Touring Western Europe -Spain -Barcelona Has Sold It’s Soul!

I would normally be sat here writing about our adventures in Barcelona rather than an opinion piece.
We had arrived here by train from Valencia on Monday and settled into our Air BnB late afternoon with a view of La Sagrada Familia from our balcony.
I guess this is still an adventure but it’s hard to know how to write a positive piece when for me it is so marred by the reality. I know my opinion is going to be contentious. I’m sure there are people who have been here and loved it. I, however, am slightly at a loss.

The city, itself, is the second largest in Spain with 1.6 million people living within the city limits but put it into google and the first thing that comes up is FC Barcelona, what does that say about it? Is the football team it’s saving grace?

I came here expecting so much more. This is the capital city of the Catalan region of Spain. An area that historically has been proud of its heritage to the point that it has looked to seek independence from Spain itself.
My first impression is of dirt and grime. Every city we have visited thus far has kept their “old town” streets clean with daily cleansing but not Barcelona. This city is being spoilt by tourism. Suddenly it’s like we are back in London again with litter on the streets and pollution discoloured buildings but with the added ingredient of just being totally underwhelmed despite the fact it dates back to pre Roman times.

Las Ramblas
This is the description I was given by my Guide book in advance of our visit:
“To stroll through this bustling district is to walk through the history and culture of one of the world’s most exciting urban centres. Celebrated poet Federico Garcia Lorca once described it as “the only street in the world which I wish would never end” . Famous for its throbbing urban energy, this colourful avenue and tree-lined walkway are one of the busiest areas in the city so it’s not surprising that it is constantly thronged by tourists.”

The only part of that narrative that is true is the latter part. Yes it is full of tourists but why?
Something is definitely missing because I didn’t experience any atmosphere. I was expecting Covent Garden in London but in avenue format. With pavement cafes, independent traders selling flowers, souvenir sellers, street performers, human statues and benches with people watching the world go by.
Did Covid have an adverse effect on trade which never recovered? Have the police clamped down on the street performers to such an extent as they are no longer welcome?
Las Ramblas is as dried up as the old river bed it was built on. There are many pavement restauranteurs plying for your trade charging exorbitant prices for food and drink, a few trading stands selling souvenirs and flowers and some cartoon artists down the far end near the port but that is it! There is no excitement, no atmosphere and it just seemed pointless to me.

Mercat de la Boqueria
This market housed in an airy and glass structure is about halfway down Las Ramblas on the right hand side if you are walking towards the port. My guide book quotes it as “the place that the city’s top chefs come to buy their ingredients”.
Are you sure?
Maybe in it’s heyday that was the case but now around 50% of the stalls sell food purely devised and aimed at the tourists. Pre made fruit smoothies, pre prepared fruit selections in plastic cups, ready prepared meals that the stall holder can throw in a microwave and zap on reheat before exchanging for tourist cash, Barcelona burritos, chocolate fruit on sticks and so it goes on.
Don’t get me wrong I can understand how this has happened. The market opened in 1836 selling a wide range of local products including fish, meat, vegetables and fruit but ultimately traders need to make money particularly since Covid hit and so they give up their traditions and trade it in for tourist food.
To describe this as the country’s most well known market is probably true but NEVER describe it as the country’s best market because it is definitely not. It’s a market that has sold its soul to commercialism.

The Cathedral
This is described as ‘Barcelona’s Gothic gem, at the spiritual and physical heart of the city. The cloisters are listed as one of the best parts with orange and medlar trees, palm trees, a mossy green fountain and the thirteen geese kept as the cathedral’s tradition to honour St Eulalia’s life.
The reality is that the building is so affected by pollution it has to be systematically cleaned which no doubt costs a fortune. I managed to get a picture which shows the variation.

The interior compared to many other cathedrals we have visited on this tour lacks the wow factor but this is a typical situation where an ecclesiastical building is being held up as a tourist destination when in fact it is purely what it set out to be, a church of god.


The garden in the cloister looks bedraggled and in desperate need of water and as for the geese? I just felt sorry for them in their stone floor enclosure with no grass and only cabbage/lettuce leaves to remind them of what green food actually is and a dirty, smelly, equally green pond to swim around in. Sorry but I’m sure St Eulalia would agree with me, let these poor birds go free.

The Beach
Barceloneta beach is the nearest to the city centre and accessible from the end of Las Ramblas. A statue of Christopher Columbus pointing out to sea sits atop the Monument a Colon marking the end of Las Ramblas itself. From here it’s about a 15 minute walk into the centre of Barceloneta.
Traditionally this was the fisherman’s quarter and this still looks like a very working class neighbourhood with apartment buildings strewn with balconies full of washing hung out to dry alongside children’s toys and other stored items.
In front of the market is a plaza where locals congregate to play table tennis, young aspiring Messi’s play a game of footie with their mates and the older generation chat with friends and watch the world go by.
Also on this square, to one end, are two or three restaurants overflowing with tourists sipping wine by the glass whilst enjoying tapas and other traditional Spanish fayre.
It’s a huge contradiction and one I couldn’t fail to notice when I stopped on a bench here for a breather.

We reached the beach early afternoon. It is nothing like the beaches you see all around Spain. This is probably because it is manmade. The city built the beach for the Olympics back in 1992 creating around two miles of sand.
It’s the start of Easter week and even though the temperature is still in the low 70’s it is rammed. Not only is the sand full of people but so is the boardwalk! It is nearly at the point where you are queuing up to walk.
We have just left Valencia with it’s lengthy avenue bordering the beach allowing visitors to walk, cycle and skate and I’d go back there tomorrow rather than face this heaving mass of humanity.

According to Google, 27million people come to Barcelona every year – about 16 times more than its standing population.

I cannot help but conclude that this is a city that has given up its heart and soul in favour of tourism.

I’m sure during Covid when the streets were empty and the beach was clear, many local Barcelona inhabitants took pleasure in having their city back and no doubt wish their Government would stop selling their identity in exchange for the tourist dollar!

NB:

This is part eleven in my series of posts about our tour of Western Europe. Why not read the previous posts and then follow us on our journey as we continue to explore this lovely part of the world?




Valencia, It Just Has It All!

So what else did we see or do which made us want to stay in this wondrous city?

We took a break from the Jardin de Turin to visit the Museum Faller. This museum is all about the art of carnival sculpture and to which I am dedicating a separate article on Tuesday because it simply deserves its own space!
Instead, following on from my previous post, I’m going to chat about where we went next and hopefully you will share my enthusiasm for this city that just seems to have it all!

The City of Arts and Sciences
Firstly this construction is probably one of the most contentious architecturally in the whole of Spain. Personally I love it but I can understand that some people would feel it is a blot on the landscape.
The City of Arts and Sciences sits at the eastern end of the Jardin de Turin just before you reach the coast. It is made up of six distinct areas and was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava.
Started in July 1996 the first section was opened in 1998 but the final part was not inaugurated until 2009. Originally budgeted at €300 million in 1991 for only three structures, it has expanded about three times the initial expected cost. In 2019 it was reported, however, that the economic impact of the complex is €113 million a year and generates over 3500 jobs!

Hemisferic was the first site to open and the centre piece of the City of Arts and Sciences.
It is also known as the Eye of Knowledge. It is so hard to describe it but the design resembles an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding 24,000 square meters of water pool. The bottom of the pool is glass, creating the illusion of the eye as a whole.
Within the structure there is a Laserium, a Planetarium and an IMAX cinema with over 900 square meters of screen.
My only question if I lived here would be where do I start?

