Europe 2024

september - oktober 2024
  • Catherine Kidd
En 23-dags äventyr från Catherine Läs mer
  • Catherine Kidd

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  • Muslim tower built as one of many across Spain for protection.
    ZaharaZaharaZaharaZaharaAnother White Village as seen from Zahara.Olive oil farm and press Zahara.GrazalemaGrazalemaGrazalemaGrazalema. Festival of the bull statue.RondaRondaRonda, Muslim influence of 5 pillars of IslamRondaRondaRondaRonda palaceRonda gorge with ruins of Muslim baths

    Ronda and the White Villages

    30 september 2024, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today, we are taking a bus tour to the White Villages and Ronda, about two hours southeast of Seville. We had thought of doing a bike tour thru this area but decided it might be a bit hazardous for us. After being there, we made the right decision

    We have a wonderful guide who shares the history of Seville as we leave the city. We travel through farmlands with fallow fields that produce wheat and sunflowers. Lots of olive orchards as we proceed up, up, up onto the mountains.

    Again, we hear about the Arabs arriving in the 8th century. They crossed via Gibraltor and conquered their way north through the Iberian peninsula. They conquered the Visigoths who had settled in the area from Northern parts of Europe.

    700 years later, the Christians reconquered the Iberian peninsula from north to south.

    White Villages originated in the Arab era and then captured in 1500s by Christians. They are white as a result of lime whitewash. The whitewash keeps the homes cool, fights the insects, and prevents the water from getting into the stucco. There are 19 White Villages. We visit 2 small ones. Zahara and then Grazelema.

    They are spectacular. Zahara is one of the last villages held by the Muslims. In 1592, the Spanish Royals and their armies finally defeated Granada, the last Muslim area. It was the same year Christopher Columbus discovered America

    After exploring Zahara, we went to an olive oil factory, established in the 18th century, that continues to use the traditional way of extracting olive oil. 12 generations of the same family have run the farm and its presses. We purchased extra virgin olive oil from their store.

    From there, we proceed to Grazalema. The road is twisty and turny, and tummy upsetting.

    We go through a forest of cork oaks, which extends over 200 Kilometers south to the Mediterranean. When planted, a tree takes up to 40 years before the cork (the bark of the tree) can be harvested. It can only be harvested every 9 years. The forest is owned by the country, and individuals get liscences to harvest the cork. The acorns from the cork trees ( a type of oak) are used to feed the andulusian pigs. Apparently very special meat, but we haven't tasted it.

    We have lunch in Grazelema at a restaurant recommended by our guide. It is known for its exotic meat dishes, but our tummies dictate soup and salad.

    We then arrive in Rondo. This town has been inhabited prior to the Romans ( the Visigoth era) who arrived in the Iberian peninsula in the 1st century. There are now about 30,000 people living there, making it the largest of the White Villages. In the 8th c, the Arabs settled here. You can still see evidence of their occupation in the buildings of the old town.

    Ronda has the oldest bull ring in the world, established in the 19th C. There is an iconic bridge that goes across the Gorge from the old town to the new town. The original collapsed and a new bridge built in the 18th C.

    A very full but very enjoyable day!
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  • From our balcony.

    Benalmadina

    1 oktober 2024, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Forgot to set my footprint this morning, so I missed the travel from Seville to Malaga by train. Interesting topography. At one point, we saw walkways suspended along the sides of mountains with several hundreds of people walking along them. Looked like they were rock climbers, but not sure. Have since looked it up, and it's called Calmanito del Ray. Not for the faint of heart or those averse to heights!

    After arriving in Malaga, we took another train to Benalmadina. We're in a lovely resort hotel with a comfie room. Not a bad view, either!

    After unpacking, we went for tapas and drinks at a beach front restaurant. Right across the street from the hotel is a good-sized market. Picked up food for breakfast and lunch.

    Looking forward to a day by the pool tomorrow and a walk on the beach. Will also check out bike rentals.
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  • Sunrise from our balcony
    Medieval watch tower seen all around AndalusiaMarina area.Our hotelBeach near the hotel. Palapas and lounges 15 Euros a dayAfrica coast.

    Benalmadina day 2

    2 oktober 2024, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Awake around 7 after a good sleep. Heard the sound of waves through our open door. So relaxing. 7:30 now, and the eastern sky is just starting to show signs of sun rise.

    Enquiring minds needed to know why the sun rises so late in Spain. Apparently, Spain has determined it is in their best interest to remain in the same time zone as the rest of Europe, whereas, geographically, they should be an hour later. The sun rose around 0815.

    After breakfast, we walked to the tourist info center and purchased a 48-hour hop on hop off pass. We also wanted to book tours to Gibralter and Granada to see the Alhambra. We have the Gibralter tour booked for tomorrow. Unfortunately, there aren't any entrance tickets available for the next couple of weeks for the Alhambra. I made a big mistake not booking them months ago. I'm very disappointed.

