foreman's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries

foreman's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member foreman on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/foreman en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:37:47 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Requena....Wine Festival — Requena, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720286/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720286/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720286/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:37:47 -0500 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Requena, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands

Requena is a lovely town on the outskirts of Valencia, that has both the old quarter and the new - which is typical.   We stayed in the old part in a apartment, as part of a hotel.  Now when we say 'hotel' don't think Westin, Sheraton or anything remotely like that - think old concrete facade with wrought iron balaconies, potted colour and cobblestone square.  Basic inside, but plenty of room and absolutely perfect for the 7 of us.  Of course you could walk everywhere, as most things were happening just outside the front door!Through the old town there runs a pedestrian boulevard, lined with cafes and bars either side, and down one end of the boulevard there were wine tents set up for tasting's of the regions wines.   Well, seeing as we are still very much in the learning process when it comes to the Spanish wines, we took the opportunity to sample as many as could.  It cost 7 euros per person for the glass and 8 tasting tickets.  It's important to note here, that the tastings are NOT a drop in the bottom of the glass, the portions were more than generous, and on the first night I couldn't finish using all the tickets!   The second night, we tried some of the more reserve wines that 'cost' 2 tickets.  At one of the tasting tents there was a very helpful girl that took some time to explain some things about the wines, and also invited us to visit her families winery the next day which of course we promptly accepted. We arrived late morning to Chozas Carrascal winery, where the owner came out to meet us and introduced us to his winemaker.  Fantastic guy, with exceptional english vocabulary (studied for a time in the U.S.), who spent no less than 2 hours with us (just Gary & I).  He first took us out the vineyard where we tasted the grapes of a new Sav they are producing and also the Chardonnay grape and a merlot.  Red wines are still predominent in this country, one of the main reasons is: it's what they've always drunk, and the older generation in particular will never change; one of the exceptions is that a rose is drunk in the hotter summer months.  After our tour of the vineyard we came inside and were taken through the production process including the wine vats (both concrete and stainless steel), bottling plant etc.  Also we were able to see parts of the historic winery including the large concrete tanks still stained with the red wine - they've cut holes in them now, like doorways, to enable you to see them and utillize them - actually, look at the photo, that's much better than me trying to explain that one!Of course, finally we were able to drink the wine in the chic and modern tasting room.  Even though the outside of the home and winery are traditional, inside is quite a different story.  We were very impressed with the minimalist design and cean lines.  The owners are forward thinking, and travelled through Spain, France & Itlay to come with this very unique design. As the winemaker said, they all enjoyed working in such a modern environment - we enjoyed being there.This is a week I would recommend to anyone and as well as the wine tasting there is a whole host of other entertainment happening, in particular our kids enjoyed the fair, complete with roller-coasters, bumper cars and candy floss.Of course, no celebration, fair or fiesta in this country is complete without the fireworks display, and what a display it was.  AND IT WAS LOUD.   But hey, that's how do things here, all in nothing ..................  I'll take the all    :)
]]> Jul & Aug - Summer Vacation — Benissa, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247754344/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247754344/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247754344/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:35:23 -0500 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Benissa, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands

