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Unloxit 2023
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Unloxit 2023

As 2023 unfolds, a collection of experiences along the way. Leggi altro
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  • Inizio del viaggio
    1 gennaio 2023
    BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    The approach to Latin

    1 gennaio 2023, Inghilterra ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    "The Approach to Latin" was once a school textbook but as my sister once said, that's all very well but what about when you actually REACH Latin? No one knew, but thanks to my fondness for Latin America, it was fitting that the London New Year parade featured some displays from that wonderful region. This procession follows the midnight fireworks, attracting half a million spectators and to my mind, is much more photogenic.

    There's a bittersweet feeling because while it's great to return to near normality, the last time this event took place was in 2020 when nobody expected the darkness of Covid. Now we can hope that the pandemic is largely behind us and look forward to 2023.

    Among the dozens upon dozens of ethnic groups in London, none of the Latin American contingent feature in the top 20 for numbers. Whether the girl in the main picture actually is from Brazil or just wants to look as if she is dressed for the Rio carnival, matters little because she's clearly having a good time. She pops up again the larger group, from my local borough of Lambeth. From there we travel to Ecuador, from where there's a considerable colony in south London, and then to Peru and Bolivia. Who could ask for more to brighten up a grey January day?    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    Latin on the Atlantic

    1 aprile 2023, Portogallo ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Continuing the Latin theme---Portuguese style---I spend a spring break with my friend Alan in Porto and Lisbon. Sadly the memory card for the Porto and much of the Lisbon parts of the trip got damaged and so I can show only the latter part of Lisbon. Arrival here is a comedy of errors too---we're delayed by a rail strike and are booted off the following train which is for de luxe passengers only, but manage to get seats on the next standard train.

    But what a wonderful city Lisbon is! The first image shows the Discovery monument, a grandiose 1960 creation on the the banks of the Tejo (Tagus). Whatever injustices were caused in the name of colonialism, I always admire the tenacity of the early Portuguese explorers who divided the New World equally with Spain despite that country being several times the size. The woman in the picture, by the way, was posing for someone else. The tree in the next image stands outside the Hieronymites monastery, showing a glimpse of the extravagant Manueline architecture of the early 1500s.

    The up-and-down nature of this port city provides endless views and perspectives. Here is one from the Alta (the high city) looking down to the Baixa. In some quarters there are more steps than streets, so it pays to watch one's footing on the small black-and-white cobblestones. They form attractive patterns but could be slippery in wet weather.

    Transport in Lisbon comes in various shapes and sizes. In the Baixa a policeman shepherds a taxi in the path of one of Lisbon's legendary trams. The photographers are standing outside Rossio railway station, an extraordinary mishmash of Moorish and Manueline themes. The antique lift of the same period, around 1900, is as Gothic as they come. As for modern transport, the Metro is efficient and simple to use, while journeys on foot can lead up Avenida Libertadores, as elegant as any Paris boulevard.

    The best for last---the old Moorish quarter of Alfama. Although the houses are later, the street plan of twisting alleyways survived the 1755 earthquake. Every so often the streets break out into beautiful "miradouras". As shown on the mural, Alfama is the home of "fado", the melancholy but passionate folk music style. Listen to Mariza and you'll get the flavour.

    If ever there was a Moreish trip, this is it.    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore
    2
    211

    a.k.a. Skeggy

    30 maggio 2023, Inghilterra ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Continuing the trail of English seaside resorts, I leave the south coast and head east---Skegness in Lincolnshire. Its miles of sands became popular before package tours to the Mediterranean and it seems even more English than some other resorts I know. And with an East Midlands flavour. But the old line "Skegness is so bracing" doesn't lie; there's a brisk force 5 breeze coming all the way from Greenland!

    There's just the one railway line to and from Skegness and I take a day visit to Boston. Not as famous as the city after which it's named, it boasts a superb landmark, the largest parish church in England. It's known as Boston Stump because the upper part of the tower is an afterthought, competed 200 years after the 14th century main fabric of the church. The reason for its size is that Boston claims once to have been the second largest port in England. But the town has become a quiet backwater as is most of Lincolnshire, perhaps because it's not on the way to anywhere else.

