Dubai - Higher Than I Have Ever Been

It is well known that I do not do towers. Tom loves them, but a fear of heights, or what I like to call vertigo, so much more exotic, usually leaves me at ground level while he heads up a set of winding, precarious steps to see the view from some gothic structure.  I am very happy waiting for him below, sitting and sipping coffee, or better still, shopping. When we travel my family do not even ask anymore if I plan to join them on various climbs. I feel sick in the glass walled elevator at Forest Hill shops!

So how did he talk me into it?  Well, this is Dubai, and the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building and structure in the world.  At 830 metres it is 200 metres higher than Mt Dandenong!  But what sold me was the fact that you can do the building in a high speed elevator that takes only seconds to take you the 124 floors to the viewing station and apparently you hardly feel like you are moving.  Many weeks ago I chatted with work colleague Phil, who spent six months in Dubai, about what to do while here and he highly recommended the view from Burj Khalifa at sunset.  What we did not know then was that this week is Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, and Dubai is packed with people enjoying the festival, so when we went to book online for a sunset viewing we should not have been surprised to find it booked-out.  What did surprise is that it was booked-out all day, from 7.00am.  Always looking for an opportunity Tom decided this left the door open for the alternative option - sunrise. So we set the alarm for 5.00am and headed out after a hasty shower and no breakfast to greet the sun.  The lift ride was, as promised, quick and I hardly felt any movement.  We joined many other early risers on the viewing platform and gasped audibly like everyone else when the first sliver of sunrise peaked over the horizon.  

Sunrise from the Burj Khakifa

Eid al-Adha 

The origins of this important Islamic festival are biblical and relate to the story of Abraham who was asked by Allah to sacrifice his most treasured possession, his only son.  Abraham submitted to Allah's will and offered up his son for sacrifice, but Allah is merciful and at the last minute substituted an animal for the son.  And from this story Muslims have developed the tradition of sacrificing a goat or sheep to commemorate Eid al-Adha.  One of the less known traditions linked to this Eid is the importance of wearing new clothes - I have no idea where this tradition sprung from but I can assure it is one that Dubai's shopping culture has latched onto.  The shopping centres have extended shopping hours, with the Dubai Mall, the one with the aquarium in the middle, being open 24 hours.  And I have been making sure that we have been getting maximum value out of the extended shopping hours. 

The aquarium in the Dubai Mall

5 ***** luxury

We have stayed in some great accommodation on this holiday, a central Parisian apartment, a French chateau, lovely old villas in Spain and Morocco, an ancient Pyrenees fort and a boat on the Costa Brava.  And now in Dubai we are staying in 5 star luxury.  The Radisson is a peg or two down from some of the hotels in Dubai, but it is pretty schmick and, while it does not have the charm or character of some of the smaller establishments we have been in, we are enjoying all the facilities of a modern hotel.  

I have only one complaint.  The scales in our room seem to be wrong - I can't possibly have put on five kilos in five weeks.  Can I ?

The city from "The Top"

I Am From Barcelona

We are in Barcelona, home of Gaudi, Barcelona FC star Lionel Messi and Manuel, the Fawlty Towers waiter who coined that famous phrase.

Barcelona is big, vibrant and modern.  The city celebrates the arts and sport, so both Tom and I are happy.  The Olympic village, from the 1992 games (who can forget Sarah Brightman singing Amigos para siempre ?  I wish I could) still stands proudly over the city.  Barcelona manages to be ancient and elegant as well as modern and edgy.  The old bull ring exemplifies the city:  the Catalans eschew bull fighting, a Southern Spanish indulgence, and they have converted their bull ring into a modern shopping mall with trendy restaurants and rooftop promenade.  

Detail from a Gaudi design in Barcelona

We have had the privilege of seeing a little of Barcelona through the eye of locals: family friends of Jan & Dave who have made Barcelona their home, having made the move here 10 years ago.  They live in an apartment in central Barcelona and for their young daughters Spain is really the only home they have known.  We enjoyed Sunday lunch on their terrace, a luxury only a minority of the city's population enjoy.  Barcelona residential prices are high, on par, or higher, than overpriced Melbourne.  Because almost all the city residents live in apartments there are many parks and squares and people live a large proportion of their lives in these respites and the many bars and cafes.  Families are seen out strolling and chatting until well into the night, including the children.  I was given a tour of the apartment, which was typically small, but well appointed.  No lift, so everything, groceries, water, prams and children are all carried up and down the stairs.  However, when the living area French doors were throw open to reveal the balustraded balcony overlooking the quaint square the charm of the urban European city experience became obvious.  I was ready to sell up my Melbourne house and move straight in.

Barcelona is a big and crowded city

We are just home from our last Spanish dinner - tapas in a Basque tapas bar.  This was a tapas bar where they bring around dishes and you select what you want - just like yum cha.  All the tapas pieces are held together by a tooth pick and at the end of the meal you pay according to the number of toothpicks on your plate.  Excellent food, and I have marked the last two epicurean must-dos from my list; sangria and Catalan cream, a type of creme brulee. Metro home and now to bed before flying to Dubai tomorrow.

View of Barcelona looking toward Mont Jusic

Just on the Barcelona metro - Tom intends to write to Dr Napthine on his return home.  It is incredulous that in Melbourne we are still travelling on infrastructure that belongs to the Victorian era.  We got the metro home tonight around 11.30pm and the wait time for our train, having arrived at the station as one was leaving, was 4.39 minutes!

