Tuesday 23 July 2013 Susie went out shopping in the morning while I stayed back in the apartment to try and catch up on this blog. When she returned, we walked to a plaza on the other side of the main road to book a Thai massage for her, for the following day. Afterwards we…
Madrid day 3
Monday 22 July 2013 Susie went for walk to the Gran Via and bought some freshly baked bread on the way home. Later in the morning we set out on the metro to Banco de Espana and from there walked to the Museo Thyssen Bornemisza where we whiled away the afternoon from 12 noon to…
Madrid day 2
Sunday 21 July 2013 We had to collect our luggage from our former host, so we decided to combine the journey with a return visit to the El Rastro markets. We arrived early, before the crowds, and located the jewellery stall that had impressed Susan so much on our first visit to Madrid. After we…
Córdoba—Madrid day 1
Saturday 20 July 2013 On our final morning in Córdoba, we breakfasted for the last time on our terrace under the cathedral bell with views of the Mezquita and distant hills. We then walked around the old city one last time before the heat of the day set in. Susie took dozens of photographs, and…
Córdoba day 3
Friday 19 July 2013 Our second night in Córdoba was a troubled one. We got a message from our daughter, Clare, who was upset about some disappointing marks she had received for some of her university work. Also, I was visited by night terrors. Susie was so concerned about my agitated state that she woke…
Córdoba day 2
Thursday 18 July 2013 On the morning of our second day in Córdoba we rose early to beat the heat. Our first destination was a graceful Roman bridge over the Rio Guadalquivir that was guarded by an angelic busker with a violin. On the far side of the river we spied parklands with inviting paths…
Seville—Córdoba day 1
Wednesday 17 July 2013 The morning was occupied with packing and cleaning the apartment. We met our host, Jon, for the first time, and then took a taxi to the train station where we boarded a Renfe train to Cordoba. Each of the days we were in Córdoba, the recorded maximum was 39°C but the…
Seville day 7
Tuesday 16 July 2013 Early the next morning, Ruby caught a taxi to the train station where she would pick up a bus to the airport and thence a flight to Valencia, en route to Benicassim for a music festival. It was not so hard to say goodbye this time because we would be meeting…
Seville day 6
Monday 15 July 2013 Susie and I started the day by searching for somewhere to print train tickets. It did not take us long to find a suitable place on La Calle Feria, which runs through a busy commercial district. On the way back to the apartment, Susie took a detour into a second-hand clothes…
Seville day 5
Sunday 14 July 2013 Our journey has taken us to a few of Europe’s amazing cities—Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon to name a few. But there seems to be no end to the wonders of Seville. Perhaps it is because Seville was the centre of world trade for a few centuries. Perhaps it is because…
Seville day 4
Saturday 13 July 2013 I tend to get up earlier than my travel companions. Maybe my coffee addiction doesn’t like me to sleep in. On Saturday, I used the early hours of the day to cook: I made a mild chickpea curry for lunch. Ruby and I then went out searching for somewhere to print…
Seville day 3
Friday 12 July 2013 A vast cathedral with a lunch to match; a peaceful park and a confected plaza—that was Friday in a nutshell. But we needed to start the day with something to fortify our legs. I learned how to cook Eggs à la Ho Chi Minh from a street-vendor who had a tiny…
Wundercliffe 