Dinner with the captain

Departure at 7:00 from Sibenik for a short stint along a fiord to the very small town of Skradin at which we saw the dock before being herded onto another boat to go to the Krka National Park.

There is history everywhere around these parts. Coatians are very proud of their famous ancestors and rightly so. In this case Tesla is the man. He invented AC electricity and came up with the idea of hydro power and this where they built the first plant. At the same time as Niagra apparently. The falls are spectacular and yet another very popular tourist trap. In this case it is indeed a trap as once you're in you have to wait for tourist boat to escape. The queues were extensive in getting back but it all flowed eventually. Not quite as fast as the water flowing away from the base of the falls where the blogger had a dip in after circumnavigating the park. The Agape Rose then took us back out through the fortressed channel and into the high seas where the party on deck got underway. This was pre-dinner pre's. Well maybe before that... seemed like a good idea at the time. We even managed to convince the Captain to stop for an ad-hoc swim. The currents were pretty strong around the boat, however the crew had no trouble dragging the castaways back with a bouy on rope.

We docked at the tiny town of Trogir and had a quick walking tour as the setting sun turned every aspect into a photographers delight and then had proper pre dinner drinks at a quiet alleyway burger joint. The tour guide had some difficulty in explaining why the church bells were ringing. Something to do with mice. It would take a lot of trained critters to make that much noise. Eventually we realised she meant mass. Lots more laughs and general gossip over the drinks.

The Captains dinner was a fine dining experience where the captain kept as all entertained for hours with hilarious and enthralling stories of his adventures on the seas over his long and illustrious career. Well that's what we expected. Instead he sat at one table and our tour guide had to translate everyword as he only speaks Croatian. Regardless we pressed on. Once the girls invaded the bar, things started to get a bit messy. And loud. Once the grappa started flowing the night quickly decended into chaos. Everyone had a good time. Some tried some boat hopping manouvers however the fun police stamped that out pretty quickly. So it was just up to us to try pole dancing and generally assuming our selves with the music blaring out across the quiet waters of the harbour. Glad I wasn't trying to sleep through it.

Where the Hvar we?

Once again the drum of the engines firing up heralded the beginning of the new day. In a short amount of time we were steaming out of port with a view of a beautiful large 3 mast old style crusier running next to us with the golden hills of the island behind them. This was the view out of our 3 large portholes and (possibly memorably) through the large window in the en-suite. There seems to be no hurry to stand up when the view is so enticing. We love our cabin. Feeling very lucky and somewhat spoilt. Even the berth at the end of the day has a view over the harbour instead of on the starboard side where they have to have the blinds closed due to people peering in whilst walking past on the dock.

It took a couple of hours to get to Hvar. The ship docked and threw us off and then went and lurked nearby whilst we did a walking tour of the town. Yet another interesting place with the obligatory fortress, cathedral, harbour and history as written in the architecture. The Venetians had a significant role to play here as did the local fishermen who have been very wealthy in those long forgotten times of conquest. Thus they had more fun and success than other downtrodden masses enjoying a bit of decapitation and heads of the hierarchy on pole waving parades. Where have all the good times gone?

Deciding to do a bit of dividing and conquering ourselves, the blogger went trekking up the hill whilst the non-blogger went shopping with her new BFF's. Dangerous stuff. The heights of the fortress up top were quite precarious whilst the potential impact of a significant fall on the account balance even more so. The fortress was very impressive. No idea of the history because of a general malaise when it comes to reading the pamphlet, however given the location, design and construction it's hard to imagine it ever falling to invading forces. It even had a really cool prison with 6 cells that would've been horrible to be locked in but did have nice views of the town far below. This place apparently turns into a bit of a chaotic and potentially dangerous party spot after hours so much to the annoyance of the ravers im the team we then got back on our boat and steamed away - for another great luncheon feast before a prolonged sesh on the deck (there was much excitement when dolphins were spotted swimming about the front of the craft) as we wound ourselves up for a swim in a secluded spot out of the strong wind but with a bit of sun left in the sky.