    We take the Hop on Hop off ride around to see the sites and get oriented to Benalmadina. After the tour, we decided it's time for a light lunch, and then go to the pool area to catch some rays and relax for a bit.

    The pool area is lovely, and we had no difficulty finding lounges and a palapa. Felt good to stretch out with a book.

    For dinner, we decided to try one of the 2 restaurants Jennifer recommended. We went to Karma, a Mediterranean restaurant, but it's closed on Wednesdays. Oh well, the other restaurant, Tarraza Tapas Bar and Grill, is nearby. At 6:30 they are fully booked. Need to make reservations in advance there! Fortunately, there are lots of other restaurants around, and we go into an Italian one. We have a good meal and return to the hotel.

    Currently, we are sitting on our balcony, enjoying a warm breeze and watching the colours in the sky as the sun is setting. We also think we can make out Gibraltor and the coast of Africa in the distance. Feeling relaxed and Blessed.
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  • Street scene
    Old fortifications with new building on topRoyal Gibraltor regiment officer.Street scene.Africa across the straight.Lighthouse at the point.The southern side of The Rock.St. Michael's Cave.The Angel.Spain across the bay.Gibraltar flag.North side of the Rock.Old Battlements.

    Gibraltar

    3–9 okt. 2024, Gibraltar ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We leave for Gibraltar around 0800 and arrive around 1045. There was very heavy stop and go traffic. We followed the coast and passed by long stretches of very dense apartments and hotels along the way. Franco, the Spanish dictator, deliberately developed Marbella as a holiday destination in the 1950s. At that time, throughout Europe, vacation weeks were becoming the norm. From that time, the Costa del Sol has expanded.

    Gibralter has always been a strategic location where the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas meet. The Phoenicians first settled here around 950 BC, and then the Romans. Around 700 AD, the Moors landed in Gibraltar and created a jumping off point for their invasion of the Iberian peninsula. Gibraltar got its name from the corruption of the Moorish name for the area.

    Gibraltar went back and forth between the Moors and the Christian Castillians. In 1700, Britain captured this strategic point from the Spanish during the Spanish war of Succession under the Treaty of Utrecht.

    During the ensuing years, the Spanish fought the British numerous times for the peninsula, but Britain won every time.

    In 1967, under a United Nation's mandate, a referendum was established to have the people of Gibraltar vote as to whether they wanted to stay with Britain or join Spain. 99% voted to remain British. In retaliation, Spain closed the border with Gibraltar from 1968 to 1985.

    During both WW1 and WW2, Gibraltar had a very significant military purpose. It was refortified again and again over the centuries to resist invasion. An interesting Canadian history was during WW2, the Royal Canadian Engineers came to Gibraltar in 1940 to work on extensive tunneling projects and to build the runway that was strategically important as Italy entered the war. To this day, Gibraltar has the 5th most difficult runway in the world to land on due to winds from the Sahara, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic.

    As we walked along Main Street, a pedestrian walkway, we noticed many high-end jewelry and clothing stores, as Gibraltar is a duty-free zone. There is also a significant British military presence. We saw the Royal Gibraltar Regiment preparing for an annual ceremony, called the Ceremony of the keys. This ceremony is steeped in history and involves the Governor of Gibraltor, who is the keeper of the keys.

    We had a typical English lunch of fish and chips and steak pie. Both dishes were delicious.

    After lunch, we were transported up the rock to see the various sites, including the large ports, the old fortifications, St. Michael's Cave and the Angel of St. Michael's cave, and of course the monkeys of Gibraltar, the Barbary macaques.

    A wonderful experience overall.
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  • Barbeque on the beach
    Ibin El Batar, distinguished botanist in the 1100's.Replica of a moorish castle, now an information centre.Moorish warriorVisitor centreOn the beach, our hotel in the distance.Dinner tonight.

    Quiet day in Benalmadina

    4–7 okt. 2024, Spanien ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We've had a quiet day today. I had a good walk before breakfast, after which we took the Hop on Hop off down to the Marina.

    Stopped for a drink along the beach as we walked back to our hotel. Some of the restaurants there have wood fire barbeques to cook sardines over the fire. We should perhaps give them a try. Our only experience with sardines are those canned and served on toast.

    Spend a few hours at the pool, then off to dinner at the Trattoria. Order an amazing dish for 2. Beef, pork, chicken, and 2 types of sausage, as well as salad and fries. Enough meat left over for dinner tomorrow.