Prince Felipe Museum of Science opened in 2000 and is an interactive museum of science built to resemble a whale skeleton. The architecture is known for its geometry, structure, use of materials and its design around nature. At 42,000 square meters the building houses 26,000 square meters of exhibition space, the largest in Spain.
It occupies three floors and is dedicated to learning science through experience so everything is graphically displayed with plenty of interaction.
I’m sure it is geared towards school age children but I’d still love to visit!

L’Umbracle was the third to open in 2001 and designed as an entrance to the City of Arts and Sciences. At 320 meters long and 60 meters wide it was designed as an open structure with 55 fixed arches and 54 floating arches that stand 18 meters high all encircling a landscaped walk with plants found in Valencia. The plants being specifically picked to change colour with each season.
Internally there is also The Walk of the Sculptures which is like an outdoor gallery with sculptures by artists including Yoko Ono.
We were able to walk around here whilst on our visit, the bougainvillea was just beginning to flower, the honeysuckle scent reminded me of home (it was one of my Mum’s favourites) and the smell of rosemary and lavender filled the air.
What would it be like to return each season and watch the changes?

Oceanografic opened in 2003. Built in the shape of a water lily, it is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe with 110,000 square meters and 42 million litres of water. More than 45,000 examples of 500 different marine species inhabit nine underwater towers spread over two levels. Each represents a different aquatic environment including the Mediterranean,  wetlands, temperate and tropical seas, the Antarctic, the Arctic, islands and the Red Sea.
My all time favourite aquarium is in Monterey, California but I’m open to having my mind changed

Valencia Opera House which opened in 2005 is not just an opera house but a centre dedicated to music and performing arts. Personally I feel it looks like a fish with it’s mouth open?
Measuring over 70 metres in height, the Palau de les Arts is divided into four separate halls, all boasting the latest technology in order to stage all kinds of opera, musical and theatrical performances.
It is surrounded by 87,000 square meters of landscape and water, as well as 10,000 square meters of walking area. To add to the theatre, panoramic lifts and stairways connect platforms at different heights on the inside of the metallic frames of the building.
Culture on your doorstep, what more can you ask?

Agora, the final part to open in 2009 is a covered plaza in which concerts and sporting events can be held. It is, however, completely versatile so there is no limit to the type of performances that could be held here.
Wow, they seem to have thought of it all!

Surrounding all this magnificence are pools of water with walkways all with plenty of seating and just inviting you to sit, take a breathe, maybe read a book or have a picnic.
I really cannot wait!

From Oceanografic you can either walk for forty minutes or jump on a bus to the beach. We, however, opted to visit on a different day, giving us a chance to test out the theory that our apartment was indeed thirty minutes walk to the old town or to the beach in the opposite direction.

Playa de las Arenas
Firstly before reaching the beach it’s worth having a look around the harbour since this is where the Americas Cup was held in 2007.
Additionally The European Grand Prix was held at the Valencia Street Circuit from 2008 until 2012. The Formula 1 circuit used public roads near the Port of Valencia as well as a purpose built section nearby.
After the last race, the track was abandoned with the purpose built section remaining as it had been and there is evidence of the race still throughout the port area including the abandoned pit building.

Leaving the port behind we walked from here to the beach which stretches north from the marina. The first thing we noticed about the beach is its pure width ranging from an average of 60m up to 100m in places, there is definitely no shortage of space.
Secondly, which to be honest, is something I always check out before taking off my trainers and socks to put my feet in the sand is how clean is it? Valencia’s beach is super clean.

This is not the best photo but it gives some idea of the size.
Behind the sandy beach is an impressive boardwalk, known as the paseo maritimo. Although this is lined with bars and restaurants, some with an unobscured view of the sea beyond, it is spacious. There are plenty of benches to stop and rest whilst watching other visitors taking a stroll, riding a bike or a scooter or even skating, without causing any interference to each other.
On the beach, itself, we took a moment to watch the volleyball players. Whilst there were evidently people sharing a court for an informal game between friends there are also some serious games to watch. Beach volleyball is a very popular sport in Valencia with players competing at local, national and international level.

As you walk along the beach it is hard to know where one beach ends and another starts. Playa de las Arenas blends into La Malvarossa and ultimately Patacona Beach. There are roughly 2 miles of sand.
We couldn’t come to the beach without tasting a traditional Valencian paella. Whilst paella is popular throughout Spain it is nationally recognised that the Valencia region is responsible for the original recipe. It consists of round-grain rice, specific varieties of green beans, rabbit, chicken garrofó (a variety of lima or butter bean) and it is cooked in olive oil and chicken broth.
There is a second variety based on seafood but paella that is mixed i.e. seafood and meat is not traditional although it is available in some restaurants. We chose to stay with the meat variety and left the beach with our tummies happily full.

So there you have it a City of Arts and Sciences and 2 miles of beautiful beach with traditional paella. Any more reasons why we want to stay?

NB:
This is my second post about the great city of Valencia. Why not have a read of my first post? And then catch up on our tour of Western Europe thus far?



£140 for a Pee!

Given I have posted about midlife itself, the menopause and midlife health I thought I would follow up with a wonderful story about the joys of all three! Being menopausal and embarking on midlife adventures.

Sitting on a long haul flight to Barbados in March 2022 I’m engrossed in my kindle and the variety of films on offer on my TV unit and all the while my inner uretha is deciding to play silly games. I find my normal one wee, let’s avoid the flight toilet, is disturbed by the need to pee several times. This is a side effect of menopause for some of us ageing women, an inclination to develop more than the average number of infections. Unlike when this happened in my twenties and an easy solution, to avoid the use of condoms, solved the problem, this isn’t going to do the trick this time.
And so I find myself standing in baggage reclaim thinking and hoping that this need to pee doesn’t develop into the now familiar burning sensation when I next visit the loo, hopefully when we finally arrive at our apartment some forty five minutes drive from the airport.
I drink gallons of cold water on arrival, from the freshly filtered jug in the fridge, and take a couple of paracetamols before retiring to bed.

It’s 2.40 in the morning (6.40 UK time) and the need to pee wakes me up which is a double whammy as I know my body is now going to think its time to get up and I won’t be able to get back to sleep. Parking myself on the loo my body then alerts me to the dreaded UTI and I immediately start to think “how on earth am I going to get antibiotics out here?”
I grab some more cold water and another couple of tablets and silently ask for it to just disappear while I sleep a bit more. Morning comes too quickly at 5 am and my first pee of the day doesn’t seem too bad.

We have a planned trip to the nearest large supermarket about thirty minutes drive away and within it’s walls is a pharmacy. I decide to talk to the pharmacist in case I’ve been lulled into a false sense of security and the burning returns. A very no nonsense Bajan lady tells me that I have to go to a doctor if I want antibiotics!

Back in the apartment we make lunch and again there’s the urge to pee and the burn is back. Referring to the guide book, the owners have thankfully supplied us with, I ring the medical centre. They suggest I ring my travel insurance company. This phone call back to the UK takes nearly fifteen minutes and at £2 a minute ( Barbados is not part of our Go Roaming) the bill is already starting to stack up. Finally with a reference number we set off to see a doctor who is based about one block from the supermarket we went to this morning! It’s at this point that I start to appreciate the NHS.
We wait around for a while before seeing a doctor. In the interim I learn my temperature is normal ,along with my pulse, oxygen levels and blood pressure. It’s like they have to do these vital checks not just to satisfy themselves but so we think something is happening. It’s like those queues at theme parks where you wander up and down, around and around to get to the start of the ride and they think by doing this you will be distracted enough not to think you have queued!


I then pee in the pot but its not your normal plastic bottle here in the Caribbean it’s a metal dish like you’d find a pie in at home! Pee duly dispensed we wait for it to be tested and to see a doctor. I manage to read a third of my magazine I brought with me, in case there is a wait, before getting bored and asking if my husband can come in to keep me company. This seems to jog them into action and we finally speak to the doctor who delivers an in depth explanation of their findings -the end result being you have a UTI and a bill for 345 Barbadian dollars which in English is about £140!!!!
What a great start to our holiday!


