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Samuel Dodson

Samuel Dodson

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Alhambra in Granada

      15 июля 2018 г., Испания ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

      The Alhambra is a fortress and palace which is on a prominent hill in Granada. It is the most popular tourist destination in Spain. When we arrived at our hotel yesterday we were told all the tickets for the Alhambra were sold and the next available ticket was in about five days. We were told this waiting list was short because it is the heat of summer. In the autumn and spring the waiting periods can be five weeks. Not to be easily deterred, I got online yesterday evening and discovered a source for tickets for a tour for today. They were expensive but I wasn’t coming to Granada to miss out on seeing the Alhambra. So I bought them. I was very thankful we did. It is a very memorable tour. Don’t miss it if ever you are in this city.

      The Alhambra began life as a fortress in Roman times, then began to develop as a citadel of large proportions during the Muslim rule. The Sultan built a citadel and a palace to impress visitors and create an impregnable fortress to withstand any invader. It served its purpose. The fortress was never taken. The Spanish king and queen Ferdinand and Isabella retook Granada from the Muslim ruler in 1492, the final city in Spain to return to Spanish rule, but they could not take the Alhambra despite besieging it, and only succeeded with a negotiated surrender of the city. The deal struck was that all citizens of the city, including Muslims and Jews, could continue to live peacefully in the city if the Muslim king surrendered the fortress and palace. The deal was struck. The Spanish honoured the agreement for a short time, then the Inquisition began its work and Jews and Muslims could only stay if they converted to Christianity.

      The palace still retains its Muslim architecture combined with a renaissance palace built by Charles V, Isabella’ grandson. There isn’t just one palace, but a complex of palaces, a fortress with three levels of walls and Impregnable gates in medieval style, gardens, water pools, a complex system of bringing water from kilometres away which still flows through the palace, the gardens and to city today.

      The tour went for three hours and we felt like we were only scratching the surface of this huge citadel. It was an amazing place that brought Granada’s fascinating history to life.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Granada

      14 июля 2018 г., Испания ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      Granada is one of the most important historical places in Spain. It is here that the Moors held out for so long against the Spanish. It was in 1492 the Ferdinand and Isabella finally overcame the Moors and returned the city and the region to Spanish (and Catholic) rule.

      It was also in 1492 the Christopher Columbus received royal support for his trip to the new world, something that would lead to untold riches for Spain and change the world forever. It was also in 1492 the the Jews were expelled from Spain. 1492 was a busy year here in Granada.

      The Jewish history is fascinating in this place (before 1492). More on that later.

      I went on. Tour of the gypsy area of the city, which is outside the old city walls, and where gypsies have been living in cave houses for many centuries. They are still there and have a history of providing labour and agricultural services for the city for many generations. The area of the city is called Sacremente. There are fantastic views of the city from that hill. The main attraction of the city, the Alhambra, can be seen clearly from the gypsy hill.

      The Alhambra is the old Moorish palace which became the palace of king Ferdinand and queen Isabella when they took the city back from the Muslims.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Nerja then Granada

      14 июля 2018 г., Испания ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      This morning we got our swimmers on and went straight downstairs to the beach. There was no time to be wasted. Beautiful warm sunshine and the Mediterranean was beckoning. We sat on the beach for about an hour, swam for a while in the clear water and skimmed stones across the sea. It wa a very memorable morning and we wished we were staying longer in the Costa del Sol. We had to check out at 12:00pm so that was the limit of the time we had.

      We then drove about five minutes down the road to the famous viewing terrace called Balcon de Europa. It has a spectacular vista of the magnificent beaches in the area. The view is the most used publicity photo used to promote this region. We spent some time here soaking up the atmosphere. We bought some lunch and had an ice cream from one of the many stores selling a huge variety of flavours.

      We then headed off towards Granada, stopping only to look at the notable landmark which is the aqueduct with four tiers of arches. Another memorable sight in Nerja.

      We reluctantly left Nerja, wishing we had allocated more time to this beautiful coastal region of southern Spain.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
      1

      Back to Spain

      13 июля 2018 г., Испания ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

      We spent the night our hotel Dar Souran which is located in the Medina of Tanger. We went up to the terrace for breakfast which was included. Breakfast included orange juice, coffee, eggs, bread, pastries, crepes, jams and honey, and olives.

      Hassan our troublesome guide turned up to take us to our taxi. We traveled back to the ferry terminal at the huge port in Tanger. The port is massive. It is obviously being expanded to one of the major African ports. There were acres of brand new cars just waiting to be transported around the world.

      It was amazing to again be travelling across the straits of Gibraltar. One of the major waterways in the world. At one point I could count over fifty large container boats and ferries within our view on this major traffic route to and from all the Mediterranean countries and the rest of the world.

      Once we arrived back in Spain, we found our hire car still parked where we left it, and drove along the beautiful Costa del Sol (coast of the sun, or sun coast) to the beautiful town of Nerja and our hotel right on the beach. We had a swim in the Mediterranean Sea and enjoyed sitting in the warm sunshine along with other sunbakers. The Costa del Sol is a popular holiday destination for
      English and French holiday makers during the summer.

      The weather is spectacular. The sunshine is clear, the water refreshing and the daylight lasts until 9.30pm. The twilight is long and the sunset beautiful.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      More from Morocco

      12 июля 2018 г., Марокко ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Some more photos that tell the tale of our memorable trip to Tanger in Morocco.

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      More about Tangier

      12 июля 2018 г., Марокко ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Tangier overlooks the Straight of Gibraltar. It is where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean meet. The city has a long history of many cultures. Many of the signs are in French, Arabic and Berber. Berber is the language of the nomadic people that have been resident in this area of Northern Africa for centuries. The design of the rug I bought (for a very good price) is Berber (or at least that is what they said, I wouldn’t really know).