    Sitting on our balcony drinking decaf this evening, listening to the waves coming in and the entertainer at the lounge. A lovely evening.
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  • Another Quiet day

    5 oktober 2024, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We decided to hang around Benalmadina again today. We did lots of walking yesterday and plan to start the day off with a good walk this morning.

    We're totally wiped out. Only 6000 steps, but we have done lots of stretching and enjoyed our hotel room and the pool area. Sometimes it's good just to rest and relax.

    There are a number of cricket teams staying in our hotel. France and Australia we've seen so far. There's a big international tournament taking place over the next 2 weeks in Andulusia.
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  • Cathedral
    FortificationsAs far as we climbedALCAZARRoman amphitheatreBeautiful buildings

    Malaga Day Trip

    6 oktober 2024, Spanien ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today, we are taking the local bus to Malaga to explore the old city area. It is another beautiful day.

    Malaga old town area is beautiful. Very large yachts tied up in the harbour. We get our bearings and start to explore.

    We pass by the impressive Malaga Cathedral and the lively plazas and restaurants. Many stores are closed as it's Sunday.

    First of all, the Gibralfaro Fortress. It sits on a high hill overseeing all of the coast line and the city. It was built by the Moors and was used during the Christian era and up to the Spanish Civil War. We didn't make the trek all the way to the top, but as far as we climbed, it was impressive.

    It is joined to the Alcazaba, a palatial fortification also built during the Moorish rule. It was begun in the 11th C and rebuilt multiple times up to the 14th C. Prior to the Moors, the Phoenicians established their presence in 600 BC, and then the Romans in 200 BC.

    Remains of a Roman amphitheater are close by the Alcazaba.

    Following a delightful lunch, we head back to the Sunset Beach resort for some pool time.
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  • Mist over the Mediterranean this morning
    Lovely beach walkLagoon in the ParqWater liliesOff to dinner on a windy eveningRomantic last dinner by the sea.Beautiful and romantic restaurant

    Last Day Benalmadina

    7 oktober 2024, Spanien ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After a great sleep, we have breakfast in our room.

    I decide to power walk up to the Parq de Paloma, and John does a beach walk, where he watches fishers casting out to sea and catching their dinner.

    In the Parq garden, there are some lovely sites, such as a quiet pond and another spot with waterlily. The variety of trees and cactus are amazing. Green parrots squaking everywhere.

    I pass by beautiful tree lined streets with lovely condos on each side. I'm sure many are owned by Brits and Europeans who want to escape winter.

    After having lunch in our apartment, we go to the pool area for likely our last sun tanning for 2024.

    John has selected a lovely romantic restaurant for our last dinner here. It has been wonderful!
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  • Amsterdam, Here We Come!

    9 oktober 2024, Nederländerna ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We had a good flight from Malaga to Amsterdam. From the airport we took the train to the Centraal station. From there, it was about a 10 minute walk to where the riverboats were docked. The Emerald Destiny looks awesome.

    The welcome aboard was lovely with lots of help getting us registered and to our room. After unpacking, we checked out the ship and met up with Laurie and Bruce in the lounge.

    We then met their friends from London: Tony and Lynn; Victor and Winsom;Terry and Robyn; and Rosebud and her daughter.

    A relaxing afternoon and evening, with a lovely dinner. Tired after our day, so turned down the opportunity to explore the Red Light district with some of the group.
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  • Unesco houses circa 16005 bridges thru another bridge.Centraal Station near where the ship was docked.St. Nicolas ChurchLeaning house

    Amsterdam day 2

    9 oktober 2024, Nederländerna ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    After breakfast, we go on a canal cruise. The moderator is very informative about the history of Amsterdam, a city of around 600,000 people.

    There are many churches here. The Catholic ones have a cross on their roof. The Protestant ones have a rooster on top of the cross. In Amsterdam, the population is mostly protestant. There was a group of French people who left France and settled in Amsterdam around the time of Martin Luther. They found sanctuary here from the persecution they experienced n France.

    In 1920, there was the beginning of the use of old barges for floating homes. Today, there are around 2500 occupied. Highly sought after real estate. The average price is currently 800,000 euros for a houseboat. Those houses on land, which were built around 1600, are even more.

    In the 17th C., the Dutch East India company enabled the Golden Age of Amsterdam. Huge wealth was created as a result of the importation of tea and spices. And sadly, as a result of the slave trade.

    After the boat tour, we walked around a bit, checking out the sights.

    Our ship left port at 1230, heading for Cologne. Lunch in the dining room was delicious.

    As we traveled this afternoon, we went by pastoral scenes with farm animals as well as original windmills.

    We are also going through locks, indicating we are going higher as we travel.

    There was a special Captain's welcome tonight with Champagne and appis. Afterwards, a lovely dinner followed by trivia in the lounge. We are in Germany now. Passing by towns and under large bridges. It's been a great day.
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