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Tim Lynette Wilkins
Tim Lynette Wilkins

Tim Lynette Wilkins

traveled in 11 countries Read more
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  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Clams

    February 24, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    A few days ago I had clams for lunch and finlay tried them and loved them so yesterday he and I went to the fish market and bought some. We cooked them and had them as a starter for dinner. I had a few and Lynette had some but finlay cleared most of the bowl. He already loves prawns so I guess it's mussels next.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Kids on stage!

    February 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    At the end of the show they invited all the kids in the audience up onto the stage for the finale. Much to my surprise ours happily went up, but then would only stand at the back. Still ,they were on stage in a Flamenco show and joined in the clapping!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Chorros and fish market

    February 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    So first thing breakfast of chorros and chocolate followed by a wander through the fish market. I thought the kids would be a bit put off by the pong but they were fascinated, especially by the prawns and the crabs waving their claws at them. ... and the sharks!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    A day at the beach

    February 21, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We drove 30 minutes to go to Rota which is on the Atlantic coast and has spectacular beaches. The kids had a great time even though the water was cold.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Churros and flamenco

    February 20, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Out in the market square for choros and chocolate for breakfast. In the evening we went to a Flamenco show which the kids enjoyed so much. I think there are now two Flamenco fans.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    The kids loved the sun ....1And mum did too!

    Yay! The kids are here!

    February 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    All the travel arrangements worked well and we met Natalie, Finlay and Emily at seville Airport this morning. After an afternoon on the terrace we all went out for dinner in the Square.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Mmm!
    You can see how close it was to the sea. Now farmland!Beach at el puertoTapas bar in el puertoWhy do we like it so much? It's owned by our favourite bodega!

    Getting ready for the kids

    February 18, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Last night it was warm enough after dinner to sit outside on the terrace with a glass of sherry. Bliss!

    This morning we got the train out of jerez to the airport to pick up a hire car ready to get Natalie and the kids from Seville when they arrive tomorrow. (If the storms havent cancelled the flights!) Afterwards we drove to El Puerto de santa Maria and stopped at an archaeological site on the way. It was a settlement dating from 3000BC up to medieval Islamic times and was situated on a ridge looking over the ocean. Now it looks out over the huge agricultural plain south of seville where the river mouth has silted up and the whole bay has disappeared. We also checked the beach in el Puerto to see if would be a good place to take the kids , but we think that we have better choices. We couldn't resist having lunch in a favourite tapes bar at the side of the river in el Puerto,Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Moon set over Jerez

    February 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This morning when woke up there was a wonderful sunrise in the East of reds and purples, and in the west the overnight full moon was just setting over the palm trees in the next Plaza.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Alcazar walls and tower
    Setting up the stands

    Alcazar

    February 15, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    I spent some time walking through the alcazar (castle). It's a place I enjoy, and I wanted to check it before the kids arrive next weekend. Mostly it's only the walls that remain but they can walk along some of them and there are big open spaces to run around in.

    Council workmen are busy this week putting up stands for people to use at Easter. Its a while off yet, but Easter here is a really REALLY big thing. There are processions every day in Easter week as every church in the city (and there are a lot!) brings out its huge floats, first of Jesus then of Mary. They are huge, and heavy enough that can take up to 100 men to carry them through the narrows streets. The local papers give maps every day and times of which procession is going where and the streets are completely packed with crowds watching them well in the early hours of the morning    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Themain stadium in Jerez
    Jerez Industrial

    A football day

    February 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    First I went to the lunchtime match at Jerez Industrial , the third team in Jerez, came back for lunch and to get the bus across the city to the stadium which is shared by the other two teams, Xerex DFC and Xerex CD. When we first moved here years ago Xerex CD were bankrupt and DFC were their replacement so DFC (deportivo football club) became my club to support in Jerez and its nice to be able to see them again.

    Industrial lost 0-1 and DFC drew 1-1 having played with 10 men most of the match. Still a good days fun and a pleasant walk home into the setting sun.