Luckily, when we returned to the UK, the travel insurance covered the bill for my pee (minus the excess) but the joys of midlife and the menopause still prevail and I now have to ensure I have a supply of antibiotics to take with me on my travels.

How do I stay healthy in midlife?

I’ve not written a piece about midlife for a while and whilst I am enjoying my current adventures I think it is important to recognise that I am traversing Western Europe whilst being middle aged. Is this a sensible idea? Am I fit enough to do this? 

Historically I was that child who at school would do anything to avoid being outside in the cold playing netball or worse still hockey in my sports shirt and minuscule skirt. Conversely I would happily get up at the crack of dawn to jump over the back garden wall, walk across the playing field to reach the farm my Dad rented and attend to my horse. I loved horse riding and showjumping and after ten years I’m guessing I was fairly physically fit.

But then life took over. My career became all consuming. Going to the gym was something I got no pleasure from. I just felt inferior and frumpy when all the super fit, slim, sporty types exercised in their clingy sports clothes alongside me. 
I’m not sure why I worried so much because even when I fell pregnant with my first child I was still a size 10 but then I put on three stone! I managed to lose two stone before falling pregnant for my daughter. But by the time she was born I was another stone heavier.    Overall nett result from pregnancy, two stones extra!

By the time single parenthood came along five years later I had managed to lose weight and was fitting back in my size 10’s. I had actually joined a gym for about six months in order to prepare for a charity trek, completing the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in November 2001. It was actually being away on this trek that finally ended my marriage!
Once I was on my own the weight started creeping back on. I tried addressing it a few times, trying various slimming groups but life was hectic enough with two children and a full time career without counting calories or syns or fat units!

Fast forward to 2015 when I met Phil and I was probably nearly five stone heavier than when we knew each other back in the early 80’s. The biggest problem was I could look in the mirror and see myself as I’d always done and not as an overweight, clinically obese, middle aged woman!

Amongst all the many conversations we had in the first three months of our relationship health and fitness did rear its head. We knew we wanted to be together forever but how long was forever going to be? Neither of us was fool enough to think we could live forever without making some changes but it still took us another couple of years to be serious about it. 

New Year’s Day 2017 was a turning point. We made a commitment to each other to ensure we would have twenty good years together, fulfilling our dreams of seeing the world. To do this we both knew we needed to have a better balance. We needed to eat healthier, lose some weight and exercise more. 

We started by taking the decision to give up processed food but we still allowed ourselves the odd takeaway. Bear in mind, at this stage, Phil had given up alcohol in 2001. I had given up caffeine in the same year and had changed my diet in 2004, to alleviate a medical condition, eliminating alcohol and spicy food.

Cooking from scratch became the norm for us and to be honest with both of us happy to cook, either separately or together, it wasn’t a hardship.

January 1st 2018 we gave up takeaways completely and I joined Slimming World. I wasn’t intent on losing weight so much as maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Slimming World
Food optimising is the central mantra of following this way of life. It’s not a diet, you don’t have to count calories but it does mean you have to change what you eat forever. 

Every day you can have two healthy extra A’s – this is your dairy allowance. I struggle to do this as I have a problem with dairy. I’ve never been properly tested but I cannot drink milk, it just makes me feel sick. I manage with skimmed milk in my tea but that’s about it for the day.
I can’t eat cheese except goats cheese or cooked cheese when I’m guessing the enzymes have been broken down. Eating cheese will make my gums swell up, my whole mouth and throat itch and I start to develop a rash on my arms. 
I can eat eggs but not to excess.

You also get one healthy extra B which is your bread allowance. If you actually eat it as bread it has to be wholemeal, which is fine with me. I tend to eat mine at lunchtime unless I’m planning to have homemade burgers or wraps for dinner.

Most fruit, veg and salad count as free foods and within this certain items count as speed food. Speed food can be eaten the most as they are very low in calories and ideally should make up a third of your plate at every meal.

Finally you can eat 5-15 syns each day. This can be spent on non free foods at meals or snacks and sweet treats. There is a really useful app where you can look up the syn value of any food that’s not free using the supermarket bar code.

I have lost weight, over two stone at my last check in, but not as much as I would like and probably not as much as people reading this would maybe expect. However for me it was more about healthy eating and if I lost weight this was an additional benefit. I have never eaten so much fruit, veg and salad as I do now. The recommended daily allowance is five pieces a day and I eat double that. I try and eat thirty different types of fruit and veg a week. 

Slimming World is also about the camaraderie you develop with your fellow Slimming World members that you meet through your group and see each week when you weigh in and stay behind for IMAGE Therapy. IMAGE stands for Individual Motivation And Group Experience. I feel really lucky because the people that attend my group on Wednesday morning at 9.30 are all super friendly and helpful. We share ideas, hopefully inspire each other and together motivate each other to stay on track.

The final piece of the jigsaw at Slimming World is Body Magic which is all about exercise.

Exercise
In September 2021, three and half years into my retirement I finally retired properly. As I’ve explained on a previous post, retirement didn’t really come easy to me but at this point I felt I could finally take control of my own life and in so doing decided to try exercising on a regular basis. 

Up until this point Phil and I had been walking regularly and trying to hit 10,000 steps a day. We have probably half a dozen books at home that cover local walks from 2 miles to 10 miles and had reached a point where 7-8 miles was within our reach. We had walked both the Sharpness to Gloucester canal over two days and the Stroudwater canal from Saul to Sapperton over another three days. Our peak was over 27,000 steps in one day whilst on a city break visiting Prague. 

However the stress on my knees pounding the pavements was beginning to take its toll and I needed to find some other form of exercise to keep myself fit which wasn’t so hard on the joints.
I honestly never thought I would change my perception of exercise or become one of those middle aged ladies that exercise every day but here I am!  

I started in September 2021 with one aqua aerobics class on a Wednesday morning after Slimming World. After two weeks I increased this to two classes a week and then gradually within ten weeks I was doing five classes a week (Monday to Friday) including Aqua Zumba on a Monday, which I love. It was a complete change for me not just the exercise but the positive effect it had on my mental health. I felt so much better in myself. I felt like I had a purpose again.

By June 2022 I felt comfortable enough to have a full Boditrax assessment which gave me an overall analysis of my body. 

By July 2022 when we got married I was at my lowest weight since I’d had my children 25 years earlier. I wasn’t at target, as I’ve previously explained, but I felt so much better, my shape had changed and I felt fitter than I had for years. 

On my return from honeymoon in August I started trying some different classes: yoga, pilates and aerobics. Soon my voluntary weekly regime was made up of three aqua classes, two aerobics classes, two pilates classes, a swimming lesson and even a session in the gym itself! 

I suffered a few set backs over the winter with a bad chest infection, a couple of UTI’s and a stinking cold but my motivation is still intact. When we are home, for three weeks in May, between our two big adventures, I will be back to five aqua classes a week to ensure my fitness stays level. 

In the meantime Phil and I walk just about everywhere while on our adventures averaging at least five miles a day. This includes the fact that in every eight day period we include a day off to recuperate when we try and relax and walk very little. 

With a little help from some deep heat my knees are bearing up and we are over halfway through this midlife adventure in Europe!

Touring Western Europe -Spain-Valencia, Please Can I Stay?