The Pyrennes

Until now the Pyrenees to me were just a place that Phil Ligget rabbits on about in the Tour de France.  Now I have been I understand why he waxes lyrical about their beauty.  The mountains are heavily forested at the lower levels we have been driving through (around the 1000 metre mark), with the distant higher mountains in the background revealing their rocky outcrop.  The Pyrenees are lush and verdant, and dotted with picturesque mountain villages and some splendid medieval towns.

Staying in the Parador

For our night in the Pyrennes we stayed in the Cardona Parador.  The Paradors are a state run hotel chain, mostly of castles, convents, fortresses and other historic buildings.  Franco had the idea to preserve some old monuments by turning them into hotels.  Cardona was important from Roman times because of the deposits of rock salt, and salt mining continues today. The original fortress dates from around the 880s and was established by the intriguingly named Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona.  I must confess to never having heard of Wilfred before now, but he is a big name in the region, being founder of the House of Barcelona, the forerunner of modern day Catalonia.  Wilfred is also remembered for being the founder of hereditary passage of titles.  

As to be expected the fortress is high on a hill overlooking the valley below and the hotel is in the medieval castello.  Of course it is exquisite. 

Our drive through the Pyrennes brought us to Barcelona, and along the way we encountered a bicycle tour.  We stopped the car on the road side and enthusiastically clapped the contenders along their way, feeling just like Phil Ligget commentating the Tour de France.

Homage To Catalonia

We are in the region of Catalonia, made famous by George Orwell's book and the more recent Woody Allen movie, Vicky, Christina, Barcelona.  

Homage to Catalonia is Orwell's recount of his experience fighting with the Anarachists, or possibly the Socialists, during the Spanish Civil War.  This is a book I have started before, and am re-reading as we travel through the region.  Notice I said 'started before', not read before.  It is a book I have always struggled with - the description of the internal conflict between the Repulican forces is difficult to follow and not an easy read.  It is reminiscent of the Life of Brian sketch where Brian naively thinks the Romans are the enemy, but it is explained to him that the splitter group, the Judean People's Front is the true enemy of the people. It is the same with the various political groups and trade union organisations that should have bonded together to fight Franco - but they were too busy arguing amongst themselves.  

Girona in Northern Catalonia

Catalonia takes in the north east region of Spain, bordering France at the Pyrenees, taking in the main city of Barcelona, as extending south to Valencia  We think of Spain as a nation, like France or the UK, however it operates more as a federation of states.  The French and British nations formed from earlier medieval states into the strong central countries we know today.  Spain federated much later and continues to have five official languages and a number of additional recognised languages. Today many regions in Spain favour autonomy, or even separation, from the rest of Spain, the most radical of these being the Basque region and the Basque separatist group ETA was responsible for a campaign of violence which only abated very recently.  Catalonia, or Catalunya as it is known in the local Catalan language, is fiercely proud of being Catalan and not Spanish.  The Catalan language is widely spoken in the region and education is now provided principally in Catalan.  It is not a quaint oddity like Welsh - they are serious about making it the principal language in the area.  We were given a menu in a tapas bar which was entirely in Catalan - no Spanish translation provided.  Of the dozen dishes described on the menu I could probably recognise as many words - the language is that different.  It didn't really matter, we just picked randomly and it was all lovely.

The Catalan flag flies proudly from many homes and official buildings, including from many churches, and there are serious calls for separation.  However, today in Barcelona there was a major rally held to show support for Spain thousands of Catalans demonstrated their opposition to the separatist movement.  It became a struggle of tactics.  The pro-Catalans got wind of the upcoming rally and got to the designated square early in the morning, before the pro-Spanish, and set up breakfast stalls to negate the planned rally !  One thought is that when it comes to the crunch separation would not go ahead because if Catalonia goes it alone then Barcelona FC would then not have a national league to play in and the Catalans will not accept that.

A Catalonian flag hangs from a restaurant.

Laundry - Lavarie - Lavandaria

In prepartion for this trip Tom and I visited the Monet's Garden exhibition in Melbourne in August. After enjoying the exhibition we sat in a Southbank bar over looking the Yarra sipping a beverage and chatting excitedly about the upcoming trip.  Tom looked at me earnestly and expressed his concern with our trip planning, saying that he was worried that in our schedule we had not left enough time for ...  Oh no, thought I.  What is coming ?  We already had a very tight schedule of sights - what could he possibly be thinking at this very late time that we should add to our trip.  So he went on to explain his concern - ... we have not left enough time to do any laundry.  For a moment, just a moment, I shared his concern before laughing hysterically and assuring him that we would be sure to find time to launder our clothes.

I apologise to those of you who have already heard that story, but I know that many of you who have will want to know how we have fared and be reassured that Tom has not spent too much holiday time worrying about the laundry.  Firstly, our thanks to our friend Robyn who sent along some White King stain removal wipes for us to bring on this trip.  They have proved very helpful - and have the dual purpose of helping remove the red stain my feet acquire when it rains, and my red leather shoes leach dye onto my skin.

Paris

We had a washing machine in the apartment so laundry here was easy.  Especialy after we learned to remove the toaster from the top of the machine in the spin cycle - it only had to fly off once and land on the floor we us to make that minor modification.  Luckily, it was only as we were leaving this accommodation that I read the notice that said the washing machine was not for use by the guests.

Brittany

Our Breton gites was in a holiday resort which had a good laundry with coin operated machines.  It even had coin operated dryers, and after I lost several Euros on the dryers I got chatting to a nice English guest who explained to me what I was doing wrong.  And once she showed me how to use the ON button it was all good.

