Day Trip to Grazalema

First off, Ryan's post of a great lunch we had together with Rocio and Pepe in Sevilla! 

https://www.jetsliketaxis.com/perro-viejo-in-seville-spain/

My friend Liz, archaeologist and artist (met her at the Sunday art market) took me on a day trip south of Sevilla. We went to see the caves named Cueva de la Pileta about an hour and forty-five minutes out of town, in the mountains.

The bottom picture is what we would have seen, top one is only accessible by professionals.

The Rules

Didn’t see them, because I chickened out. Rocky steep, stepped, terrain to get to them and I got dizzy. I'm not usually a shrinking flower, maybe it was the elevation that I hadn't been to in a long while. Whatever, disappointed with myself but the rest of the trip was absolutely wonderful!

We took a drive around another mountain and had lunch in the rainiest town in Spain, nominated and documented called Grazalema. 

Picture doesn't do the terrain justice.

This is a white washed town of many in the mountains, in the park Sierra de Grazalema, Province of Cadiz. 

The town is known for Payoyo cheese made from goats milk.

Also for textiles made from sheeps wool, many blankets on offer, which were hand woven and felt warm.

A few pictures of the town.

We, Liz did, manoeuvred around very, very curvy roads, one lane in some parts, through beautiful rugged landscapes. 

Flowers are at their best this time of year and green hillsides. Lots of farm animals, sheep, goats, cattle, horses. Lots and lots of the yellow bush we call broom in Canada. Wednesday in Feria week is a day off for Sevillanos to go to the fair so traffic was light. Coming back we had to turn around three times, but that was fine, time to turn around was short each time.

It was a lovely trip, a real change from the flat landscape of Sevilla, Thank You Liz!

Lexi and I are back in Freiburg. 

Cheers, Bev and Lexi Cat

Lagos Part 4 and Last for Lagos

Friday we drove to Odiaxere to meet up with Paul and Anja for a Peri Peri chicken lunch. Peri peri is also called bird’s eye chilli, the main ingredient, and while it is available in Lagos, Paul and Anja like it here best. 

It was scrumptious! It came with hand cut fries and a tasty green salad. 

Served from a water bottle, low key...

The owner topped it off with a potent ginger tasting drink. 

After we went for a coffee in full view of a windmill that was used to grind the corn harvested in the area. 

Then we drove to a beautiful lake viewed from on top of a hill with a dam recommended by Paul and Anja. White wild flowers covered the hillsides and they said the smell of them in the morning was wonderful.

Doors on the way to the car, we all thought were unique.

Dam at one end of the lake.

Next we went to Praia da Salema, coastal town for a drink, I had a Cosmopolitan, Angela had a Whiskey Sour and Ryan a scotch. We sat in the sun at seaside watching the dogs play. 

Working fishing boats.

For my farming sister, they have Massey Ferguson here, just like Dad did.

Saturday and we leave to come back to Sevilla. It was a wonderful trip to see new sights and many beaches. My sincere thanks to Ryan and Angela for having me along!

Bye, Bye Lagos!

Cheers, Bev and Lexi Cat

Lagos Part 3

Belated Happy Mother's Day to those of you who are!

Wednesday and Rain! Hmph, so we drive downtown for an extended breakfast, savoury ham and cheese crepes which I haven’t had in a while, you’ve heard me write that before on this trip. Watched people walking by who clearly had not seen a weather forecast, wearing shorts and sandals and shivering. Came back to our respective flats to veg with a book for me and work for them. It got to be about 3:00 and I was getting a bit of cabin fever so decided to go out for a bite. Checking in where I thought I wanted to go, a Chinese restaurant on the Marina next to the Italian place and the reviews were bad! Really bad, like “run away”, “worst food”, etc so decided to go to a nearby place called Avenida.  www.avenidarestaurante.pt Upmarket, rather fancy but it was worth it I thought. Bread served with special Portuguese olive oil, sea salt, truffle and chorizo infused butters served on rocks and oyster shells, simulating a beach, the presentation was worth it, read on. 

A beach in a bowl!

I chose the langostinos or large prawns, seared but left raw in the middle, see website for further description and the following picture. 

Small in portion size, as the waitress warned me but so tasty, not sure I’ve ever eaten raw prawn before but this is a highly regarded restaurant so I trusted they would be fine. Glass of wine and I’m good and I got out for a short walk. Coming from the we(s)t coast I’ve got to keep going out in the rain and not let a little damp impede my travel. 

Thursday at Oasis on the marina for breakfast, English style here and portions are more manageable than the first place we went. I went downtown to look for a jewellers to fix an earring that the post had dropped off and the earring stepped on. No dice but did end up with a set of three rings and two pairs of earrings. The raincoat I love to wear seems to have it in for posts on earrings, two lost this trip alone. 

Get ready for pictures! The afternoon we drove east to the beaches ending up in Luz for a drink and a bite at The Bull in full hot sun.

View from the terrace at The Bull, original sports bar.

Then further along the boardwalk for shade at The Endless Summer, tag line “Life is better at the beach”.

View from Endless Summer, many tidal pools here.

Spectacular views of oddly shaped rock formations and cliffs due to the sea’s battering waves and clear azure coloured water. 

Note the stairs, Bruce and I walked them on our first trip to Portugal, also note the left hole in the rock, coastline is studded with holes.

Stunning wild flowers.

There are several ways by water to investigate the coastline, via big or small tour boats, kayaks which would be my preferred method, there are dolphin sighting tours, deep sea fishing tours, trips in boats of all sizes and either in stink pots (motor boats) or rag baggers (sailing boats). My Uncle Jack taught me those "nautical" terms.

Ryan and Angela kept commenting it was definitely more busy than times previous because they typically come earlier in the year and almost have the coastline and beaches to themselves.

All for this post, look out for Post 4.

Cheers, Bev