July & August are the official summer holidays and that means 2 things:  some places close, like schools and my gym (apparantly there's no need to exercise in the holidays),  and our surrounding beach towns swell to 10 times their size!   OK, 'ten times' might be a slight exaggeration, but when we can't get a carpark after 9.30am in our local village - then that's a sure sign, the season has changed.  Actually, there's a 3rd thing you can count on:   fiesta after fiesta after fireworks and fireworks.  Summer is just one big party - the siesta is vital in order to keep up ... (or maybe that's just my age talking).We started the summer holidays with yet a few more boxes from New Zealand that hadn't quite made it in the shipping container, that needed to be unpacked. Of course, unpacking is the easy part, it's fitting all the 'stuff' into the much smaller house, that we now live in, that becomes the challenge. But, with a few more trips to furniture empire Ikea, in Murcia (where it's 40+ degrees) and some help from friends,  we now have photos and pictures on the wall, rugs down etc  ....   and  ......  we've bought a big garden shed to store the rest in!!   Typical.Unfortunately, we also had to say good-bye to our very good friends, who after some years here, have moved back to Holland.  Of course, it was very exciting for them (if not, a little sad for us), but we packed as much as possible into those last few weeks, and ended up with a simple bbq (kiwi style) here at home, and in return they gave us a lovely dinner on the beach of Javea.  There's a lot more I could say about all that, because, let's face it, when you travel, and you're so far from 'home', it's the people that you meet, that make the difference.  We're just grateful Holland's only a couple of hours away! Admist all the beach visits, snorkeling, and socialising, we have tried to maintain a routine of sorts   ... children have continued their Spanish lessons three times a week, then there's some homework, basic housework, and Trent has spent four weeks at a Football clinic, a lot of it in the heat of the day - but he never complained - he loved it.  The idea behind this 'football school' was to try to get him to understand the basics of the game, before the new season starts.  That might sound strange, but, when, from the age of 4, you've only ever played the physically hard game of rugby, where everyone gets dumped on the ground, and all in sundry go after the ball and run like mad for the try line, then the positional play of soccor/football is extremely foreign... and even more so, when the coach yells at you from the side-line in Spanish!  So football school it was.  Now, the challenge is to find him a club.  Next month's blog.   Of course amongst that we've also managed some days away ...  keep an eye out for our travel blogs on Bunol, Requina & Valencia.   Speaking of Valencia, Gary and Harrison (10) treated themselves to the Formula One Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago and had a wonderful time meeting like minded fanatics, while enjoying some great food, fiestas and real Spanish hospitality. (I think Gary's going to write a more detailed entry on that one.)  The rest of us enjoyed a quiet week-end at home enjoying the sun, the pool, and eating whenever we felt like it .... The other thing that we've really enjoyed this summer is the night-time activities -  with everyone indoors resting in the heat of the afternoon, the warm balmy evenings are the best time to enjoy what the region has to offer, at this time of year.   We've enjoyed fun fares, open-air cinemas on the beach, late night ice-creams and many night time swims. You really have to become nocturnal - but it's quite magical.  Of course we've managed to fit in a few bbqs a birthday party or two, one that was a catered for Paella party, and check out the cake photos - 6 birthday cakes and the kids got to choose which one that wanted to spoon out of,  (isn't that a childs dream?!) The incident this summer, that wasn't quite so magical, was our trip to the Central Salud (Medical Centre), after-hours emergency department when Brad cut his head open.  Lots of blood, and quite a gaping wound, looked worse than it was.  As much as the Spanish people love the children, they don't really give out the whole 'teddy bear' attention when it comes to medics.  Brad was straight in to see the doctor (more or less), she had a good look, shaved his hair, and promptly put 3 staples in his head to close the wound - no anethistic.  No time for that, I guess.  Of course, after staple 2, he was yelling "no mas", but it was over and done with, and we were sent home with no problem.  Checked the next day, and back again in a week to have them removed.  Even though, we are not paying into the tax system, nor do we have a European travel card insurance (because we're from NZ), nor do we have a private doctor - they still took us, and fixed him up, and never charged us.   We were very grateful.  However, it seems like we have to go to the city of Denia (15 mins away), to get us all heath reference numbers for anything in the future.   (Any bloggers looking for more info on that - we'll keep you posted on the outcome.)All that besides, we decided to 'splash out' ......     With all the crowds of people, and our frustration with the whole parking thing, we've bought ourselves a little white scooter.  And we love it!  Really great if you just want to pop into town for bread, or it's just Gary & I off to Spanish etc, etc.  Everyone here drives scooters , and now we see why.  They're easy, casual, you can always park (and you don't have to pay). They are such an accepted form of travelling, that even the 'Guardia Civil' (police) tend to ignore you.  This is a very good thing, when these months can prove very lucratvie for them in terms of fines (tourists are the worst targets).  We've even heard from a number of people, how they are being fined (from $300) for wearing any sort of foot-wear that doesn't have a strap at the back.  So ladies ... forget those summer sandals .....So, with our siestas, our night-time outings and now our scooter....... summer has turned us Spanish.
