Wishing Everyone a Wonderful Holiday Season.
Remember what is really important is spending time with those you love.
Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year
I’ll be back in the New Year to finish up our trip.
Merry Christmas
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Troglodytes!
Sunday, November 22
This was our Airbnb apartment near the village of Alhendin, about 20 minutes outside of Granada. It was very nice and quiet but it is time to hit the road again. We need to be in Los Alcázeres, a small coastal town in southeastern Spain by evening.
The drive is interesting as the scenery changes often. These are photos shot through the car window so they aren’t the best, but they give a pretty good idea of the countryside. This is on the outskirts of Granada. I find it so strange to see apartment buildings and then countryside right beside them. There are no suburbs around here, it is city and then it is country, nothing in-between.
We are surprised to see snow on the mountaintops.
Before long there are fewer trees and the land is much more arid looking.
It is hard to tell from the photo, but this area is much like Drumheller, Alberta, with fields suddenly giving way to steep, dry ravines. 
Soon we are seeing weathered and eroded hills that have what look like caves or tunnel openings.
A quick bit of internet research revealed that many people in this area live in caves. We stop in a little town named Purullena, and visit the Museo Cueva Immaculada. This was quite the experience. As we entered the museum we realized that we were walking through a family home. There were footsteps painted on the floor and we were told to follow the footsteps and then we were left to explore their house! We passed what looked like the grandparents having something to eat with their grandchildren in the dining room. It was rather bizarre.
Curtains separate the rooms so that air can circulate, and there are also chimneys for air circulation. We climbed a flight of stairs to an area of their home that was set up as a museum, with old farm implements, photographs, kitchen utensils, and a whole lot of other assorted items. Here are some pictures of the cave houses in Purullena, and another little village we drove to nearby.
The temperature in these homes stays between 17º and 21º C year round. The ceilings are dome-shaped so that the caves will not collapse and to distribute the weight of the hills above to the thick outer side of the walls. 
Thirty years ago everyone in the town lived in caves, and today about 1,100 of the towns population of 2,700 still live in caves. The soil here is called arcilla, which is a special type of clay that is compact but still very soft so it is easy to dig. It is also an impermeable soil which stops the rain from entering the cave.
The cave homes are dug out of the mountains and there are no other construction materials used. The homes are painted with white chalk which breathes so the air can circulate, and this prevents humidity from building up in the caves.
We saw this ‘troglodyte’ busily hanging up her laundry before she went back into her cave home. These cave dwellers call themselves Troglodytes, which is from two Greek words meaning hole, and dying to get into If you want to read a bit more about these unique houses check out http://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/cave-settlements-in-andalucia.php 
We were quite surprised to discover that the public washrooms were also the family bathrooms, complete with the family laundry, showers, kids toys and other personal items! These were located just outside the cave home, sort of like modern outhouses. We thought it must be difficult to put plumbing inside the caves.
As we continued on our way to Los Alcázeres we passed lots of huge market gardens, many of which had these tunnel hothouses, field after field of them. It was quite the sight. 
Granada Cathedral and Alcaiceria Market
We are back home and although we had a good flight home it was still 24 hours from the time we got up until we arrived home. It is going to take a while to get back on Alberta time. I have fallen behind on my blogging but I am going to continue posting until I have it completed. Thank you for following along with us so far and I hope you will enjoy the rest of our trip.
Saturday, November 21
We spend another day in Granada, as we want to visit the Cathedral and the Alcaiceria, which is a reconstruction of the Moorish Market that burned down in 1843. This market is a maze of narrow streets and colourful shops that are absolutely crammed full of merchandise. We purchase a few souvenirs and Bob has a few laughs at my rather pathetic attempts at bargaining.
The Cathedral is right beside the market so that is our next stop. Upon entering the front door this is the what we see.
Here is a closer view of the magnificent dome over the altar. 
This cathedral has a very ornate very large organ. 
I spotted this stand with several huge medieval books but it was in a roped off area so I couldn’t get any closer to get a good look.
A bit further on down one of the side aisles I was thrilled to find a display of these ancient books. They were behind glass but I was able to get a much better look at them.
