travellerbruce's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member travellerbruce on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/travellerbruce en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 26 May 2009 12:44:17 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com ..and back to London — London, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242751320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242751320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242751320/tpod.html Tue, 26 May 2009 12:44:17 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
London, England, United Kingdom

After a week waiting around to see if the weather would improve, it didn't and I came back to London
]]> Mirtos Beach — Mirtos, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/8/1221767100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/8/1221767100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/8/1221767100/tpod.html Sat, 16 May 2009 13:14:19 -0400 Off to Greece for the summer - Overland! via Italy & FANTASTIC Leonard Cohen Concert
Mirtos, Greece

I had to overcome some serious vertigo on my way to Mirtos, as the road hugged the 1,000-ft contour clinging to the edge of the island, and when I stopped and heart-in-mouth looked down to the Beach below I had to summon an extra dose of courage to take the winding road down. (For some reason I always find going down these roads worse than coming back up!) It was worth it, though.
]]> Back to San Jose — San Jose, Burgundy, Spain http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1241481300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1241481300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1241481300/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 05:59:01 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
San Jose, Burgundy, Spain

Returned to San Jose.Next day drove around to the town of Cabo de Gata, saw the salt-pans, went up the the "Cape", saw the incredible beach of Cabo de Gata, had great lunch there, then went around to the beach at Monsul.Eventually decided I HAD to leave!! 
]]> Trip to Mini-Hollywood — Mini-Hollywood, Burgundy, Spain http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242206880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242206880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242206880/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 05:54:41 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
Mini-Hollywood, Burgundy, Spain

I decided to rent a car for my last couple of days at San Jose, so took the bus into Almeria. Although there is an excellent integrated bus/train station there, Airport buses go from elsewhere!!So I went looking for the bus-stop, found a man who directed me half-a mile down the road. As I walked to the bus-stop, the Airport bus went by! Got to the bus-stop and had to wait 45 minutes for the next one. It's first stop was just by where the man had directed me... so I'd wasted an hour. Bus wound out of town into the hot-house area and eventually came to the Airport where there was a lot of construction work, so it didn't concern me that it didn't stop by what looked like the bus -stop as it was surrounded by diggers, etc.. As we appeared to leave the airport I asked the man beside me if there was another terminal & I thought he said yes. Anxiety levels increased as the runway disappeared into the distance and I got up and asked the driver who told me that he only stopped if someone rang the bell!! I said it was obvious I was a foreigner and that I'd bought the ticket asking to go to the airport. He shrugged and dropped me off at the next stop where I had to wait another hour for a return bus.I rang the bell three times when we re-approached the airport.Picking up the car, I drove into the countryside hills behind Almeria through miles of urban sprawl until eventually finding the motorway heading towards Granada. The terrain became more and more barren. This is the area where all the "spaghetti westerns" (Good Bad & Ugly, etc) were filmed in the 60's and 70's. Allegedly because it looks just like Arizona, but I wouldn't know because I've never been there. Reputedly, it's the driest part of Europe. I headed off the motorway towards Tavernas, spotting a couple of "Wild West" towns along the way, and went to "Mini-Hollywood" which is basically a theme park. Having charged me €2.50 to park, I then paid an exorbitant €19 entry, and since it was getting on went and had an OK self-service meal - also over-priced.There wasn't much to see; a museum of old cinema projectors, old buildings, and a zoo. The latter was rather curious.I stayed around for the "shoot-em-up" show. About all that was worth it in an overpriced trip.As for the countryside, I was underwhelmed as it was nothing like as spectacular as the Copper Canyon in Mexico.
]]> back to Malaga past Gibraltar and AWEFUL coast — Málaga, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1240158720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1240158720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1240158720/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 05:22:09 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
Málaga, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands

Along the way, we ate wonderfully, but her six days were over very quickly, and on the last we dashed round the coast past Gibraltar before joining the motorway up to Malaga past miles and miles of the most appalling coastal over-development imaginable. I know it's hot and sunny there, but I just cannot understand why people would choose to spend time in that great sprawling mass! We drove a bit inland for a last lunch, and went up to Mijas which I had visited 30 years ago. Ruined. But at least with a view. I'd booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express because it was close to Malaga airport and it meant I wouldn't have a hassle dropping Alex off and getting rid of the hire car. The location was great, but it took a frustrating 45 minutes to get to it after we spotted it, and this involved driving into Malaga, turning around, and finding the right Motorway to come back on. Alex flew off, and I dropped off the car and took a bus to the hotel. The bus-stop was on the other side of the motorway and was a half-mile walk to the hotel, where there were no catering facilities or restaurants nearby, and after a week of excellent eating I resorted to a sandwich from the nearby Petrol station. DON'T EVER BE TEMPTED TO STAY THERE!   
]]> Fly to Malaga — Málaga, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1239646740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1239646740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1239646740/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 04:29:49 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
Málaga, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands

Couldn't get away earlier in the day, so ended up staying the night n Malaga after HORRIBLE Ryan-Air experience.
]]> Leave London — London, England, United Kingdom http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1239647160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1239647160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1239647160/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 04:27:33 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
London, England, United Kingdom

To Stansted & (UGH) RyanAir
]]> to Marcilly — Marcilly, Burgundy, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242152220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242152220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242152220/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 04:18:08 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
Marcilly, Burgundy, France

No bus, so took taxi 
]]> TGV to Dijon — Dijon, Burgundy, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242136800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242136800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242136800/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 04:16:56 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
Dijon, Burgundy, France

4 hours straight through to Dijon, where I discovered that bus timetables changed.
]]> Train to Montpellier — Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242061980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242061980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/travellerbruce/10/1242061980/tpod.html Wed, 13 May 2009 04:15:09 -0400 A few weeks discovering Spain in Springtime.
Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Stopping train up the coast past Barcelona and the Pyrenees to Montpellier.Dirty horrible Hotel when I got there in the rain, but great steak for dinner!
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