    On other days, some outlying villages can be reached by local transport. People may complain about country buses but provided one doesn't stay out too late, they are reliable and punctual. When you've got time in hand, what does it matter if they run only once an hour?---at least they arrive when the timetable says they will. Hidden away from the theme parks and caravan sites some nice little churches can be found. Burgh le Marsh and Addlethorpe are just two of them. And then there's Mablethorpe, a dozen miles up the coast from Skeggy and a smaller version of it. Miles of sand and by the end of the week, the wind has started to ease off.    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    Cold wind, warm welcome

    1 giugno 2023, Inghilterra ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    The classic poster doesn't lie! The brisk on shore breeze blew throughout the time I was there, though mitigated by the sun which started poking through in the last couple of days.

    I forgot to say how welcoming the owners of my hotel were. Paul and Wendy, who had been running it for about 10 years, couldn't do enough to make me feel at home. The TV lounge always seemed to be free for me to watch classic films on Netflix. For my final night they moved me upstairs to a bigger room with panoramic vision; thanks to them for a nice stay.Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore
    12

    Kentish temple

    13 giugno 2023, Inghilterra ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Now it can be told---I much prefer Ramsgate to Skeggy! Not least because of a return visit to the endlessly civilised Royal Temple Yacht Club. The sailing season hasn't fully got going so all is quiet (apart from a quiz night on the Friday, and even that is restrained). They don't do breakfast but the Ship Shape in the cliff arcade, more than suffices. And then to a place that really is a temple, the charming Sailors' Church. The early Georgian terraces of Ramsgate are now familiar, in some cases appealingly overgrown and in others, put to use for an evening's tennis.

    On a rerun of the Margate-Ramsgate walk, I pass another example of Margate's gentrification with the creation of some giant street art. Round a headland, Joss Bay is having its week in the sun, while Broadstairs flaunts its Charles Dickens connections. The following day shows a beach scene in Deal. Although unmistakeably English, it's little more than 20 miles from France which makes London much further away.    Leggi altro

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    If it's the last Saturday in June....

    24 giugno 2023, Inghilterra ⋅ 🌫 18 °C

    ....we must be in the Lake District! On this annual reunion week, 12 of us are booked once again into two cottages near the river in Keswick. This time there's no disruption on the journey from London (or Cheshire, or Yorkshire, for those who arrive by different routes) and it's set to be a great week.

    It's market day in Keswick as we arrive, with a festive atmosphere (dogs allowed). I can't resist a naughty-but-nice call to Luchini's, the ice cream business which has been going since 1901. Also naughty but nice is the beer, and the Dog & Gun, continuing the canine theme, is one of Keswick's best pubs.

    Following the pattern of the daily walking party meeting the drinking party in the afternoons, we start with an easy hike to Rosthwaite. It's said to be the wettest place in England but then if there was no rain, there wouldn't be any lakes! A couple of days later we find this Victorian "picturesque", complete with a fine view of Windermere through stained glass. It's a steep climb past this to the summit but we're rewarded with a leisurely return walk past a sparkling tarn.
    Later in the week around Grasmere, the weather has closed in again but surely the residents of the mansion in the background aren't worried.

    Lastly, the name of this pub in Staveley is said to arise from a noble-born baby found in the nest of an eagle. But why the full stop after the Victorian signage? And before you ask, we do get some walking in: a gentle stroll there along the River Kent from Kendal, and then a route march to the town of Windermere for the last bus home. 12 miles in all.

    The final Saturday comes round all too soon but guess what---as I write this, next year's trip is already pencilled in.    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    There once were three men in Riga

    17 luglio 2023, Lettonia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Much attached as I am to places with Mediterranean and tropical climates, I agree with two of my most trusted friends, Russell, and Alan, to go north this time. July is one of the best months to go, not just because the weather is at least as good as in Blighty but also with the massive hours of daylight. Who would go in January when the sun hardly rises above the horizon?