]]> The City of Love — Paris, Île-de-France, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1256973964/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1256973964/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1256973964/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:31:29 -0500 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

Yes, we had to do it.  Paris is just too close to ignore for any longer, and the kids had been asking since May if we could go.  To cut a long story short - to visit this city in the summer months is too crowded and too expensive. Not an option for us.  So, we promised we would try and go for Tara's 13th birthday, and as we started looking at airfares we were blessed with free flights for all of us there and back at the exact time we wanted!. NB: Ryan Air often have 'free' flights to fill up their planes, (tho you still have to pay the taxes) but it doesn't normally work out quite so perfectly, so we were rapt.  We left on Saturday afternoon, were met on time by a car pick up service (who effectively park your car for a fee), straight to check in desk, which these days the lines are very small, as they are encouraging hand luggage only, by charging for every check in bag.  We checked in one bag only for the fee of 20euros ($40), and the kids just had their school bags on their backs, except for Princess Greta who had to be seen with her pink Bratz bag, of course.Picked up rental car (yes we remembered to bring our GPS!), and drove about an hour into the city and found our hotel, Novotel easy.  They provide parking at 18euros a day.  We read reviews about this hotel, and it was very good for what we wanted.  Breakfast was included which was more than adequate, the staff were great, everything was very clean and as far as location goes it was excellent.  Straight across the road from the Metro, Supermarket 2 mins away, and lot of shops and restaurants right the way down the street.We woke up on Sunday morning to Tara's birthday.  Prezzies were first on the agenda, although not really thinking about what I'd wrapped, I'd had to ditch a couple of the aersols at customs in Alicante (body spray and hair product), the day before, so she didn't quite get everything and the ripped birthday paper wasn't a good like either .. she didn't really seem to notice.We got the Metro (10 ticket blocks are cheaper), and headed into the city which effectively was only about 10-15 minutes, as the trains run every 2-4 minutes, so your waiting time is very mimimal.  We had wanted to do something a bit different for her birthday, so we had booked ourselves on a city cycle tour with a company called Fat Tyre. It was really, really good.   The 3 older kids had their own bikes, and Gary and I tandemed (is that a word??) the younger 2.   It was great because they got to pedal, but only if they wanted.  Our young tour guide was awesome, and he took the 2 boys up the front with him, for safety reasons, but of course they loved being the 'leaders' and he was joking with them all day.The tour took about 4 hours or so, in which we cycled through the city, the parks, and soaked up the glorious atmosphere.   We had the added bonus that it was a Sunday, and some of the roads are closed to traffic (ie down by the river)  to allow cyclists and roller bladers to enjoy their city.  So we really got to 'feel' Paris and enjoy it's beauty.   Our memories of Paris on our last trip were of a dirty, noisy hub so it was nice to see the other side.   We stopped in the central park for lunch, although, knowing Paris prices, I had packed a snack of tuna wraps beforehand which was just as well!  We topped up with 2 coffees, 4 hot chocolates and 3 hot dogs for the sum of  50eruos (well 49 with a tip).  For kiwis that's around $100 or so. Hmmm... hello Paris ... it did taste good tho. For Tara's birthday dinner that night, we went to the Hippo Restaurant just a short walk down the road which was much better value - great family restaurant & would definitely recommend. The next couple of days we took in the normal sights ie: Eiffel Tower - still impressive and yes we queued with the throngs for the trip to the top, the Arc de Triomphe,where we just stood in the middle and found great entertainment by simply watching the cars negotiate this death trap!  Took a walk down from there on the main Champs Elysees, revelled in the window shopping of Cartier, and bought some souveniers for the boys at Peugot.  Also managed to fit in a relaxing cruise down the Seine.  Of course we did all the tourist things, including a brief view of the gorgeous town of Versailles Palace, but tourist or not, you can't help but wish you had so much more time, and so much more money.  We will deinitely be back. 