Spain

In southern Spain no coin laundromats are to be found, so we located one of those lovely places that washes, dries and folds a load of washing, all on the same day, for some ridiculously low price.  We dispensed with the idea of having clothes washed in Marrakech and waited until we got to our apartment here in the marina on the north coast, as we have a machine the apartment.  Terrific.  It had been a few days so I had a big load to put on.  The machine looked simple enough - just a choice of program and an on-off button.  Yes, I was concerned when after two hours it still had not moved from the wash cycle to rinse/spin, but hey these European machines are slow.  After three hours washing, and lots more button pushing it was still washing, but I was exhausted and went to bed.  By two in the morning I was getting worried the clothes would be torn to shreds and I gave Google a try to see if I could find any manuals.  No manuals - but I found some interesting user reviews, the first three of which informed me that the machine was a lemon and the worst washing machine they had ever owned.  Bugger !  I managed to turn the machine off and thought I would try another program,  After setting this off I went back to bed.  8.00am the next morning - yes, still on the wash cycle !  In the end we restorted to manually resetting the machine through rinse and spin, which I believe is how semi-automatic washing machines worked when I was a little girl.  And, after almost 12 hours of washing, Tom and I have really, really clean jeans !

A Parisian Laundromat

Cruising The Costa Brava

Feeling oh so Jackie Onassis!

It started when the flight landed at Girona airport and we alighted the airplane steps onto the tarmac.  I just love tarmac boarding - so 1960's jet set.  I always want to stop on the stairs and give a little wave.

We drove up the Spanish north coast to the massive Empuriabrava marina where Jan & Dave have their boat, Arion, moored. Arion was the son of Poisiden and he enjoyed the finer things in life, good food, clothes and music.  He incurred the wrath of a sea captain who threatened to throw him into the sea.  Arion convinced the evil sea captain to let him jump into the sea instead, and when he did so the dolphins sprang from the water and rescued him.

So now we are on the boat, nestled in a little cove and I feel that all I need is the Hermes scarf and the big glasses and I would be Jackie.

Costa Brava is Spanish for rugged coast, and parts of the coast are indeed very rugged, which means that the area is full of remote coves and isolated beaches.  The Mediterranean is still pleasant and the water was a swimmable 21 degrees, mild enough for a swim and snorkel off the boat, followed up by picnic lunch onboard.  

Bananas

Jan & Dave do not follow what I had thought was a universal nautical rule of banning bananas on boats.  In fact, they had never heard of this fisherman's superstition, and they often enjoy a banana on their boat.  Fishermen hold the belief that bananas on boats are bad luck and no fish will be caught if a banana is present on board.  I have heard of some who go so far as to ban Banana Boat sunscreen. Where does this strange superstition stem from ? There are many stories, but the most credible is that in the 1700s the boats bringing bananas to market had to travel very fast, before the cargo deteriorated.  The crew threw lines overboard but the boats were travelling too fast to catch any fish - hence the belief that the bananas brought bad luck. And by the way, Dave reports he never catches any fish - time to ban the bananas ?

The Yves Saint Laurent Connection

With only the morning to spend in Marrakech before our afternoon flight we decided to visit the Majorellle Gardens. We headed out with lowish expectations as an earlier expedition to the supposedly splendid Menara Gardens turned out to be a visit to some gardens that are now just a shadow of their previous glory.  However the Majorelle Gardens did not disappoint, and these gardens turned out to be an oasis in the bustling city.  Tom claimed that he had carefully planned these visits, saving the best for last and building up our expectations slowly.

Lily pads in the Majorelle Garden

The gardens are the work of the early twenty century painter after which they are named.  He opened them to the public in 1947 and in the 1980's the property was purchased by Yves Saint Laurent, hence the link to YSL. Saint Laurent was born in Algeria to French parents and retained a connection to north Africa throughout his life.  He restored the property and gardens and spent much time there finding solace and inspiration.  Before his death YSL established a trust with the aim of preserving cultural heritage and this trust runs the gardens today and the museum displaying Berber culture which is open in the gardens.  YSL's ashes are spread in the garden where I noticed the French tourists in particular are very respectful at the memorial. I paid suitable homage.

The YSL Memorial

Berbers

The Berbers are the original inhabitants of the north Africa area and the museum informed us that the Berbers were democratic, yet warmongering.  The Berbers have mixed with the Arabs since the Arabs arrived in this part of the world, and have been both Jewish and then later Muslims. They are found mostly in the Atlas Mountains, the divide that runs north to south down the middle of Morocco, and the Sahara desert is found east beyond the range.  

The Berber Museum in the garden

Every encounter is an opportunity

The Moroccans maximise the opportunity to earn a quid. Take the taxi driver today who agreed to our one stop fare, but then began adding sights he could take us to (including a good shop) and then refused our fare when we would not agree.

Modernisation has helped created wealth but it is still a desperately poor country, with young children on the streets selling anything, tissues, water, and cigarettes, which can be purchased by the single cigarette - in a poor country that is probably all some people can afford.  It is very tempting to purchase from the small children, but to do so only encourages the practice and the ongoing temptation to take them out of school to earn.

My venture into a jewellery stall started out innocently enough with the standard 'where are you from', and the stall holder began telling us of his Berber origins and his village in the mountains.  We showed genuine interest as he launched into his spiel and began showing us a coffee table book with panoramic photographs of the Atlases. As our interest peeked he launched with his punch line, and I do tours to my village madam.  But he was harmless, and extremely charming - so what could I do but purchase the torquise necklace I had been admiring.  Really, it would have been rude not to.

