Lost and Found

The situation felt a little like discovering forgotten coins in an old coat pocket. My camera has a tiny bit of internal memory. I guess it's for emergency use. In this case, I must have forgotten to put the standard memory card into my camera one evening during last autumn's vacation.



Just today, I found two, night photos which were taken in Lisbon Portugal in September. On that day, I had probably taken out my memory card to copy the day's images to my notebook computer. This means when I took this image of the train station, it was saved inside the camera. I usually don't have access to the internal memory. Seeing them in the camera came as a bit of a surprise. The little gift reminded me what an excellent time we had in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Where Am I? --- My Phone Knows!

I signed up on foursquare.com even before I got a smartphone. I knew that it'd be interesting to be able to report my whereabouts on a GPS-enabled device. The whole idea of being able to check-in at places far and wide seemed a natural extension of blogging and tweeting.

I never did manage to add many friends on that platform. Of course that would be where the fun could begin, as one could keep track of others. For example, if enough local acquaintances were on-board, then we might be able to extemporaneously meet up for coffee when circumstance brought us into the same area. Alas, that really wasn't in the cards as I never knew enough people who were into smartphones. I kept at it anyway. For example, I was able to check in on occasion on this fall's trip to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. It was nice that places had been saved and locations of the world were busily being mapped. I had these check-ins automatically loaded to my Facebook and Twitter accounts.


Badii Palace, Marrakech, Morocco - Taken September 26, 2010

Now Facebook, itself, has added Places for mobile devices. I am afraid that they are starting from behind in the total number of locations marked; however, they're a force to be reckoned with. I have made a few tentative tries at checking-in with the Android Facebook app. It seems to work. I cannot output to Twitter from Facebook places, but I have a much larger audience of friends in the Facebook environment. Shall I delete Foursquare from my phone?

Never-Ending Self Promotion

Our local, hometown newspaper regularly promotes their postcards section. When travelling afar, tourists bring along a copy of the paper to hold in a photograph. A year ago, they published one taken in Sri Lanka. We often see other families and groups standing in front of famous or exotic locations with a copy of The (New Westminster) Royal City Record.



I expected to open today's edition to see the photo above. Actually we sent them two, both taken on our recent trip. In this one, Jay and I are standing in the Jemaa El Fna square in Marrakech, Morroco. My entry about this day was, of course, blogged. You may look at that day, September 29th, by clicking here.

Neither this picture, nor the one shot in Fes, Morroco were in today's issue. I emailed it to them rather late. I guess, we'll have to look to Wednesday's issue.

This Plane in Spain ...

... Flies Mainly to Barcelona!



Of course, if you follow this blog on a regular basis, you'll already know that I blogged during our recent trip to Spain / Portugal / Morocco. I kept it fairly up-to-date except when my netbook power supply died and I had to locate a replacement one. From September 6 until Tuesday, we were away. (To see all related entries in reverse chronological order, click on the tag Eurotrip 2010 in the footer of this message.)

My blog included a photo for each entry. I posted those four weeks of "Daily Photos" on Flickr. Now the hard part begins, however. I have got hundreds of photos I want to upload. My energy level is always at its lowest after returning and this makes the commitment hard to keep. I know that there are photos from Italy in 2008 and New York City over the most recent Christmas and New Years that I never uploaded. It's a shame as I really like being able to have them just a click away from any Internet browser.

Let's see what I can get online in the next week or so.

Day 29 - Up in the Air

This is not really a day of anything bloggable. This is a day spent in transit back to real life. I've set this to auto-publish at about the time we arrive at JFK. We have less than two hours in New York and then we're on Delta to Seattle. It will be 7:00 pm local time when we land. The truck has been parked a month at off-airport parking. We will need to drive back up to BC. I don't expect to be there much before tomorrow, but by then it will have been a heck of a long day.

Day 28 - The Final Day is a Beach

With the end of the vacation rudely staring at us, we welcomed a day at the beach. I have developed a real infinity for places where abundant sun meet slices of sand and water. If there are coconut or date trees, so much the better. Add to that the tolerance usually found in people who live near ports and the mixutre makes a recipe for a great vacation spot.

I didn't used to think of myself as a beach person but I've always enjoyed beach vacations since the early days of my career in Thailand, or Bali. Trips to Sri Lanka, and most recently Puerto Vallarta have reinforced my fondness. Being able to consider early retirement, of course, allows one mind to wander to such possibilities.



Torremolinos is the perfect, aging tourist example. Starting years and years ago as a fishing village, it was discovered. With the advent of cheap airfares came waves of people bringing the desire for amenities of home. Huge hotel development ensued. Now you've got a place that still has the original sun and water, and an infrastructure that, although no longer quaint, can meet the needs of plane-loads of people on packages. These places can be fun. I liked what I've seen of Spain's Costa de Sol.