The captain then took us to the isolated town of Sibenik. This has a fantastic harbour entrance which is a long canyon between two peninsulas, making the place really easy to defend. As well as creating fabulous photo opportunities many centuries later. This town prides itself on the fact that locals founded it, not any of the typical Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, Venetians, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese...come to think of pretty much everyone has had their turn around these parts. Hopefully the Tourist Age will see a new golden era for all countries and the entire race in general. We can only hope. Doing out bit to help the cause we started of on walking tour of the old town and quietly slipped away halfway through when a decent wine bar was spotted. They did a really good job of letting all four of us taste and decide which bottle to purchase and then consume. By retracing the steps of the walk we found a recommended restaurant in which a very tasty salad of mussels, olives, potato, cherry tomatoes and other bits etc. was a great starter to some wonderful mains. The hilarity continued over yet another great red and an enthusiastic waiter who took as many shots as possible when holding the camera.

Heading off to bed after am appertifs of a local cheery liquor we had to leave the blinds and curtains open as the view across the harbour was simply awesome. It even had white swans cruising around - keeping guard as we sank into a blissful slumber.

Vistas of Vis

The throbbing engines of the vessel woke all inside early again.

This time though it wasn't as headachy as the day prior. The bad weather had definitely passed on and the old town of Korcula was resplendent in the early morning light as we slipped past on our way to more adventures. Whilst all on board were lamenting not seeing the town in dry conditions very few bothered to look out and see it painted in the yellow and golds as the blogger did. It was very pleasant to fall back into the comfort of the bed before eventually appearing in the mess hall later than most and suffering a choice selection as a result. We were heading to the remote island of Vis and the longest stretch of cruising for the entire week. 3 hours across a calm sea on crystal clear day. Even the plethora of jets in the sky seemed to vanish behind us. A warm breeze drifted over the bow as we sliced our way through the sapphire waters. It was very peaceful and relaxing watching the significantly high islands with all their intricacies of steep hillside agricultural techniques on full display. Needed binoculars to get the details. Forethought had this one covered.

After a self indulgent lie in down in the cabin we finally got to the island and dropped anchor in a remote little inlet and the inmates jumped in for a splash around in the warm waters squealing and laughing like school kids whilst the locals watched over us like teachers thankful they didn't have to behave so indignantly. Not a great deal to see underneath. Rocks, small fish and the deep dark unobtainable blue of the depths far below. Refreshed and thankful that even the non blogger could tick that one off we cruised into the port town of Vis for a poke around. This is yachty heaven. Here the well off come to slide around on the smooth seas in the consistent c warm breezes in middle of the day and then come and party in town until the wee small hours. The boats are all lined up with their afts butting the restaurant strip so they can sit on their crafts and practice their crafts of consumption, people watching and woof whistling the pretty maids as they sell their wares to the tourists, who's boats are all tied together at the other end of the quay. So whilst one refreshed the other hopped on a mountain bike and went up the nearby mountain with the aim of reaching the prominent ruins at the top. This was achieved - even though the steep rocky path had to be negotiated by carrying the bike in some spots. The views from the top were well worth it. Not just for the 360 panorama but also for the uniqueness of being there. Millions of people would see this from distance - very few will ever make it up here. The old fortress walls had no indication of how old they were but it was certainly significant. Seeing an even higher hill nearby with better looking tracks that was attempted as well to see if a different view of recent military establishments could be captured.

Nothing to see over the ridge as the tracks turned out to be driveways. It was still fascinating to see more old stone ruins, stone fences/ walkways running everywhere through the low scrub. No doubt mankind has been here for a long time. Spotting another fort lower down the bike managed the terrain back to smooth roads nicely. Fort George surprised by being a trendy bar. Having a time limit of one hour was a constraint which unfortumately inhibited consumption. So it was back on the wheels to fly back down the smooth tarmac into town in 5 minutes in time to watch the sunset from the back of the Rose. Good fun in a strange land.

Dinner out with a retired UK couple in a local seafood restaurant was sublime. Chargrilled Octopus and sordfish washed down by a superb local red. A nightcap back on board with the blinds drawn ( as you never know who is wandering around on the vessel next door) led to a perfect sleep after a perfect holiday type day.

