From Seville to Chefchaouen And exploration

 We left Seville on the bus with our Guide Juan at the helm.  we were on our way to the southern most part of Spain to catch the ferry to Morroco.  

We passed a prosperous looking agricultural area - paddocks of sunflowers, beef cattle, crops in the ground.  It seems a healthy region - although while we were in Seville I was getting notifications that the air quality was ‘unhealthy’ and was told it was the hot winds blowing in from Africa.

We arrived in Tarifa - a coastal town known for its beach sides.  We saw lots of caravan and camping places coming into the town, and we saw many kites in the air indicating there were a lot of people kite surfing.

The town is bigger than I expected but looks like it could be a pleasant place to stop for a coastal break.  The port was quite large and the ferry took passengers and cars on what looking like a very regular schedule during the day.

We lunched with Juan to say goodbye - enjoying Tuna TarTar; Spanish Charcuterie board; Gambo Salad and Tiramisu for desert.  Something a few of us wondered whether was wise before we boarded the ferry as the wind looked strong and the water looked choppy.

We walked along the waterfront and came to the spot where the Med meets the Atlantic - taking a great picture.  

Boarding the ferry was relatively painless and in an hour we were disembarking in Morroco.

We met our new guide Omar who then shepherded us into another bus for the trip to Chefchaouen. Within five minutes we stopped at the best place to exchange our money and to buy alcohol!  We were introduced to the different way Morrocons do commerce - cash is king - and we expect there are friends and family ‘who can give a great deal’ involved here!

The bus then took the 3.5 hours to Chefchaouen.  The roads were great - much better than at home in the Mid North Coast - not a pothole in sight.  The traffic appeared a little chaotic in the town areas - very few lines and it seems cars just made up the lanes as they went along.  

Leaving Tangier and heading south east we went through quite a few mountainous areas (this surprised me) and saw a variety of agriculture - crops, animals and pastures of varying types and sizes.  

Water is king here - all the towns are located on reliable water sources (which means near rivers or mountain springs).  The government made a dam lake for agricultural purposes to boost the trade in Olivers, Apricots and other crops to boost the economy.  

Apparently Morroco is making strong headway with economic trade - they make five types of cars here and export to European countries - including Peugeot

As we approached Chefchaouen the road narrowed and the condition worsened but there were roadworks which I think will mean that wont be for long.  

All along the highway we saw Morrocan flags flying…I tried to get an explanation but was fobbed off as I dont think my question was understood - I was just told nothing special but there was a lot of work in making these permanent flag pols - in groups of three - every few hundred metres along the road!

We arrived at Chefchaouen and our bus could only take us so far as our hotel is in the old city or Medina as they call it here which what’s very small streets.  So, a small minivan arrived - our luggage was loaded and driven to wait for us at the hotel, while we walked 15 minutes to get there.

Our hotel is a Reidan - a house that offers accommodation.  It is very Morrocan - both in design and decoration.  All the rooms are on different levels with halls that are open in order to maximise the air flow through the building to keep it cool - only 36 the day we arrived but can get a lot warmer.  With all the alleys and on the side of the hill, I imaging air flow is critical!

We went for a short orientation walk before heading of a dinner in a restaurant on the square (around the corner from our hotel).  We enjoyed Arabiata Chicken Tagine with Vegetable Couscous which was absolutely delicious!

After such a big day..we hit bed early and slept!

 

Several minutes in Seville

We arrived in Seville after a few hours on a bus. Seville is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. We all decided we would have much preferred to cut short the Faro stay and had an extra night in Seville.  

After arriving, we walked the streets to the old quarter and were stunned by the picturesque alleys, with surprises around the corner every way we turned.  A wonderful cathedral tower (ex mosque minerett).  The town was preparing for the next day which was a feast day for Corpus Christie - in a very Catholic town, it was a major thing with decorations on all shops, balconies, alleys etc. 

We enjoyed a beautiful lunch in a tucked away bar - tapa of grilled octopus; zucchini ‘satchels’, grilled beef and fish croquettes - washed down with local white wine! 

After a wee nap to refresh after walking around in 40 degrees heat, we headed to a Flamenco performance.  It was loud, fast and frenetic - not something that was a relaxing watch.  The passion of all involved - the guitar player, the singers and the dancers was evident.  The sweat poured off them and you could actually see the dancers hearts pounding after their performance. The air was thick with the smell of sweat - from audience as well as performers. We were front and centre, and as I had to crane my neck to see their faces so their feet were my focus….all I could see was joint issues!   The pounding of their ankles, knees and hips would surely ensure a short professional life I feel.

After the dancing, we found a roof top bar to enjoy a refreshing drink and nibbles and to celebrate Juan’s (Our Tour Leader) birthday….as the sun set, the Cathedral lit up in the background - it was a fitting end to an eventful day.  

The hotel we were staying in was an old house, with the central light well that allowed windows to look internally.  There was also an external courtyard fountain dating back some time.  Our room was pokey…we are feeling that as we have requested twin singles we are getting either the kids rooms or the maids rooms but the general building was beautiful.  

Hotel Foyer

Hotel Light well

Orange trees line the streets

Hotel courtyard fountain

An entry in the Shrine competition

Mushrooms by day

Portable and temporary arch for Mass the next day

Alley near the Jewish area

No photography until after the performance!