BTW / It was about 25C - 77F today.

Day 27 - Settling in at Torremolinos

With bodies still on Morocco time, we didn't get up today until 9:30. (Crossing northwards near near Gibralta means a two-hour time zone change. Spain at this time of year favours light in the evening but it doesn't seem to get bright in the mornings til quite late. Of course, this may have something to do with standardizing the entire country.)

The breakfast buffet at the hotel stopped at 10:30, so we did our best to make sure they didn't have any left-overs to put away.



By the time we'd checked out and walked to the bus station, it was 11:30 and we bought tickets to Terremolinos on the noon bus. When we travelled westward last week our bus had taken a new upper, toll road. Today we went though most of the towns of the Costa del Sol. It took two and a half hours to get to this town. We didn't have reservations, so we checked several hotels and stayed rather upscale (for us) at a newly renovated place called Hotel Adriano.

Between the hours of our check in and now that it's time for bed, we walked the "Calle San Miguel" a number of times. I like beach resort towns even if a little dated and overbuilt. I guess there's not much Mediterranean that I don't find attractive.

Day 26 - Fes to Algeciras

If it's Thursday's child that has far to go, then today was Thursday for us.

I set the alarm on my phone for 5:55 am. We had to skip breakfast in order to check out of the hotel at about 6:45. We bought bread and cheese last night as we planned for this in advance. We assumed that the 'petite' taxis would be roaming the Bab area at this time of the morning. It was a little worrying at first, as not many were out and about. Yet, we had bought train tickets for the 7:10 back to Tangier.

After a few minutes a driver came past. He took us to the station in the new part of town. Although probably about four miles, he went quickly as there was no traffic. We were on the train by 7:58. The taxi driver gratefully left with an extra tip of $1.25.

We ate breakfast in our empty compartment somewhere on the other side Meknes. At one point there was a change of train. All the passengers had to get off and wait for another to arrive. The scenery rushed past as the trains in Morocco make good speed on many parts of the line.

We arrived at our destination at about 12:30 and grabbed a taxi back to the port area. We ate lunch at our 'favourite' restaurant near the hotel where we originally stayed in Tangier. (I like being able to say things like that.) It was within walking distance to the port. We walked.

The fast ferry costs more and promises to cross to Spain in 35 minutes. We paid 380 Moroccan Dirham each. The boat was more than 35 minutes late leaving the port, so I don't think that it was money well spent in terms of speed. We did want to check the city of Tarifa, Spain though. The fast ferries land there and a gratis bus will shuttle passengers to Algeciras. We thought we might stay the night in Tarifa, but it is not really our type of tourist town. We'd been to Morocco, so there was no need to be impressed with expensive hotels in narrow market-like streets.



I'm writing this from the Al-Mar Hotel again! It's late as we had to wait an extra hour for our bus and all the food in Morocco has now apparently caught up with me now that I've departed the country. Tomorrow, we will head to the other end of the Costa del Sol and much nearer to the airport from which we'll take off for New York on Tuesday.

Day 25 - Walking Miles in Fes

I'm very happy we came to this city even though we had only two nights to spare. Fes is one of those places that makes a visitor think deeply about life itself. I have finally, in my fifties, started to grasp the ebb and flow of humanity as people crossed continents, and sailed into foreign ports. I have always been a 'big picture' gestalt learner. There really is no need to learn facts about history unless one has the necessary 'scaffolding' to hold it in place.

Today as we walked miles up and down the old medina, I thought lots about people and life. I guess this is why we travel. This trip has taught me as much in a month as college did in four years. It's a shame that nobody's offering me any credits for today's studies.

Day 24 - Travelling Via ONCF

It was quite a trip, clocking seven hours. That's a work day, but it seems as if I put in more than an average worker might. We were on the nine o'clock train from Marrakech to Fes. During the day we passed desert, donkeys, tractors, scrub brush, Rabat, villages. The last segment was up through rolling mountains and into this city. The Moroccan train system is good and reasonably-priced, if not cheap. We felt we could spring for first-class today, simply for the air conditioning.

We got a taxi at the grand station in "new town" and asked the driver to take us to Bab Bu Jalood. We though we might find a suitable place to stay near this gateway to the old city. Sure enough, this is the name of the hotel we're staying.

We walked quite a lot and saw a vibrant market that's been operating much the same way in the same buildings for hundreds and hundreds of years. It makes one pause a bit.

Day 23 - Djamaa El Fna

The day started with a pleasant breakfast on the roof accompanied by the birds which were surprisingly good singers. I love the fact we're so close to the action but staying on a tranquil side street. This old building has been beautifully renovated to a nine room guest house, known locally as a raid.