    (The less said about Barnet the better!)    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    The cloisters next door

    February 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    There used be a monastery attached to the church in the next square and a few years ago the cloisters were in bad state of repair. They were taken over by the city council, refurbished and are now a really beautiful event venue for concerts weddings etc. And it is just next door - we can even see the roof of the refectory from our terrace. And until yesterday we didn't know it was there. After a visit there we walked across town to stock up sherry from our favourite bodega in Jerez. I think we've got enough now to keep us going till christmas!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Covid and technology

    February 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    When we arrived it was a legal requirement in Spain to wear a face mask not only indoors public places but outdoors as well - and virtually 100% complied. People on the streets all wore masks all the time, only taking them off once sat down in a bar or restaurant. On Thursday this was relaxed to only being required in indoor spaces but over half are continuing to wear them in the street.
    Yesterday was the first time we were required to show our covid pass to enter a restaurant, previously we have sat indoors and no-one checked. We carry them everywhere and it was a relief to find that the Spanish phone app that scans our UK issued QR code recognised it and gave us a big green tick. In Greece in September it didn't work and we were turned away.
    A much less welcome use of technology is that many restaurants have dispensed with printed menus and expect you to scan a QR code on the table to view the menu on your phone. We had never done this before so at first pretended we didn't have our phones with us so the waiter lent us his phone to see the menu. We have since worked out how to do it but really hate it. It is difficult to read on small phone screens and difficult to discuss what to have and share when looking at separate screens across a table. I fear when covid is no longer an excuse, they will continue this malign technology to save printing costs.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Picking oranges
    Poor man - what happened to his head?

    Jerez cathedral

    February 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    It's still sunny every day although today there is high hazy cloud all over, and tomorrow we could get some showers. This morning before it got too hot I walked across town to the alcazar (castle) and then to the cathedral. Its one of my favourite places to visit, its horrendously over decorated (the Spanish seem incapable of leaving a square inch of wall without carving something on it), but it's wonderfully light and airy and peaceful. I discovered some bits I hadn't seen before, and outside workmen were harvesting the last seville oranges from the park outside the castle so the air was full of the smell of oranges. They have to pick them before they all fall off otherwise the roads and pavements are covered with squashed slippery oranges.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Beach at Sanlucar
    Moorish style buildingCeiling in the cathedralMermaid statues on top of the market buildingMmmm!

    Day trip to Sanlucar

    February 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We took the bus this morning from Jerez to Sanlucar de Barrameda. The buses in andalucia are brilliant, always on time and this 45 minute journey cost just 2 euros each. Sanlucar is a small city at the mouth where the river Quadalquivir joins the Atlantic ocean. Its famous for its sherry, manzanilla, its seafood, especially prawns, and horse races on the beach.

    It was well-off in the times of the Spanish exploration of the new world, and Colombus and Magellan sailed from here. It's the 500th anniversary of Magellans first voyage around the world so there are posters everywhere about it.

    We had a look at the spectacular beach where the horse racing takes place, then walked through the old town to visit the cathedral, built in 1360, where Colombus and Magellan prayed for safe journeys. Had a look in the central market, which is full of many, many, types of shellfish, and lots of fish we'd never heard of , stopped at our favourite manzanilla bodega, had lunch in the sun in the Square and got the bus home. A great day out!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Our terrace
    A fountain at the end of our street

    Resting in the sunshine

    February 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After a bit more shopping this morning, I had lunch out on the terrace in the sun. Its 21 degrees today and clear blue skies. Next door is a music college and over lunch someone was playing beautiful piano, and this afternoon seems to be woodwind. A very pleasant bonus!

    Tonight we plan to go to a tapas bar that is in the Plaza just round the corner so if it's OK it will very convenient. Then tomorrow a trip to the market and maybe buy some fish for dinner tomorrow.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Our apartment is where there used to be a brick factory. This chimney is all that's left.

    First day

    February 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    We went down the road to get chorros and chocolate for breakfast and then a bit of basic shopping, and spent some time in the sun on our terrace. Wonderful! In the afternoon we went out for some lunch but everywhere was completely packed, Sunday is a big family and friends lunch day and we could only get a table in the shade. Nice to be out and among lots of people again. Afterwards we walked around the streets seeing places we knew, and arrived at the little square where we lived the first time we were here, and picked a bagful of seville oranges from the trees there for marmalade when get home.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Tim on our roof terrace about 6.15pm
    Remains of our tapas for dinner

    Arrival

    February 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    We arrived yesterday after a long but uneventful journey. Flight from Heathrow to Madrid at 10.30 was not too early and easy. Madrid airport, as always, was dreadful. We had allowed 2 hours connection time between flights and needed every minute of it. A 40 minute queue for passport control, then a health form check, then a vaccination record check before we could get the transit - which was packed like sardines, just like the London underground used to be - to the other terminal. We arrived at the gate for our flight to Jerez as it was boarding so no time to buy lunch!
    Landed in Jerez at 5pm and miraculously our suitcases made it with us! They often go walkabout at Madrid airport. Our apartment is on the top (3rd) floor of a more modern building and has a beautiful terrace. It's nicely furnished in a Moroccan style. We slept really well - the beds are comfy and its so quiet, which was the main reason for moving from our previous apartment. We had a quick meal of sherry and tapas at the nearest bar which was tasty and reminded us of why we so enjoy coming here.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsReturn to ParosTraveler
    Our suntrap terrace
    Dinner at Dionysus restaurant

