Catching up.. on my lap top too! Need to practice my typing apparently, and of course need to use my spelling abilities more... or maybe not!!

Above is actually a photograph taken two years ago in Ronda! My buddy caught me just right!! Lol my head peaking out over the wall!!

Above Benidorm, this view fascinated me on the way up Spain towards France, and likewise on the return journey... It is like a US city, with old Spain either side, sort of magical and amazing city scape appearing.. suddenly out of nowhere, seen from a distance its like nothing you can imagine being in Spain! Strange too, because I don't kind of think about going to Benidorm as a destination for staying in, but seeing it from perspective, I think I would really find it amazing photography from down in those streets! Do you think??

Above and below photographs taken in Javea... Visited friends I have known for over thirty seven years near here... Time moves frightenly fast it seems these days... Weeks and months creep by until they blur and become years... Years un-reclaimable and gone as if with a blink of the eye...

If only we knew then what we know now...

Had great but far to fast visit and after what must be about nine years felt like no time at all apart, like all good friendships... Can't leave it nine years ago though, because... because it would just be stupid to do so!

Amazing coastal views...

These two photographs taken back in Peníscola

I had a very memorable visit to a hair dressers! Something I can probably count of two hands as somewhere I have visited in my whole life... Mmm okay maybe two hands and one foot now!!

Always given a coffee or some hot beverage offering.. but not at this one, it was late on in the afternoon, my appointed time had been changed because of an electric issue... well, Spain eh!

Whilst having my hair colored... phew, no scissors involved! I was offered and received gladly a glass of cava, (Spanish own type of bubbly!), he who was making my hair a beautiful color, and I, shared the bottle of cava!

He said once my hair was rinsed through... 'had I every had my hair straightened?' Erm... nope, no, never, thank you very much!!

So of course thats what I let him do! Straighten my hair!!! OMG!!! First he straightened it, then he curled it, well, made waves of it!

It did look good, just felt not me... my curls have defined me now I guess, after all these years... But, I have to admit, was nice to have had it done, a once in a lifetime thing I guess, unexpected... Like getting tipsy in a hairdressers!

     

Roughly translated: The day I understood that the only thing I am going to take is what I live, I started living what I want to take.

TTFN
Marian

Phew, I know, not writing enough...

Been difficult with no WiFi, for uploading photographs.. topped up today before I run out tomorrow, and found I have lots of data left!!

My last top-up I failed to convert to data and wondered why I kept getting texts to say how much data I had used! Then it ran out after three weeks!!

Been sharing van with another human and a dog, really, now just smells like a big kennel! lol

Especially when its rained!

I have a week's work coming up in November back in Blighty, well just over which is great news.

TTFN
Marian

Verezzi

Bay of Roses

The night before, still in France, we had to move the van, as did everyone, due to a severe weather warning..

Great skies, and some rain, but nothing like the rain driving here and then last night..

Extremely high winds.. and as you can see the sea joined the land with vengeance!

The Solana above... Only taken because of the name.. The Benidorm series...

The paseo maritimo impassable on foot.. or at least without wellies!

One night only here in Bay of Roses...

TTFN
Marian

españa

On the journey yesterday, leaving France and coming home to Spain..

Bumped, almost, into an aircraft being hauled!! Not something one sees every day!

I remember seeing airplane wings on the road down to Gibraltar earlier on in the year!

And here! españa! Viva españa! Home home home...

TTFN
Marian

At some supermarkets in France they have a range of washing machines for public use.. not a bad idea? Pull up load your wash, do your shopping, come out and ta da!

I would add have a coffee, but not many eateries near the supermarkets..

At these 'road works' it was more mountain works! See the men high up fixing the netting in place to prevent rock fall. Major job, bit different from the norm.

Artwork here in Verezzi, walking around the old town found within the new.. So easy to miss beauty moving to fast or not within..

The artwork and church below are almost within a walled area.. the houses themselves making the walls..

Above a close-up of some painting work on a house, on lots of houses it appeared to be real plasterwork around windows and doors.. when in actual fact, it was painted on! But from a distance looked like beautiful old plasterwork!

