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Tim Lynette Wilkins
Tim Lynette Wilkins

Tim Lynette Wilkins

traveled in 12 countries Read more
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  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Chips and cheese!
    Oh look - they have sherryFinlay loves jigsaws with granny

    The kids come to visit

    February 14, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Last night being Valentine's Day we thought the bars and restaurants would be overflowing so we just went to the bar over the street which is very local in character but has some good food. Their chips covered in melted cheese are to die for! Today we got a train out to the airport as Natalie, Andy, Finlay and Emily arrived for the weekend. We set up lunch in the sun on the roof, and in the afternoon took the kids to a little playground just over the road in the next square along. We've put Natalie and Andy into a hotel just down the road, near to their favourite churros cafe and sherry bar, and the kids are staying in our spare room. So far its been real fun and worked out well.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    A day trip to Arcos de la Frontera

    February 11, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Arcos de la Frontera is one of the "white towns" of Andalucia, built on rocky outcrops in the north of the province. It is only 45 mins from Jerez by bus so we went for a day trip. It was quite pretty but two of the main sights, churches dating back to the time of the victories of the Christians over the Muslims (hence "de la frontera"), were closed. The town has great views down to the valley of the Guadelete river, which flows in a big loop round the cliffs that the town is on, and then to Jerez and to the bay of Cadiz. Lunch in the sunshine and back home for a snooze!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    Football . . . And more football!

    February 10, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We had a gentle day lazing in the sun yesterday, and today I took in two football matches. At lunchtime I went to Jerez industrial, who are a small non-league team probably at an even lower level than Wingate and Finchley who I sometimes watch at home. They play in an open air stadium to the south of the city and it was really nice sitting there in the sun, even if the football was dire!. They lost 1-4. On the way back I walked through the Sunday market all around the castle, then on to an evening game with my main team in the big city stadium. They won 4-2 , with two sending offs and a penalty - exciting game! It's easy getting round Jerez even if I don't walk, the buses run on time and have a flat fare of one euro ten cents.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Medieaval synogogue
    SynogogueArab bath house decorated column capitalJewish quarter streetFamous street of the flowers with cathedral tower behindzoooooom!

    Last day in Cordoba

    February 7, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    For our last morning in Córdoba we visited the 8c Arab bath house. It was beautifully decorated and wonderfully elegant, but nearly all that has gone now, being stripped over the years to be used for other things. There are just some pieces of decorated wall plaster and column heads left, but it's still possible to follow the chambers through, going from the changing rooms to the cold, then warm and hot rooms, and the boiler room and heating ducts in the walls. Then on to one of only three remaining medieval synagogues in Spain, the others being destroyed when the Jews were forced to leave Christian Spain. The Jews left to go to Northern Africa, the Ottoman Empire where they remain, with Israel, today. They took with them their culture and Ladino language which was a mixture of medieval Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic, which they still speak and gives rise to some beautifully evocative music. After wandering in the sun through the winding street of the old Jewish quarter we had a last tapas lunch by the river and got our train back to Jerez. Not the superfast high speed train, but still travelling on the high speed line as far as Seville and cruising at 250 kph!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Alcazar
    Fine Roman mosaic displayed in the AlcazarAnother Roman mosaicThe beautiful gardensBig fish in one of the ponds in the garden

    Alcazar

    February 6, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After a siesta we went for a stroll around the Alcazar, similar to the one in Jerez but with beautiful gardens. Most was built in the 14-15C after the reconquest but still in Moorish style.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Remains of Roman theatre under the Archaeological Museum
    Fine Roman headRoman sculptureRebuilt Roman templeLunch in Plaza CorrederaWalls of the Moorish citadel

    Full day in Cordoba

    February 6, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We spent the morning in the Archaeological Museum which has pre-historic, Roman and Moorish sections all very well displayed. The Roman finds are particularly fine as Cordoba was the capital of the Roman province of Baetica, which is just as well as there are very few buildings surviving in the town. Most were re-modelled or used as building material by the Moors who expanded Cordoba to around 500,000 inhabitants. The Roman temple in one square consists of some authentic foundations and several rather new looking columns erected on modern brick plinth. We had another good lunch in the sun in a pretty square typical of a Plaza Mayor in some towns but unique in Andalusia.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Mosaics around the mihrab
    Mosaics in the dome above the mihrabGate in walls of the Mezquita dated to 855Roman bridge over the river GuadalquivirCormorants sunning themselves in the river

