Home is where the heart is

We arrived home yesterday at 1.10pm.   Our last full day was spent by the pool and involved a little packing for the following day's departure from Finca Manolo.   The weather was lovely and the day just slowly wound on.

On Friday I loaded the car and off we went back to Toledo where we stayed two nights at the Parador.   Having set the SatNav before we left on our way out we had no problems and found that there was an exit from the motorway on Toledo's south side that was a direct route to the Parador.   I was amazed to see the Parador listed on the standard traffic signs.   Suddenly we were there without having to drive through Toledo at all.   We were in the same room as three weeks before.   So we had the same fantastic view of Toledo.   The great thing about this Parador is that dinner is served outside on the terrace where guests can see the lights of the old streets and the floodlit Alcazar and Cathedral.   There was no interference by insects as flares were burned along the terrace each evening.

Saturday morning saw us taking a taxi to the Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes.   This is famous for the beautiful cloisters on two levels and the chains of Christian prisoners released from Granada in medieval times.   There were so many carved figures and attendant stone filigree designs to capture our attention.   In the middle was the garden which was out of bounds.  Actually, the garden needed some attention as weeds were growing and hedges needed cutting.   We came out and turned left to see the inside of the church.   There was a wedding going on at the front of the nave.   The wedding car was parked outside and we were reminded of a visit to Cuitadella  in Menorca where family cars were used and decorated with white ribbons on the door handles.   They do not share our tradition of using limousines.

We went along the street in the hope of visiting the synagogue known as St Maria La Blanca, but found it to be disabled unfriendly.   We then opted to take lunch.   We were just outside a nice looking restaurant so we went inside and found it was run by a Spaniard and a Frenchman.   We sampled some of their home made cheese.   It was gorgeous.   Another dish was large prawns.   I have never tasted prawns like them.   They were so succulent and tasty!   Our main course was diced deer (venison) in a tasty sauce.

Afterwards we took a taxi to Zocodover Plaza for our customary session of people watching.   We spent an hour there and then went across to a shop which sells a variety of marzipan confections.   Having made our purchases we got a taxi back to the Parador.   Pauline was not too pleased as the taxi driver lowered a ramp at the rear and pushed her and the wheelchair into the car.   He was obviously trying to do his best for her but she felt wrong sitting in the chair behind me.

The next day was Sunday which meant we were off to Santander to prepare for our boarding the ferry next day.   We were looked after very well again at Hotel Chateau La Roca and had a lovely chat with the manager, Reyes, when she came in the following day.

Having checked out, we drove over to Camillas, about 25 miles away.   It is a small fishing port with a lovely beach and beautiful houses all round.   We enjoyed the peaceful experience.   After an hour we drove back to Santander and awaited our boarding of the Pont-Aven.   We left an hour late but arrived in Portsmouth on Tuesday only 15 minutes late.

The drive to my cousin's house in Sutton Coldfield was not without event.   The Satnav re-calculated our route because of congestion on the main route.   What happened?   We ran into a huge traffic jam on the M25 where 4 cars had collided!   There was I, happily aircraft spotting as we sat beneath the flight path into Heathrow.   At this point the aircraft were only just above us.   Eventually we got to Sutton Coldfield for 7.30pm instead of 6.00p.   We had a pleasant evening meal with Brian & Heather and a long talk about when we were young and there were no PCs and no mobile phones.

Yesterday we left for home and had a good driving experience without hiccups.   Mind you, when I consulted SatNav for filling stations it took me to one that was now a car wash and the other was a convenience store!   We set the SatNav for home and found a filling station on the route to the M6.

This year we had our very best holiday ever.   We were so relaxed and comfortable.   It is our intention to visit Spain for some years to come.   Soon we shall be booking our sailing etc.

Axarquia

Today we have stayed put.   This morning I did drive to Colmenar (5 miles away) to get the last few essential food items to see us through to Friday morning when we leave for Toledo.   Now that we have a far better local supermarket the food and cooking aspect of our holiday has improved greatly.   There used to be the most rubbishy supermarket called Dia in Colmenar.   They always lacked what you hoped they would have.   Their supermarkets were below the standard of the original Kwik Save establishments at home.   They have now gone and Eroski is in the building they used.   Eroski City is the brand over the door.   Think of Tesco Express and you have the idea.  

 

You can now be sure to get everything you need until after the first weekend when a visit to the Eroski Hypermarket near Velez-Malaga is needed to get absolutely all your requirements.   Strangely enough, the white wine they don't have is Rioja Blanco which is a perfect fish accompaniment.  We get this from the big store.   There is a good selection of goods and now we know the Spanish for key items like sugar we are sorted.

