Tuesday, 8 October 2024

Cordoba

 I sing with the Orfeón Jacetano. We've just come back from a trip to Cordoba, Andalucía. Google Maps say it's 844 km away from here. Taking a coach to Huesca we got on the high speed Ave train there. It took us all the way, with various stops, to Cordoba. 

While in Jaca the weather is autumnal, in Cordoba I wore shorts and sandals all the time,  the temperature in the 30s. 

The hotel was in the old quarter, very close to the Mosque; we were told to get a bus which would take us close: it didn't. So some of us grabbed taxis and covered the rest of the distance in them. Our taxi squeezed through very narrow streets; ones you wouldn't think a car could get through-made me hold my breath!

We had to leave our suitcases in a store-room and go to the restaurant where we were booked to eat. It was a nice meal, although the meat was a little tough, the rest was delicious.

The seats in the train are quite tightly-packed-you can't help playing footsie with the person opposite you.

Hotel los Omeyas, rooms around a central courtyard where we ate breakfast. After dinner we were allocated our rooms and had time to do some exploring.


The Roman bridge tempted me




Patio of the orange trees




The following day was free, so I gave in to my temptation and went for a run first thing; I really wanted to run across the Roman bridge.







It's difficult to see without people, but you can if you get up early enough.
My morning project was the Botanical Gardens.









Poor man's coffee

Devil's chickpeas

Something from the Canaries



                  A prehistoric plant



Pomegranate hedge

loofah vine, I thinkThere's more to come.

Sunday, 22 September 2024

Confession

 There was a 5k in Jaca yesterday and I didn't run it; I didn't even walk it. The rain was coming down so hard; there were massive puddles everywhere. The run/walk wasn't cancelled and lots of brave people did it. 


I'm sorry it was raining but I don't regret my decision. It must have been quite miserable but people were very brave. 


Friday, 23 August 2024

Visit to Yorkshire

 Well I did land in Stansted and travel north to Yorkshire but all my non-travelling time was done in Yorkshire.

In Jaca in August it's hot; really t-shirt and sandals hot, but in a week in Yorkshire I couldn't wear my new sandals at all and the only time I didn't wear my cardigan was when I was running in the morning.

First World War memorial bench, Wrenthorpe

Second World War memorial bench, Wrenthorpe



Wildflower bed, Harlow Carr Park





The Calder canal






Rainbow in Wrenthorpe







Repurposed phone box

Digley reservoir and moorlands






Holme Moss



Goodness it was windy there!-