IVAN and I were on holiday for a couple of weeks and since we've been back, there was just no time to get a blog entry done. So what have we been up to since we started our holiday? OK a quick run down of events.
WE spent eight nights with friends in Amsterdam. We arrived just after a heavy wind and rain storm which had some fatalities across northern Europe including The Netherlands. Trees falling on cars, into canals and the like... not pretty. There were two trees blown over in front of the house we were staying at... one in the canal and one crushing a car. Dutch efficiency had the trees cut up and removed by Saturday evening having landed there on Thursday (I couldn't say that would happen as quickly here ion Andalucia).
SEVEN wonderful days in Amsterdam even though the weather was wet and cold at times, to be expected in January in northern Europe. Lots to eat and drink and we shopped, visited with friends, cooked, slept, baby-sat one entire night (even) and went to the Hague to see the Girl with the Pearl Earring as we had never seen that while we lived there, lovely painting.
WE came back to Malaga very early on the Saturday and went to a large Saturday flea market in Fuengirola for the first time. Then we spent a couple of days in the second week traveling a bit in this area, Cadiz really. We went to Arcos de la Frontera (see photo) ....
View of Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz from below
View from Arcos
.... to see it as we have had clients from there on a few occasions. And as Jerez was not much further down the road, we took ourselves there as well. Unfortunately (wouldn't you know it), all the bodegas that produce many liquors, wines and sherries, of course, were already closed for the day. Tastings and tours are only in the mornings and by appointment so we now know for the next road trip to Jerez. Jerez's old center is beautiful what little we did see of it. Many old, old, old buildings with fancy facades from the 16th and 17th centuries I would venture to say.
WE also spent a day driving down to the Cadiz along the Atlantic coast passing through Gaucin in the lower Genal Valley (see photo)...
WE also spent a day driving down to the Cadiz along the Atlantic coast passing through Gaucin in the lower Genal Valley (see photo)...
Near Gaucin
Near Conil in Cadiz, how green it is!!
I must say the ride there was very nice, after one passes Algeciras down a narrow winding highway with a wind farm of wind mills. See photo...
Wind farm near Algeciras, Cadiz along the road to Tarifa
THE hills are a lush green, covered with grass or growing produce of one sort or another.
WELL, this blog entry is well over due to be posted. I got distracted while writing this last week and am now only ready to post it, a week later. And in the meantime, things have been happening here in the hotel that I could be making other entries for, so here it is.
HASTA la proxima.
