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Cabo Plata

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    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 11

      change in the weather

      May 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      the wind is gone and it is cloudy and cool just like vancouver's maritime climate. There are even a few drops of rain! There are some fisherman out on the beach close to the lighthouse fishing with very long poles, 3 or 4 poles per fisherman stuck in the sand.....just like we saw in Portugal on a similar sand duney beach south of Nazare. Yesterday when we were driving down from here to Zahara de los Atunes, we saw lots of fishing boats in the bay with their nets set out. The way they use to catch tuna with these nets is called "Almadraba" and dates from moorish times. They create a fence with the nets and as the blue fin Tuna are entering the Mediterranean during migration (now May) They then club the fish to death. Apparently the wafers turn red from all the blood. Today when they bring the catch in there are Japanese processing ships at port ready to buy the catch, flash freeze it and send it to Japan for sashimi! There are concerns about overfishing locally.
      this is the name of the beach we look out on. Playa de Atlanterra. suppose to be a blue flag beach, crystal clear waters. The light house called Camarinal lighthouse was built in the 16th century under Philip II as part of the coastal defence system to keep the berber pirates out. it was restored and made operational in the 1990,s its pattern seems to be one very long illumination followed by a short one. this area is great for migratory birds. they wait on the African side for the winds to die down and cross early in the morning. I expected there were some crossings this morning since it is no longer windy and we are certainly hearing more bird song but not seeing large flocks....granted it is cloudy. we did see a lot of swifts in Madrid and seville and they would have made the crossing this month.      Read more

    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 9

      our place Zahara de los Atunes

      May 20, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

      this is our unit in the complex. it is absolutely beautiful with an infinity pool and beautiful gardens. it is perched on the hillside. our units patio is enclosed so the wind is not so bad. apparently there are 2 winds,one from the land that is very strong and hot. this wind from the east called the Levant and it comes from Africa. this is what we have right now 40-50 km/hr. The other wind is from the water is cooler and comes from the west off the Atlantic it is called the Poniente and allows you to see over to Morocco clearly which is 14 km across the water. last night we saw some lights on the African side. it was like sitting at French beach east of sooke and watching the lights from the Olympic peninsula......I keep singing the Joni Mitchell song -Carey: "The wind is in from Africa
      Last night I couldn't sleep
      Oh, you know it sure is hard to leave here, Carey
      But it's really not my home…"
      We had no trouble sleeping😊 the jasmine smell from the vine over the entrance is phenomenal!!! I'm in heaven....      Read more

    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 9

      beach walk zahara de los atunes

      May 20, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

      went to town to get some spices. then decided to walk the beach. yes I did end up at the end of the beach that is for the nudists, what's new? but there were not many there as it was so so windy. this is part of the senendro arco atlantico trail. there is an elevated boardwalk that runs parallel to the beach. this is Friday night and as we came from the parking area we passed a beach bar with a live band doing Spanish guitar type music. further down the beach there was a rock and roll band and further again there was a salsa band...guess where we stopped? doing salsa and cha cha on the sand is even harder than on a dance floor and it has been some time since we have been dancing. we then did some more beach walking to walk off the glass of wine. there were some birds as the sun was setting. maybe egrets but we were so far away I'm not sure. we headed for the tuna tapas festival around 9 but it was so busy we just stayed at the first restaurant that we got a table at. the tuna tapas was tuna cheeks in a canolli wrapper with a pureed pea mayo. quite good. for dinner I had grilled sea bream -fillet pargo plancha- very good, and colin ordered an iberian pork dish called carrilleras. it was good and reminded me of beef that is slowly braised in a Dutch oven.....which is similar to how this is prepared. after dinner we walked through the town and it was very very busy. live music in the streets though the beach bands were all finished. had some gelato for desert and got home around midnight. these late hours are taking a toll....but it's fun. see the life guard chair? and tides are recorded from Morocco !Read more

    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 10

      paella at home

      May 21, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      made a paella at our place. used a chiorza sausage called rosary beads and they were quite good. I found some good spices at the local grocery store, sweet smokey paprika. it wasnt too bad considering it was made in a Dutch oven and not a real paella pan. did not get that nice carmelized rice happening but maybe next time. it still tasted pretty good! and we have leftovers so no need to cook tomorrow! the wind has shifted we think. there were less Whitecaps on the water tonight but the wind was cool and had more moisture. it seemed to be coming from the west off the Atlantic. we only stayed on the patio briefly before retreating to the enclosed patio area outside of our door. the view was magnificent. the light house in the distance is Faro de Camarinal or fara de torre graciela. we hope to get there maybe tomorrow its only 3 km away.Read more

    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 11

      the lights of tangier

      May 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

      if you look really hard you can see the lights across the straight. the clouds cleared enough so we could see. good star gazing here. so far in the day time we have had too much marine mist to see across the costa de la luz.Read more

    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 12

      another lazy day

      May 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      spent most of the day reading and lounging by the pool. weather was cloudy so not too much fear of getting burnt. we went into town zahara de los atunes for more groceries and had a quick walk around town. so quiet today compared to Friday and Saturdah and Sunday....the weekenders have gone home! just like birch bay.

      there is an abandoned fort in town-Castillo de las Almadrabas- which was built by: "Juan Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y Zuñiga, VI Duke of Medina Sidonia (1518-1558), inherited the title of Count of Niebla from Emperor Carlos V and, as a result, expanded the family palace of San Lucar de Barrameda and built the Castle of Zahara of the Tunas. Which would serve as a residence, factory and defense of his almadrabas"
      this dukes families ancestors got the land when king alphonso granted it to him in 1294 when he defended Tarifa against the moors. he was the medina ancestor who sacrificed his son in order to oust the moors. his son was held hostage by the moors and he did not surrender. - "origin in the concession that, in 1294, King Sancho IV the Brave made to D. Alonso Pérez Guzman for his defense of the Tarifa square," These tuna traps were then owned by the dukes of medina right up to 1817.
      interesting article about tuna traps: http://alquilerenzaharadelosatunes.com/almadrab…

      the fort or palace -Palacio de las Pilas - is where the Duke would come with his enterouge when it was tuna fishing season. it was also important as an area to protect from the barbary coast pirates the berbers. there is a huge salt cellar where the church- Parroquia Nuestra Señora del CARMEN- now stands at the north wall. This was a working castle or "chanca" because of the fish processing that took place here. today it is protected but in ruins
      one web site states hippy fairs and concerts take place here today! .....folk fest anyone?      Read more

    • TravelerSpain spring 2022..
      Day 12

      more cave of the moor

      May 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      just a few more pics. we saw aot of the ground palm -Chamaerops humilis, https://josecelestinomutis.cadiz.es/en/portfoli…
      the three types of pine, italian stone, aleppo and Scots- all 2 needle pines they had slightly different habits and some had cones that seemed to stay on the tree.. cistus- rock rose which we lost this year at home , Spanish lavender!! daphne , wild olive and maybe Holm oak- an evergreen oak that does grow at VD in the Mediterranean section, quecus ilex. I think the purple plant is a type of phlomus? and huge thistle. there are also lots of eucalyptus, replacing the native trees.Read more

    • TravelerAndalusia & The Ocean
      Day 1

      At our panoramic view

      February 13, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

      First sunset aperitivo ...

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    Cabo Plata

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