Monday 28 September 2009

Pic of the Week: 28 Sep - 4 Oct

Sunset in Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf, October 2007


I went to Düsseldorf / Köln for a tradeshow two years ago and managed a bit of sightseeing before work started. It was a lovely city and I had a nice time.


Click on the photo to see a larger version on flickr.

Sunday 27 September 2009

Spain :: Walking in Axarquia

We just came back from a lovely walking holiday in southern Spain. (The Brits call it walking, but Americans would consider it hiking - feel free to use whichever term makes it sound more hard core to you.)


We stayed in Canillas de Albaida, at the scenic Posada La Plaza, run by Gustavo and his family.


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Our walks took us all over the valley and across the hills, with views all the way to the Mediterranean Sea.


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sweet chestnuts


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We also spent time in the neighboring town of Cómpeta, with its distinctive minaret...


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...and festive ice cream. After our first day of walking, we felt we had earned our helados.


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The second day of walking was longer, but felt better - possibly because much of it was flat and there was a fair amount of shade. We also had our first views of El Lucero, the big scary mountain for the final (optional) day.


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aguacates


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inside a goat herder's hut


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the ruined inn where we ate a picnic lunch, battling the wasps for our jamón serrano


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lime tree


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Canillas, viewed through the branches of an olive tree


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sunset in Cómpeta


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cactus


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The third day of walking took us up, up, up to the much-awaited 'crest of the hill', before we descended into the town of Salares for lunch. The walk back was not technically difficult, but we were in the direct sun most of the way and I nearly melted.


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pomegranates


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I was most worried about our fourth day of walking: the total ascent was about twice as high as we had been doing earlier in the week (726m as opposed to around 400m). As a comparison, the tour dossier said that Cerro Verde at 1,346m was 'similar in height to Ben Nevis', the highest mountain in the British Isles. Our guide explained that there was a point where it would be possible to go back, so I thought I would try to tackle the Ben but I wasn't too confident about the Nevis. As it turned out, I made it the whole way and I am glad I didn't turn back.


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In typical fashion, I stumbled about 10 steps from the end and came home with this lovely bruise and lurid red scratches. I will always be 'Bam Bam' to those who know me well!


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still smiling after Cerro Verde


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S and I opted out of the big scary mountain (El Lucero) after having accomplished our walk to the top of Ben Nevis. Our last day was spent eating and relaxing - I love Spanish siestas! We had dinner with the group in the plaza, complete with live music. Highlights of our tapas-style meal included Paella, Spanish tortillas, delicious spinach flavored with cumin, feta cheese and olives, and almond spread on garlic bread. Most satisfactory.


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Grácias, everyone... We had a great time!

Spain :: Los Animales

Canillas de Albaida has a population around 700, but we saw more evidence of its 4-legged inhabitants than its bipeds.


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Most of the cats and dogs roam free, despite strict laws about leashes, tags and microchips. Of course, when was the last time you met a law-abiding canine? They just don't seem to be bothered, so why should the humans mind?


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This dog was very friendly, and had a nice way of biting to show how much he liked you. Shortly after this picture, he set his teeth on S's t-shirt and the smiles faded quickly.


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This little dog was tiny - barely bigger than a chihuahua - and was trying so hard to run with the big boys but just couldn't keep up.


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Most of the houses in Canillas were named after girls (Casa Nina, CasAnnette) but this one reminded us of our buddy Hank: 'hi, marmot!'


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After a particularly long, hot day of walking, we trudged up the goat path back to the hotel, just in time to see these show-offs bound out of their hut and prance away bleating down the hill in mere seconds. Sheesh.


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We bumped into our host, Gustavo (in the glasses), escorting his daughter and a friend on a pony through the neighboring town of Cómpeta one evening just after sunset. We also saw a variety of horses, donkeys and mules in the area.


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This poor kitty eagerly chased a bird up a tree outside the Alhambra, and then could not figure out how to catch it. For a minute it also looked like she might not make it back down again - she did, but not gracefully. Two French women sitting on the bench next to ours shared our laughter and gasps as we watched the scene play out.


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Fish pond in the Alhambra. They were quite well-behaved until a little girl started feeding them bread.


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Perhaps the least expected animals we saw - these sad ostriches live behind two sets of chain linked fences in a compound that is barely big enough for a few chickens.


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They are kept next to a construction zone on the path that connects Canillas to Cómpeta, so we saw them a few times during the week. The female ostrich had lost most of her feathers (were they plucked and sold? was she molting? sick?) - it was quite disturbing. The male obligingly posed for pictures when he wasn't poking his beak through the fence and defending his territory.


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Not photographed were the lizards, birds, bats, grasshoppers, wasps, and flies that we also saw. Apparently our guide saw a snake on one of the trails as well - is it any wonder that I stayed toward the back?

Spain :: Granada & The Alhambra

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We spent our 'rest day' in Granada, which meant waking up early for a two-hour taxi ride that left at 7 AM. What we sacrificed in sleep was made up for by having a full day to explore both the town and the Alhambra.


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We had not brought a guidebook with us, so without maps or any tourist information we were a bit disoriented when the taxi left us at the ticket office. We found a cafe for breakfast that also provided free wi-fi service (what a winning combination: toasted croissants and unlimited internet access!). Clever S found a map that he was able to save as an image on his iPhone. Rejuvenated by caffeine and technology, we wandered around the Cathedral area and shopping district in the morning.


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In the afternoon we spent several hours walking around the Alhambra. I do wish I had done more reading about it before we went; it was beautiful but I'm afraid I still don't understand everything I saw. Accordingly, I'll let the photos speak for themselves.


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It was not the most relaxing 'rest day', but I'm glad we had a chance to see it. Any recommendations for further reading so that I can learn more about what I saw?