Alex's impression

Today we went on a beautiful cycle ride along the water front in Cambrils in Spain. We also went to a Roman Aquaduct near Tarragonna. It was built with out any cement. The stones were cut so precisely  so the stones would stay up. We also went to a Roman Circus, this is where they held chariot races which were like the Grand Prix 2000 years ago. There were cool tunnels under the tracks which we ran in.
I'm really missing all my friends in 3/4C and Jaqui
From Alex!

P.S Can 3/4C Please leave a comment
PP.S Code Time What number is this !#%@$

To Prep D, Love Charlie

Hi Prep D

We went to the Roman Aquaduct. 

This morning we went bike riding and I went on a double-decker bike with Daddy.

Having a brilliant time but missing all my friends in Prep D and Miss Sally.

Love Charlie  xxxx

PS: Please can you leave me a comment! And your name!

Albayzin, Granada

Went into Granada this morning to wander through the streets of the Albayzin district which is on the other side of the gorge opposite the Alhambra. It's the old Moorish district with narrow cobbled streets, white houses and spectacular views over to Alhambra.
Alex and Charlie really enjoyed getting some 'treasures' from the shops, especially having their names written in Arabic.
Had a fabulous meal at the restaurant at our campsite with spectacular views over the reservoir and mountains.

Shops full of 'treasures'

Alhambra with Sierra Nevada mountains in background

Sledging in the Sierra Nevada!!

Went on a drive up into the mountains today, up incredible roads clinging to the sides of the mountains with more hairpin bends than you can shake a stick at.
There were incredible view over the valley and surrounding peaks. We drove up a bit further and who would have thought it but ended up in the snow with a bunch of kids skiing ad sledging. Despite completely inadequate attire (sundresses and crocs) we hired a sledge and off we went! Remarkably good fun despite very cold feet!!

Charlie and Alex 

Panorama looking down over the valley

Mum and Alex get some air!

La Alhambra

Today we visited the breathtaking Alhambra palaces and gardens.

The Alhambra (meaning red in Spanish due to the colour of the stone) was originally constructed as a fortress in 889 (the Alcazaba) and later converted to a royal palace in 1333. The Alhambra's Islamic palaces were built for the last Muslim emirs of Spain in the 14th century and followed the consistent theme of 'paradise on earth' with column arcades, fountains and reflecting pools. The Palace of Charles V was built in 1527 and contrasts sharply with the earlier Moorish architecture.

The Nasrid palace was truly amazing with stalactite ceilings, highly decorated stucco walls, marble fountains, geometric tiles and arabesques. There were bathrooms with hot and cold running water and pressurised water for showering.

The older fortress occupies a strategic position at the front of the plateau and has expansive views over Granada.

The palace and gardens of Generalife (Garden of the Architect in Muslim) was the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid kings and became part of the Alhambra complex in the 1900's.

I cannot find words to describe the beauty of this place, even Chocolate Moose was impressed!! He has a few comments as always... we're on the run from the Andalucian authorities now!! Back to hide out in the mountains!!

Detail of the Nasrid Palace

Courtyard of the Lions

Courtyard in Nasrid palace

View over Alcazaba and Albaicin (district of Granada)

Nasrid palace in background

View from Generalife to Alhambra

Court of la Acequia (Generalife)

Hiking the Sendero Vereda de la Estrella

Found the trail this morning!!!

Did a fabulous hike on part of the well known Vereda de la Estrella trail. It followed a river up towards the snow capped peaks in the Sierra Nevada national park.
Truly magnificent scenery and the wild flowers were beautiful.
Alex and Charlie did very well as we ended up walking over 8.2km and climbed 600 metres!!

Snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada

CM says the purple flowers give him indigestion

Just keep walking!!

Lost in the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Chocolate Moose convinced us to come and hide out in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, near Granada as he's still on the run from the Spanish authorities after his blasphemous comments about the Guggenheim Museum. CM has some long lost relatives who are still trotting in the valleys between the snow capped peaks.

Staying at a fabulous campsite with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and reservoir below.

Today we had a walk along the river this morning but had trouble finding the trail (lack of signposts)... CM kept trying to convince us that he knew the way.... never listen to a moose!!

This evening we explored the local picturesque village of Guejar Sierra situated at more than 1000m above sea level. Had delicious tapas in a local bar and then were treated to music which the kids joined in with. CM was unimpressed as he thought one of his relatives was draped over a chair.