Island hopping

The cabin was invaded by flashes of light in the middle of night. When peering out across the still waters to the islands of the Dalmatian coast in the distance the sky was alive. Lit up by dancing lightning bolts - a far off light show that was briefly exposing an eerie landscape of sea, islands, high cumulus clouds with powerful threads ripping through the sky. Each flash a different view, becoming an instant memory - and nothing more as the desire to try and capture it forever was beyond the ability of the viewer to perform. Just to make the effort to look out the port hole and observe it at all was significant given the previous evenings revallry. It did not bode well that those storms were over the islands we were heading towards next morning. And right on time at 5:00am the vessel shuddered to life.

The vibration of the powerful engines rippled through its solid infrastructure and thus awkwardly resonating into the aching heads of last night revellers. Leaving the port behind we headed west with the rising sun in our wake and the entire ecosphere charged with power, anticipation and possibilities. We were the first vessel into the port of Polema on the Island of Mljet, certainly not the last. Within an hour there were 9 large vessels all tied up next to each other. People on boat nine had to negotiate their way through the maze of 8 others just to get on solid land. It was controlled chaos later on when we were the first to want to leave. Before that though we had an island to explore. This place is well attuned to reaping the benefits of the tourist age. This was obvious by the amount of push bike hire places and the sheer volume of wheels available for rent. If they were all consumed at once the town would be a tangle of steel, rubber, hats, towels and cameras with no flowing movement and just the general hum of tourists saying how much fun they were having via their devices to distant recipients. Luckily for us this is off season and as such we were the first of only a few to mount the aluminium steeds and head of into the national Park. This was a fun exercise and possibly the only we'll get for the week. The lakes have an underlying green tinge which we spent the entire time trying to capture (via device of course), there is an old monastery on an island which we thankfully did not have to be forced to visit.

We were taking selfies across the serene waters towards it when a boatload arrived there completely disrupting the ambience. Happy to get on our bikes and treadle away from the obnoxious accents as they echoed across the still water. The place is a swimming paradise and we possibly missed a great opportunity to try it out the grey skies, coolish air and thoughts of good coffee stopped us from considering using our swimming gear that was in the basket. In hindsight we should've as we had the whole place pretty much to ourselves. After circumnavigating the lakes and getting back to port we effected some shopping and back on the boat headed off to the island of Korcula with storms chasing us in a race to get there. It was a tight finish. Just as we arrived the heavens opened up, lightning, immediate thunder and walls of water cascading down. Spectacular stuff.

This place is often the highlight of the tour. In this case we spent the whole time dodging rain, in and out of churches and doorways and eventually, wine bars and restaurants. It would be well worth visiting on a nice day. So we might come back even though there are no complaints from today. We had a very entertaining guided walking tour providing history, insights and useful tips. Another old town - well preserved with a history that goes back to the bronze age. Like everyone else they've been invaded, overrun, controlled by others, deceived, deprived and generally pissed off. They have two saving graces : one was an English commander in WW2 who ignored orders and didn't destroy the place and now tourism. I hope they can survive this invading horde as the old city walls seem pretty ineffective now. Having hooked up with some delightful kiwis there has been lots of laughs, consumption and most importantly good will flying around all over the place.

As the sun decided to leave this side of the orb there were positive signs the skies may clear tomorrow. Certainly won't be able to check in the middle of the night as we are sandwiched between other ships and the view out is of another vessels port hole.

Under way.. eventually

Waking up on board was equivalent to waking up off board. The only difference was knowing a vessel was surounding the bed ( as compared to a building). Still beside another boat which is beside another boat which is tied up to the dock. Not going anywhere. It was nice to be lying underneath fully extended doonas which we'd only come to the realisation that they were so half way through the night. Before that the half folded items were seen to be suitable for midgets and the was serious consideration for those greater than 5 1/2 feet in height. LOL. Keeping the blinds closed purely for protection of the wandering public and passing sailors we got ready for our first full day of incarceration and headed up to the mess where the offerings for breakfast were far beyond any slops that the ancient mariners would have had to endure whilst port bound in this harbour. It was actually really exciting when they fired up the engines, cast off and we headed down the harbour, alas it was only to release a vessel between us and the warf and as such we promptly returned to where we came from still lamenting the fact that we'd spent heaps just to sit on a boat and not actually go anywhere. True to the vibe so far we all now got off the boat and got on a bus. Headcounted and herded like the millions before us and undoubtedly the millions to follow we found ourselves caught up in the livestock like logistical machine which enables the tourist age.