The lighting wasn’t the best, but there were several cabinets with books inside. While I was absorbed in studying the calligraphy and painted images, the lights in the cabinets shut off and it was too dark to see them anymore. I had no idea why the lights shut off and although we returned a couple of times to check if the lights had been turned back on I was out of luck. I am glad that I at least had the opportunity to see what I had.
We have seen similar skull and crossbones in almost every cathedral we have visited. They are on tombstones embedded in the cathedral floors.
The pillars and ceiling are quite ornate and the space they enclose is immense. Notice how small the people are.
This is a view of the back side of the Cathedral, seems I didn’t take one of the front. If you want to know a bit more about the Cathedral check out this link. http://www.thousandwonders.net/Granada+Cathedral It also has some nice pictures.
There is a suggested walk through the Albaicin, on the hillside opposite the Alhambra so we head out to explore it. The beginning of the walk was quite nice.
I quite liked this ‘Granada’, or pomegranate, on the front of one of the buildings we passed on our walk.
We do find this lovely little garden and one other garden attached to a little museum along the way. In the museum garden there are several orange trees loaded with ripe oranges, and we ‘borrow’ one to eat later.
We spent a fair amount of time checking our map and trying to figure out which way to go. The route was not well-marked and we had to backtrack more than once. It was a long walk up lots of steep roads and really for what we saw we weren’t sure it was worth the effort and time, but at least we got some exercise.
This is a view of the Alhambra from a viewpoint on a terrace by some restaurants near the end of our walk.
On the way back to the bus we pass this building with its ‘street art’ and bricked up windows. We saw so many apartments and buildings like this, empty and/or abandoned, right beside occupied buildings and shops. I sure wouldn’t want to be living in an apartment next to an abandoned empty building. 
Granada
Wednesday November 18
Our apartment is near the small village of Alhendin about a half hour from Granada. It is a bit more remote than we had anticipated but it is a very nice, quiet apartment in the walk out basement of a new house. We spend a quiet day, only going into town to get groceries in the afternoon and to book our tickets for the Alhambra in Granada. We got these at a bank machine but it did take us a while to figure it all out. Things are not always as easy or simple as we think they are going to be. On our walk to the bank we see these granadas (pomegranates) growing on a tree. I didn’t know that when they get very ripe they just split open.
Thursday November 19
I had a quiet day and Bob took the bus into Granada and went to the Science Center. He spent 4 hours exploring the various exhibits on anthropology, medicine, transportation and inventions. Below is a model of the blood vessels in a human arm.
The tower has a great view of Granada, but watch out for the giant bugs!
This is a mummy from the Sixth Century found in Peru. The cold, arid climate in the Andies helped preserve the remains. Legend says that he was travelling with his wife for three months and she was the navigator. His last screams are captured just as he froze to death after getting lost again. (Can you tell who wrote this part?)
Tangier, Morocco, Africa
Sunday, November 15
I am behind on my blog, as you already know. I really wanted to keep it current but it hasn’t been possible. I will just continue to post when I can and I will finish blogging about our holiday after we get home if need be.
We are still in shock over the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday. I spent a month in Paris last fall and it holds a special place in my heart. ‘My’ neighbourhood was just north of where the Bataclan Theatre is located. Having a connection, even one as remote as this, makes these attacks seem a little bit closer than they may have been otherwise. It is scary and I can’t help but wonder where it will all end. We check the internet for updates and try to figure out the Spanish news on TV.
Today we have a day trip booked for Morocco so we catch a 10:00 bus to take us to the ferry at Tarifa on the southern corner of Spain. This is Tarifa looking out from the ferry.
Before long we are in Morocco! This is the third time we have been to Africa. We have traveled from the East to the West coast of South Africa on a train called the Shongololo Express and we have spent a couple weeks in Egypt. Bob really wanted to go to Morocco, I wasn’t so sure. Egypt was quite challenging and we had lots of difficulties and I wonder if Morocco will be a similar situation. This is our first glimpse of the city of Tangier, Morocco from the ferry.