    The best flights to the three Baltic states are to Riga, a 2-and-a-half-hour flight from Stansted. The language of this small country is unlike that of anywhere else apart from its neighbour Lithuania but fortunately most people are friendly and many speak English. We're staying in what's known as the Moscow District, a quiet area that was established by Russian settlers and retains their legacy. Indeed, Latvia, in common with Estonia and Lithuania, has had a turbulent history. It suffered waves of occupations by Russians, the Germans and the Russians again before finally freeing itself in 1991. But Riga is now a vibrant city well on the tourist map. The first image, of the Academy of Sciences, is a Stalinist structure that reminds me of a similar building in Warsaw where they said the best place to be was in it because you couldn't see it!

    To go back in time---as you do---it's a 15 minute walk into the old town. Having suffered little war damage, it's a museum piece of 17th to 19th century streets. The upward-looking image is of St. Peter's church, followed by the House of Black Heads. Nothing to do with skin blemishes, it was the home of a medieval guild of merchants named after St. Maurice, said to be a Moor and hence darker than the local population. The old town hosts a plethora of excellent bars and restaurants---but that's another story.

    The 1920s clock tower stands in line with the Freedom Monument, an Art Deco creation from the interwar, independent period. A walk across the park---with its attendant canal---takes us to a wonderful network of Art Nouveau streets unlike anywhere else I have seen. The three days we spend in Riga are really not enough to absorb its special character.    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    Unfinished Baltic

    20 luglio 2023, Estonia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    There's not much in the way of trains linking the Baltic republics so we take a coach northwards to Tallinn, capital of Estonia. Much of the road is forested but we hardly notice the border as there were no checks (only on the way back). None of this have been this far north before. Tallinn is on the same latitude as the Orkneys and the sun doesn't go down till 10.15. Almost the land of the midnight sun!

    Like Latvia, Estonia suffered badly in the 20th century, passing like a ping pong ball in WW2 between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. There's little sign of that now in this prosperous city. A 10-minute walk gets us to the Town Hall area, swarming with eager tourists like us. It's not ashamed to recall the happier sides of its past, with eye-catching costumes on show. Continuing uphill, we enter the walls of the castle, started in the 13th century and well-preserved. Maybe---just maybe---the man playing "I just called to say I love you" is referring to Tallinn itself! The seat just outside the city walls provides garden therapy for others.

    Tallinn is a busy port both for cargo and passengers, but some of the redundant premises have, like Docklands in London, been converted to 21st century residential use. But there still reminders of past and present conflicts, with this WW1 picture outside a museum, and banners at the Russian embassy protesting about Ukraine.

    Would we go back to the Baltic one day? There's talk about it, and perhaps the third country, Lithuania, as well. An excellent 7 days.    Leggi altro

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    Summer's last fling (or not)

    27 agosto 2023, Inghilterra ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    The August Bank Holiday weekend supposedly marks the end of summer but as I write this nearly three weeks afterwards, I'm pleased to say that it still has plenty of life in it. At the end of August the Notting hill Carnival, which fell silent for two years, is in rude health again. It started in 1966 and while inspired by London's Afro-Caribbean community, it's become a magnet for people of all persuasions to let their hair down. Lots of residents have fled to avoid the mayhem but some hardy souls stay on for a balcony viewing. Apparently 2 million people attend on the second day, a Monday. But as you can see, there's lots of clearing up for afterwards!

    Monday itself sees me at the gentler festival in Carshalton with music on two stages, Morris dancers and who knows what else. A great way to round off August.    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    Midday Express

    3 settembre 2023, Sea of Marmara ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Last night I watched the film "Midnight Express". Based on the experiences of a backpacker jailed for 5 years for drug smuggling, definitely better seen after a trip to Turkey than before it! My landfall for a week's stay in Istanbul in early September is not without faults; the hotel is overbooked so I have to stay next door for the first night, but better than Sultanahmet Jail where the film's protagonist was banged up. (Incidentally, said jail has been converted to a luxury hotel; maybe it would have been worth staying there).