Mosque to Mosque

There are maps of Marrakesh but beyond the lovely wide boulevards that the French colonialists laid out for themselves in the early 20th century in the ville nouveau, they are useless is the narrow, labyrinthine alleyways of the medina.  And as we are staying in the medina, and this is also where most of the sights are, we are constantly lost.  Our beacons are the mosques.  Tom strategically plots out the route each time we venture out, using the mosques as a guide.  When we get lost coming home we keep a lookout for the tall minaret of 'our mosque', the one nearest our riad, and we head that way.

Our local Mosque

Last night we headed toward the very elegantly tiled Koutoubia mosque minaret, which marked the way to our destination, the lively Jemma El Fna square.  And lively it was.  Hordes of people with impromptu musical bands playing Arabic music.  Just an aside about music in Europe - Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know is everywhere and we saw an advertisement in the Paris metro for an upcoming tour by The Cat Empire. The most fascinating thing about Jemma El Fna square is the pop-up restaurants.  There are no restaurants in the square during the day.  At night they wheel in tables, chairs and kitchens and set up restaurants offering full menus and full service - and there are dozens of them.  All with eager touts trying to drag you into their establishment, so walking through to get to the souks is like trying to navigate down Lygon St.

The Medina

Tagines

Eating here has been a delight, and incredibly healthy, helped along by the limited amount of alcohol we have consumed.  Big hotels serve alcohol, but for most meals we have eaten in cafes and restaurant that only serve soft drinks and juices.  The variety of juices available is enticing and it is all freshly squeezed - I enjoyed a street stall grapefruit juice today. I order it when I can, just because I love to use the engagingly charming French word for grapefruit - pamplemouse.

The tagines have been the standout attraction, either chicken, lamb, veal of beef, but never pork of course, and often cooked with an appetising assortment of fruits - prunes, figs, peaches, citrus - and nuts.  

The souks

How hard could it be ?  I have been to the Stanley markets in Hong Kong, the markets in Cairo, the fish market in Split - the David Jones Boxing Day sales !  Hey, we lived in India for two years, and our travelling companions have also spent time in Bombay, with Jan being a regular visitor to the Chor Bazaar in Bombay.  But the Marrakech souks are not for the feint hearted.  This tangled confusion of the narrowest alleys bursting with stock (all the best quality madam) was made all the more chaotic by the inability to stop and look for the merest fraction of a second before being bombarded with offers to look, touch, try.  As someone who barely tolerates a slightly pushy sales attendant in the calm of a Melbourne boutique store, the souk for me was a place to be visited quickly, marked off the bucket list and exited.  

Your intrepid correspondent in the souk

Shopping nirvana was found for us just outside the souks in the street stalls and craft shops.  However this is still an area that requires bargaining, a skill I have never mastered.  I am like Brian buying the gord in the Monty Python film of the same name - I would happily pay the first asking price and still feel I had acquired a bargain.  I spied some little bowls I liked and was ready to part with the 50 Dirham asking price for one until my shocked companion David pulled me up and negotiated away on my behalf and I ended up with two bowls for 60 Dirhams. David's job for the rest of the day was to be my designated negotiator.  

Tomorrow we leave Marrakech for Barcelona, and I am the happy owner of three new handbags !  Oh, and two 50 Dirham bowls!

Tom is Allergic to Marrakesh

It started in the riad - a small courtyard hotel of the type that are popular in Morocco.  Tom began sneezing badly and two anti-histamines later he is still sniffly.  My guess is the diesel fumes from the heavy traffic set him of: it happened in France as well, but not as pronounced.  I certainly hope he is not allergic to Marrakesh or we may be stuck in the riad for three days, though being stuck in the riad would be no burden.

Our room in the Riad

If I have overused the word gorgeous in these blogs I am sorry, I should have saved it for here.  We were taken as far as the medina outskirts by our driver, as cars do not come into the medina, the old city.  Our riad host collected us and walked us in, I was lost after the first turn, but Tom managed to remain focussed and take some bearings.  It was very early in the morning - an hour earlier than we expected because apparently the Moroccan government decided last minute to alter the time zone from 1 October.  A fact that had our Ryanair flight attendant very confused when she was trying to give  us the local time.  This was our first Ryanair flight, and I wish I could say it was our last.  Ryanair is the cheap Irish outfit that is much used by Brits holidaying at spots in the Mediterranean sun.  I recall the hue and cry when their CEO suggested a charge for inflight toilet use.  I do not know if it applies, I did not test it on our flight.  We had decent seats in row 5, but I could not understand the melee with all the other passengers until I realised that most of them do not have reserved seats.  The system involves getting on board and sitting in any available seat - just like the Belgrave train.  I guess it keeps the costs down.  I should not complain - they got us here. 

Anyway - back to the riad.  We were terribly early so we had hoped to just dump our bags and head out to breakfast.  We had not accounted for the legendary Muslim hospitality.  We we ushered into an ornate and cool vestibule and invited to take a seat on the comfy, many cushioned couch. Tea then came along, in the pewter pot and poured into the coloured glasses. The tea is poured from a great height, more for the theatre I think than any other reason. I  Tom does not like tea, and I was wondering how he would cope with the sweet, mint tea.  He not only managed to be polite and drink it, I think he actually enjoyed it.  Of course the experience was greatly enhanced by the accompanying pastries.  You certainly could not be nut intolerant here.  

