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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 WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Wine aging in oak barrels
    Vines near the wineryStreet in MolinasecaPilgrims bridge in Molinaseca - a popular place to stay on the camino

    Molinaseca 2

    September 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    On the way back from the roman mine we found a winery and bodega right next door to our hotel - it would have been rude not go in! It's harvest time and they gave us a tour showing us the grapes being crushed and the juice going into the fermention vats. This district is Beirzo and grows vines up the mountain sides. Its been mostly ordinary wine for every day drinking, but some producers are now making a wine with much more quality- we've even bought some before now in the UK.

    We bought two bottles - don't know what they are like yet!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    This was all one mountain till the Romans destroyed it!
    Diagram of how they did it

    Las Medulas

    September 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    In effect the Romans demolished a complete range of mountains to get the gold, just leaving jagged peaks. With typical roman engineering skills they channeled water from further up the mountains, making 8 different channels over many kilometres. They dug reservoirs at the ends of the channels and dug deep shafts and galleries into the mountain and then filled them with water. When the water pressure was enough, the whole side of the mountain collapsed, and they could pan out the gold. See the diagram that explained it . The jagged peaks that remain are all that's left. And after all that effort they only managed to extract about 600 tonnes of gold.

    We took a mountain hike around the base of the mine site, just a 5 km mountain hike in the heat of the day, and felt very virtuous when after a couple of hours we managed it! Then drove up to the top of the nearby mountain to look down on the view of the remains of the mountain range.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Tropical rainstorm at hotel
    River swimming poolKnights Templar castle in PonferradaAmmunition for the catapult

    Molinaseca

    September 16, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Pleasant surprise- our friend Alba who used to run the tapas bar in wendover is from here and is over visiting her family and so came to our hotel last night for a quick drink before her dad drove her north to A Coruna. As she arrived the heavens opened and we got another huge downpour,. She has also made recommendations about her favourite restaurants and made some reservations. Nice lady!

    We are staying in a lovely hotel in the small village of Molinasec which is a popular place for pilgrims to stay over one their way. There are many pilgrims walking as we guiltily drive past.

    This morning we climbed all over a really good templar castle built in the 11 -13 c before going out into the mountains to see a spectacular roman gold mining site.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Statue of gaudi in leon
    Entrance to asturgas museumLunch in main square in asturgas

    Astorga

    September 15, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After a walk around Leon we packed up and drove to a small town, Astorga. As its a very popular town on the camino de santiago there were many groups walking to it, and many single walkers as well. To get there we had to drive over the mountains again - it must a punishing walk!

    Astorga was a roman town on their route to take gold out of galicia, so the modern town is built ontop of the roman town, and many of the artifacts in the museum in Leon were from astorga. The local museum is small and well organised, but is left with bits that leon museum didn't want!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Cathedral at night
    Detail of San Sebastian frescoBasilicaBasilicaRoman wallsRoman gold jewelryRoman mosaic

    Leon

    September 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The rain had mostly stopped this morning so we walked just a small distance to go into the cathedral. It has a reputation of being the most beautiful in Spain, which we think it is! Founded in the 13th century it is exquisitely carved and decorated, and the top half of all of it is covered in spectacular stained glass, some going back to the 13th century origins. I've never seen so much stained glass in my life, and all of it very beautiful. There are also some frescoes dating from the 14th century, which are excellent, but pale next to the stained glass.

    Just along from the cathedral is the basilica of San isidro, which dates in parts to the 11th century, and is built into the roman city walls. It is the resting place of 11 Kings of Leon, and their tombs are in a chamber covered with wonderful frescoed ceilings showing biblical scenes. Sadly most of it is closed for restoration and in any case no photos allowed.

    This evening we went to the museum of Leon, which is a modern museum housed in an antique building and covers the history and archaeology of Leon and the province from prehistory to the present day. Like most Spanish museums its well laid out, informative and a joy to walk round.