Dubrovnik has been involved mankind's evolution almost all the way through. Our walking tour of the old town was insightful in that we learnt about its history, the good times and the bad.. Jews picked on seems to be a common theme in these parts, as does the rise and fall of Islam and then of Catholicism and before all that were the ancient Greeks and somewhere in there were the Romans (obviously - I mean ..where would we be without the Romans?). Now finally the age of enlightenment has come to pass at it with be known as the age of tourism. And tourists will conquer the world. And so for the fourth straight day in a row we found ourselves walking across the drawbridge, into the marshalling courtyard and finally being spat out into the old town like a couple of drops in a continuous flow from a nozzle feeding a jacuzzi. The only difference this time is we were well and truly part of the manipulated hordes. We've become what we've most dreaded all this time. We are controlled, counted, taxed for the privallege of being here and spending our hard earned and charged extra if you need to take a wee. On the bright side the seats on the coach are very comfortable. Cast adrift in the old town by our guide (as she happily dropped her high map holding hand, flashed one last cheeky grin and flicked her golden locks over her shoulder and disappeared into the swarming throngs) was no issue for we town weary yet locally astute folk. A relaxing cafe at stupendous prices and we local bussed it to the new port to catch up with our vessel that was now a significant way through the time and money spent (1/7th) and had not actually moved one iota. As we indulged in a delicious lunch (the chefs so far have produced great outcomes) the captain finally decided it was time to hit the high seas and vamoose. Just to run the whole Dubrovnik thing well and truly up our noses they headed down south ( instead of planned north) on the pretence of letting us take photos of the fortress from the water

This was appreciated. We got to traverse the waters we'd been overlooking for the the last few days, saw our "beach" and got attacked by a Pirate ship. Well they fired a very loud round at as us which prompted a very loud "Bloody Pirates !" to be returned across the exceedingly calm waters in an Aussie accent. Highseas highjinks aside the wiley old sea dog spun the wheel around and we headed northwards finally in cruise mode. The sun was streaming down and the sea was a shimmering turquoise fading off in the distance to merge in a indefinable point with the blue sky.

Thus we cruised into the port of Slano - where there were people enjoying nice cold beverages, underneath cool awnings looking across the pristine waters reflecting the ancient hills beyond creating a perfect, memorable occasion. In the middle of nowhere. A quiet and quaint excotic harborside town ... and then we storm in - park our boat, blocking their view, and laughing raucously jump on a waiting bus as disappear. Leaving the view blocked. Brilliant! Yay for the age of tourism.Let's see who else we can piss off whilst we're running around in large groups....power to the people! ...more so to those that have wifii. The excursion on the bus to the wine tasting was much quieter that the return trip. Go figure. Nice wines and a very insightful use of walnuts and grappa which needs to be explored by all walnut growers back home. We stopped off at a town on a peninsula which is historically important for its salt mines, resulting fortress like walls which seamlessly extend to the top of the significantly high hill for no reason apart from creating a great wall of China experience for the pending explotation of the tourist age. Being time constrained and suitably charged from the previous stop, and the fact that we were with co-minded players we sat and had a couple of refreshments whilst watching the fading sun pick up the variety of colours the nearby hills tend to resonate with at this time of day.

The 30 minute bus trip back was punctuated by loud Ockerisms (just fullfilling the destiny). Dinner at a restaurant next to the local swanky marina was very funny and subsequently most headed off to bed early as they know the boat leaves at 5:30 am and they don't want to miss out on that event...