Grilled Octopus Tapas

Tapas Lunch

One of the parks near the palace

  

Roof top drinks and birthday cake

Cathedral lit up in the distance

Seville Mushrooms by night

Far away in Faro - The Algarve - The Farewell to Portugal

 Leaving Lisbon, we caught a bus to Faro - arriving early afternoon.  It is, if not almost, the southern most part of Portugal.  

The town itself has a population of 67000.  We did a walking orientation tour through the medieval part of the town, which is near the water.  It appears to be a bit of a coastal town, although the beach is a ferry ride away.    The walls of the old town are probably 3 metres thick and were built by the Moors and then taken over by the Christians.  

There is an old Cathedral, and another church Igreja do Carmo church which has The Capela dos Ossos or Chapel of the bones - both of which we saw.

The second day we caught the ferry to the beach - it is sandy, and long with very little surf.  While I’m sure many in Europe think it is a great beach, for people who have beaches at their doorstep it did not hit the mark well.  The water was freezing - 18 degrees! So only my calves made it in to swim the Atlantic.

We enjoyed a dinner at one of the local tourist restaurants and had the most delicious Seafood Paella on our last night.

Today we leave on a bus to Seville, so it is Farewell to Faro, and to Portugal.  

Look for the blue dot

Ancient Olive Trees - potted and used in an archwa

Chapel of the Bones

Dinky Ferry to the Beach

Praia de Faro - the beach of Faro

A few days exploring Lisbon

 We left Coimbra to catch a train which took a few hours….smooth travel though.  We had allocated seats and watch the countryside whiz by as we headed south to Lisbon.  On arrival at the main train station, we changed to the Metro and arrived at the square near our Hotel.  We had been warned to keep our wits about us in crowds and on the metro….at one stage I found myself completely surrounded by some young men and separated from the main group.   The group was worried about me but the lads were fine..the biggest problem was the BO as they put their hands up to hold onto the handrails!

We arrived at the hotel only to find that we could not have our rooms for a few hours, so we stored our bags and had a free few hours to explore before meeting the group again for a walking tour of the city. 

Fi and I had a lovely lunch in a cafe that Fi had found on Google (which is just invaluable for travelling).  We then walked down towards the water find the neat grid system of this part of the city very easy to navigate!   We found our way to Avenida da Liberdade which leads to the arch and water you see below. It was a Friday and the city is chock-a-block as June is Festas dos Santos Populares (Festival of the popular Saints); Partly to do with it being the beginning of the summer holidays (ie School) and there is on the weekend we are here is a specific festival for Saint Anthony (Santo Antonio) who is a patron saint of the city!

After our lunch and walk, we headed back to the hotel to meet the group and begin a proper walking tour.  We headed up the hill - to Castelo de Sao Jorge - the first fortifications date back to 1st Century BC, and it is believed the castle began to be built 48 BC when the area was considered a Roman Municipality.  

It is is reasonably good condition, has an informative small museum and the most spectacular views from the walls.   We had had our share of climbing towers and turrets of a variety of palaces and castles recently, so opted to enjoy the view while we waited for the group for 30 minutes….it was indeed spectacular in the gardens…century old Olive trees, fountains, and more peacocks!  

After the Castle, we wandered downhill through the Alfamo - the oldest neighbourhood in Lisbon full of winding alleys, steep hills and steps!  We passed the Church of San Antonio, Lisbon Cathedral and the Carmo Convent ruins.  

Fi and I opted out of the last section of the tour as we had already visited the Praco do Commercio (the gateway earlier) and the statue of King Jose.  We opted to hot foot it back to our hotel and stoped for a wee drink and tapas before having an early night…after some 15000 steps our feet were a little sore!

Day 2 Lisboa

Today was a free day so we were left to our own devices.  After such a huge day yesterday, we have a very leisurely start - having breakfast at the hotel and not leaving until well near 10 am.

We couldn’t decide what to do, there was a 28 Tram that is written up in all the tourist guides that looks fantastic, however when we got to the square to board, the que at that time was over 2 hours…neither of us felt like standing around for that long to be on a crowded rattle tram - as quant as it might be - so we walked to another square and found the Yellow Hop on Hop Off bus and took a tour out to Belem - through some of the more contemporary parts of Lisbon.   It was very enjoyable and it was nice to be out of the crowded hustle and see a little more of every day Lisbon.    This bit is best left to pictures…not brilliant as taken from the Bus in many cases, but mementos of lovely sights!  

Corridor Verde de Monsanto - Jardim Amalia Rodrigues

Tower of Belem

Jeronimos Monastery

Tagus River

Padrao dos Descobrimentos (Monument to Discoveries)

25 de April Bridge

When we arrived back into town, we searched out some lunch….portugese chicken and salad  - before finding a Funicular de Gloria and heading up to the hill to Jardim Antonio Nobre.  To our surprise (although we should have expected it) the garden and lookout were decorated and filled with small food and bar stalls, playing music and a general festival vibe at one end, at the other there were buskers where we sat, enjoying a Pina Colada and took in the view.  

Portugese Chicken

Funicular de Gloria

The local artiste decorations

Jardim Antonio Notre