    Breakfast offers a tantalising view not only of the meal but of this part of the city. It's a jumble of streets and passages, a challenge for walking (and even more so for cyclists as the travel writer Rebecca Lowe reports). But what an amazing history! Istanbul achieved greatness when as Constantinople, it was split from the Roman Empire in the 4th century A,D. Aya Sofia, seen from the balcony of an upmarket tea shop, began life as a church, then became a mosque, was later turned into a museum and is now a mosque again.

    One of the pleasures of Istanbul is doing a "mosque crawl" because Turkish mosques are open to the public except at prayer times. There's a 15-minute queue to get into to the Blue Mosque but most of the others are almost deserted and reveal how talented the Ottoman architects were. This interior belongs to the 18th century Nuruosmaniye, an example of Turkish baroque and more flowery than the classic works of 2 centuries earlier. On another excursion I enter the Mehmet Pasa Mosque, where the curator tells me off for removing my shoes to walk across the courtyard. Why? Because my feet have got dirty again, so I have to brush off the dust before entering the mosque proper. Sorry about that!

    The sightseeing buses are abundant; I manage without them but can't avoid a look at the Pudding Shop. This has been a famous meeting point over the years especially for backpackers, which I was on my previous visit in the 1970s. Istanbul was, and is, a crossroads of the world. Turkish tea (which I have at another tea house) having been stewed for ages, is potent and best enjoyed without milk but with plenty of sugar. It's a good way to round off the day, as is the late afternoon view from my hotel roof terrace.    Leggi altro

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  • BlogarithmsUnloxit 2023Viaggiatore

    Europe, not Asia....

    5 settembre 2023, Turchia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    ...and Istanbul, not Constantinople, is the largest city in Europe, bigger than London or Paris. The Grand Bazaar, with at least 6,000 businesses under its roof, is said to be the largest covered market in the world. And pretty orderly and well kept it is too, with each business allocated to a particular quarter. Next door is the Spice Bazaar, guarded by the steely gaze of Ataturk, father of the nation. And as the sign says, although the sales staff are persuasive, there's little hard sell or hassle. The trolley bearers, weaving in and out of the narrow streets, are unmistakeable features of the city. As are the fast-food shops, Turkish style. 19th century gems, both ornamental kiosks and the brooding Sirkeci station, crop up from place to place.

    In Istanbul, you're never far away from the water, be it the Galata bridge with its hopeful anglers or the Bosphorus linking the two continents. This palace is one of several from the 19th century built to catch the summer breezes.    Leggi altro

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    Taxi to Taksim

    7 settembre 2023, Turchia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    A quick way of getting to the other side of the Golden Horn and inexpensive if you insist on the driver using the meter, is by taxi. Taksim, whose name has nothing to do with transport but has the prosaic meaning of water storage container, sees a more modern, sophisticated side of the city. This retail arcade would hardly look out of place in Milan or Paris and the pedestrianised Istiklal Caddesi is a mile-long parade of fashion shops.
    There are quiet corners as well, useful for photo shoots and general street life. There are few dogs but as you can see, parts of Istanbul are Cat City.

    Lastly I find the beautiful little Christ Church, a 19th-century memorial to the Crimean War.    Leggi altro

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    Room with another view

    8 settembre 2023, Turchia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    One thing that's so satisfying about an extended stay is being able to see a place at different times of the day. Here's an afternoon view from the crow's nest of my hotel, long after breakfast has been and gone. Around Sultanahmet, the quarter where I'm staying, there are lots of quiet corners and views. A return to the Grand Bazaar is a must; the numerous porters and their trolleys could be symbols of this bustling commercial life.Leggi altro

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    Istanbul: the far side

    9 settembre 2023, Turchia ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    After another stroll around the Grand Bazaar, I cross the Golden Horn with its hopeful fishermen and am back in Taksim. The pedestrianised, mile-long Istiqlal Caddesi has a dignity that for now is missing from our own Oxford Street. The back streets reveal more of this fascinating parallel universe too.Leggi altro

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    The other end of Europe

    9 ottobre 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    With Istanbul at the far east of the Mediterranean, Andalucia in Spain is at the farthest west. Until the last 15th century it was part of a Moorish kingdom and part of Morocco which itself is named after the west or sunset.

