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Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

Haziran - Temmuz 2018
  • Travel Adventures
  • Samuel Dodson
Simon and Sam fly to France, Spain and Italy in July 2018 to soak up the northern summer. Okumaya devam et
  • Travel Adventures
  • Samuel Dodson
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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    The Bull Ring in Seville

    10 Temmuz 2018, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Parts of Spain have banned bullfights, but not Seville. They continue to occur in the famous Seville bullring known as Plaza de Toros. Sam and I went on a memorable tour of the bullring and all of its preparation rooms, animal storage areas and museum.

    The tour commences with the museum, which displays all kinds of fascinating artifacts and pieces of art which commemorate the art of bullfighting. There are famous toreador outfits, bullfighting capes and weapons, as well as an explanation of how bullfighting began - which was a way for Spanish cavalry to become accustomed to fighting on horseback.

    We then walked through the animal enclosures for the bulls and the horses which are used in the bullfights (the picadors are mounted on horseback). Then we saw where the toreadors prepare, including a chapel where they pray moments before going out into the ring.

    We then walked out into the centre of the bullring itself and stood exactly where the Toreador would stand when waiting for the charging bull to emerge from the gates. The really brave toreadors take a kneeling stance when the bull first charges into the ring. I am not sure I would choose to face a charging bull, weighing 500-700 kgs, on my knees, but I have never been confronted with that particular challenge so it's hard to really say.

    The bullring was first constructed in 1749 and it is still used today. The bullfights are not taking place while we are here because everyone is on summer holidays, but there are some youth training events taking place in the next few days. Young and emerging bullfighters get to have a go over the summer months. Maybe its a bit of a holiday camp for naughty boys, I'm not sure.

    Bullfighting is a very proud tradition in Spain, although there is a lot of pressure to ban it. Animal rights groups have a strong objection and it is said that the majority on Spaniards now believe it should be banned. It has been banned in some parts of Spain, including Barcelona and Catalonia generally, but it still takes place here and in Madrid. We might be able to see a bullfight in Madrid, we are not sure. Is it okay to watch a bull being killed as sport?

    It was a very memorable tour of an iconic sporting arena in Seville.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
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    Arcos de la Frontera

    11 Temmuz 2018, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Sam and I packed our bags and left our Airbnb in Seville to pick up our car from the Seville Airport. We caught the EA Airport bus and reported to the Enterprise Car Hire booth. We were allocated a Citroen which had only done 42 km - it was a brand new car.

    We drove to Arcos de la Frontera, our first stop for the day. This town is one of many white hilltop towns in Andalusia. This area was the frontier for many years in the war to expel the Muslims from Spain. The towns were fortified on hilltops and the characteristic white stucco finish on the buildings makes them shine white in the sunlight.

    Arcos is situated on a cliff above the river that formed the natural frontier. Sam and I climbed to the top of the town and overlooked the terrain for miles. It was a beautiful location and vista. We tried to get into the castle at the very top of the town, but it was closed for no apparent reason. We were able to get spectacular views from right near the big church nearby.

    There was a man and woman who had set up a very unusual and captivating exhibition at the top of the cliff. They had about fifteen birds of prey (in Spanish, raptors) including owls, kestrels, hawks, eagles and falcons. They were very majestic. People could wear a leather glove and hold them for a donation. We paid five euros and Same had a hold of an eagle and a kestrel. I held a huge Spanish owl. The owners of these birds have 90 in their aviary. They have two Mexican eagles they have trained to fly away and return to the glove. This takes a lot of training from when the birds are just chicks. Being so close to these majestic creatures was very special.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Setenil de las Bodegas

    11 Temmuz 2018, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Our second stop for the day was in a town set on a gorge with the white houses literally built into the cliffs. The inhabitants are almost troglodytes - living in caves. The houses look like they have been slowly swallowed by the granite cliffs, but they have been built right into the rock. Even the main cafes and restaurants are built in under a huge overhanging ledge of granite.

    We were able to marvel at the town, its white buildings and the people who lived in the rocks.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Ronda

    11 Temmuz 2018, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    The town of Ronda is one of the most beautiful places in Spain. It's famous bridge is spectacular, and our hotel is literally on the cliff overlooking the bridge. Construction on the bridge began in 1751 and it boggles the mind how large a task it would have been. It is 120m high above a narrow canyon through which a river runs.

    The whole of Ronda is elevated above the countryside around it. There are many places from where magnificent views can be savoured.

    Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway both spent many summers in Ronda and wrote about how they loved the town, its beauty, rugged cliffs and its long tradition of bullfighting.

    The narrow streets and the white buildings are so characteristic of this area. It is one of the most beautiful towns in Andalusia, if not Spain itself. We are only spending one night here, which seems hardly enough.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Bullring in Ronda

    11 Temmuz 2018, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 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.    Okumaya devam et

    Çeviriyi gör
  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Gibraltar

    12 Temmuz 2018, Cebelitarık ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Crossing the straights of Gibraltar

    12 Temmuz 2018, 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.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Tanger in Morocco

    12 Temmuz 2018, Fas ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    More about Tangier

    12 Temmuz 2018, Fas ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Okumaya devam et

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  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    More from Morocco

    12 Temmuz 2018, Fas ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

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

    Çeviriyi gör
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