The tour we booked is excellent. There are only five of us in our group and we have a guide and a driver. We first drive through the city to get an idea of what Tangier is like and we are surprised by how beautiful the city is. It is clean and it has lots of trees and flowers planted along the roads. We are shown an area with palaces for Kings from Morocco and royalty from several other countries. Then we drive along the ocean to Cap Spartel, which is Africa’s most north westerly promontory, and see the place where the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Oceans meet. There are street vendors here but they are no where near as aggresive as the ones we had encountered in Egypt.
Our next stop was an unexpected surprise. For just 2€ we have a camel ride! When we were in Egypt I wanted to ride a camel but it never worked out. Today I get my camel ride!
Next stop, the Caves of Hercules. These were several really big caverns and if you look closely you can make out where round disks were cut from the rock to be used as mill stones. There is also an opening in one of the caves that is the shape of the continent of Africa in reverse.
On the way back into town we were almost in a car accident. A car came within inches of crashing into the side of our van right where I was sitting. I think that the driver’s wife was in labour, she looked very pregnant and very scared and her husband was driving like a crazy man! We were very lucky that he managed to stop before hitting us. Once back in the town, we spend a couple hours on a walking tour through the medina in the old town of Tangier. The streets are narrow and twist and turn in all directions. Our guide also shows us a couple places that were used as sets in the Bourne Ultimatum movie and the new James Bond movie.
Without a guide we would have been hopelessly lost. One area’s buildings were all painted a bright blue colour.
We stop in a Spice shop where a young man, who tells us he is a trained massage therapist, convinces us to buy a special oil that is good for aches and pains. Bob gets a hand massage to try it out.
While we have our lunch at a local restaurant these musicians provide the background music.
After our meal we check out the local veggie and fruit markets. The ladies in the interesting costumes and hats are from the hill towns outside Tangier. They dress in their traditional costumes to come to market twice a week. We buy the biggest pomegranate we have ever seen for 1€. I think it must be hard to make a living selling produce. Some farmers just have a small table, or a cloth on the ground with a few items for sale.
The shops are very tiny, sometimes just a few feet square and we see a couple shops that bake bread for the locals in wood fired ovens for a few cents a loaf.
We also visit a fabric shop and I buy a shawl. I am sure I paid too much for it as I am not a very good bargainer!
Finally, we visit the once grand Continental Hotel. Many famous people and movie stars have stayed here but it does not appear to be doing all that well now. We sit on the balcony just to the right of the red flag in the picture below, overlooking the Mediterranean sea and have mint tea and chat with our guide and one of the other fellows on the tour. He doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Italian but we both managed to communicate in French and our guide speaks to us in English and to our new Italian friend in Spanish! We talk about life in Morocco and the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. Flags in Tangier are flying at half mast because of this.
It is a long day by the time we get back to Tafira and then we still have a bus ride back to our car in Algacires. We don’t get home until almost ten, but we were both quite impressed by Tangier and I think I would be willing to spend more time in Morocco some day.
Three Months in Spain and Portugal!
We are on our way to Barcelona for a much needed holiday. We have a little apartment rented in Barcelona for a week and then we pick up a rental car and follow our noses for the next ten weeks, before spending the last week back in Barcelona. We will be in Spain and Portugal for the next three months! I will be blogging but maybe not quite as often or as in depth as when I was in Paris. Although I had planned on maintaining my Paris blog as an art blog when I returned home, I wasn’t very successful, so here is to a new beginning. Hope you enjoy following along on our trip. I am hoping for a bit of art time each day, we will see how it goes.
Taking Care of Business
I had a productive day, but not without it’s difficulties. After lunch I headed to the Gare de l’Est and managed to get my Navigo pass, but not at the office I was directed to yesterday. They sent me someplace else, but I was successful, and it was only the fifth place that I tried!
Pass in hand I boarded the Metro and headed towards Notre Dame area where the office to get my phone SIM card was located. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I found my way on the metro, and soon I was standing in front of the correct address, but the office was closed. I did have a backup plan in place (I am starting to figure out how things operate here) so back on the Metro and I headed to the next address I had for a SIM card dealer. I found that one without too much difficulty, but they no longer sold the cards, so I set out for the third address, a place called Fat Tires Bike Tours. It seemed a strange place to buy a SIM card, and I was starting to feel a little bit desperate. My apartment is in the north east corner of Paris, and I was now in the south west part of the city.