    The weather has been horrible with heavy thundery showers all day, but we have managed to miss them. Its a shame because the centre of Leon looks a really nice place to wander around. Maybe we can have a stroll in the morning before we leave,    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler

    Weather

    September 14, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Until yesterday we had been really lucky with the weather - hot and sunny - too hot some days with over 30c. Even yesterday morning the rain held off whilst we did our last sightseeing in Oviedo. But as we drove out of town the heavens opened - apparently the tail end of a tropical storm sweeping through (remember the one in Chipiona Natalie?) The motorway over the mountains to Leon is a spectacular road with phenomenal engineering, many tunnels and viaducts and lots of tight bends. It would be a challenging drive normally but in heavy rain and gusty wind it was a nightmare thankfully only an hour and a quarter.
    It has continued to rain off and on here in Leon making the sun terrace of our apartment pretty pointless. However we have managed to dodge the showers to do our sightseeing and haven't got really wet. At the moment the sun is trying to shine and the forecast for the rest of the week is better.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    14th century altar pieceDali

    Oviedo

    September 13, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Finally we got to see inside the 8th century church, founded I think by the visigoths when they arrived in Spain. It was worth the wait. The interior walls are covered in frescoes, over every inch originally, now with some damage. Strangely they show buildings, with no bible scenes or people.

    Then on to the art museum to see a selection of Spanish art including murillo, zubaran, goya and dali.

    And a long drive over spectacular mountains, in torrential rain, to get out of asturias and in to Leon.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler

    Oviedo

    September 12, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    This morning we drove up the mountains overlooking Oviedo to go to two 8th century churches. One was closed, but the other was open, and was quite small and plain but with lovely carved pillars. One thing we have got used to is places being closed when they are supposed to open. I don't know the reason but it happens all the time!

    So we drove back down the mountain into the city to go another 8th century church, this time with frescos- and it was closed! So we went to see the cathedral instead.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Cave entrance
    Symbol of the camino de santaigoDeer head carved in bonePart of gold head piece 3c bcGold disc finely engraved 3c bcInside the museum!Moonrise over oviedo

    The last cave

    September 11, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    First thing this morning we crossed the river to go to the last cave in our plans. This one was deep and it took 30 mins under ground to get to the paintings. Again they were spectacular, dating from 14000 years ago, but again no photos allowed. My biggest problem was the guide who spoke very rapid Spanish that I couldn't follow and was clearly not interest jn helping with any English. At least the paintings were worth the effort!

    Then a drive south to Oviedo where we are staying two nights. A happy bonus was that we went for a walk around when we arrived and found the archaeological museum open.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Beach at comillas
    Gaudi houseTower of gaudi houseInside gaudi houseMansion in comillasRiver at ribadesella

    Driving west

    September 10, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We left santillana del Mar this morning and drove west to comillas. This was a poor town so many of the young men went to make their future in the americas, and when they came back rich they built stunning mansions. There is also an early building designed by gaudi. I find his things grossly over decorated- the outside of thus one is, but the inside is really nice.

    Then to lunch in llanes, before turning inland to ribadesella.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Bison
    HorseDeerBisonBisonHand prints

    Altamira

    September 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    In 1868 a farmer and his daughter discovered the entrance to a cave in the mountains and inside they found the walls and ceilings covered in painting of animals, designs and hand prints. For years nobody believed that they could be old, but finally they established it to between 20,000 and 10,000 years BC. The cave was closed to the public in 1985 to preserve the paintings but they made an exact copy next to it, we went to today.

    Even though you know its a copy, it's still spectacular!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Bison - I cheated _ this is a pic from a poster outside the Cave!
    Entrance to the caveStatue of a hand axeView from our hotel11th century monastery and churchFirst sign we've seen of the camino

    Cave with stone age paintings

    September 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    All along the range of mountains inside the cantabrian coast are caves where people lived after the last ice age. In many they left art on the walls showing hand prints , patterns and pictures of prey such as bison and deer.