      The dinner we had included Tagines of chicken and lamb, couscous, Moroccon pasties, soup, Moroccan bread, mint tea and cookies. Very tasty. Sam was agitated the whole meal knowing we were being ripped off. I was enjoying my Tagline and couscous.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Tanger in Morocco

      12 июля 2018 г., Марокко ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      From the time we stepped off the boat Sam and I fell victim to the Morocco con. We didn’t know it, but as soon as we stepped into a taxi at the port we were being set up for the evening.

      The taxi driver tried first to charge us too much so we were proud we put our foot down and bargained him down to 20 euros. But he couldn’t speak English well so he organised his English speaking friend to meet us near the hotel to assist us. He took us on a circuitous route to our hotel and provided us with a friend to show us the sights of Tangier (you can see where this is going).

      His friend took us to some sights and then to a rug factory and then to a spice and perfume factory. Yes, I bought a rug much to Sam’s chagrin. But I only paid $80 euro for it so you can see they weren’t overjoyed with our price. Nevertheless it was Sam who first lost his patience with them. After I bought the rug and then we were being shown the spices and perfumes Sam proclaimed very loudly that he had had enough and we were not buying anything.

      Mohammed our guide them took us to his friends special restaurant for dinner. It was traditional Moroccan food which I enjoyed but Sam just knew we were being conned.

      After dinner our guide returned us to our hotel and then demanded 20 euro each for his time. I paid him 5 for each of us and said goodnight. Sam couldn’t believe I paid him anything.

      Sam was most indignant about the whole proceeding and is looking forward to getting out of Morocco and back to Spain. I just see the sport in it. I have been through this many times - in Egypt, in Turkey, in parts of Europe, in Bangkok and now Morocco. It is all part of the sport the tourism game leads to. I actually think we did okay today. Sam just felt we were pawns in their game and that made him very agitated.

      I love Morocco. The sounds, colours, smells, sights are so different to Spain. Or anywhere I have been for that matter. It is certainly a third world country, but if you are keen to get a bit off the beaten track, it is fantastic. Quite beautiful. I don’t think Sam will hurry back, but I could spend more time here for sure. Just don’t expect the refined tourist experience that is usual in Europe.

      We are staying in a hotel in the Medina (old city of Tanger) where the market is located. The souk. It is very characteristic of old Morocco. Most of the buildings are 800 years old and the fortress is over 1000 years old. An amazing place.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Crossing the straights of Gibraltar

      12 июля 2018 г., Strait of Gibraltar ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      We caught a ferry from Algeciras to Tanger in Morocco at 4.00pm this afternoon. It takes 90 minutes from one port to the others. Both ports are huge trading centres for Europe and Africa.

      It was amazing to be on the boat crossing one of the most famous waterways in the world. The Phoenicians were some of the first traders to control this area of the world, the ancient Romans also conquered it, followed by the Visigoths, the Spaniards, the Jews, the Muslims, the French and the British. The was also an important theatre of war in the world wars.

      To be in the middle of the straight and easily look from one side to the other demonstrated how narrow the straight is as how easily it could be blocked by a malevolent power. The German U boats tried in World War Two and succeeded for a while.

      Sam and I felt the significance of first setting foot in Africa. Neither of us have been to this continent. It is very special.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Gibraltar

      12 июля 2018 г., Гибралтар ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      We drove from Ronda to Gibraltar this morning. It is a two hour drive through a mountainous region of the most spectacular countryside. Southern Spain in rugged and grand. As we descended from the mountains towards the Mediterranean Sea, we passed many luxury resorts in the hinterland with fantastic views of the famous coastline.

      We parked the car in La Linea and walked through customs into Gibraltar. The small region of Gibraltar is still English territory and has been since 1770. The strategic location is a key to controlling the maritime trade in the Mediterranean Sea. Half the worlds maritime trade passes through the narrow straight of Gibraltar, which is only 8 miles across (14km). One can clearly see Africa from Gibraltar and vice versa.

      The famous rock of Gibraltar took me by surprise. I was not expecting something so huge. It is a monster which just rises out of nowhere. It is a memorable landmark in an amazing location. It has seen a huge amount of history. Many naval fleets have passed by and some have even attacked the ruling power in Gibraltar, from Roman times right up to WW2. Hitler hatched a plan to take Gibraltar from the Brits but it failed. It was code named Operation Felix.

      We had lunch at McDonald’s near Gibraltar and were amused that the drive through was called McAuto.      Читать далее

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    • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

      Bullring in Ronda

      11 июля 2018 г., Испания ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

      The bullring in Ronda is famous in Spain. Hemmingway wrote extensively about bullfighting and spent a lot of time in Ronda. I visited the bullring and toured its facilities, museum, bull handling yeards and the ring itself. For a town on only 30,000 people, it has a significant place in the history of bullfighting. Apparently the style of bullfighting differs in each area of Spain, and the toreadors in Ronda take a slightly different approach to those in Seville, who try to impress with flourishes and graceful turns and dance-like moves. Its a bit more stolid in Ronda, if I understand it correctly.

      The bullring here had more areas open to the public than the bullring in Seville. I could actually stand in one of the eight stalls that hold the bulls, which are released one by one and they run in a straight line from their pen, into the daylight of the ring. They are furious and a bit disoriented when they enter the ring, and are ready to take on whoever is standing in the ring wearing fancy clothes and waving a red cape around.

      The tour of the bullring was very interesting. I would like to see a bullfight but they are not taking place in the heat of summer.      Читать далее

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