This morning, we walked to Badii Palace area. I still find it weird to walk in areas that people built five hundred years ago as I grew up in a an area where people hadn't lived even half that time. We walked around the medina and it really might be easy to get lost. We read of guides that will simply bring lost travellers back to their hotels, but we found no need of that.




Just as last night, we happily walked around the Djmaa El Fna square after dark. I can see why UNESCO has named it a world "public space". At first I wondered what all the fuss was about. But realizing the changing humanity that has and continues to visit this place is a little humbling. If I were to create a list of 'Places on the earth you should stand before you die,' then I will definitely put this on it right along with an observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, in front of the Taj Mahal, and in the center of Times Square.

Day 22 - Marrakech, Morocco

Even though the train left late, we arrived precisely on time at 8:00 am. I thought we'd bought sleeper tickets but we only had "Premier Class" with six people to a AC cabin. Three local guys talked and talked until after midnight. Some boarded and some departed along the way. There were many, many stops and some were quite long. I guess I didn't ride the Marrakech Express.

We weren't in any hurry as we had the whole day to get settled. Two taxi guys had a fight over us, so we sneaked back into the station and came out for another one. He dropped us right off near Jamma El Fna square. We walked a bit and stumbled onto Raid Taghazoute rather by accident. In order to avoid a tout offering to help us, we walked into a side alley and found this perfect little hotel. There's a very nice guy who works nights and he's been helpful.

We slept until 2:00 to make up for sleep missed last night. It was best to visit the square after it got dark. There were snake charmers, pet squirrels, iguanas, monkeys, and assorted magicians. The whole area fills up with temporary eating stalls that create a lot of smoke and add to the allure.

We think we'll stay just tomorrow night here before heading on. This vacation is too short!

Day 21 - Market Madness

Up at a normal time and out for breakfast at a cafe near the hotel. Last night, I had to abandon my bed and pile blankets on the floor. It was comfortable enough, but it squeaked so badly I couldn't get to sleep.

We wandered around the medina of Tangier. There is an amazing array of twisting and turning alleys. It reminded me of markets in the Gulf back when I first taught in the 1980's and before super air-conditioned mega malls were built.

We ate uptown. We used public showers in the afternoon as all our bags were being kept at the hotel. I didn't want to be a sweaty by the time our train leaves in a few minutes. I can't remember the last time I slept on a train on an overnight trip.

Day 20 - The Slow Boat to Africa

We got up and had our second buffet breakfast at the hotel. Things were packed, so right after we walked across the road to the Algerceras port. We decided to take one from there rather than from Tarifa. We bought tickets for the 11 o'clock boat but it really didn't leave until about 11:30. We didn't know that Morocco time is two hours behind.

We didn't know the police on the boat were supposed to stamp our passports before departing it. Then, when going back to have it done, there was a supprise inspection or emergency drill for fire and safety. We missed the first free bus into Tangier. It was a long trip of a bit more than 50 kilometers.

In Tangier, the bus dropped us right off at the old port. We walked a few blocks to the Valencia Hotel and got a room for 300 Dirham. Because of the time difference it was only 2 pm. We did a pretty good job of looking around the city. The beach section was very long and we even went to the train station and bought tickets for tomorrow's night train to Marrakech.

We found out the medina is up on the hill. Tomorrow we have most of the day free to explore before getting on the Marrakech Express.

Day 19 - On The Rock

Why are there charges on my cardit card in Pounds? Oh, we spent today in Gibralta. After finishing the best buffet breakfast of our trip, we walked to the bus station. A local bus runs around the this bay to La Linea, Spain. From the bus, one can walk though the border, over an airport runway, and into the town of Gibraltar. It is obvuious bythe long street of shops that this is a duty-free or low tax area. Spaniards were looking in windows full of cigarettes, booze, and electronics.

We walked half way around the mountain to the goldola and bought tickets to ride up only.The views were grand. Isn't there an insurance company that uses The Rock of Gibraltar as its logo? The tail-less monkeys are keep on tourist handouts but that would cost a fine of $500 if caught. We walked down incredibly speet steps. I almost think climing up would have been easier on my knees.

Imagine rather than having a ploughman's lunch or even fish and chips, we ate at a Subway(tm). We were back at four o'clock in the afternoon after a very nice day.



On to Morocco tomorrow!

Day 18 - Getting to Algeceras

Again, Europe proves a great place to travel without a car. We checked out of our room and waited about ten minutes for a bus to the autobus station. We know there would be a bus headed for Algeceras. It was a four-hour trip hading back down to Malaga, and then across the Costa de Sol. The busses are clean, comfortable, and relative cheap. There were the most expensive tickets we bought so far, but they set up back only about $30. The highways we're been on connecting Spain's citys are compariable to any US Interstate. The EU has ensured such a good system, I don't think the bloated state-run rail systems can complete on either cost or comfort.