 

So, today we lounged by the pool and kept going in to cool off.   It was superb!   Both of us are passing the time reading in between swimming.   Pauline has to be helped into the pool but can get out without assistance.   In the late afternoon when the sun was over the yard arm I did the usual Pimm's and that went down a treat!    Once it was time to start food preparation I poured two Manzanillas for us.   Manzanilla is a pale dry sherry that can only be produced at San Luca de Barameda to be given this name.   It is our favourite aperitif  and we have it at home.   There are a lot of bottles ready to sail back home with us.   This applies to other wines too!

 

Tomorrow is our last day at Finca Manolo and we shall miss it till next year.   We have decided that this is where we shall be coming till we cannot travel any longer.   The locality is one where, whichever way we look, there is a hill or mountain and a valley below.   This is the story all over Axarquia.   It is a wonderful scenic place wherever you go.   Every journey winds round mountains and hills.   We know of nowhere to compare it to.   This time I have kept an eye out for the police speed cameras but there have been none.   It would not have mattered if there was one because I kept to the speed limits.

 

After tomorrow when we shall, once again, be by the pool, we shall be driving to Toledo where we have reserved a room for two nights at the Parador.   This means that on Saturday we shall be looking at the various Toledo sights.   I have located our favourite spot for lunch and we shall be visiting a medieval synagogue and a monastery that has been on our list for some time.   In the evenings we shall be sampling the lovely Parador food!   On Sunday we shall start the second leg of our journey to Santander when we shall meet up again with Marisa and Manuel at Hotel Chateau La Roca.   On the Monday we board the Pont-Aven for our cruise back to Portsmouth.   On Tuesday we break our drive to stay with my cousin in Sutton Coldfield.   He and his wife use the same ferry to spend 3 months in Spain and Portugal each winter/spring.

The Hottest Day

The weather forecast for today tells me that the maximum temperature will be 37 degrees Celsius.   This will, therefore, be our hottest day this time.   Thankfully, we have a swimming pool in which to cool off!

Yesterday we drove to the Eroski Hypermarket near Velez-Malaga to get a few groceries and the wine to bring home with us.   The good news was that they had a new supply of Faustino V White Rioja.   After shopping there we drove off to explore another part of Axarquia.

A few years ago there was an edition of the Channel 4 programme, Grand Designs Abroad, which featured a house being built in this area by Gil & Hilary Briffa.   Having searched the web we discovered that the house was near a village called Moclinerjo which was a few miles south of where we are staying.   We drove a few miles west along the Autovia Meditarraneo and turned off to climb into the hills above.   There was no guarantee of finding the house because it was built above a valley and might be more or less out of sight from the road.   After a few miles we saw that we were approaching the village and  were amazed to suddenly spot this distinctive piece of modern architecture.   What was more surprising was the fact that the road took us right by the property.

We had always wondered if we might find this property one day and yesterday we did it.   Having driven along the road we thought it would be interesting to see if the Satnav would take us back to Finca Manolo without having to retrace our journey.   All was going well until we were directed to take a very sharp left turn onto a narrow concrete road down a steep hillside.   Next we were directed further down the hill to the left where our next manoeuvre was along a track through some old gates.   I decided on a U turn!   We took the road back whence we had come.

It took quite a long time to return here and lunch was cancelled as we got back at 4.50pm.   The sky had been cloudy all through yesterday, so it had been worthwhile making the journey.   After a glass of Pyms and a few chocolate biscuits we took to the pool.   Later I barbecued some sausages and meat and we enjoyed a lovely meal.

This the house that Gil built.   Sadly he only enjoyed it for two years as he died of an infection.

 

Sunday is a day of rest

Just a very short report on a lazy day.   We have spent it by the pool and have been in and out of the water every half hour.   Eventually the local flies took a shine to me and I was pestered a lot.   I went over to the other end of the pool and was free of them - for 10 minutes!   Mid afternoon I heard a loud yeow and there was Tiddy, the cat, striding down the pool side towards me.   We have come to Finca Manolo four times now and this is the first time she has adopted me.   Without an invite, she jumped onto my lap yesterday evening.

The sun has shone all day and the temperature rose to about 28/29.   This is hot enough for us.   the problem is that we are expecting 33 and 36 degrees Celsius on Tuesday & Wednesday.   I don't know how we shall deal with this sort of heat.   We come in  September because it is the local cooling down month!

We drive to Competa

For some time now we have followed on TV house hunters looking for property in sunnier climes.   In one programme we saw a couple looking for a place in Axarquia, the district in which we are staying just now.   We remembered them being shown a property near the village of Competa and thought we would see what the place was like.   To get there we drove to the motorway junction where the Eroski Hypermarket is located.   Two junctions along the road we left it and drove on country roads that wound through the mountains for about 10 miles.

There were some lovely views along the way and we stopped a couple of times so I could take photos.   Eventually we came up a very impressive view of the village we were seeking.   It was quite large with hundreds of white buildings reflecting the afternoon sun.   There was a series of laybys for travellers to stop and take in this beautiful sight.   I took quite a number of photos and videos at this point.