Jo relaxing on the terrace

So refreshed we headed out.  My first impression was how very like Bombay it is - hot, crowded, busy, but not as dirty.  Today is Friday and while the morning was busy, when prayers started at lunch things became much quieter, but hotter.  We had two encounters with locals, and I was wary as the local trick is to get chatty with the tourist and then lure them along to the 'only craft shop open madam'.  But the first gentleman who spoke to us could not have been nicer, he only wanted to help us find our way, which he did first in French, and after assessing my appalling French he reverted to perfect English.  Unfortunately, Abdul who latched onto us 20 minutes later, was not so nice and despite trying at first to shake him we found ourselves following him, you guessed it, to the only craft shop open madam.  Abdul was full of praise for Australians as we traipsed along behind him getting further and further into the crowded souk, until my aching feet steeled me to action and I refused to go a step further and fared Abdul well and headed off in the opposite direction.  I speak no Arabic, but I deduced that Abdul's tirade was a curse on me, my children and my childrens' children and probably all Australians. 

My first day of shopping yielded two more pairs of shoes, but sadly, again not for me.  My first Moroccan purpose are little slippers are for Siena and Jack. 

Our travelling companions arrived later in the evening.  Jan & Dave, old friends from the Bombay days, are joining us for the next 10 days and we enjoyed a tasty Moroccan dinner in the riad courtyard.  Dave  had the foresight to bring a couple of bottles of red from Spain which we enjoyed with dinner, because, although the riads will not serve alcohol, t
hey do not mind you drinking.  

OUr local Mosque from the terrace

The Rain in Spain

We spent our last day in Spain in Cadiz, and Cadiz is very nice with pleasant weather, when it stops raining. 

Every guide book tells you how hot the south of Spain is, hinting that tourist regularly wilt under the sun.  Tom had one bad day in Cordoba when he got drenched, I was sensibly in the Arab baths all morning so I was fine, and apart from that the weather has been pleasant and not too hot.  The day trip to Cadiz may have been a little ambitious - two hours there and two hours back on the train.  Think of doing a day trip by train from Melbourne to Bendigo.  As the train pulled into Cadiz station so did the rain.  And not just rain, it bucketed so hard that the station staff closed most of the doors to limit the rain coming in.  Not a good start to our plan to promenade around the foreshore to the old town.  A quick change of plan had us in a taxi to the museo where we spent a pleasant hour or so taking in the antiquities.  The museo also housed an art collection, with a lovely Rubens and some weird modern stuff - I am going to have to learn something about modern art before we hit Barcelona.  

The markets

We came out of the museo to glorious sunlight and a lovely warm day which we spent wandering this old port city.  Loved the market - fresh fish and plump, ripe fruit, but with no kitchen to cook in I was reduced to window shopping.  I did find some lovely scarves (the best polyester that three euros can buy) and went wild.  After I have worn them all on the rest I of this trip I will decide which to keep and which to give away as gifts !   Tom found a tower to climb while I roamed the market. 

A typical Analusian sreet where modernity meets Islamic & Gothic

So after a lovely week we farewell Andalucia in southern Spain.  We now head to Morocco before returning to Spain to visit Barcelona.  Andalucia has been exotic and gorgeous, and of course the food has been exceptionally good.  Ok, flamenco was a bit lost on me, but as Tom pointed out I am not really made for culture and I should just stick to sports.  And I was fulfilled on our last night in Seville when our taxi driver had the radio on full bore listening to what was obviously a soccer match.  Even with no Spanish I could tell one of the contenders was Sevilla FC and that it was exciting.  The taxi driver and I got excited together, even though we could not understand each other.  Later that night the streets were full of happy Sevilla supporters following their 2-0 defeat of German side Frieburg in the Europa competition match.  Viva Sevilla!

The food ...

Cordoba Is Closed On Mondays

Why do I find train travel so stressful ?  Finding the platform, then the carriage and the right seats.  And putting the cases somewhere, why is there never enough room for everyone's case ?  But once we are settled I love the train, and Granada to Cordoba is our first train trip in Spain.

We arrive in Cordoba early Sunday afternoon for a two night stay.  I find it strange that our tour planner has not organised anything for Cordoba, until I start reading the guidebooks on the train.  Cordoba is closed on Mondays.  So we head out straight away when we arrive on Sunday to check out whatever is open and we manage two museums before they close for the day.  The archeology museum is very good, and only 1.50 euro for non EU citizen (free to EU citizens). But we were waved through without paying, thinking perhaps it is free on Sundays.  It was not until later that it dawned on us that the lady must have through we said Austrian, not Australian.

Not only is Monday quiet in Cordoba, it is pissing rain.  So what to do in Cordoba on wet day when most sites are shut - how about the arab baths !!!

Hamman

The hamman is traditionally a place where people gathered to meet, chat and relax.  The Romans were keen on the communal bath houses and the Muslims adopted this very civilised custom.  In Cordoba the original Moorish bath houses have been recovered and now offer a modern version on the ancient bath and massage routine.  I am relived to find that unlike the ancient days, the sessions are now mixed gender, meaning that bathing suits are compulsory.

Tom of course cannot be convinced to join me so he heads off into the pouring rain with his camera while I step inside the bathhouse for my hedonistic pleasure.  Not having done this before I have little idea of what to expect.  I am issued an A4 page of rules, a towel and some plastic slippers for my feet. Despite assuring the attendant I understood fully, si,si, I have no idea when I am supposed to wear the plastic slippers.  The first room is the warm bath room, a large pool under a tiled domed roof with a classic Arabic atmosphere.  There are also hot water pools, cold water pools and a steam room so think with steam, which is pleasantly scented with musk, that you cannot see on first entering.