We had seen a deal on Expedia, and after seeing it from the bus window, we decided to go there and ask for a price match. The Hotel Al-Mar will be our home for both tonight and tomorrow. It's in a perfect location right in front of the port and looking directly at Gibraltar, tomorrow's plan.

Day 17 - At Al-Hambra Palace

We'd see the little buses going buy with the name Al-Hambra on them, so we kew it would be easy getting up the hill behind the city. We ate breakfast in the room from supplies we bought last night at a Macadona. (I'm surprised to not see more supemarket chains in Spanish cities.) A bus load of American tourists got onboard our bus a few stops from ours. There were a genial bunch but, wouldn't you know,got into a conversation about where to buy the best restaurant burgers when at home! This surely proves why we 'never' travel with tour groups. Even though we got to the gates plenty eary, the tickets to the palace itself were already sold out. We had to buy just the Generalife garden tickets. They really did afford a good morning's worth of activities. We completely walked up the castles and through 600 year old gardens but about 1:30 or 2:00 pm. We walked down into the city via a very steep pedestrian-only road. Sharawamas were lunch and after a long nap we walked back to the same shop to buy a hgalf chicken that we made into sandwiches for dinner.

During our nap, it rained a lot whereas the morning had only been a little cloudy with a few little drops. I like the city of Granada a lot but it's time to go back to the 'sunshine coast' tomorrow.

Day 16 - An Ode to the Spanish Olive

Poetry is not at all my forte, so all efforts to rhyme I'll aborte.

Today has been a classic example of how great we are when let loose. There's nothing really special about it except for it's total lack of anxious pre-arrangement. We simply got up, had tiny European breakfast at the hotel, walked over to the bus station, and boarded a bus bound for Granada.

It was a two-hour journey made into three as the bus stopped along the way in several towns to pick up additional passengers. The weather was perfect and the big bus windows were clean. The driver pulled out of the Cordoba station at 10:30 am on the nose.

For the next three hours we were witness to more olive trees than I knew existed. The landscape reminded me a lot of western Washington State except for the cultivated mile upon mile of olive trees. I certainly have new respect for the humble olive and the oil it affords. I have always had a thing for olives but now that fondness has turned to awe.



We got to this city without any plans. We didn't succumb to the desk for anxious travellers in the Granada bus station. We simply made our way to the front of a building, read the map at the shelter, got on #33 and got off the bus just as it was approaching downtown. We had seen signs for hotels and pensions from the street. After walking about one block, we went 50 meters up a side street and inquired at Pension Olympia. Thirty Euros a night. Good. Clean. Perfect.

We did quite a lot of walking around and I really like this city. I like seeing mountains as a backdrop. The Al-Hambra tomorrow. Hope we can get up early enough to beat the tourists ...

Day 15 - Bus Fatigue

Today began at midnight somewhere just the other side of the Spain / Portugal border. By the time 5:45 had arrived, we'd already missed our real bus stop in Seville, Spain and got off at another, luckily, in the same city. We'd already taken a taxi for almost six Euros back to the busy station. It wasn't quite busy enough as things didn't really open up until about 7 o'clock. Mind you, during the night, I doubt I had three hours of good sleep.

We contemplated staying in Seville and scouted around the bus station briefly. We did ask and just made a shorter, less than 3 hour, bus trip to Cordoba, Spain. I slept a little more on that trip but managed to glimpse more of the scenery than the night trip afforded. We got into the station here at around 9:55 am. We decided it'd be easiest to check into a nice hotel we could see from the station. It is rated two stars but that's still several stars ahead of our usual fare. By 11:00 we were sleeping with the alarm set for two hours.



That really worked out perfectly. After awaking we walked the whole town of Cordoba! What a delightful city. With it's famous Roman and Islamic past, the old town is interesting and quite pretty. For example we walked across the Roman bridge in the photo.

Day 14 - Leaving Lisbon

I feel the same way leaving Lisbon as I did Barcelona; a little sad. We've been here a week and it seems like a comfortable fit. Everything seems as if it's going smoothly. We didn't get out too early but just retraced favourite places. For example, we rode on Tram #28 further out on a route we'd never seen. We walked the famous squares for a last time. We ate a great lunch at a place that had become a favourite.



This distills one of the great reason for travelling. One enters a new place when it's unfamiliar and then through actions and experience one can conquer it. We spent the afternoon at a spa. As we checked out of hotel at 10:00 am and kept our bags there, we wanted to wash off the heat of the city before catching this 8:45 bus we're waiting for. We connected straight through to the station and will be boarding a Eurobus momentarily.

Next entry, Spain again!