]]> Gary's F1 Monza trip - Gran Premio D'Italia 2009 — Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1252601201/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1252601201/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1252601201/tpod.html Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:15:47 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy

One of the attractions for us in moving to Spain, was to be able to easily access and explore Europe and also to be able enjoy the big events that take place. So, Wednesday night (after a:  should I go/not go conversation)....I booked myself a ticket for the Friday morning to Bergamo, Italy via Ryan Air. The city of Bergamo is about 40mins away from Monza - my ultimate reason for going.....to see the Italian F1 race.Just a small bit of history - this was the 80th year that the race has been held here....the last 60 years under the FIA banner.Bergamo was only a 90 minute flight away........and Bergamo is an incredibly beautiful town.  I stayed in the upper part (the old part) of the town in a hotel dating back to the 14th century....yes it has recently been renovated. Cobblestone streets, lots of nice (expensive!)shops, plenty of churches, fashionable people, fantastic cafes & restaurants......it was great to be back in Italy again (the last time being some 14 years ago).Saturday and Sunday was spent at the race track of course and pleasingly there was good walking access right around the track.  I loved it.... the combination of lots of history  together with the passionate Italian's (lots of Ferrari supporters of course), made for a charged  atmosphere; the added bonus of exciting racing, with loads of other entertainment - it was awesome!Sat in the Parabolica grandstand which gave me spectacular views of the cars as they break from over 200mph to enter the high speed parabolica curve....see the pics. Met up with some South Africans at the track who were only too happy to tell me about the rugby game.....Met a Kiwi.....(or the nearest thing to)....after the race on Sunday  - I went to a bar in Bergamo and met a pilot named Gary from Christchurch originally (now living in Ireland) and his partner, Christine .....weird huh?  Anyway - spent the rest of the night chatting away to these guys.So, what can I say, the smell of 'rocket fuel' and burning rubber, the pocket somewhat lighter and the taste of Italy still lingering - what a way to spend a week-end!
]]> Valenica CIty — Valencia, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720225/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720225/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720225/tpod.html Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:09:22 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Valencia, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands

Valencia city - a city of contrasts; filled with gorgeous examples of period structures, modern shopping havens, cafes along the beach boardwalk and bang, smack in the middle - the Communidad's answer to futuristic architecture.    The Valencian Communidad has spared no expense on these extravagent showpieces, in a complex that houses the science museum, IMAX theatre, arts museum etc, separated by large pools of tranquil water -  no doubt the America's Cup was a catalyst for the open pockets.We lapped it up.  On our entry to the  L'Oceanographic we were blessed with a simple, but effective entreprenual idea: the 10 year old local 'selling' buy one/get one free tickets, that actually come FREE from McDonalds, but we didn't have any (of course).  So we paid half price at the gate, gave him some cash as commission, and everyone walked away happy.  That boy will go far.If you've been to any Seaworld complex, then this will be very familiar to you - the penguin complex, polar bears, strikingly colourful fish of the warm Pacific coast, the incredible, highly interative dolphin show and the underground carriageway that takes you through the tunnels of the fish tanks (sharks and all) - except this one, you can do school sleepovers ... sleeping with the sharks .... now that's a school trip!The short walk down the road to the Science Museum was hot, and those pools looked so inviting!  Nobody else was taking advantage of them, but we were in heaven the minute we stepped in that water (or at least our feet were).   Now, I have to be honest, when someone mentions the word 'Science' I don't get the 'warm fuzzies' (mention a wine tour, that's a different story), anyway, I have to eat humble pie here and say it was so much fun!  Yes, I can use the word 'fun' and 'science' in the same sentence.   The majority of their displays required some interaction on our part, which was interesting to say the least - see how far you could jump, memory games, listening tests, etc etc.   It really was great, and the best thing for us, is that there was something there to interest everyone, regardless of age.  Would highly recommend a visit here.Of course, no city visit is complete without the compulsory historic walk where we visited the cathedral (naturally), and the food market, bought some cheap copy DVD's off the sidewalk, fed the stray dog, and did some serious window shopping ... The new infrastructure this city has created around the old town is to be applauded, even if, (rightly or wrongly) the Communidad has left other cities in its region, like Alicante, looking like the very poor cousins.   At any rate, regardless of the politics, it's a wonderful place to be... and as we live only a 1hr drive away, we will be back (or at least I will, to do some REAL shopping!)