    It's far from sunset however when I start this 10-day trip with Russell and Alan, my partners in crime from northern Europe in July. Our Sunday afternoon flight was postponed to a dawn start the next day. Aircraft shortage? Staff dispute? Airline overbooking? Who knows? Anyway, a 6 a.m meet up at Victoria and then to Gatwick.

    Apart from a long immigration queue, it's a seamless arrival, and the booking agency refund the unused night in our very comfortable studio in the heart of Malaga. Our first visit is to the Alcazaba, the Moorish hilltop fortress which allows excellent views of this half-million-plus city. As you can see, it's popular with cruise ships but there are also quieter, typically southern Spanish, quarters. But also, as to be expected from a provincial hub, public demonstrations---thankfully, peaceful this time.

    For us, the highlight of Malaga is its covered market and especially its stained glass showing nautical scenes. Euromillions do run in Spain but the traditional lottery ticket sellers seem to be more popular. Inside, this Aladdin's cave is stocked with butchers, cheesemakers, confectioners---you name it. An enjoyable way to start the trip.    Leggi altro

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    An Englishman, an Irishman and Scotsman

    11 ottobre 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Instead of picadors and matadors, we start to see dozens of middle-aged men men in kilts and sporrans. What is going on? The answer is a European Championship qualifier between Spain and Scotland. Unusually, instead of taking place in Spain's national stadium in Madrid, it's here in Seville. History has suggested that there could be trouble but thankfully, everyone we meet is cheerful and friendly. But it does remind me of the Monty Python sketch in which men all over Britain turn into Scotsmen and stream over the border, leaving England as deserted as if in lockdown. The irony is not lost on us as when asked by a tour guide where we're from, I declare Englishness but Russell is thinking of moving to Ireland and Alan often goes to Edinburgh.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oXpc-59Cdo

    Back to reality, we visit the Plaza de Espana, centrepiece of the Spanish Americas Fair of 1929. It's an outrageous concoction of neo-baroque, neo-Moorish and neo-various other things, and we love it. Administrative buildings on the other side of the historic centre continue the architectural excess.

    The oldest quarter of the city, Barrio Santa Cruz, is a maze of alleyways and passages and we quickly lose the plot and the way. It's not helped by the fact that the city maps are sideways with north pointing left not upwards.
    And that the Moors designed the street plan to protect the houses from excessive sunlight, and from intruders. And tourists. Some of the churches look more Arabic than European, and the houses face inwards with enticing courtyards, as is the way in the riads of Morocco. The weather is North African as well, with a plume of hot air pushing the temperatures above 30C.

    The bus station with its elegant wall paintings is a consolation for leaving this fine city. And the scoreline? Spain won 2-0 but Scotland are still well placed to continue to the Euro Championship finals.    Leggi altro

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    What did the Phoenicians ever do for us?

    13 ottobre 2023, Spagna ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    They founded one of the oldest cities in Europe, that's what! With a perfect natural harbour, Cadiz was taken over by the Romans. After a decline under Moorish rule, it became important again after the Reconquest, despite Sir Francis Drake's attack in 1587 when he "singed the King of Spain's beard."

    We check into a small guest house, getting some good exercise up the three flights of stairs to the top floor. The city views are beautiful, especially in early morning with the towers and domes, and a narrow alley devoid of pedestrians. Later in the day the waterfront is bustling but the stretch of water is the Atlantic, pleasantly calm.

    With a street layout less confusing than that of Seville, daytime strolls are rewarding. I can't remember seeing a city with so many plazas per square mile, large and small. Plaza de Espana hosts a pompous monument built in 1912, a century after the Constitution drawn up when Spain was struggling through the Peninsular War. The airy Plaza San Antonio is popular with kids while Plaza Ayuntamiento (City Hall) is favoured by people looking at their phones. Yet another plaza is the scene of some operatic singing; I'm not sure what the occasion was but it was fun. And here's a detail of the neo-Moorish theatre nearby.