Wow! Oh my goodness! This is it! We have been looking for a city that makes us want to return and actually try life as a local for three months and this could be it! I am so excited…………………

On Wednesday, we travelled from Granada back to Madrid Atocha and then using our previously learnt Cercanias train knowledge (see my blog on Madrid) we transferred across the city to Madrid Chamartin. We boarded our train to Valencia, heading south east out of Madrid towards the coast. Arriving into Valencia, it’s a quick transfer by taxi to our Air BnB -a one bedroom accommodation on the fourth floor of an apartment block, ideally located thirty minutes walk from both the old town and the beach!

Thursday morning dawns bright and clear, the temperature is set to hit 32 degrees and we are heading into the historical old town. Armed with my trusty Lonely Planet guide we arrive at the Plaza de Ayuntamiento. The plan is to complete a one hour self guided walk giving us an introduction to the major historical sights and monuments. Then we are going to head to the park for lunch, before moving onto the Museu Faller de Valencia and the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias.
Little did we know that having completed our first day in Valencia we would be returning to our apartment talking about when to return. Here are the first two reasons why…………….

Mercado Central
All the cities in Spain we have visited on this trip have had markets. These vary in size but not totally in content. Valencia seems to have many markets but Mercado Central, in the old town, is the largest, housed in a wonderful Modernista building.

Hubby and I live, for different reasons, a non alcoholic lifestyle. Additionally we have never smoked and so food is our thing. Not your fancy “pretty food” restaurants but just tasty, healthy, farm to fork style food.
We love trying food from all different countries, as well as regional specialities, and have a plethora of recipe books which we dip into regularly to create food together at home. Life is never boring for us when it comes to food, we probably eat at least 200 different meals a year!

When I walked into this market it just felt like I had died and gone to heaven! There was so many beautiful raw ingredients laid out with care and attention and the smell was just an assault on the senses.
The market is buzzing with a mixture of locals buying their shopping, with an array of pull along trolleys, and tourists wandering at will. I’d read beforehand that there are two invisible rules -Don’t touch the food and photos don’t pay the bills, so be discreet when using your camera.
I have to walk around in a regimented fashion, up and down the aisles, for fear of missing something. It might seem a bit mad but I am so excited, everywhere you turn there is fresh food.

What happened back home? Where did markets like this go? Are we, as a nation, so caught up in consumerism that we cannot shop for food anywhere but in a supermarket?

This market alone gives me an incentive to return. I want to experience this, jumping on the bus outside my apartment, riding 20 minutes into town and then having that freedom to choose my food for the next few days. Not having to plan, just being inspired by what is there, allowing my imagination to create tasty meals, before catching the bus back again.

As it is we shop purely for lunch today and put together a picnic for our trip to the park later:-
We buy a boccadillo each (1.40 euros). If you are not familiar with this type of bread snack I came across an article on line which explains the difference between this and a sandwich “https://www.thespruceeats.com/sandwich-vs-bocadillo-3083603”.
Contrary to this article my tuna roll has chopped olives in it!

Next we pick up two plastic pots of pickles at 1 euro each. These come with a cocktail stick and contain a variety of pickled gherkins, olives, cauliflower, carrot, beans etc.

Then we purchase two chicken empanadas. Spanish empanadas are half-circle shaped pastries that contain different meats, seafood, vegetables and sauces as fillings.
Finally we pick up a dessert. Hubby opts for home made cookies and I buy a home made slice of tiramisu.
Everything is safely stowed in a carrier bag we had brought with us and secured in the rucksack. Walking back out the door through which we had entered we bid a sorrowful goodbye to the market and continue on our walk.

The walk takes us to the Plaza del Tossal, the Torres de Quart, the Torres de Serranos and up the Calle de Caballeros to the Plaza de la Virgen before turning back on ourselves and entering the park.

Jardines del Turia
The city of Valencia had always been subject to flooding from the River Turin which snaked its way from west to east across the city. In 1957 the city was devastated by dramatic flooding with over sixty lives being lost.
Determined not to let this tragedy happen again, the river was diverted south of the city.
Local authorities wanted to turn the old river bed into a highway. But the city’s inhabitants fiercely opposed this idea, won their case and in the 1980s, the old river bed was transformed into a vast park area: the Tùria Gardens.
The gardens cover 270 acres and extend for 7 kms. Dotted with pine and palm trees, fountains, benches and picnic tables the park provides an oasis of calm and a refreshing break from the city’s hustle and bustle.
Wherever you go in Spain, whichever city you are in there is always a park. Every park offers benches and you often see someone reading a book, they could be eighteen or eighty years old, it could be a normal paperback or a kindle. It’s like they all just value this open space that they can come to and relax.
It is here we settle down for our picnic, enjoying the fabulously fresh food purchased at the market whilst relaxing on the grass in the sun and watching the world go by. Everyone is here- the midday joggers, skaters and electric scooters, the dog walkers and the couples catching time together having lunch.


Valencia is a city committed to encouraging alternative modes of transport. Electric scooters are rife and being a fairly flat city, bike hire shops are everywhere. Interestingly the cycle lanes in this city are a sub section of the pavement and not the road which to be honest seems a whole lot safer.

The Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill is primarily recognised for the development of the park and it was inaugurated in 1986. It is still crossed by the eighteen original bridges that stretched across the river. It passes by the city’s main museums and monuments on either bank.
The Cabecera Park and Bioparc border the huge gardens to the west, neither of which we have had time to visit, whilst the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences border it on the opposite side, near the mouth of the river. This is mentioned in my second article about this wonderful city.

We force ourselves back to our feet and heading east we pass under the beautiful Pont de las Flores or Bridge of Flowers, followed by the Puente del Mar with its ten pointed arches. We stop briefly to admire the Palau de la Musica in its lovely lakeside setting. This musical venue for concerts and orchestra performances again adds to the park’s attraction.

In every park we have visited, thus far, in Spain there is always a playground. The playgrounds are clean, they are not vandalised or graffitied, it’s like there is just this respect for what has been provided that we don’t see that often in England.
The Jardines del Turia is no exception and just before we leave to head away to the Museu Faller de Valencia we come across Gulliver.

From ground level you would not perceive that this massive play structure featuring a multitude of stairs and slides is a giant sculpture of Gulliver. Almost seventy meters long and nine high, covering an area of 15,000 m2, he is led on his back, tied to the ground and motionless. But view it from above from one of the walkways at street level and all becomes apparent.
Children can climb onto the fingers, hair and legs of this giant and slide down them like Lilliputians.
This is seriously a “one of a kind” children’s play park and I am in awe of the design and its size. Those are people just to the left of this monolith in my picture!

On leaving the park, which we return to again later in order to visit the Ciudad de las Artes, we both realise we have experienced something quite phenomenal. Somewhere that warrants further exploration, a place where we can see ourselves enjoying retirement in quiet seclusion for a while whilst also inviting others to experience this wonderful city.

NB:

This is part ten in my series of posts about our tour of Western Europe. Why not read the previous posts and then follow us on our journey as we continue to explore this lovely part of the world?

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Granada -A View to Remember

In modern day society it’s sometimes hard not to be a tourist. As I’ve mentioned before all the key sights want you to book tickets in advance for a specific day/time.
It started during Covid so numbers of entry could be limited and a 2 meter distance could, therefore, be guaranteed between strangers when visiting. When we finally left the Covid era, continuing this pattern of entry ensures that numbers are still limited and places are not over run by the ever increasing numbers of tourists wishing to visit.
However the cynic in me also feels that this allows for staffing numbers to be predicted and I’m guessing, as a result, these numbers have often been cut. If you know how many visitors you are having in each hour organising staff rotas becomes prescriptive rather than haphazard guesswork.