    This morning we went to one a little south of the coast. It was wonderful- but no photos allowed!

    We stayedin a lovely medieval village at santillana del Mar. Although now packed full of tourists and shops of tourist tat, it is still a lovely place to visit,    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsCamino road tripTraveler
    Paleolithic child's skullMammoth bones

    Santander

    September 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    All the arrangements worked so we were checked in to the hotel in santander by 2 pm, in time to go out and have lunch in a pavement cafe in the sunshine (yay!) . After a rest and a snooze we walked just along the street to the museum of prehistory and spent an hour or two there before strolling down the bay. We weren't expecting to like santander much, its mostly used as a ferry port to drive down south, but in fact it turns out to be a very pleasant city. The museum was really well done with lots of local artifacts going back 300,000 years!Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsA few days in CambridgeTraveler
    Trumpington cross- anglo saxon - 700 AD
    Anglo saxon pendant - crystal and amethyst - 7th c.Faience scarab - Egyptian- 600 BCMoche heads- peru- 500 ADMayan bowlOrrery - english- 1750

    Two more museums!

    August 26, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    So today we spent the morning in the museum of archaeology and ethnology, then the afternoon in the Whipple museum of the history of science. We'll go home tomorrow after lunch, and Natalie, Andy, Emily and finlay should be back from Rome in the evening.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsA few days in CambridgeTraveler

    A few days with Janet

    August 25, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    On Wednesday we drove over to Cambridge to spend a few days with Janet. Today was a busy day, we went to the central Cambridge mosque in the morning. This is a spectacular building, very modern, but also incorporating traditional Islamic elements, and with wonderful attention to detail. I loved the sense of peace and tranquility.

    Afterwards we spent hours in the Fitzwilliam museum, full of Egyptian, Sudanese, greek, roman, Cypriot and Middle Eastern artifacts, and a big gallery of renaissance art.

    And ended up in the Cambridge round church, dating from 1115 ad.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsWhitstableTraveler

    Friday

    June 3, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Lynette and i had a quiet day in mostly, me with crosswords and lynette watching tennis on TV. Natalie took the kids out shopping and bought a hat for finlay and then some new books. There is an excellent bookshop here and after looking around a bit, Natalie found the kids settled into a comfy corner and engrossed. There is a hut on the beach that has crab sandwiches that lynette wanted to try so we all met up there for lunch. We got ours but soon after they ran out of food - it's been completely packed and seething here today, with huge queues everywhere. Finlay wasn't too taken with the crab, or with my squid, so we've found some seafood he isn't fussed about.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsWhitstableTraveler

    Thursday

    June 2, 2022 in England ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    After a gentle walk up to the castle and a adventure playground we had lunch around the harbour (prawns again for finlay), we took a boat trip out to the ww2 forts off the coast and then to huge offshore windfarm . The forts were built to provide AA gun platforms to give some protection to the Thames estuary from German bombers going into London docklands. Afterwards some time on the beach and later dinner in a really good tapas bar at the end of our street.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsWhitstableTraveler

    Wednesday

    June 1, 2022 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    A gentle morning doing some more of the kids trail and spending some time on the beach hunting for shells. Lunch in the kiosks around the harbour- with another huge pile of mussels for finlay, who has also got a taste for scampi. I did try the oysters (it is whitstable after all) but I still can't say that I'm fussed. Finlay took one look and decided he didn't want to try them!

    Planning a boat trip tomorrow.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsWhitstableTraveler
    Sunset over the oyster beds
    Beach huts - now very expensive!Whitstable Castle-its fake!Wonderful Family mealSomeone loves the mussels!

    Tuesday

    May 31, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    This morning lynette and I walked along the coast path to the next town, while Natalie and the kids did more of their trail, and this afternoon they went swimming at the pool in Herne Bay. The kids' swimming has come on so much since Christmas, finlay can now swim a length, and Emily a width. It's so pleasing to see.