On board the Agape

As checkout time was 10:00 am we planned the morning's activities to the minute E.g. alarm at 8:15. Hit snooze twice. Arise have breakfast of croissants, juice and coffee on the balcony overlooking calm sea whilst sun slowly moves in general direction of zenith. All was quiet in the burb this morning as school was not in. The place is really peaceful without those partying noisy troublemakers creating their usual racus as they hang about the school doing all that conversing and communication things that the young around the world are renowned for. We were fully packed and the sound of the the last zip was drowned out by the knock on the door right on 10:00 am. Leaving the bags in the safe confines of the community kitchen we walked into town with the specific intent of enjoying our last 3 hours of freedom. The sea was amazingly calm all day today. A great day for being out on the water..(!)...The town looks exactly the same.

Still can't move quickly. People packed in everywhere all doing the same thing day after day. The only difference is (I guess) the individuals change over on a daily basis. Collectively it's the same. We managed to find coffee in an alleyway so tight the chairs individually line up against the walls and partook in a yummy cup of fresh berries whilst sitting on the edge of the harbour. They manage to keep the water of this harbour miraculously clean. Even managed to purchase as new pair of specs - replacing last night's broken set on the groin invasive bus ride. We found it interesting that you can purchase a nice little glasses case for less than a price of going for a wee just around the corner. Note: you may get away with going the wrong way along a pedestrian path. You will not get away with a free wee in this town. Taking the walking option back to base camp we caught our breath and then through the sheer generosity of our host who kindly drove us to the real harbour where ships of all varieties abound. They generally have very picturesque boats in these parts. All sorts of configurations. Many with fine woodwork and masts - some even used for real sails. After waiting around a bit we finally made it on board to our vessel - appropriately called the "Rose Agape" .

She's only a year old so quite well appointed. A crew of 8 plus the tour director. The captain looks like an old Croatian sea dog, two general sea hands, two chefs, two serving staff and a cabin cleaner. 39 passengers. Mostly Aus, Kiwi, and a few UK, Irish, and Yanks thrown in (maybe - maybe not as we haven't heard any yet). The strict routine started at 6:00pm (sharp) with an introduction of the crew and an outline of the rules, expected behaviours (e.g. you must shower before entering the jacuzzi or you will be harangued), known costs and expect the unexpected costs. And you must pay in cash. It seems piracy on the high seas has come of age. The age demographic seems reasonably spread - with us in the middle. So we should get along o.k. without rubbing too many people up the wrong way. Will try our best though as it's obviously our duty to uphold the Ocker reputation wherever we go. So here we are - paid a small fortune to be on a boat which has the capability of going anywhere we want and so far we are staying firmly attached to the port with no intention of going anywhere for a long time. Ship board life is hoot. Everyone is in bed by 9:30. We are locked in our twin bed cabin with no open windows and the sound of the aircon whirling away as it picks up the fumes of smokers somewhere nearby and pumps them in. The blinds are firmly drawn as our view out is into the wall of an adjoining vessel with their deck lights blaring in through the darkness. Tomorrow morning we pick up the ships routine in earnest.

Above on the deck the lights of the harbour twinkle across the waters in picturesque leading lines to places of unattainable freedom and joyousness whilst below the sound of nearby cabins flushing their cisterns resonates through the white linen enclosed pillows.

Diving and dining in Dubrovnik

Old habits return quickly (when given the opportunity) and so we slept through a perfectly good sunrise to awaken when all the colours had been washed away by the high in the sky location of the sun. Perfect day weather wise though so it's really great to be here appreciating the picture perfect location in fabulous conditions. The aim of the morning was to get as many clothes washed prior to our incarceration over the next week. So loaded up with our dirty laundry we jumped on a hot crowded bus into town duly creating more. It's a never ending cycle. Thinking that maybe the crowds would be less in town today was totally wishful. If anything it was worse.

Yesterday we heard there were 5000 people off a cruise ship. Today there could have easily been two in port. Tomorrow we'll know more about this. In the meantime we behaved like locals (or Led Zeppelin) and walked in through the out door. After all we weren't there to do touristy stuff. We were doing laundry. So totally self justified in our outlandish behaviour we weaved through the milling millions on our sacred quest for a case of clean clothes. Stopping ever so briefly for a quick purchase of art work (oh .. and some clothes fittings ..but nothing else as we're not really like all those tourist hordes). Snapping a shot (or sixty) of the fortress walls and harbour beyond an the way, the laundromat was conveniently located next to a restaurant.