In this new world it’s lovely sometimes just to throw away the guidebook and plans and to take time out to wander at will and that’s what we did on our second day in Granada. We left our hotel and browsed the shops along Calle Elvira before arriving at the Plaza Nueva. This is actually the oldest square in Granada and around the square are the Royal Chancellery and the House of Pisa.
From here we headed past the Plaza de Santa Ana and along Carrera del Darros following the river. This is the river that supplied water to the Alhambra via aqueducts.
The road soon starts to narrow but it’s nice to feel the cobble streets underfoot. At times like this my imagination reaches back in time and I become aware of all those who have trodden these streets before me. There is barely enough room for the small local bus to get through which reminds me that these streets were made for horses and carts and not modern day transportation.

Several small stone bridges cross over the river and we pass the El Banuelo, preserved remains of 11th century baths, and outside is a black shield shaped sign which explains in both Spanish and English historical information about the site. For some reason that we haven’t been able to ascertain at the bottom of the narrative is the number 85 and an earphone sign.
It soon becomes apparent that all places of interest have these signs posted nearby. I’m guessing you can do some sort of self guided tour and the numbers refer to an audioguide you can download on your phone. Maybe check it out at the local tourism office if you are visiting.

We reach another small plaza and take a breather whilst photographing the glimpse we have of the Alhambra Palace up on the hill to our right.
As we continue the streets on the left like Calle Zafra and Calle Gloria are old and narrow curving upwards away from us, inviting exploration. We resist the temptation and follow Calle Chapiz as it curves around a bend to the left.

The hill becomes a little steeper but we follow it onwards. Just past the Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestro Salvador (Church of our Saviour) we bear off to the left into Calle Panaderos following a signpost towards Plaza Larga. We had previously read this was where some of the old city walls remained and decided to take a look.
Reaching Plaza Largo we found a small market which was beginning to close down and in the far left we finally spotted a stone archway which would take us through the old wall.

We found ourselves at the back of the Church of San Nicolas. As we came around the side of the church there before us was an unforgettable panorama. We had chanced upon the Mirador de San Nicolas.
I honestly could not believe my eyes. The whole of the Alhambra Palace was laid out before me with the beautiful snow capped mountains of the Sierra Nevada nestled behind. Suddenly everything I had read and seen the day before made sense. The Palace dominated the skyline, leaving everything below in its wake.
There are not many views in the world that you see and know are going to stay in your memory forever but this is one of them. It probably ranks in my top three!
Finding a vacant stone seat and ignoring the crowds I settle down and just stare in front of me. I feel at peace.

NB:

This is my second post about our stay in Granada on our tour around Spain. Granada is a beautifully unique city. Why not read my first post and then catch up on our journey around Western Europe?

Touring Western Europe -Spain- Granada

We arrived by train into the city of Granada on Sunday Afternoon. At the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, but only one hour by car from the Mediterranean coast, it is of course famous for the Alhambra Palace.
The Alhambra is one of the most revered monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the top visitor attractions in Spain.

Our hotel for the next three nights is situated in the Albacin neighbourhood, which is also full of Islamic influence and Moorish architecture. Even on the drive from the train station it is evident that like so many ancient cities in Spain, Granada is divided into the old and the new. With the new part of the city harbouring apartment style living and business premises.
Approaching our hotel we realise that the old cobbled streets are off limits to normal traffic and the taxi driver has to “buzz” himself in through a set of lights where a hydraulic barrier disappears downwards to let him through.
Our bedroom looks over the street and has two balconies. With the doors thrown open the afternoon sun shines in, along with the chatter from the small shops below clustered together like a “souk” and the distinct aroma of Middle Eastern food. 

The receptionist has armed us with a map of the city to hubby’s delight and we settle in unpacking and preparing for an early start the next day.

Tickets for the Alhambra Palace
These can sell out a month in advance and acquiring them is a minefield all of its own. There are so many sites that indicate, at first glance, that they are the real site but are, in fact, companies offering accompanied tours. Once on the official site (alhambra-patronato.es)  you then have a choice of about nine different tickets. The key is to ensure your ticket includes access to the Nasrid Palace.

If you read my blog about the Real Alcazar in Seville you would have learnt, that having arrived in Seville, we had to wait a couple of days for tickets to this attraction.
For this reason, despite it only being March, we started addressing all tickets for the next month and, in so doing, had discovered that we couldn’t get any tickets for the Alhambra Palace for the days we were going to be in Granada!
Although I do all the planning, I had given the responsibility of tickets to hubby. He finds it so frustrating that you can no longer just turn up in a city and spontaneously visit an attraction you wish to see. Having to plan the day and even sometimes the actual time of your visit is somewhat anathema to him. Thus he had not been as “on it” as he perhaps should have been.


What ensued was a desperate search of the internet for another site that had tickets. We trolled through all sorts of companies offering guided tours, not that we really wanted to do a group visit. We eventually, however, came across the Granada Card. The price per person (for a 48 hr pass) was substantially higher than a normal ticket for the Alhambra Palace but it did include entrance to other sites and some other benefits such as bus tickets. More to the point, having indicated which day we wanted the pass to begin, we could get into the Alhambra Palace on the Monday after we arrived, at a time that suited us.
It opens at 8.30 a.m and so we chose 9 a.m. in the hope that it wouldn’t be totally swamped with tourists.
Be aware that you have to show your ID (in our case our passports) at every checkpoint, into every different area, throughout the day. If you turn up without your ID they won’t let you in!
Additionally you have to arrive 30 mins earlier than your ticket time to get through security checks and actually walk to the Nasrid Palace. The time on your ticket is your entry into the Nasrid and if you are late they advertise they have the option to refuse entry!
I guess it depends on the security guard on the day and how busy they are but personally I wasn’t prepared to take the risk and so we were there at 8.30. a.m.

Getting to the Alhambra Palace
The Palace was built on the Sabika hill, an outcrop of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It had been the site of earlier fortresses and of an 11th-century palace which Nasrid rulers continuously modified.
To walk up to the palace from the old town takes about 30 minutes but it is a fairly steep uphill climb. Given that we knew there would be a lot of walking throughout the day (we did 6 miles that day in total) we opted to take a cab but walk back down. There are also buses though that run from Plaza Nueva.

The Nasrid Palace
To try and give you some idea of the size of the palace, throughout the Nasrid era, the Alhambra was a self-contained city separate from the rest of Granada below. Within its walls could be found most of the amenities of a Muslim city such as a mosque, public baths, roads, houses, workshops and a sophisticated water supply system.
As a royal city, there were at least six major palaces, most of them located along the northern edge where they commanded views over the Albacin neighbourhood. 

The most famous and best-preserved are the Mexuar, the Comares Palace and The Palace of the Lions. All of these basically form the main attraction to visitors today.
I should probably say, at this stage, I invested 6 euros in an audioguide. I found it really easy to operate and really helpful in terms of the information it gave, alongside the suggested route to follow which is indicated throughout the Palace.

The Moorish architecture within the Nasrid was developed over centuries. There is a central courtyard around which other halls and rooms were placed. The decoration on the inside of the building is made up of tile mosaics on the lower wall and carved stucco on the upper walls. There are decorative motifs of geometric pattern, patterns based on plants and flowers found in the natural world and Arabic inscriptions.

What I found most fascinating and unique here were the ceiling sculptures which reminded me of “bee hives”. They are known as mugarnos and with their stalactite sculpting lend a three dimensional feature to the vaulted ceilings.

Palace of Charles V
Having finished our exploration of Nasrid we walked to this massive square structure of stone which looks really big from the outside but internally it encloses a perfectly circular courtyard.  Personally I was reminded of the Roman colisseum.
The construction of this Italian-influenced palace in the heart of the Nasrid-built Alhambra symbolises the triumph of Christianity over Islam. The building began in 1527 but wasn’t actually finished until 400 years later around 1923.
Internally is the Alhambra Museum, which holds objects and artefacts relating to the Alhambra’s history, as well as the Fine Arts Museum of Granada, with it’s collection of paintings from Granada dating from the 16th to 20th centuries. Unfortunately both were closed on the day we went.