An Arab bath house (Joanne's was a little more modern.}

I have opted for the package with massage and I am summoned from the pool by the masseuse.  It just adds to the whole atmosphere and mystery that she has very little English.  She points to the hexagonal marble table and I realise I am to climb on (I am think Mid Summer sacrifices again). Not very elegant scrambling onto the marble with my wet body, but I am getting into the swing of it now. Rather than being sacrificed as I feared I am doused in warm water and then scrubbed with a gritty soap.  After this I am covered in a foam, and feeling like an oyster on a Shannon Bennett menu (for not Australian readers think Gordon Ramsey, but pleasant).  This is washed off with the lightest sprinkling of rose scented water which is only just tepid, but somehow seems the exact right temperature.  The whole experience would have been very sensual if I had not been thinking about what a great blog post it would make.

Next to the massage table for a sooting rub down in lavender oil.  The attendant pulls my one piece suit down and by this stage the modest Joanne who walked in the door is not at all concerned at this exposure - by this time I am so Zen she could strip me naked and parade up and down the bathing pools.  After the massage I spend more time between the steam and hot and cold pools, enjoying cups of mint tea in between.  That sweet, thick mint tea that I first enjoyed in Beirut but would never think of drinking at home.  Two hours the experience is over and I leave the baths feeling cleansed and relaxed, but I never did work out when I was supposed to use the plastic slippers.

Thanks to Nicole, Drew, Siena and Jack for this birthday treat.  I know you sent the Euros for use in a tapas bar you recommended, but I think you will agree the bath was worth it.

Mezquita

The Mezquita. 

The Mezquita is the reason for visiting Cordoba, and luckily it is one of the few places open on Mondays.  Mezquita is Spanish for mosque and this one was the biggest and most spectacular outside of Medina during the medieval period.  So we popped in - and wow !  The mosque began as a modest house of prayer for 5000 Muslims, but as the population grew it was expanded over time to hold 40,000 worshipers.  That is more than you get at a Saints game nowadays

After the 'liberation' of Cordoba by Alphonso the Wise the Catholics moved in and built a cathedral smack bang in the middle of it.  Shame. 

Spanish Brides

When I started this blog I never expected to be writing about brides and weddings.  Those of you who have been following the blog will know that we encountered a number of brides in Paris.  Well in Spain they abound ! It may just be that in Granada we were staying near one of the popular churches and we were there over the weekend but we saw, oh, about six weddings.  Spain is a Catholic country and Franco made church weddings compulsory, so that may explain the fashion for the big wedding. I do like a mantilla - the Spanish lace trailing from the headdress and these were popular among the brides.    Quite pricey - I spied some for 300+ euro, but a local told me the really good ones are closer to 1000 euros and are family treasures.

We became quite the critics in the end, judging dresses, hair, shoes: all pretty good.  But the guests provided the real joy - boy can the Spaniards frock up !  Perhaps a little OTT for my taste, especially the matrons. Frilly dresses are still alive and well in Spain, especially for the young teenaged girl, and the little children are gloriously turned out.  In our travels we have noticed the children's clothes shops and you can certainly spend big money on clothes for babies and toddlers.  The children seem to attend these formal events, and we have also seen them out late at night with their families, so they probably have more cause to have 'formal' clothes than the tackers at home.  Just on the topic of kids being everywhere, we ducked into a shoe shop (for Tom - not me) and in the corner was the baby play ring with a young chap inside.  Antonio, the shop keeper's son, was playing happily and obviously comes into the shop while mum is at work.  And yes, he was dressed very nicely in blue pantaloons and a soft blue knitted jumper - very 1950s.

A Grnadian Brides arrives at the church

Pre-wedding celebrations

Weddings appear to be big business in Spain - but bucks and hens jaunts seem to be even bigger.  Saturday afternoon seems to the time for these and we saw plenty as we walked around Granada.  Our first thought at seeing a group of young men dressed in identical tee-shirts and drinking and chanting loudly was a football crowd, until we saw the guy dressed in the nappy.  He was not the only prospective groom donning fancy dress for the occasion, we had a chap in cheekily short gold lame shorts, some Vikings and even a matador.  The one constant across all the groups was the tee-shirt listing names on the back, the groom's mates I guess, and with a photo of the groom on the front.  The Australian tradition of the end of year footy trip comes to mind.

The groom celebrating his impending nuptials

The hens were not to be outdone either.  Flamenco costumes were popular for the hens and they were as vocal as the blokes as they caroused the bars of Granada.

The hens party

Granada - Loved It

I heard great things about Granada from other people who have been here and it has lived up to expectations.  Apart from a gorgeous and intriguing old town, Granada has provided two new pairs of shoes, unfortunately they are for Tom.  I have yet to purchase any shoes.

Spanish food

We have moved on from tapas to ordering full dishes of food.  A highlight for me was a lunch dish of broad beans and smoked bacon with jamon, healthy and tasty.  The beans had been cooked in the smoked bacon and the lovely smokey taste came through the beans.

At breakfast we were treated to plates of jamon, manchego cheese, brine cured cheese and other delicacies.  Alistair was disappointed to hear that although faced with this dazzling choice of food I was having yoghurt and muesli.  But I did check out two intriguing breakfast spreads, asparagus marmalade and carrot marmalade.  Ok - not sure I would try asparagus marmalade again.  It was sweet but just a bit weird.  Carrot marmalade, again sweet, but unremarkable.  Similarly, gazpacho which I tried at dinner that night - glad I have tried it, but will not waste another meal eating cold soup.