]]> La Tomatina Festival — Bunol, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720051/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720051/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251720051/tpod.html Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:19:17 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Bunol, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands

Why is it, that whenever we told people we were going (or had been) to Tomitina - the tomato festival - they shook their head and laughed???For some reason, Gary got in his head, (I'll blame him), that we'd go to Bunol to participate in the world famous tomato fesitval.  This basically involves throwing very ripe tomatoes at each other, that of which is supplied on big trucks to the crowds of partygoers lining the main street (very narrow might I add).I'm going to tell you my experience of it, from a different vantage point .....   ie: not absolved in the midst of it, but close enough to take some gruesome photos, and get pelted with the odd tomato or two......  We parked about a 15 minute walk away, mainly because the streets were blocked off, and as we walked through the town every cafe and bar was full, with a melting pot of every imaginable costume mingled of course, with the old spanish men having their morning drinks, (why let the mere fact that 40,000 people are coming for a party, spoil their ritual).  As we walked along the streets with the crowds, it started to become quite obvious that there were very few children around -  we did begin to wonder, but ploughed on ahead anyway.We got to the 'main street' - which is about the size of a pedestrian walkway, in which hundreds of bodies had now congregated.  Gary took the boys further into the crowd (they were really keen to throw some tomatoes!), and the girls and I stayed put.  As the hooters went off, the crowd roared and cheered, and we saw the truck inching forward into the masses.   Us girls backed away a bit at this point, and up in the side street - which gave us a perfect view.  What we didn't realise at the time, was the consequence of the truck pulling into a small street, already jammed packed, meant people were nearly crushed as they all tried to make room for it as it made its way through.  Many were heard to scream.   As Gary had Brad on his shoulders, trying to lift up Trent (nearly unsuccessfully), while yelling at Harrison to stay upright and NOT to fall (you wouldn't have got up again) - it now made sense why there are no children present.  It is fun, it is different, the smell is amost sickening and it is dangerous.   When they finally made it out, the two younger boys were subdued, and Trent in particular was very, very hot. As we made our way back to the car - we had a number of options for lunch - obviously the infamous Spanish paella, but we just opted for a simple ham & cheese bocadilla (no tomato please), from one of many makeshift 'food tables' around.  No restrictions here, safety, food, health, liquor or otherwise  - we even passed a couple of guys just selling beer out of big green garbage bins filled with ice, now that's enterprising stuff!At the end of the day, we had all experienced something different, something unique to this culture, but I think Brad (5). summed it up the best - when I asked him if he was alright,  he just simply replied "I don't like tomatoes" ..................... I can't say I blame him.
]]> Valencia F1 Grand Prix — Valencia, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251719764/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251719764/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1251719764/tpod.html Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:15:12 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Valencia, Valencian Country, Spain and Canary Islands

One of the benefits of living in Europe is the acessability to big sporting events such as F1....and luckily in Spain, we get more motorsport events than other countries. Which is a bonus, if you're a motorsport fanatic like me! It is also handy that Valencia is only 1hr away, and the European F1 Grand Prix is held around the streets of Valencia...the Americas Cup area.I were not sure if I was going or not - but given Michael Schumachers announcement that he was going to race...I immediately booked a tour package from myself and Harrison....unfortunately some time later, it was annouced that Schumacher had pulled out.  I couldn't do the same.I decided on tour package to be part of a group to make more enjoyable, and to take the hassle out of transportation to circuit and hotel bookings, and also to have like-minded people in which to share the days events with.We stayed about 40mins inland from Valencia, in a town called Requena...and our hotel was in the  upper part of town right in the town square area. The village had a medival festival on whilst we stayed there......which was really neat....see pics.Weekend involved late nights and early morning starts - Harrison (10) seemed to cope with this a lot easier than me  (surely not an age thing???)   Anyway the tour package included dinners and drinks which made things easy. but late.Saturday and Sunday were very warm days at the track.  Racing was awesome!!  .....fast!  And LOUD!!  Earplugs are a MUST!   Of course there was the compulsory 'beautiful people' and for most money was no object - thankfully the group that we were with, were not showy in the slightest and we were there for the common interest of the sport.Harrison had a ball, as we all did - it was a great social time and also very rewarding go away together like this.....just the two of us.  Come Monday though....I needed a rest, he didn't.