Alcazaba
We then moved across to this central fortification which is the oldest part of the Alhambra today.
You can not only view the remains of this residential district where elite guards of the Alhambra lived but you can climb both the Torre de la Vela which acted as a watch tower and also the Tower of Homage which, at 85 ft, was the tallest tower and military command post. The views from both are extraordinary and it’s not hard to stand there and imagine how this city ruled over the surrounding areas.

The Partal Palace
We then walked back towards where our Nastrid tour had ended to view this pavilion on the edge of the Alhambra walls with it’s portico facing a large reflective pool.

From here we wandered amongst the gardens which follow the northern walls. Throughout our visit I have to say we were both really impressed with the care and attention put into the gardens, they are beautiful.
In addition to the gardens you can also view several towers (from the outside) which were converted into small palatial residences. All of these have a narrative on the audio guide.

Generalife
This is the area outside of the palace walls which was originally developed as a country estate. It has undergone several developments from the Nasrid period right up to the 20th century.
Meandering along you often come across rectangular garden courtyards with decorated pavilions, then there is the landscaped gardens with the central full length pool and fountain, not to mention the rose garden which I’m sure must smell unbelievable when the roses bloom. Then just as you think you’ve finally completed your tour you have the wonderful fountain filled courtyard.


NB:

This is part nine in my series of posts about our tour of Western Europe. Why not read the previous posts and then follow us on our journey as we continue to explore this lovely part of the world


 





More Adventures in Seville

We stayed 40 minutes walk outside of the “old town” within a fairly densely populated area surrounded by Spanish families, in an apartment on the sixth and top floor of a block of flats.
Over 65% of Spanish people live in flats because they are more affordable, with reduced living costs, and it has been culturally the norm since the mid 20th century.
The two bedroom apartment was light and airy with everything we needed but it was time to see if we could actually “live like a local” for a week.
Our washing was hung out on the rooftop shared by those living in the same block. Our rubbish and recycling was taken down to the communal bins located on the roadsides, which has been a common theme throughout the cities we have visited, and collected here at 1 a.m. every day by the bin men. No one leaves their rubbish on the streets.
We shopped at the local supermarket complete with ultra fresh fish counter, meat area, in store cake shop and bakery and cheese island.
Living as they do encourages a sense of community. We wandered past many local cafe bars where people gathered during siesta, particularly at weekends, for drinks, socialising and sometimes food.
We also learnt how to use their local buses which on the whole run on time, are often quite crowded and cost 1.40 euro per person for a trip into the city. Buying multiple tickets/travel card saves money.

I must admit I’m normally a bit of a Lonely Planet fan but on this occasion we used the DK EyeWitness guide to Seville and Andalucia. This book divides Seville into five key areas and we spent four days exploring them all. Day One, which I’ve already shared, was spent in El Arenal bounded by the River Guadalquivir and also included the area of Parque Maria Luisa.
I could, probably, fill another four posts with everything that we visited but instead I hope to give you a taste, which just might awaken your souls and prompt you to add Seville to your travel plans.

Santa Cruz
This is the old Jewish quarter, where the Jewish community lived from 1248 until they were driven out of Spain in 1492.
Real Alcazar
This is listed on Tripadvisor as the number two attraction in Seville and nearly 28,000 people class it as excellent so it would be a little remiss of me not to include it in my blog.
As we discovered on Monday, Seville is often a “long weekend” jaunt” for tourists and despite being March the streets were very busy. Timed ticket entry prevails at the Real Alcazar and everything was sold out two days beforehand so if this is somewhere you want to visit buy your tickets on line well in advance. Once you have a ticket you still have to queue up to gain entry so be there 15-30 minutes before and remember, don’t be late, and bring the ID you used to book the tickets or you may find yourself being declined entry even with a ticket!

It took five hundred years to actually build the palace and as a result, whilst being a leading example of Mudejar style it also combines Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements.

I paid for an audioguide rather than downloading the narrative from a QR code but to be honest, for the first time on this trip, I didn’t find it particularly useful. There is no suggested route to follow either with or without an audioguide. Some of the rooms have lost their numbers and have names that do not match with the guide and I found the whole site a bit baffling.

Notwithstanding my confusion there are some fine examples of tile decoration for which the palace is famous, as seen below. It is hard to capture personal memories of the interior due to the crowds and the inescapable “selfie brigade”. The palace and grounds were also used in the fifth series of “Game of Thrones” so fans of this drama are looking to photograph themselves where specific scenes were shot.

Stepping out into the gardens, however, it is easier to leave all the visitors behind and just revel in some solitude.
There is a plan of the gardens that you can follow but with more than 20,000 plants, some were planted from seeds brought back from South America by explorers, I just enjoyed going for a stroll. Taking in the scents of the jasmine, admiring the wisteria which was just starting to flower, being slightly amazed at the amount of orange and lemon trees whose fruits gathered on the grounds and occasionally catching the herby smells of amongst others myrtle, rosemary and sage.
You could easily lose yourself here amongst the 60,000 square meters of pools, fountains, water basins, and tiled benches.

La Macarena
This area of Seville has thus far avoided development and so walking around here gave us more of an insight into everyday life. It allowed us to avoid the constant parade of tourists that you see elsewhere, as well as an opportunity to glimpse the remains of the original city walls.

Basilica de la Macarena
No visit to this area is complete without a visit inside the Basilica which houses the famous statue of the Virgen de la Esperanza Macarena, standing above the main altar amid waterfalls of gold and silver.
The “weeping virgin” takes centre stage during the Easter processions or Semana Santa.
If you’ve never seen videos of this spectacle have a look on line.
Organised by religious groups and brotherhoods that date back hundreds of years, it is during the small hours of Good Friday morning in Seville, the Hermandad de la Esperanza Macarena, the biggest brotherhood in the city, will take out the famous Virgen de la Macarena for an epic 13-hour tour.
Carried through the streets on heavy floats (pasos) — often weighing over a ton — by their members, they are accompanied by the Nazarenes in their cloaks and traditional pointed hoods. Seeing these garments displayed within the Basilica it’s hard not to think about the Ku Klux Klan.
Whatever your religious beliefs you have to admire their dedication and fortitude.

We left the Basilica in search of a light lunch and made our way further into La Macarena. it wasn’t long before we came across a traditional cafe/bar with tables, chairs and umbrellas lining the roadside. The locals were gathered inside avoiding the midday sunshine but savouring the weather we sat outside alongside a couple of other evidently local retirees! Orders are placed at the counter for simple Spanish fare with staff who are authentically friendly and helpful.

Palacio de Las Duenas
I cannot complete our highlights of La Macarenas without mentioning this Palace. Built in the 15th century, it was the favourite home of one of Spain’s most famous aristocrats, the late Duchess de Alba, who died in 2014. It was opened to the public by her son and primary heir in 2016.
One of my guilty pleasures is reading “Hello” magazine in which the Duchess of Alba was often featured and always fascinated me for her independent spirit and overwhelming joie de vivre.

Born in 1926 into the Fitz-James Stuarts, the most powerful aristocratic dynasty in Spain, who always enjoyed a close relationship with the Spanish Royal Family, her godmother was Queen Victoria Eugenie, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
The Duchess was also a descendant of King James II of England (VII of Scotland) through the illegitimate son he had with his mistress, Arabella Churchill, the sister of the 1st Duke of Marlborough.
The Albas are also distant relatives of Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Winston Churchill, and Diana, Princess of Wales.


