuz Sue, we did get a little "trapped" on one of the Rondas!

ALAN FOILS THE PICKPOCKET

Well, this seems to happen to everyone you speak to!-crowded and pushed back and forth into the metro - woman with hand down your front jean’s pocket and voila, your wallet is gone- BUT - when Alan saw me on the train and he felt himself being jossled by 4 people as he tried to join me on the train and then felt a hand in his front pocket - he managed to hold onto his wallet! I had told Alan and Gil -wallet in front pocket not in back - how naive I was.
 A Barcelonian (is this correct?) told us he always walks with his hand in his pocket covering his wallet!-You live and learn.
Uncrowded Auckland definitely has its advantages.

1ST MEAL IN SPAIN

We had a great meal here in Gerona a few nights back-we are in Catalunya and even though just over the border from France, it is all so different, well Spanish, in fact!

We were directed to a new little restaurant that specializes in Tapas and good Spanish wine. So besides the bread served with 3 different salts and olive oil,  we had figs that were crystallized, served warm, stuffed with (I wish I knew what!) -totally delicious; melt in the mouth salmon tartare; skewered peppered beef ( a speciality of the region) - Alan’s eyes sparkling when he ate this; delicious grilled sardines - my eyes sparkling….. And little ravioli style “money-bags” - pasta was softer and thicker - subtle cheese filling and sort of “washed” in pesto-!  So when you are in Girona, head to Divinum in the old quarter.

Remarkable place - new parts built into and part of the old  - 1 particular design/furniture shop, Parbodia made up of different spaces around the excavations and next to the mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) used up until the expulsion of Jews in 1492. The Jewish Museum is next door on the site of the last synagogue which closed on the eve of the Inquisition ending a Jewish presence here since Girona’s early formation.

There is also Park John Lennon- yes, named after the one and only-haven’t found out why yet and with my limited, well almost no Spanish, don’t think I will.

My New Yoga Studio

Eat your heart out, Albany Yoga - my new "studio" in a laverie in Carcassone! Gil insists I embroider a bit - we were also using the laverie as our personal dining room-an old couple shuffled in, luckily (for them!) after I had finished my stretches, the boys had finished the chicken and we had just settled down to wait for the 1 and only drier to finish its cycle.

The staff of life!

BEST BREAD SHOP IN FRANCE
We drove through the tiniest little French village, Verdalle, and found an artisan boulanger that would make any famous Parisian boulanger cry in his bed. I tried to talk her into opening in Auckland, but unfortunately she doesn't speak English and I don't speak French!

The croissant was by far the best we have ever eaten and the bread with rocquefort - oo la la

the "boys" fighting over the last bit!

THE WONDER OF FRENCH PASTRIES

How’s this for afternoon tea? The French patisseries are wonderful -we had this great apricot tart with coffee this afternoon!

WEEFEE

What we have discovered is that the internet is freely available in the remotest parts of Italy (well, where we were anyway!) but in France, WeeFee (in English, WiFi) is hard to find. We are not even that far out if biggish towns and there is no internet, so it seems. And what is Magdoh???? In 1 town we were sent to Magdoh to connect and found it is the big yellow M!-double disappointment - we couldn’t connect and all these French natives were eating American fast foods instead of their world famous cuisine!Ah, but France does better than Italy with rubbish collection-everywhere we go, including a little village of 120 inhabitants we stayed in, has big public bins for recycling-garbage, bottles, aluminium, paper and plastic.

Now about food prices-we are finding France a lot more expensive than Italy - even little “locals” (priced like up market places in Auckland!) - and now we are in the Midi-Pyrenees - goodness, they are not too keen on non meat eaters! The only cheaper food is…..PIZZA - offered at nearly every establishment but I thought we were in France!

When you are next in Aix-en-Provence, make sure to go to the Vasarely Foundation-here we are sitting totally mesmorised by the scale and wonder of V's genius. These 2 are carpets made by Aubusson to V's designs.

We thought it'd look good in our lounge!

Alan in our sumptious garden !


VAILLEUISE LES AVIGNON
I have lots to say about the 2 wonderful agriturismos we stayed at in Italy, the Ligurian coast, the Cote d’ Azur, swimming in the Med and Aix-en-Provence - - - so we’ll leave that til we see you after our travels and move right on to this absolute iconic house that we are staying in here in Vailleuise Les Avignon.
We have found the perfect place to stay - it is just as we imagined - a house built in 1625 with a courtyard beautifully “overgrown” - typically Provencal and we have it all to ourselves. And did I mention that we have the Mistral blowing as well? But this is just like 2/15 Hororata - we are totally protected in this traditional building, tucked away behind thick walls -and a wonderful friendly (albeit in French) couple thrown in who watch over us as we eat petit dejeuner. (Maryth tell Justus I HAVE checked the street signs-we are in France!) We have ambled around the town together and had all the points of interest shown to us. We feel like family! Our new BFFs. Lots of sport talk between Gil and Edouard! After all, everyone knows the All Blacks and Roland Garros is on -
Oh, and the Thursday morning market happens just across the way and we are here for it!

Backdate to 27th May! Cannes La Bocca market

ANOTHER PEFECT DAY IN CANNES

I LOVE CANNES - not just because we met up with Gil after not seeing him for a year, but because, from the outside, it seems so laid back. Alan and I are staying in Cannes La Bocca, a few kms from the centre - wonderful food market here, beach around the corner-my kind of place. Lots of style even if the French still think it is cool to smoke and sometimes not pick up their dog poo on the pavements!
Just watched Barca smash Man U - with French commentary which we didn’t understand!
P.S. Bought 2 HUGE artichokes for 50c!!!! And they were delicious.

ALAN'S WOEFUL TALE

When Alan travelled in Europe for a year in 1966, he found the place where he wanted to live and the bar to buy. Well that didn’t happen but he has dreamt about it all these years and even found a wonderful restaurant in Cassis (the neighbouring fishing village) to take Gil and I for a bouillabaisse -so it was all booked for Tuesday!
Track back a couple of days - on Saturday as we were driving in the countryside near Cannes, Alan complained of a really bad toothache-we turned back to Cannes and many panadols and assorted remedies later, we landed up rushing from La Ciotat on Tuesday to Aix-en-Provence to a dentist who could speak English that Gil found for us on the internet (Alan said he sounds like Insp Clouseau)……so the bouillabaisse reservation had to be cancelled! In 1 stroke, the culmination of his dream was shattered - La Ciotat is NOT a little fishing village anymore but now is a large working port and he hasn’t had his authentic bouillabaisse.
Ah, you want to know about the tooth! It’s a molar with a fine crack in it and it had become infected - 2 appointments later, the root removed and some sort of resin post secured for an eventual crown, Alan is pain free! Yay! He is having difficulty not drinking the red wine while he is on antibiotics (read that as he is drinking a little red wine!) - so if you are ever in Aix and need a dentist, we have a really good one for you!