]]> Tarragona...a city full of History — Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247757531/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247757531/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247757531/tpod.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:30:45 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

This place deserves an entry all of its own, and I know, as I start to write this, I'm really not going to have the words to convey the depth of this little piece of earth......A little history lesson to set the scene ..  Tarragona was first occupied by the Romans in 218BC (and we know how brillant and thorough they were, hence there buildings are still around!).  It was ruled by Augustus, and in 27BC he made it the capital of the province until 25BC.  It was abondanded in AD714 when the Muslims arrived but was 'reborn' as a Christian entity some 300 years later.  Of course all this makes for a rich and absorbing visit, as many, many remains are still there to be seen.  Our first sight was, what is left of the old Roman bridge (right next to the highway), just before we took the city turnoff.  It is very easy to do a walk around the old town, and we started (although it was very hot) at the Amfiteatre Roma, where you can still see the old concrete bench seats set up in a circular from, so that the sport being held below could be viewed by all.   Unfortuanately, the sport held in this arena, at that time,  was a fight to the death (think the Gladiator movie), where men/gladiators either were forced to fight each other, or an animal, to the death.    Along the street, we also saw glimpes of the Pretori i Circ Romans, where the chariot races took place.The Cathedral was another impressive sight.  It sits at the top of the hill, take the cobbled stoned path to the top of the town, and on your way, you can purchase something at the antique stalls set up (even a 1915? military bicicyle for sale for 800 euros).  Once you step inside this vast space, filled with 16th century tapestries, gorgeous stained glass, and 15th century stalls made of walnut, you really are in another world.   The main alter, made of marble was carved in the 13th century, and although photos are permitted, when we entered, on a Sunday, at the end of a church service, complete with choir and encompassing piped organ music throughout, it was almost sacreligious to start 'snapping'.  It was however, definitely, a place worth a visit, and to spend some time.You could walk these streets for hours if you had the stamina (and not the young children), and the time.  The museum visits (where you can visit vaults, more city walls, sculpture and pottery) will definitely but next on our agenda when we return .. and I really hope, that's not in the too distance future.  Incredible.  
]]> Villanova....Barcelona — Vilanova i la Geltru, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247754143/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247754143/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1247754143/tpod.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:20:09 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Vilanova i la Geltru, Catalonia, Spain and Canary Islands

Oh how we love Barcelona!   A bit of a trek for us to get there, by the time we caught the bus from our camp site to the train station, wait for the train, and then a 40 minute trip into the central city, but it had to be done as the alternative option was going to be drive in, which practically is not an option at all.We were fortunate to stay at a very large campsite, possibly too big in some respects but extremely well equipped with excellent facilities including restaurant's, bars (overlooking one of the 3 pools), great entertainmet area complete with games arcade, lots of sports areas etc etc.  Also, the most important thing for us, was of course the access to the city, and the bus-stop being outside the entrance.So, we arrived into this bustling, cosmopolitan city ......... in the rain!  Yep, as luck would have it, our touring day turned out to be one of the wettest days they'd had in a long time.  In fact, as I was speaking to another couple who we met (while waiting for the Tour de France to pass through), they said it was so unusual for it to rain like that in Barcelona, at this time year, and the only consoling factor was that we were experiencing something really unique for this city .... hahaha (one can only laugh).   Still nothing was going to dampen our enthusiasm....We did the only thing we could do (expect shopping as Tara had so predictably suggested), we jumped on the double decker tourist bus, which stops at around 35 stops, (which includes the Barcelona Footaball stadium, muesums and harbour) and we just sat on it for a couple of hours, with a running commentary/history etc, and just caught some glimpses through fogged up windows and downpours.  Wasn't quite our ideal, however, it did give us a general perspective, and confirmed our desire to be back the next day for more (touring, not rain!)Speaking of touring, we lined up with thousands of others (and waited 3 wet hours)  to see the end of one of the legs of the Tour de France.  It was just something we had wanted to do, and I have to confess, that we don't really know much about who is racing (other than Lance Armstrong), so after all the fanfare that is the build-up, (giveaways, parade etc), at the end of day we saw a whole lot of bikes whizzing past, on the way to the finishing post at the Placa d'Espanya.  It is a breathtaking monumental fountain, that you may have seen many times in the 1992 Olympic Games, and you could see the faces of those bikers (and supporters in the cars) as the rounded the corner and saw that sight - it was priceless.  What a way to spur you onto the finish.  (Tara got the winner photo). After that was over (around 5.30-6.00pm) the weather had subsided somewhat, so we jumped back on the bus, and sat on top of the double-decker and did another hour - okay, that was definitely different - you could see so much more.     By the time we got back to the camp at 9.00pm, very tired, possible a little damp, and hungry, we plonked ourselves down in the camp restaurant (apologizing for our appearance), we ordered clams, which SOoooo fresh, they reminded me of the pipi collecting we used to do as children, and how we would boil up the water and eat them as soon as the steamed open.  They tasted just like that.   We converted Harrison, and ordered 3 plates of them the next night!The next day, back into the city, (thankfully finer weather), and we saw many sights, that I can only describe as 'majestic'.  The city dates from 1 BC, and was a Roman colony, so the history there is intense, it's on every corner in some form. What I personally enjoyed was the contrast, as you would see a building (in fact many) that was typically Gaudi's architecture (100 yrs ago and his presence is still felt through many sectors of the city; his inspiration was nature), to the very modern architecture and retail outlets, and everything else in between (ie: the olympic stadium, the cable car etc).  Something for everyone.  As well as the 'Christopher Columbus Monument', one the most interesting sights was that of the 'Sagrada Familia' which is still under construction.   So...?   Well, the building on it actually started in the late 19th century (thinking english/europe church with tall, tall steeples), and it is now funded through the church-goers, entrance fees, donations etc.  This was Gaudi's dream and when he died in 1926 there was only one tower (steeple) that had been completed.  There are now a few (maybe 8 plus).   Interesting, how so many other people can grasp hold of the dream, of one man who died 83 years ago.   Also, that day we did a walk up the La Rambla, a pedestrian walkway that runs through the middle of the road, where the signts are as varied as they are bizzare.  The vendor who sells hamsters and mice, sets up next to the silver painted lady and harp imitating a statue (very successfully).   Admist all of that is the tacky tourist shop that will sell you a fridge magnet, a fan, and an 'I LOVE BARCELONCA'  t-shirt.  I'm not knocking it - we bought one, and yes, .......  we do love Barcelona. PS. We think it would be a great city to experience as a couple minus the kids for a weekend.PS. Dan Carter also loves Barcelona.
]]> July - The South of France — Argeles-sur-Mer, Languedoc-Roussillon, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1246799952/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1246799952/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/foreman/2/1246799952/tpod.html Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:59:03 -0400 KIWIS LIVING IN ESPANA

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Argeles-sur-Mer, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

After much deliberations, about where we should go (the world is our oyster), for how long, and when, we decided to head to France for a few days.   Most of that decision, was based on our promise to the children that we would go to France for the holidays - of course, it was a 'general' remark, that turned into a ... "YOU PROMISED"  BLAH, BLAH, BLAH ....   Okay, so we cornered ourselves with that one, but we're very glad we did!Obviously the drive up, is half the fun (from a tourist point of view).  The chalets, the acres and acres of grapes and vegetation, the upspoilt coastline, the sunflowers in bloom - it really is quite spectacular.  The drive took us about 6 hours, although not completely 'incident free'.   As luck would have it, we got a warning light come up on the dashboard, seemingly about the tyre - (acutally we had to have that bit confirmed by some fellow travellers, on our lunch break, as the warning came up written in German!)   Anyway, to cut a long story short, didn't actually see any problem, carried on to the camp, some 3 hours further up the road, and in fact they tyre did go down, but not until an hour after we got there.  Thank goodness!!   I can't even begin to imagine, what we would have done, with a flat tyre (with nuts that we couldn't get off!!),  on the side of a busy highway, in 38%C heat, in a country that is completely foreign to us.  At least this way, we had the help of staff at the camp: to remove the tyre, point us in the right direction of a 'tyre fixer', and of course, days for us to relax without needing the use of a vehicle. Amongst the normal camp activities we enjoyed, ie: bicylce hire, karaoke, daily visits to the bakery for sweet custard donuts and chocolate crossaints, lots of swimming, entertainment etc, we also managed a day trip to the relatively modern city of Perpignon, (although still seeped in history) and an afternoon sight-seeing through the Banylus region - which was quaint as it was vast.   Time has done nothing to damage or deter from cobblestone streets, speciality shops, boutique wineries where most have been carefully operated through genereations of the same family.   Simple.   Good.  In fact, I probably have to elaborate a little bit more on that point ... there was a winery every kilometre (or so it seemed) with often just a shack as shop, (although some of these shacks have the most incredible view over the ocean), where tasting is not only enjoyable, it is expected.  And of course, we had to oblige - when in France ...... etc etcWhether this is your thing or not, one thing can not be disputed:   it is obvious to all, that these people do not need anything other than to work hard, make a good wine, and enjoy the fruits of life.....  hmmmm......  perhaps we could all take a leaf out of that book .....
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