So we could admire the view, the aforementioned artwork whilst keeping an eye on tumbling linen. Once that was all sorted we headed back to base camp (yep it's pretty high up the hill) to catch a rare opportunity to speak to K1 and K2 via Skype and learn that they're doing Ok without us. Super...or maybe we're superfluous. Something like that. We then headed down to the local beach. Which was something of a misnomer. All there was was rocks and water. That's a good thing about traveling, you're constantly challenged to consider the world from outside the perspective of your own thinking. E.g. Beach equals sand + water. No. ..Beach equals land + water. Land can be sand. Land can be rocks. The good thing about this beach was the locals had smoothed over the rough rocks with concrete, put steps in and even mounted a nice new stainless steel ladder to get in and out of the water. Every piece of sand beach we have seen around here is covered in deck chairs, umbrellas, waiters and portable EFTPOS devices. This just had a few people lazing about on the rocks (emulating seals) and enjoying the peace and harmony (and the harmonics overhead from a persistent helicopter).

The water was warm and extraordinarily clear. Thanks to advice, we had swimming goggles so we could also see the teaming fish underneath. We'll the blogger did. Non blogger will require more encouraging before venturing in. Swimming in the Adriatic Sea..tick!. After climbing the plethora of steps back up the hill. A clean up and grooming was in order before heading off to our extremely salubrious dinner at the most prestigious table in town. The harbour in the old town is defined by 3 large arches.

Under one of these we sat and watched the busy scene of boats coming and going with people wandering past (all obviously extremely jealous of our exhalted position - as were the people further back in the restaurant) as we wined and dined whilst the colours changed from blue to yellow to red to brown and then into black as the lights then took over in their twinkling reflections over the harbour. The chirping flocks of darting sparrows overhead were probably repeating the same dance that they'd be doing for many centuries at this time of the day in this place. Well.. practice makes perfect so they say. Apart from forgetting a pin number on a credit card (key pads are upside down in this part of the world ... A trap for the tipsy traveller) it was a fantastic evening. Yet another highlight event. Another local bus home up the hill. It's far better than walking and it's also nice to be able to experience travel using your own nouse... and under the smelly armpits (or groins in this case...yeech) of the locals instead of being bundled around in a group via luxury coaches being chauffeured from one location to another under the protective gaze of an official tour guide like the daily hordes of 5000 people who do that from all the cruise ships that come into town via the main commercial harbour. Hang me up if it ever comes to that....

Hidden treasures of Dubrovnik

Making up for lost sleep ins today we slumbered well into mid morning before peeking out through the shutters at the sea view. By this time the kids were in school ( the activities of the students - senior secondary from all accounts - dominate the cultural resonance of this locality). Breakfast on the balcony - thanks to astute pre-planning by the non-blogger and the fact our accommodation has a community kitchen - was thoroughly enjoyable. Highlighted by the aspect of course. The Adriatic Sea was resplendent in the mid morning light - a miriad of sparkles led off towards the horizon. It was a cool breeze which slowly faded over the course of the day. We then hopped onto our feet and took the long 15 minute trek into the old city. This hides behind a hill when viewing from out balcony. As we got closer the volume of people thickened.

When we hit the drawbridge that leads into the old city and then into the marshalling courtyard prior to actually entering the place the crowds were simply extraordinary. A sea of tourists was flooding into the town like an invading horde of Venetians intent on conquest and plunder. If this place was an island it would've sunk today, and the last thing to be heard as it disappeared below the waters would have been the concophany of camera clicks capturing every moment (and perspective). Alas this place is extremely well built. Incredibly so on closer inspection. Assuming dollars have been spent recently the walls look impenetrable. There are only 3 gates to the city. 2 of them look like they have perfectly functional draw bridges, which I must say was very tempting to activate. Just to stop more of the marauding hordes coming in. It was bedlam. Never seen such a throng of hat wearing, camera wielding, short-pants and short-shirt sleeve wearing mass of people anywhere. And I reckon this blogger has seen a few. The best form of camoflauge is to blend in. So that's exactly what we did. Looked and behaved just like all the rest of them. We even spent money on overly priced coffee, food and attractions just keep the the image up. Our main aim of booking dinner at the best seat in town (as recommended by the Ellis's) was deftly dealt with. Next was sussing out washing facilities. This happened eventually but we got distracted along the way by roadside jewellery stalls and coffee where the consumption price is view based. The ramparts of the fort have a walking trail around them whick looks extremely similar to the great wall in China (less wide but the same amount of steps). We chose not to do this and instead took the cable car to the top of the hill overlooking the area. Blending in with the throngs beautifully we waited patiently in the queue before being whisked to the top of the mountain in a swinging gondola.