The Duchess of Alba, Head of the House of Alba from 1953-2014 and Spain’s richest aristocrat at the time of her death, had a fortune that some experts estimated to be over €3.5 billion. It was rumoured that she could travel from northern to southern Spain without leaving her own property. She was well known throughout Spanish society for her strong sense of independence, style, and irreverence, famously refusing to pose nude for Pablo Picasso and fraternizing with some of the most famous people of the 20th century. Her social circle included Princess Grace of Monaco, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Margaret, Walt Disney, Audrey Hepburn, and Yves Saint Laurent. The palace was also visited by Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
She was also well known for her love of bullfighting, horses, and flamenco.

Widowed twice, the Duchess of Alba caused a huge scandal by marrying for the third time at the age of 85 over the objection of King Juan Carlos. He cautioned her against marrying Alfonso Diez Carabantes, a civil servant 25 years her junior that he suspected was after her immense wealth, a sentiment shared by her children. She married Carabantes in 2011 anyway, opting to give her children their inheritance early, including several palaces, land, and a first edition of Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Carabantes agreed to renounce any claim to her fortune.
She died at the age of 88 after a short illness having been named by Guinness World Records as the world’s most titled person. She was 14 times a Spanish grandee, five times a duchess, once a countess-duchess, 18 times a marchioness, 18 times a countess and once a viscountess, according to the entry.

As you tour the grounds and downstairs rooms evidence of her flamboyant lifestyle and photos of her many friends remain on view.

Across the River
A trip to Seville is not complete without venturing across one of the bridges to Triana. Since Roman times this area of Seville has been famous for pottery. It has traditionally been a working class area famous for bullfighters and flamenco dancers but it appears to be experiencing something of a renaissance.
We took a walk through the traditional narrow streets, with beautiful tiled houses and flower filled outdoor displays which presented a reprieve from the activity across the river in the centre of Seville.


There are still workshops producing and selling tiles and pottery but be aware they tend to close for siesta. There are plenty of inviting cafes, restaurants and bars spilling out onto the streets which somehow have a different atmosphere to anywhere else we had experienced in Seville.
We also took a walk along the riverbank and settled into a small cafe/restaurant overlooking the water. If you want something a bit more expensive and exclusive then keep walking and you will find some more private choices to eat.
As a midlife adventurer this was honestly one of our favourite parts of the trip to Seville and if we had our time over again, despite this area being the furthest away from the train station, we would have found an Air BnB here and happily stayed.

Outside of Seville
We ventured out of the city, again by train, on two separate days visiting Cadiz down on the coast and Jerez for the unique show, “How the Andalusian Horses Dance”.
This is an equestrian ballet accompanied by authentic Spanish music and 18th century styled costumes. As an equestrian enthusiast this was a visit I really wanted to make.

Before saying a final goodbye to Seville I’d just like to share this fantastic piece of street art with you which we came across accidentally while visiting Alameda de Hercules.

NB:
We are currently touring Spain as part of our journey around Western Europe and this is my second post about Seville. Why not have a read of my first post about this marvellous city and then catch up on our journey thus far. Why not follow us as we continue discovering this lovely part of the world?

Prince Harry-Journalism vs Reality

Phil and I are both avid readers. Here we are three weeks and 4 days into our West European adventure and we haven’t watched television once.
This year to date I’ve read 23 books and one of the latest is “Spare”. I had purposely not bought it before we left the UK because I knew I would want to be in a position to fully absorb what Harry was going to tell us about his life. I wanted to be able to weigh this up against what the media had been reporting about him. 

In giving my opinion I should say immediately that I realise I am just a “midlife adventurer’. I’m not a journalist, I’m just a normal, everyday person but we are all entitled to an opinion. I am also quite simplistic. I like to “boil things down to a basic level”. It’s how I’ve managed to solve my own personal troubles during my life and not allow myself to get embroiled in the what, why, when and if, grey murky waters of life. 

It’s probably worth mentioning that Phil is a dedicated newsreader whereas I have no time for the “stories” that the tabloid media spin. I probably look on line about once a week, normally at the weekend, when you can get a summary of the key events that have taken place in the last seven days. 

I grew up in an age where newspapers were printed and were not just on line competitors. I was one of those children, who at thirteen, had a paper round and would wobble up the road on my bike, the heavy paper sack flung over my shoulder. Health and Safety was non existent and no one cared about how much it weighed, it was just part of the job. As long as you could get yourself out of bed early enough before school to deliver your papers then that was all the newsagent cared about. 

I dreaded Thursday because that was when the local newspaper came out which doubled the load and also Sunday. 
Sunday was a nightmare with customers often taking two-three different newspapers complete with supplements. The newsagent, if he was considerate, would employ extra help on Sunday and normal rounds were divided up so you had less houses to deliver to otherwise no one would be able to lift their sacks!

Having read Harry’s autobiography, for me, I feel there are three key questions to answer:

Why did he write the book?
Do I personally believe what he has written?
What is the key message? 

Why did he write the book?
Harry definitely has an issue with the media, it is a consistent thread throughout the book. He still blames the paparazzi for his Mother’s death nearly 26 years later. If I was in his shoes I would too. 

He is also incredibly protective of his wife and children and will do all he can to ensure they are kept safe and there is no repetition of the tragedy that befell him and “Willy” as a result of his mother’s demise. Would I feel like this if I was him? Yes I would. 

From my personal experience of being a single Mum I still have that protective nature. There is a reason my daughter refers to me as “Mama Bear”! 

I believe Harry wrote the book because he was fed up of all the stories being spun in the media. Tabloid newspapers were making immense sums of money from his family. He saw this as an opportunity to tell his own story in the hope that the general public would read the book, believe what he was saying and maybe just wake up to the fact that some journalists are no longer committed to writing the truth. Instead they sensationalise and dramatise because they are put under pressure to write stories that will sell newspapers basically catering to the purchaser to secure retail sales. They can’t afford for the truth to get in the way of a good story. 

In the UK alone, print newspapers are read by 1 in 4 adults over the age of 15 every day (13.6 million daily) and reach larger audiences weekly (24.9 million) and monthly (30.8 million). 

When they are not selling newspapers these same journalists are creating on line content

According to a recent survey, almost 80 percent of UK news consumers between the ages of 18 to 24 considered the internet their leading news platform, and as of 2020, roughly 70 percent of the UK population read or downloaded news content online. That is a huge audience. 

In telling his truth did Harry achieve his goal? 
The problem is the same journalists who made money from his family also then read his book and wrote their own “story” about it in the paper and on line. How many of those people reading these summations actually went on to read the book themselves? Or did they just, once again, merely believe what was written in the news?
Too many people in the world today believe what they read without question, without listening to both sides of the story and they base their opinions on this. The general public, through no fault of their own, don’t have enough personal experience of the world as a whole to formulate their own opinions based upon real life and so they are easy prey for the journalists creating stories for a pay check. I challenge you, do you believe what they write without question? 

Although the book broke records becoming the fastest selling non fiction book of all time, because this type of opinion exists, I guess the jury is still out as to whether he achieved his goal.

Do I personally believe what he has written?
He certainly lays himself bare. He doesn’t gloss over how he felt about his mother’s untimely death or how he tried to cope afterwards. He talks frankly about his feelings and how he tried to convince himself that Diana had faked her death in order to escape the media spotlight and that she would, therefore, one day reappear.

From my own experience of losing my Mum at just fourteen, I can easily see how this worked in his head. It’s a proven fact that trauma of any description affects the brain. How we cope with these periods in our life is very individual. 

He covers all aspects of his life:-school, drugs (which he started taking in his teenage years), how the aristocracy and upper class world works, his time in the army, the royal family and his individual relationships within it and of course his own personal love story. 

I can understand how journalists have decided to pick and choose what they want to write about regarding his book in order to sell further news. How they have conveniently avoided anything Harry has written about their involvement in his life. After all they can’t publicly admit that they have lied, dramatised, or worse still deliberately sold fake news. 