For all those food porn fans Tom's bull's tail stew will be a highlight (see below). 

Bull's Tail

Real Capilla and mad Joanna

Isabella and Ferdinand are interred in this chapel in Granada, the name of which makes it sound like a football team.  Real is Spanish for royal and you see it everywhere, it is not only used for Real Madrid FC.  Being a little bit fascinated by Isabella as I am we decided to check out this chapel and I was extra excited because not only are Issie and Ferdy here, but also her daughter, Mad Joanna, and son-in-law Phillip the Handsome - a sort of two couples for one deal.  

Churches are difficult for me when touring, I am quite happy to do the ones with historical significance, but being a fervent non-believer I am uncomfortable with the idolatry of Catholic churches.  And in Spain they certainly enjoy their idolatry.  The inside of this chapel was supposed to be more simple than most - looked pretty over the top to me - but at least you could see the beautiful base of the Gothic structure and the smooth linear stone vaults.  I am a bit of a fan of Gothic.  

The Gothic Cathedral

The royal tombs are the usual marble effigies, but up very high so you cannot see the carved faces -which is very disappointing as I wanted to see what all the fuss was about with Phillip the Handsome (now that I am an afficiando of Spanish men).  Firstly let me put this family into perspective for you. You have heard of Isabella and Ferdinand; the Catholic Monarchs, joined Castille and Aragon when they married, Christopher Colombus and the Inquisition (remember Monty Python).  I would have to admit that the Inquisition was probably not Isabella's finest moment, but apart from that she was pretty admirable.  Well they had a number of daughters, and like many royal couples no surviving sons.  What is it with royals and sons - I had no trouble. For those of you with little Spanish history but some English history (or have seen The Tudors) their youngest daughter, Katherine, was the  first wife of Henry IIIV of England, Katherine of Aragon (no sons there either !). 

But it is mad Joanna who is the best family story.  Joanna was married to early to Phillip of Burgundy.  He was considered a dish, so was nicknamed the Handsome.  I have checked him out on google and not so sure about the handsome.  Anyway, Joanna was happy enough and she was besotted with him.  So besotted that when he died young she refused to believe it. It is now thought she developed severe melancholia or an inherited schizophrenia, but at the time she was just labelled mad -  acquiring the Spanish monicker, Juana la Loca.  She is reputed to have refused to let them bury Phillip's body and to have carted the embalmed remains around with her for 19 years.  She inherited the kingdom of Castille when her mother died (but not Aragon as women could not inherit in that kingdom), however her son locked her up in a convent on the basis of her illness and took control of the kingdom.  Bastard.

Buskers

You come across buskers everywhere in big cities  In France there was everything from the obligatory human statues to string quartets.  In Spain however, at least in the south, it is generally Classical/Flamenco guitars which dominate.  

There have been some statues too.  In the cathedral square in Granada was a beautiful angel, and down won of the side streets a stereotypical warrior of Islam, a fearsome caricature with a turban and giant scimitar, who bowed majestically when I dropped  a Euro in his hat.  

The Angel

But in every side street it seems, you come across guitarists.  One was playing a piece I had learned myself many years ago as a student of classical guitar.  Others are more traditional flamenco either half singing/half shouting themselves or accompanied by another.  At nights in some of the Tapas bars I am told this can also be accompanied by dancing - but we were never wake long enough to see this ourselves.  

We dined at the top of the Albaycin - the old muslim quarter of Granada - last night.  The square in front of the church of San Nicholas was full of people.  Many are tourists, but there are many locals too, or Spanish on tour themselves.  They are here for the beautiful views of El Alhambra, but there is also, of course, a guitarist accompanying a singer to entertain and make a few Euro.  His standard is the Gypsy Kings number, Bombalaya.  Not strictly flamenco, but well know by tourist and Grenadian alike, and very popular.  

On the terrace of our restaurant with the same beautiful view of El Alhambra, we could still hear the strains in the distance.  The restaurant has provided its own entertainment though, in the form of a very accomplished guitarist who played more modern, but flamenco influenced guitar, along the lines of Paco Pena.  Music as an accompaniment to food is common.  Earlier, in one of the  squares near the Cathedral we had also come across a duet of bass and another instrument like a stringed xylophone, entertaining the patrons in one restaurant and a guitarist/singer in another.

Busker near the Cathedral

Entertainers in one of the restaurants

Around the Plaza Nuevo ('new' because it has only been here since Ferdinand and Isabella 'freed' the city from the Moors back in 1492) there is different street theatre - groups of men (and women) strangely  dressed - some with tea-shirts with a portrait photo on them, who we think are there to celebrate a friends impending nuptials.  There is raucous singing as they move through the streets which increases in volume when they meet another like-minded group.

Saturday night in Granada is very entertaining!

Alhambra

El Alhambra from hte Albaycin

I have seen a number of palaces and fortresses in my time, Windsor, Versailles, the great crusader castle Al Karak in Jordan, the Red Fort in Delhi and the great Rajastani walled cities, of which Jaipur is the biggest, but I am not sure that any compare with the Alhambra, which for me is up there with Petra.  Built by the Muslim sultans of Granada high over what is now the current city it is an impressive complex of palace, fortification and courtyards with lavish pleasure gardens, pools and water fountains.  The original walled city included a medina, where the city inhabitants lived, and large cultivated areas for food production.  It is massive, but it is not just its size that makes it so impressive, it is the sheer beauty.  The Moors certainly knew how to live - the gardens are perfectly hedged and planted with an abundance of flowering and scented plants, including roses to rival Flemington.