One of the many windows with geraniums on my walk.
I was having a bit of trouble finding this place in spite of fairly good directions from the lady at the second store. I decided to try to buy a map as backup, just in case I got really lost. A car rental place sold me a Michelin map called Paris par Arrondissement but the street I needed was not in the index. The man selling the maps tried to help, and then another fellow looked up the address on his cell phone, so I at least had an idea of it’s vicinity.
After a long walk and retracing my steps a couple of times I actually found the place, and yes, they sell SIM cards and yes! they speak English! That was a relief, as I was running out of options.
Turns out the process is not an easy one. It took two very nice young clerks more than an hour to get me set up and they needed to use the chat line with someone at the online site. They were so kind, I don’t think I would have managed this on my own, especially with a brand new phone that I really don’t know much about. I gave them a generous tip for all their help, it was well worth it.
This building had beautiful tree carvings under the balcony, and then I looked up! This is one of the many things I love about Paris. Every street and every corner turned offers surprises.
All this took over six hours! I was exhausted and finally stopped for a pot of tea and something to eat, only to discover that the kitchen was closed until 7:00, so I had a Lara bar with my tea and then headed home. I was too tired to try to get my pass for the Louvre, that will have to wait.
The street I turned onto after my tea break offered this view.
I stopped at three more stores looking for distilled water for my CPAP machine, but no luck. It takes a while to find out where to buy things in a city in another country, using another language. I must say that the Parisians that I have dealt with have been very kind, friendly and helpful. I am not sure if it is because I am speaking as much French as I can but I have yet to meet one rude or unkind person.
I have been a bit too busy and too tired to do any drawing in spite of carrying my sketch book with me, but today I chanced upon an art studio and they offer life drawing once a month on Sunday. The artist I spoke to said there are not many studios open to tourists, that the schools require you to be a resident to attend their life drawing session, so I was fortunate to find this one.
Vous Etes Magnifique!
This morning I woke with a smile on my face. Yes I thought, I really am in Paris. Sometimes dreams do come true, and this trip is certainly a dream come true for me. When Bob and I were in Paris several years ago I kept an art journal. I wrote in it that I wondered if I would ever be able to return to Paris and spend as much time as I wanted looking at my favourite paintings in the Louvre. I will be able to do that and more on this trip. It is a lovely indulgence to only think about and do those things that interest me.
Closing both windows and their curtains and pulling down the blinds all helped to muffle the street noise so I had a fairly good sleep.
I went out for a walk this afternoon and headed over to the Gare de l’Est to purchase a Navigo Card, only to discover that the booth had just closed This card gives unlimited travel on the metro and bus lines for about 60 Euros per month. I like the idea of being able to hop on and off the bus or metro whenever I like all for one easy price. I will do that tomorrow.
I spent the next couple of hours wandering the streets, watching children playing, skateboarders skating and people strolling everywhere. Parisians love to enjoy their city on Sundays. The streets and green spaces were teeming with people of all ages, which offered some great people watching!
On my trip to New Zealand I took lots of tree pictures and in Paris I think it will be lots of building and church pictures. They are all so old and have such beautiful ornamentation. I find them fascinating, there is so much to see here that it is hard to know where to look sometimes. I visited the Church of St. Laurent today. Construction of this church began in1429 and was not completed until 1667. By the way, if you tap or click on a photo it will load a larger version, for a closer look.
There was a very interesting lady inside, who was dressed all in white, from head to toe. I wondered if there was some significance to this or if she just liked the colour white!
On the way home, a young man passed me and as he walked by he turned and said “Vous etes magnifique”. I didn’t say anything as the guide books I had read said not to smile at men on the street or it might be misinterpreted as an invitation to something more. He turned and said “Vous devriez dire Merci.” (You should say thank you) so I rather sheepishly replied “Merci” and he nodded his head and walked on. Perhaps a compliment can just be a compliment. In any case, I walked home feeling rather special.
Belgium strawberries and dark chocolate for dessert.
trudymason.com 