    This evening we all went to dinner in a pub/restaurant and the food was so good. The kids were great company (not always the case!) And finlay is a complete nut for seafood, such as king prawns, scallops and mussels, all of which are really excellent around here. Later in the evening there was a singer performing in the bar so they got to enjoy that too, along with a walk on the beach in the sunset collecting shells like oysters and mussels. Nice day!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsWhitstableTraveler

    Walking around Whitstable

    May 30, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We walked around Whitstable today. Natalie had brought a trail for the kids to follow, with questions and things to look for. The weather has been mostly cloudy and chilly but without much rain. There was a huge fire in the buildings in the harbour at the weekend, and we walked past it and saw the devastion.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsEmily 5th birthdayTraveler

    Family party and dinner

    May 5, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Natalie, finlay, Emily and the armstrongs came after school for Emily to open her presents and all have dinner. On Saturday she's having a party at her house for some of her friends.

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler

    Going home tomorrow!

    March 6, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    As usual I don't know how it's already time to go home. We went out last night and had a last sherry in the Square. Saturday night and it was buzzing, also the last weekend of the Flamenco festival. We need to be out before 7 tomorrow to get a taxi to the airport for our flight to Madrid and then Heathrow. If everything goes ok we could home by evening. Its sunny and warm here today with a gentle breeze. The forecast at home tomorrow night is -1 with a frost..... brrrrrr

    Final lunch in the sun today. The waiter last week spent some playing football in the Square with finlay. Today he wanted to know where his friend was!

    The apartment here has been pretty much perfect, so let's hope we can be back here again next year!    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    The alcazar from the Bell towerOver some bodegas and out to the hillsOver the cathedral

    Cathedral bell tower

    March 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    When we have been here before the bell tower at the cathedral has been close with scaffolding all round it. They have now finished the renovation work so today I was able to climb it for the first time. Its not hugely tall but still gives views all over the city and out to the fields and hills around. Jerez is quite a low-rise city, except for the church spires, so there isn't a lot to see, but it's enough to be able to identify lots of the places we know.Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    La Carbona restaurant
    Natalie last week with a typical sherry measureLynette last night

    Fabulous food

    March 5, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    Last night we went for dinner at our favourite restaurant in Jerez - La Carbona. We introduced Natalie and Andy to it on a previous visit and they love it too. The restaurant is in an old bodega beautifully decorated and a lovely, calm space. It is not your normal tapas menu but high quality cooking using local ingredients. I took Natalie when she was here last week and she said the food was better than ever and she preferred it to their trip to Hestor Blumenthal's famous Fat Duck. As Tim's reward for baby sitting last week he got to go last night.

    As usual we had the tasting menu with a pairing of sherry with each course - as there are now 6 courses this is quite a feat. All were delicious - pate, seafood, risotto, fish, duck and ice cream. All small portions but sufficient, but the sherries are not small measures! The staff are very friendly and explain what each dish is. We are already looking forward to going again next year.    Read more

  • Tim Lynette WilkinsJEREZ 2022Traveler
    Solera in the bodegaThe range of sherries we tastedTheir private art gallery

    A different sherry tasting

    March 4, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Yesterday we went on a visit and sherry tasting to a bodega we have not visited before, the reason being it is very expensive. However , the bodega specialises in sherries with the classification of VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) which we have not had much chance to taste. So we went along and had the usual tour explaining how sherry is made but with some extra info on how the sherry regulators control the classifications. The VORS sherry has to spend at least 30 years in barrel - as part of the solera - before being bottled. The tasting of 6 different types of sherry was good and interesting but confirmed our suspicion that we could not detect a sufficient increase in quality to justify the massive increase in prices - the sherry is sold for between 30 to 100 euros per bottle!

    The bodega also has it's own art gallery of paintings by Spanish old masters such as Goya, Velasquez, Zubaran which were very nice but not the best of their work.    Read more

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