The gardens of Generalife in the Alhambra

This is the palace that Isabella and Ferdinand won from Sultan Boabdil and, unfortunately they immediately set about 'christianising' the place, with their grandson, Emperor Charles V, later building a travesty of a huge Baroque palace in the middle of the complex.  Fortunately the Moorish architecture and gardens still dominate and make this a very special place.  We had dinner last night (for my birthday, and thank you for the cards and messages) at a restaurant that overlooks the palace and it is even more beautiful lit up at night.  Tim and Alistair - you may recall a similar experience dining in Rajasthan overlooking the glorious Jaiselmir palace.

A pool in the main palace complex

Anyway, words will not do Alhambra justice, so I will let Tom take over with pictures.

Carving in  an Archway

Detail of a door

El Alhambra from the Peridor San Nicholas in the Albaycin at evening

Tapas and Pomegranates

We have arrived in Granada and my first impression is mixed.  The drive from the airport is through the suburbs, and it is unattractive high rise residential and showing the signs of the economic slow down in Spain.  But, on the positives, there is our taxi driver.  I have decided that not all Spanish men are hot, but when they are, they are very hot.

On the drive to our hotel as we enter the old city I am warming to Granada.  By the time we arrive at our hotel I am sold, and when the taxi driver drops us and points up the alley to our hotel and we drag our cases up the cobbled lane I am in love.

A typical Granadera[?]

Hotel Casa Del Capitel Nazari - even the name is romantic

Our hotel is a converted Renaissance palace in the medieval district of Granada, and it must be of genuine interest because a walking tour guide brought his tour into the inner courtyard this morning as we were having breakfast to extol the virtues of the building to his audience.  All in Spanish, which is a shame as I could have recounted it all to you now - but needless to say it is gorgeous. And despite its age and stone walls it has excellent wifi!

Granada was the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain.  Isbella and Ferdinand took the city in 1492 after a 10 year seige.  The then Sultan agreed to vacate the city on the promise that the Muslims could continue to live in the city unmolested and free to practice their religion.  Well, we all know what happened to that promise.  In fact we are staying very close to the Plaza Nueva where many of the Inquistion burnings took place.

El Alhambra from the Albaycin

Tapas

Having arrived early evening we did not plan an adventous night so headed to the hotel bar for tapas.  Red wine for Tom and a Clara for me - beer with lemonade!  Why is beer with lemonade so accepted in Europe and laughed at back home.  Leonie - we need to move to Europe !  We ordered a plate of jamon tapas to snack on.  Drinks arrive - all good.  Then out comes a plate with bread and a claggy looking thing on top, but the waitress has rushed away before we can query it.  We ponder for a bit and then call her back, with much menu pointing and gesturing.  But of course we are the stupid foreigners and this plate is the gratis tapas that comes with our drinks.  The paid tapas comes later.  And the claggy stuff was a fantastic patata frittata - my new favourite food.  I am learning to cook that when I get home.  So we wander around for a bit - stuffed with potato and ham and not really feeling like a real dinner and we opt for ice cream instead.  Bliss!

Friday is our first full day in Granada and we fill it with a visit to the Alhambra - but that is a another story and probably one best told by the 100+ photos Tom took.  So watch out for that blog.

Why Pomegranates ?

Granada is the Spanish word for pomegranate - hence the word Grenadine (French) for that lovely red syrup.  They grow everywhere here and it is the city's heraldic symbol.  They do not seem to be in season yet and I have not seen any available for eating or on the menus.  Guess I will just have to come back to Granada in pomegranate season.

A statue in Granada near the Cathedral

Here is a link to all our photos: https://plus.google.com/photos/108452355031701881537/albums?banner=pwa. You may need so sign up to goole+ to see them. 

Au Revoir France & Hola Espana

Today we leave France and the family travels come to an end.  Gemma has been safely deposited at Quimper train station to catch the 6.32am train to Paris where she catches up with friends for a few days and then they all travel onto Berlin and other exotic destinations in Europe.  Tom and I are taken to Brest airport to get a flight to Barcelona and from there connecting flight to Granda. And tomorrow, Lesley, Jeff and John fly to London to start the English and Irish legs of their journey.

Mont San Michel

I can't believe it has only been 12 days since we landed in Paris. We have done so much it seems an age ago. We have had a ball ! At the end of each day I often ask everyone to name the 'best thing' of each day, and of course no one can limit their response to just one thing.  We have had the best time and I cannot believe how charming and helpful everyone we have encountered has been.  But most of all the hospitality we have received from Tom's French/Australian cousin and his French family has been overwhelming and we cannot thank them enough for their warm welcome.

Breakfast at our B&B in the french countryside

For me the highlight is probably the food. Every meal has been exceptionally good, and my new favourite flavour is cassis, blackcurrant.  We got some cassis jam in Paris on our first day and since then we have been hooked on all things cassis, especially in ice cream.

Strawberries & meringues in strawberry liqueur on the dock at Concarneau 

As I finish this instalment of the blog France is behind us and we are Granada airport where it is a pleasant 32 degrees.  I am already in love with Spain, not least because our transfer in Barcelona gave us the opportunity to enjoy a beer in the open air courtyard bar.  How good is that !