We drove into the village and parked in the square.   Across the road was Competa Café where we sat outside with orange drinks.   The café was a tapas bar too with all sorts of small food items on the bar.   After our drinks we went next door to a ceramic shop where we bought a large dish and a new panama hat for me.   My present one was beginning to disintegrate!

Then we decided to drive up through the village before heading back to base.   There were many difficult corners and narrow streets to negotiate and we managed to temporarily lose ourselves.   However, despite our Satnav telling us to go through a no entry sign, we found our way out of the maze!   We were then able to see the mountain and valley views again.  

It was worth the drive and we got back having appreciated another new experience travelling in Axarquia.   Later I made up two Pyms and we sat by the pool, talking about the lovely village of Competa.   In the evening I made some rice salad and barbecued some pork steaks and lamb chops and they tasted very good.

We are really enjoying our holiday in Spain.   When we arrived at Finca Manolo we were treated to an incredible downpour over 2/3 days.   We knew it was only temporary and the sun would come back, which it did.   The food supply is much better with the much improved local supermarket in Colmenar.   I have mastered the Calor gas cooker so this improves our chances of variety and less reliance on the BBQ.   The weather forecast tells us to watch out for a lot of heat on Tuesday and Wednesday so we shall go out with high temperatures!   On Friday we leave for two nights in Toledo and then an overnight stay outside Santander before sailing back to Portsmouth on Monday.   We shall break the Portsmouth to Anglesey drive into two parts, staying overnight in Sutton Coldfield with my cousin and his wife.   Below are some photos of Competa.

 

 

Visit to Cordoba

Tuesday saw us off to Cordoba where we would stay for two nights at the Parador.   On arrival in the late afternoon we were welcomed by the reception staff who helped use the chairlift on to their level.   We checked into Room 111 (not 101!) and it was fitted out perfectly for disabled use.   That evening we found the restaurant and enjoyed an excellent meal with first class service.

Next day it was raining at breakfast time.   By the time we got in a taxi to go to the Mezquita - Cathedral the rain had stopped.   It was a cool day which was helpful as we wandered round the streets of Juderia (old Jewish quarter).

The best bit was at the beginning when we went round the Mezquita.   It is a former mosque and was the largest one in Europe.   As a historic building it has no equal.   There are over 800 double arches inside.   The actual arches are red and white.   The red is brick and the white is stone.   Around the outside walls are Christian chapels (capillas in Spanish) as the centre of the original mosque was removed to build the cathedral.   Over its life as a mosque it was enlarged three times until there were over a thousand arches inside.   When the Christians threw out the Muslims who had lived peacefully with them and the Jewish community the place was used for Christian worship.

On completion of the cathedral the King of Spain came to visit and turned on the architect, telling him that he had ruined the original building.   But he had not.   You enter the mosque and find that you flow from it into and out of the cathedral seamlessly.   The beauty of the cathedral, in our opinion, transcends that of any other we have seen.   To walk round this magnificent building is a unique experience.

It was now time for lunch and we patronised our usual restaurant and enjoyed good food washed down with Sangria.   Finally we ventured into Juderia and saw many courtyards and corners of interest as well as shops selling all sorts of goods.   I bought Pauline a couple of costume jewellery necklaces.

We then wandered back to the taxi rank outside the Mezquita and went back to the Parador.   That evening saw another excellent meal in a packed out restaurant.   The following day we had breakfast and checked out.   Two hours later we were back in Colmenar where I called in the local supermarket to top up on food.   The rest of the day was a lazy time in the pool.

Blue sky all the way

Well, folks.   The weather is certainly on our side and the plumbing is under control.   We have spent the morning swimming in the pool and reading in between.   As ever, the views are beautiful, whichever way we look.   We find the Spanish scenery awe inspiring to be honest.   Throughout the UK there are some lovely places but they pale into insignificance compared with Spain.

 

Until we started coming to Spain we were under the impression that Great Britain had the best scenery.   Here the views are quite amazing.   As you drive towards Toledo you see in the distance the famous mountain-top windmills that appear in tourist related literature.   In the city you see architecture that takes your breath away.

Above are two views of Toledo taken from the balcony of our room at the Parador de Toledo.   They show the medieval city with it's river moat that goes almost all the way round it.   In the first picture you can see the spire of the cathedral towards the left.   This is where our Satnav took us, using an incorrect post code!   Fortunately we know the Parador was outside the city.

 

The history behind all this is very significant.   Until the Christians threw out the Muslims there had been 400 years of harmony between Muslims, Christians and Jews.   In the aftermath there was a realisation that the past which had been recorded in great libraries needed to be preserved as it was their heritage.   This was much better than Henry VIII destroying the monasteries to protect himself!   You can learn a lot from other nations.

 

Later today we are off to Cordoba for two nights to get a longer look at the Mezquita Catedral and the area known as Juderia (old Jewish quarter).   We shall be back on Thursday for more swimming in the sun!