    Back home

    October 3, 2021 in England ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Yesterday was a very lazy day - we didn't set foot from our apartment until it was time for dinner. The weather was mostly sunny with frequent puffs of cloud passing over the sun so whilst our small terrace is a very sheltered suntrap, just when it was getting too hot, a little cloud hid the sun to cool us down.
    We did our best to use up the yummy food we had bought for self catering- yogurt, figs and honey for breakfast, omelettes and salad for lunch and sticky baklava for tea. Dinner was at a lovely stylish restaurant with a garden sheltered from the wind. The food was excellent too!
    Today was long and tedious with 9.30 flight to Athens and a long queue to check for the Ryanair flight to Stansted. A delight was bumping into Natalie, Andy, Finlay and Emily at Stansted - their flight from Lesbos landed just after ours.
    Lovely holiday but glad to be home again.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsReturn to ParosTraveler
    6th century church
    FrescoesOrthordox bapistry4th century byzantine baptistry

    Admin day!

    October 1, 2021 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    This morning we had to do our covid tests for our return to the UK on Sunday, and wait for the results, and the afternoon was mostly taking up with Lynette getting exasperated filling and submitting the UK border passenger locator forms. In between we managed to go for a walk to the main Orthodox Church in town which is a gorgeous building dating to the 6th century, with even a Byzantine baptistry dating earlier, maybe to the 4th century. It was mostly derelict but was renovated in the 50s and 60s, and still covered in places with very fine frescoes.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsReturn to ParosTraveler
    View of the site on Despotiko from Antiparos
    Reconstructed stoa and temple facadePile of sherds from ancient pots and amphoraAncient bathroom!Storage cubiclesView across the site

    Despotiko

    October 1, 2021 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    The new archaeological site is on the island of Despotiko. It is only 10 minutes across from Antiparos in the caique. They have excavated over 20 buildings from the 8c BC to 6c BC. The buildings are mostly temples and supporting outbuildings and the current view is that they are a sanctuary area when the island was a centre of trade, much like Delos near Mykonos. In the recent dig season they have found a large cistern and aqueduct bringing water from mountain springs. Unfortunately they have started to reconstruct some of the buildings which, whilst giving an idea of what they would have looked like, look glaringly out of place when they use shining white marble.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsReturn to ParosTraveler
    Tim on ferry to Antiparos
    Having a coffee waiting for the caiqueCaptain Sargos's caiqueInside the caveSpectacular stalactitesLeaving Antiparos

    A lovely adventure

    September 30, 2021 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Today we decided to go on an adventure to the nearby island of Antiparos. The attraction - apart from going on a boat - was the possibility of being able to visit a new archaeological site not properly open to the public as it is still being excavated. The site is on an uninhabited island just off Antiparos. The ferry to Antiparos is a roll- on roll- off boat that you just drive on then pay. It only takes 10 minutes but the wind is strong today and so it was quite bracing. We drove 20 minutes to the tip of the island and asked for Captain Sargos. He is the chap who ferries the archaeologists and guard across to the site and amazingly we were in luck. We had to wait till the guard arrived and then were taken across in a caique. We just had 40 minutes whilst the guard showed us around before being ferried back.
    Also on Antiparos is a well known cave full of stalactites and stalagmites. It goes very deep rather than sideways into the mountain. They say it's the deepest vertical cave in Europe. We stopped off here and went most of the way down before climbing back. We earned a delicious lunch in the port before catching the ferry back to Paros.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsReturn to ParosTraveler
    Gorgon 6th century BC
    Obsidian blades 4000 BCStatue of Nike 500 BC. Lovely delicate work on her dressAmphora 8th c BCVase 2000 BCPerfume jar roman glass

    Leaving Stella and moving to Parikia

    September 28, 2021 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Yesterday after lazing by the pool and a final lunch we said goodbye to Stella in Ambolos and drove across the island to the capital Parikia. Driving in Parikia is much more complicated than out in Ambolos , the streets are narrow and mostly one way so whenever you want to turn it seem the road is one way the wrong way. In the end though we got through to where we wanted to park, got the apartment keys and settled in. In the evening we felt very tired and just went to a nearby touristy restaurant by the port, but it was really good.

    Today we spent the morning in the archaeological museum, and a small cemetery dating from the 8th century BC up to Roman times. When we're here before we had just half a day before our ferry left to go to Santorini, so we had to rush around. This time we could spend good time in the museum, which is quite small but full of lovely pieces from the island and neighbouring couple of islands. Definitely worth the return visit.    Read more

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