    First day in Cordoba

    February 5, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our holiday in Cordoba started well with a delicious tapas lunch a few doors down and this is the town where all the restaurants give you a free glass of Pedro Jimenez after the meal, which it would be rude to refuse. After our visit to the Mezquita we walked down to the river to see the Roman bridge. It is a lovely warm sunny day here without the cool breeze we have had for a few days in Jerez.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Train to Seville
    Bell tower of the MezquitaEntrance to the mosque across the PatioMagical columns and archesRecently discovered Roman mosaics

    Journey to Cordoba

    February 5, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Bit of an early start for us - up and out by 9.30 to walk to the station. The first train to Seville was an ordinary Media Distancia train but still very comfortable. The second was the high speed train from Seville to Madrid travelling at over 250km per hour - very smooth and showing movies on TV screens! Our hotel is right beside the Mezquita and after changing rooms we have a view of its outer walls. It is a beautiful and serene building despite being a major tourist attraction. The first part of the mosque was built by the Moors in the 8C AD on top of a Visigoth cathedral which was built on top of a Roman temple. In 2017 they uncovered some Roman mosaics under the floor and you can now see them under a glass panel in the floor. Added to in subsequent centuries it was then ruined in the 16C after the reconquest when they plonked a cathedral in the middle of it. The mihrab dating from the 10C has wonderful mosaics done by craftsmen loaned by the Byzantine emperor.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    Going on a trip

    February 4, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Tomorrow we are going to go to Córdoba for a couple of days. We have been there before a few years ago and it's easy to get there from here. We can get a train to Seville then change to another train to Córdoba and arrive in time for lunch. The old mosque in Córdoba is one of my most favourite buildings in the world and it will great to see it again. Back on Thursday afternoon.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    Flamenco and football

    February 3, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Today has seen clear blue skies and sunshine again, although there is still a cold wind. Last night we went to our favourite flamenco bar for the late night performance and it was as good as usual, the dancer was even someone we have seen before, this time last year. This afternoon I went to a home match of my football team. They play nice football but it ended as a 0-0 draw. Try again next Sunday! It was lovely watching in the sun, but after the sun went down behind the roof of the stand it was really cold!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    View over to the southern hillsVenezuela demoLions head post box at jerez central post office

    Yesterday

    February 2, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Weather has been very dull and overcast for three days, it even poured with rain over night Friday. Yesterday though was sunny again but with a sharp cold wind. I walked around the south of the city through areas I really didn't know much. It is mostly old and residential, and pretty thread-bare, no new apartment blocks here. It is one of the flamenco areas though and I found lots of flamenco penas (music schools) and some statues of some of the great flamenco stars of the past. There were also great views looking down over the valley below and across to the hills where the sherry vineyards are. On the way back I ran across a demonstration in the main square about Venezuela.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    A week!

    February 1, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    A week - we have been here a week already! We really haven't done much other than reacquaint ourselves with the centre of the city. Today I walked over to the west edge of the city where there are big sherry bodegas like Garvey, Fundador, Gonzales Byass and Tio Pepe. In amongst these is a old hermitage, built in 1675 but on a site dating back to the 8th century. It's a neat building, but sadly now surrounded by blocks of modern apartments.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Almacen restaurant
    Tim in AlmacenThe floor tiles

    Restaurants

    January 31, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    One benefit of the rise in tourism is that there are more restaurants opening and some that used to close for the winter are staying open. On the first night we tried a new one just down our street, called Carmela, where the food was good but the red wine not very, should have stuck to sherry. On Saturday they are having a flamenco concert so we will go see. Two of our favourites from 3 years ago that were being renovated last year are now open again and good as ever - VinaT and Almacen. We went to Almacen last night - it's in an old store that has beautiful wooden ceiling and tiled floor. We spent ages looking at the tiling pattern and realised it's just one tile used in different orientations! Very impressive. It's due to rain tonight and tomorrow so we have bought hake from the market and various types of sausage and plan to cook at home the next two nights.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    Oh Wow! Just ... Oh Wow!