Looking forward to visiting the Alhambra and Granada!

Canales reservoir, Granada on plain in distance

Our intrepid hikers!!

Playing the bamboo sticks (after a bellyfull of jambon, prawns, chicken soup....)

Africa

There Stunning Views of Africa from Tarifa. Morocco is just 16 km away across the Straits of Gibraltar. The EC is looking at a bridge or a tunnel but the channel is deep at between 300 to 900 metres and the rock is very hard. Until then you can catch a ferry easily from Tarifa.

Roger looking very happy

Spain in foreground Morocco in Background. Fantastic!!

Baelo Claudia

We came across the Roman City of Baelo Claudia which is located at the village of Bolonia. This is 22 km's outside Tarifa. The city was founded at the end of the second century BC. It became prosperous and one of the principal businesses was the production of garum, a food sauce made of fermented salted fish. This was a favorite of the Romans, who were willing to pay high prices for it. It was also a site for the production of salted Tuna. Its decline was hastened by earthquakes and the town was abandoned in the 6th century. The site shows the streets, the basilica, theater, market, baths, aqueducts and salting factories. 

Basilica

Salting baths

Chocolate Moose in 200BC??

Chocolate Moose has taken refuge in Gibraltar

We've found Chocolate Moose again! He had taken refuge in Gibraltar, on the run from the Spanish authorities who were upset by his comments about the iconic Guggenheim Museum.

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory at the southern tip of Spain at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea and so is of great strategic importance. It has an area of 6.8sq km and is home to 30,000 Gibraltarians. It's sovereignty is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations and in fact there has been an escalation recently over fishing rights. This has resulted in long delays at the border crossing (sometimes up to 3-4 hours). Luckily we avoided this as we parked the car in Spain and went over the border on foot.

Gibraltar from Spain

Cable-car from the top

Panorama from top of rock looking north to spain

Barbary Macaques

Straits of Gibraltar, Africa in the background

Mediterranean Steps

CM is safe and well!

At the top... monkey on the right (!!)

CM took us on a fantastic tour! We took the cable-car to the top of the rock (426m). The views were amazing, over Gibraltar, the harbour, southern coast of Spain and over the straits of Gibraltar to Africa. The Rock is also home to about 230 Barbary macaques, the only wild monkeys found in Europe. CM had been hanging out with these guys so took us to meet them, including some mums with their babies. We then walked down the rock via the Mediterranean steps. These are steps cut into the limestone rock face and were originally created as a means of communication between two major gun batteries (top and bottom). The steps were very steep, narrow and uneven but the views were breathtaking.

Ice-cream cured aching feet at the bottom!!

Romans in Portugal

One of the interesting things about Portugal is that you stumble across Roman remains everywhere you go. We found a roman forum in Lisbon and the remains of  a Roman villa in Luz in the Algarve. Each time they were major archaeological sites but almost tucked away and forgotten. You have to think in other countries they would make more of these important sites. There was a small municipal museum in Lagos that had sections of roman villas and mosiacs casually displayed at the entrance. It felt more like an antique shop than a museum. Here in Luz overlooking the calm Atlantic I can picture the Romans at work. So I did some digging around the internet and found some history on the Romans in Portugal.

Roman Mosiac

Roman ruins

---------------

The Roman Occupation of Portugal -

The modern name of Portugal was not used until the 11th century.

In 210BC the Romans entered the southern Iberian peninsula and quickly subdued the Mediterranean coast and the south of Spain and Portugal. In the central Iberian region they met great resistance and in 193BC the Lusitani rose up in arms. Based in central Portugal between the Tejo and the Lima rivers the Lusitani were known to the Romans as ‘Strabo’ “the most powerful of the Iberian peoples, who resisted the armies of Rome for the longest period”. Under the rebel leader Viriato, born in the area of Loriga in the Serra d’Estrela, they held up the Roman advance for 50 years, only finally losing in 139BC.

In 60BC Julius Caeser established his capital at Olisipo (Lisbon) and then built significant settlement at Ebora (Évora), Scallibis (Santarém) and Pax Julia (Beja).

Under the Emperor Augustus the Iberian provinces were reorganised in 27BC, with everything but the north of Portugal governed as Lusitánia. The Minho area formed part of another province which was added to northern Spain to become Gallaecia, with an important regional centre at Bracara Augusta (Braga).