Flutter by above!

I may repeat some photographs, sorry if I have, or I do!

TTFN
Marian

Verezzi, Italy

More from Varazze, the old town above... And below...

The stony pathway leading up to the old town...

Sunset from the perch here..

The mountain behind with old village, and below the coast..

Above a house on the beach, left the view in front of it... 

And to the right and left along the beach...

TTFN

Marian

Verezzi, Italy

All these photographs are from today, where we are staying these last few nights, three in all...

The town seems mainly residential, and so far, sorry... But no heart, no real character.

Climbing up a beautiful path made of cobbled rocks led us up to two areas of outstanding beauty...

Very very old, but being kept now and saved for the future..

Above, chairs outside a bar at the church at the highest point; There was a church in the lower section, I went in, lit a candle and said the words I say for those we've loved and lost... and hope to meet again.

More photos on their way now!
TTFN
Marian

Having trouble adding photographs, got WiFi on this site but so poor I can't add to Blog!

Few notes I had put down, for instance the paraquites like down our way, but now can't remember where we saw them!!

Oh and lots of prostitutes on the roadsides on the Spanish and French boarder areas, like the industrial sites years ago all around Spain! They have a table and a chair... Either sitting alone or a pump sitting anyways back out if sight slightly!!

Also saw a beautiful kingfisher two days ago, by a river in Imperia, Italy.. a real surprise! Suddenly just flew up the river as I stood looking into the reeds at a duck! I waited expectantly with my camera, but to no avail.

Today we have rain, drizzle, but pisistant! Misspelt on purpose!

We have traveled now, up through Spain, into France, stopping in the Petit Camargue, then the Ardeche, down to Aix-en-Provence and Menton... Menton is immediately next to Monaco and was only a kilometre to Italy from there, we stayed two nights in Imperia and now in Varazze...

The sites have been a mixture, some have had separate areas for men and women, other has been mixed, or not but being used as such!

There's been hot showers and cold, warmed amenities and definitely not warmed! Lights on at night, and pitch dark! No pun intended!!

There's been flies everywhere, although here the most, the worst, dozens on you at any one time!

Mosquitoes of the variety, and in Imperia.  They were black with white flecks! Did Google those and it said they're common in northern Italy, and used to spread the dengue fever!!

Nice!!

I'll make more notes for next time, and hope for better WiFi!

TTFN
Marian

Travels...

Purloined this photograph above from Google, as it says! The island of Tabarca.. not been on it for twenty years.. but it was so beautiful, half, nearly consisted of houses, a couple of bars and a shop or two. The other half nothing, green and empty.. stunning...

Now on travels, stopped at a Venta on the road headed up.. two coffee's and given a free dog bowl! Can't be bad eh!

Travelled up through sandy arid flatlands, you can see why the old Western movie makers came here..

Above and below photographs are Benidorm, I have passed this way before, but must have either been in the dark or another route, this skyline looks more Atlantic City than Spain!!

Just as we passing down into Malaga initially, we saw a car on fire...it was awful, totally engulfed in flames...

Everyone is complaining about mosquitoes, and I too am covered in their bites, apparently it's the female who bites!! She comes to our faces first, maybe that why we hear her buzzing!!!

I am reacting badly to them now, always have, but worse now.. and spraying myself twice a day in anti bug bite spray isn't making any difference at all!

I have become a camper van spotting anorak person! Taking reg numbers of ones we pass.. How long this will last is not yet determined!

Yellow beetle here! Didn't expect that!

Or this locust below! Luckily only one of him and not a biblical plague!

TTFN
Marian

Almeria

Some photographs from Almeria the other week..

This railway line brought valuable minerals down from the mountains and directly onto ships...

Some cool statues around the city..

Almeria sign...

There was a naked man opposite this woman's figure...but no matter how I stood I couldn't get a good enough shot to make sense! Lol

Man at a bus stop! How long has he been waiting!!

View from the Alcazaba... There are two, one either side of a valley..

And an ancient tree!

TTFN
Marian