    Street life is everywhere; while Euromillions and its ilk are in evidence, Spain's national lottery carries on in a more traditional way. The final image is perhaps the result of some lucky wins.    Leggi altro

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    Ronda valley....

    17 ottobre 2023, Spagna ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    ....or gorge. This is the most impressive urban scene of the trip, with a breathtaking view of the town perched 400 feet above the ravine. The elegant bridge connects the new town with the intimate streets of the old town. A tiled mural records reflections of literary visitors.

    Our final day tales us back to Malaga and its endlessly fascinating market. Will there be another trip in 2023? Maybe....    Leggi altro

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    Going west in Portugal

    4 dicembre 2023, Portogallo ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    For the final exodus in 2023 I'm back on the Iberian Peninsula. Just me and my camera this time, for 7 days. The word "Algarve" comes from the Arabic for "west", which it was in the later years of Moorish occupation. Faro, the capital, tends to be overlooked in favour of the famous beaches (rather like Malaga in Spain) but it's an attractive, historic city. And lucky perhaps, as the stork's nest on the church opposite my hotel shows.

    Not many buildings survived the disastrous earthquake of 1755 but gothic's loss is baroque's gain. The church of Carmo, a short distance from the hotel, stands out among the mundane office blocks. There are also some outrageous examples from around 1900 of Portugal's art nouveau, plus street art that would put Banksy to shame.

    The Algarve is a gastronomist's delight. Just a stone's throw away is a tiny cafe called Chelsea. Don't mention the football---they were beaten twice in the week that I was away---but the cafe serves up some outrageously good pastries. The croissants are double the size of those you get here, covered in chocolate vermicelli and oozing with a gooey chocolate sauce. You ought to go on a 5-mile run after that!

    As it happens I don't, but enjoy another Portuguese institution---covered markets. The one at Faro is on 3 floors and most of the products here are naughty but nice as well. Finally I round off the day with a sunset view of the seashore and the airport in the distance.    Leggi altro

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    11

    Fishy and cheesy

    5 dicembre 2023, Portogallo ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    There are good transport services in the Algarve and no sooner am I settled in Faro than I use them for day excursions. East along the coastal train line leads to Olhao, one of the main fishing ports with a lively market. Some of the architecture is quirky too and recalls the past Moorish occupation. Even stranger is this long abandoned church-like structure which was actually the home of a fish canning magnate.

    The next day I take a bus to Loule, whose market harks back to what the architects of 1908 imagined was Moorish. The approach to Christmas is in full swing. Loule being inland, the focus shifts from fish to flowers and cheese. Not sure however what those characters with devices in the final image were looking up!    Leggi altro

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    End of the line

    7 dicembre 2023, Portogallo ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The coastal line continues its unhurried way to the Spanish border. Vila Real de Santo Antonio seems at first a backwater but it's got a majestic waterfront, best seen early in the morning. The Guadiana, forming the boundary between Portugal and Spain, is 500 metres wide here, about the same as at the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. Or at another international border, Windsor in Ontario which I saw about 18 months ago. There's no river view from my guest house but the town looks its best in the late afternoon (it's good in the morning as well but the heavy dew means sitting down requires a towel on the seat). Vila Real's Saturday market is outdoors, with all kinds of memorabilia on show. There's also a lively Christmas spirit on the river!

    A short day excursion to another gorgeous town, Tavira, shows a festive spirit as well, and its own waterside atmosphere. Down river, a walk towards the estuary takes me past the salt pans whose product helps flavour many a dining room table.

    With Christmas fast approaching, this is my final overseas stay this year. Highlights of 2023? The cactus garden in Mexico, the almost "white nights" in the Baltic states, the mosques of Istanbul? It's sad to be leaving the Algarve but it would be nice to claim, as Arnie would say, "I'll be back."    Leggi altro

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    Fine del viaggio
    31 dicembre 2023