I believe Harry was born into a world not of his choosing. It didn’t fit with his personality, rightly or wrongly he didn’t feel he had to tow the line because he was never going to be King and ultimately he didn’t want to be part of it. 

He is his mother’s son. He doesn’t want to hide his feelings behind the “never complain, never explain” royal mantra. He wants to show those feelings, share those feelings and demonstrate through his charitable causes where he sits morally.

He might not have lived a normal life like you and I but at the same time I believe he is now happy. He has found a world where he belongs, where he can be himself and be the best man, husband and father and in so doing I personally wish him well.

What is the key message?
In my opinion and it is only my opinion, there is one key message that stands out to me and this is not about Harry himself or his life. The book brings into focus how the royal family and ultimately a large percentage of the older generation in the UK think/feel and alongside that a lack of understanding or even denial of the world in which we now live.

I was, as previously described in my blog, brought up in a white conservative area. I have been subject to social prejudice and racism so I feel I have some life experience to draw on.

I have always been in favour of the monarchy. I can see the benefits they bring particularly to the UK economy. Is the new King, his wife, eldest son and family in touch with reality? I think they believe they are but I feel they are missing one valuable change in society. 

The older generation, and I include myself in this equation, are dying out and, therefore, if the royalty want to remain relevant and maintain their position, they need to be appealing to people aged 40 and younger -the Gen Z and Millenials.
Attitudes to the royal family amongst the younger generation have changed substantially since 2019. 

Over 40% of 18-24 year olds now say Britain should have an elected head of state.
The news that surrounded Prince Andrew in 2019, the interview that Harry and Megan did with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the on going serialisation of the Royal family through “The Crown” and now Prince Harry’s book in 2023 have all had an effect. 

Just as the older generation brought up on printed newspapers delivered to their door believe what they read in the tabloids and the news broadcast on terrestrial television so does this younger generation believe what they read on line and watch on Netflix etc.

Gen Z and Millenials have been brought up in a world where they expect everyone to be treated equal. They don’t remember a time before men and women were entitled to equal rights, when it was illegal to practice your sexual preference, when schools were not multi racial. 

Harry’s book brings into the spotlight how the Royal family operate, where all of the above ideology is apparently taken into account, but when push came to shove they didn’t uphold those beliefs. They did what they had always done and stood back, allowing it all to play out including Harry and Megan leaving the family. 

There is no doubt that both Camilla and Catherine have suffered art the hands of the media as did Diana and Sarah Ferguson before them. However there was a difference this time and that difference centred around Megan’s ancestry. She is a woman of colour. 

Other key people saw what was happening. It wasn’t a figment of Harry and Megan’s imagination. More than 70 female parliamentarians signed an open letter stating that they “stand with Meghan in saying such behaviour “cannot be allowed to go unchallenged” and praising her for “taking a stand”. 

The racism Megan experienced unfortunately went unchallenged by those who should have protected her, her new family, the Royal family. How would you have felt if that was your new in laws?
Would you have felt accepted and supported or would you have been unhappy and stressed and been waking up each morning wondering what awful tabloid malevolence today was going to bring?
These are people we are all suppose to look up to. Through their lack of visible support and continued silence it could be said that they condoned the behaviour of the press. Is this because, as Harry says in his book, the Royal family depend upon their relationship with the media to maintain their prominence and therefore to some degree their position? 

I think this will come back to haunt them. The younger generation will be asking why they didn’t protect or even question the manner in which Megan was treated by the media? They will see the media racism for exactly what it was or, as so often happens now, they will make their opinion known by dismissing the royal family from their lives.

Whether you like it or not Megan represents everything about modern day society. 
A society where 50% of marriages end in divorce including three out of four marriages within the Royal family itself. 

Where the country of your birth doesn’t matter because we are one world.

Where the colour of your skin is irrelevant because everyone’s life matters.

Where love crosses all barriers. 

 That is the key message from this book.

Touring Western Europe -Spain- Seville

On Saturday we took the train from Cordoba and travelled 45 minutes south to Seville and settled into another Air BnB just a 10 minute walk from the main train station but alas 40 minutes walk from the main city sites.


Our first adventure into the city began early on Sunday morning visiting the art market outside of the Museo De Bellas Artes De Sevilla. Scattered around the small square, local artists display their wares to the admiring and hopefully generous public. Whilst Mothers Day was being celebrated back home, it was in fact Father’s Day here in Spain and maybe as a result the streets were fairly quiet.
It was a pleasant introduction before entering the actual museum. It is free to enter, unless you come from a country not in the EU! But even then it is only 1.50 euros each.


I am not a massive fan of art and although hubby loves French Impressionism visiting art galleries isn’t necessarily “his cup of tea” either but I had thrown it into the schedule as a break from architecture, cathedrals and stately homes.
Housed in an ornate former convent dating back to 1594, the art is arranged chronologically throughout the museum and thus downstairs the walls are full of religious paintings and fresco ceilings whilst upstairs there is a greater variety. The highlight for art lovers is the painting of “Virgin of the Napkin” by Murillo painted 1668-69. My particular favourite, however, was “Moorish Ambush” painted in 1880 by Fernando Tirado, which at first glance looked like a photograph!

Heading away from the art museum we visited the Iglesia de la Magdalena before walking towards the river and the site of the Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla. Bull fighting is a major event in the Spanish calendar starting each April and this 12,000 seat venue is one of the oldest in Spain. You can take a guided tour to learn about the history of bullfighting whilst also visiting the museum, the stables and walking into the massive arena.
We chose to merely view the imposing Baroque architecture from the outside. I’m afraid my morals wouldn’t allow me to join the ever growing queue to enter.

Like so many visitors and no doubt Sevillanas alike we then strolled along the riverfront in the sunshine, admiring the houses of Triana across the water, the outside of the Maestranza theatre and the Torre del Oro.
You can pay to go inside where Seville’s naval history is on display in the maritime museum and the top of the tower also offers outstanding views of the city and river.

Instead we headed to  Parque de Maria Luisa and the Plaza de Espana
Like many I had seen pictures of the Plaza de Espana but nothing prepares you for the reality. As we rounded the corner I caught my breath as the magnificence of this Renaissance Revival plaza spread out in front of me. I am so pleased that we came here at the end of our day as there was no pressure on time and we could wander at will absorbing the atmosphere, taking a break whenever we wanted to and just being in the moment.

The square was originally built in 1929 but after years of neglect it needed restoring to its original splendour and intertwines elements of both Moorish and Christian culture. Adorned with tiles it is connected by bridges over a moat.
Take a moment to either hire your own rowing boat on the moat or like me just sit and watch the world go by at the central fountain, ensuring you pick an area that doesn’t get wet from the constant spray!

As you wander around there are so many little extras that are so easy to miss:-the beautiful tiling on the lampposts, the floral decoration on the bridges, the wooden ceiling above the walkways or the individual tiling on the ground floor dedicated to specific Spanish cities. All of this is accompanied by the haunting sound of a violinist playing “Nessun Dorma”, the loud clacking of the castanets as a small group of flamenco artists entertain the crowd and the strumming of a Spanish guitarist.

The Plaza faces the Maria Luisa park which was built at the same time. The park stretches along the Guadalquivir river and scattered amongst the vegetation are many important monuments including the famous statue of Miguel de Cervantes. Historical structures such as the Mudéjar Pavillion are also located in the gardens.
Birds sing amongst the treetops, children play amongst the fountains and life just stands still for a little while on a sunny Sunday Afternoon.

NB:
This is part eight in my series of posts about our tour of Western Europe. Why not read the previous posts and then follow us on our journey as we continue to explore this lovely part of the world