The Roman influence was greatest in the south, where they established huge agricultural estates ‘litifundia’ (many of which survive today in the Alentejo).They introduced wheat, olives, barley and of course vines, to Portugal. The Romans ruled for 6 centuries under the emperors Tiberius, Trajar, Hadrian and Diodetian. They have left many roads and bridges which are still in use today, 2000 years later. The Portuguese language is heavily based on Latin, which was the language of Rome, and one of the biggest influences that survives today from the Roman Empire, through­out southern Europe.

The decline of the Roman occupation of Portugal echoed its decline throughout Europe. The Roman Empire was already disintegrating when the first Christians landed on the southern shores of ‘Lusitania’ around 200AD.

In the early 5th century Lusitania was attacked and occupied by the Suevi and the Visigoths (Germanic peoples), and in 410 Rome was sacked by the Visig­oths led by Alaric I.

Alex’s impression of Portugal

Portugal was lovely. One of the reasons was because it was so sunny! We went to a place called the Aveiro locally known as the Venice of Portugal. Here we went on a motorised Gondola. We also went to the countries capital Lisbon the locals call it Lisa. In Lisbon we went to the Oceanarium. We Saw: Sharks, Turtles, Sunfish and loads more it was great. Then we went down south to Lagos in the Algarve. The campsite there was the best! We went on a boat trip through dark grottos and cool caves. It was fantastic! In my opinion Portugal is very environmentally friendly it has lots of wind turbines and sun farms it also has mirrored lights. I rate Portugal at 5 stars.

Me writing my blog post 

Charlie cooking prawns on the barbie

Campsite at Luz in Portugal

Sam relaxing

Renewable energy in Portugal

One of the interesting things about driving through Europe is observing the differences between countries. We started our journey in the UK where you are starting to see some wind farms. Then we traveled through France and Spain where there are more wind farms. But when you reach Portugal the wind farms are everywhere. And they are different. The wind turbines are prominent on top of ridges and within 20 KM of the major population centres.  They are not hidden away like they seem to be in other countries. So I looked at the figures and there is indeed and interesting story here. In 2005 José Sócrates became Prime Minister he was a passionate advocate of the uptake of renewable energy. Under his leadership there was a massive investment in renewable energy wind, solar wave and geothermal.

This investment has paid off it was announced in April that Portugal generated more than 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources of energy during the first quarter of 2013. This record amount was fueled largely by hydroelectric and wind energy sources.

This is not only good news for Portugal but for the rest of the world. It shows that it is possible to achieve real progress towards complete self sufficiency in renewable energy. It is especially relevant for Australia given the similarities between the climate in both countries i.e. hours of sunshine and wind.

Highly Visible Wind farm in Portugal 

Solar Farm

More Reading

http://e360.yale.edu/digest/green_sources_meet_70_percent_of_portugal_electricity_in_quarter/3817/

Dreaming of Africa

When I was 21 I hitchhiked around Africa. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Friends at University had told me to get two things an SLR camera and a guide book. So I purchased an ancient East German Practica camera and Africa on a Shoestring. Here I am 22 years later travelling round Europe with Sarah and three kids. The caravan is a luxury world away from the dodgy places I use to stay in Africa.But being so close to Africa I am really tempted to continue travelling another few km’s south and return to Africa.

But common sense and Sarah have said no… Travel, caravan and car insurance all stop at the boundaries of Europe and travel would be much more arduous in North Africa. Maybe when the kids are older! Until then I’ll stare across the straights of Gibraltar and be sensible. It does not stop the guys from Latitude Adventure though!

Landy on route to Africa via Spain

first camera

Snorkeling

The campsite says it has wifi but it doesn't work. Anyhow, great campsite otherwise 5* wash-rooms, there's even a separate kids area with baths, showers and Charlie is particularly pleased with the hair dryer. Lovely pool and kids have made some friends.

Did a fantastic cliff top walk yesterday... Path was very close to edge at times with lots of scrambling and climbing through vegetation. Lots of apostles (not just 12), arches and blow holes.
Went snorkelling at beautiful secluded beach this morning, crystal clear water and heaps of fish.
Dinner at campsite restaurant was great.

Alex aka James Bond

Sarah and Charlie