    January 29, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Yesterday, like every day so far, was sunny, warm and clear blue skies, so I went for a wander around in the afternoon, revisiting places like the castle and the cathedral, seeing what's new and what's the same. There are a lot of buildings refurbished in the centre and lots more new or refurbished to rent as holiday lets. The local paper has articles about people being unhappy that these are taking priority over residents who want new homes in the centre. Then we stayed in last night glued to the radio to listen to the FA cup match between Barnet and Brentford, dubbed "the battle of the Bees", or as Barnet fans would put it "real Bees vs fake Bees".
    With Barnet being the last non-league team in it, it got huge amounts of coverage, although only on BT on TV, and full coverage on the radio. The Hive was packed with a capacity crowd of 6,250, and the noise was immense even over the radio (where are all these people for normal league games when we just get maybe 1,200?) It was a fantastic game, swinging first one way and then the other, and Brentford, despite being a championship team over 70 places higher than Barnet knew they had been in a match. In the end it was a 3-3 draw and could have easily been more either way, and we have to do it all again at Brentford next week. Let's hope some of that magic rubs off on our league form , which has been patchy to put it politely! It would so good to see and hear the Hive rocking again!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler
    Closed!
    Wow, sunshine!Can get still churros and chocolateJust to remind usMummy stork and baby stork

    Settling in

    January 26, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    This morning we walked down to our favourite cafe in the market square to get churros and chocolate for breakfast and, horror, it's closed for refurbishments! Natalie will be distraught!. Fortunately the next door cafe has stepped up and their churros is almost as good. Resting this afternoon in the sun , with a view of storks nesting on the nearby church steeple. Every time mummy stork arrives all you can hear is the beaks of the baby storks clacking to say me, me, me ! ( they are mute so they shout by clacking their beaks).Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJerez 2019Traveler

    Arrived

    January 25, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Straight forward journey for once and we arrived at the apartment just on midday local time, in time to sit in the sun in the square and get some tapas.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsChristmas 2018Traveler

    Christmas eve

    December 24, 2018 in England ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    Finlay and Emily dressed up to go to their church carol service. Finlay was a King and Emily was an angel - the craziest piece of miscasting ever.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsChristmas 2018Traveler

    Birthday!

    December 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Went out into Lincoln for a family lunch at an Italian pasta and pizza restaurant, then cake and champagne at home.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCastles in Spain road tripTraveler
    Bilbao river front
    Main square at nightArt deco railway stationArt deco buildingCathedralCathedral interior

    Bilbao

    September 25, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    As first I thought that Bilbao didn't have anything going for it - a fairly boring city without any sites other than the Guggenheim. After a day and night I see that I am mistaken. Not great sights but a really nice friendly city that it's easy to feel comfortable. It reminds me a lot of Xerez. We looked at the cathedral , another one, but it is small and rather like a working church, and without the usual Spanish heavy decoration. Tomorrow a quick trip to the archaeological museum, a final long lunch and then to the airport for home. It's been a great trip, but I think I'm ready to go home. Until the next one!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCastles in Spain road tripTraveler
    Exterior of the museum
    Spider sculpturePuppyLight installationSculpture of ironsHuge sculpture over all the ground floor

    Guggenheim museum

    September 25, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This spectacular building sits on the river front in the heart of Bilbao and was opened in 1997 to a Frank Gehry design, and is probably the reason most people come to Bilbao. We spent all morning there and it is certainly worth the visit. The building itself is created from huge sheets of thin titanium and shimmers and glows in the sun. Inside the exhibition spaces are huge, and perfect for modern sculptures and installations.

    Outside sit some sculptures like the huge spider, and a puppy made out of fresh flowers which was supposed to be temporary but so big was the outcry when the time came to take it down that they decided to keep it and water and maintain it. Our favourite piece was a light installation of pillars of red words that flowed up to the ceiling. After a while you realise that the wall behind it acts like a reflection in a pool of water and backs of the pillars, with blue words, are reflected back to you. Then you see people walking out from behind between the pillars and you see that you can walk through and view it from behind.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCastles in Spain road tripTraveler
    View of Rioja vineyards from Laguardia
    View from the viewpoint!Tiled panel in Laguardia of Picasso paintingHenry Moore sculpture in peace parkAnother sculpture in peace parkStained glass window in Bilbao station

    Final day of road trip

    September 24, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We left LaGuardia this morning for a longish drive to Bilbao. Our first stop was at a viewpoint up the mountain but it was in the clouds and drizzling so we didn't get much view. So far this trip we have been really lucky with the weather. We had only had a couple of short light showers. Yesterday was very hot 33C but today struggled to reach 20C and feels decidedly chilly. Our next stop was in Guernica to pay our respects before continuing to Bilbao where we have dropped off the car. We now have 2 days in Bilbao before we fly home.Read more

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