The views were worth the trip. Inland the stark mountains disappeared into the hazy distance whilst below the old fort town lay resplendent in its armoured glory. Perfectly protecting its harbour in the prime position along the coastline, that when looking northwards showed the miriad of islands and waterways that we'll be heading into shortly. Taking a punt we wandered away from the masses and their manicured environments (which cost just to enter) and walked 50 meters across gravel pathways, around the old fort, up some old ruins and onto an unobstructed view of the entire coast with only couple of other adventurous souls to share it with. Just goes to show that sometimes it's worth walking away from the crowd. After a few happy snaps and a quick lament at the grave at the top we rode the glass car back down to the fortress and eventually caught the local bus home. This was more fun and challenging than simply walking for 15 mins. Because we can, stocked with local goodies from the local convenience store, we returned to the balcony for a pre dinner sesh - which rolled into pizzas for T as the sun set towards the west and the Terminator slowly encased the sky in darkness from the east.

And then a bonus... Figuring backs were sore due to the age of the mattress and with two more nights to sleep on it it was determined that the best course of action was to flip it over. That we did and lo-and-behold! What better parcel to find stuffed underneath but a plastic bag stuffed with cash! Given the state of the never turned mattress this could've been there for many years. Pay Day comes to those who think outside the norm. Chinese Yuan. Obviously being secreted away from the government to avoid taxes. Feeling pretty happy with our new found wealth we are looking forward to spending all $23 Aus equivalent on something really worthwhile. Like maybe a Croatian fridge magnet.. or maybe (really getting excited now) a T-shirt that says "I went to Dabrovnik and all I bought was this lousy T-Shirt". Priceless. Just can't wait to hit the old town again just to while away the hours deciding what to purchase.

Too close for comfort

The restless night was punctuated by the listness anticipation of having to get up at 4 am for yet another airport excursion. Really surprised with the amount of people leaving a relatively small locale early in the morning. We dodged a bullet by gliding straight through customs when the rest of the port was clogged up in their section. Still don't know why UK gets special treatment there. No complaints though as they passed us through the gate early, bundled as all into a bus and then had wait outside the plane on the tarmac for an overly long time packed like sardines in a tin and rapidly starting to smell the same. Flight delayed by 40 minutes so the stress levels about meeting connections starts to rise as does the anxiety about feeding a plane load of people eggs. Maybe this is Portuguese humour or substitution for in-flight entertainment. Or both. Green Fields, defined by hedgerows, slate roofs and grey skies. Nothing ever changes in England. The transfer at Manchester was a close call. As we had to go in and out of customs and bag handling the queues at each step of the process seemed to be set up to seeing us fail. What was a seamless entry 3 weeks ago at arrivals was absolutely choc a block with about 300 people in view and they stretched off behind us into the distance and around mirage obcucured corners. 3 people manually processing them. Would have easily missed the connection if we hadn't put our hand up and they very nicely bumped us up to the front. But the nightmare continued with the most rediculous, insecure (people get stuff stolen), inefficient security checking process on the planet. Maybe Brexit will fix it. Lesson to be learnt - follow instructions to the letter or suffer big delays. More chaos and confusion finding the gate and then great long wait to actually get on the plane (could see others getting off it!) And then delays in taking off. Not the we care that much so long as the pre-paid transfer is still waiting. No time for shopping. No time to update the blog. No time for lunch. A rushed takeaway coffee on the run. At least we got on the plane. A classic case of too close for comfort. The flight to Dubrovnik was OK. Enough room to move in the seat (take that Ryanair - you tight cheapskates) and it only took 2 and a bit hours to cross over multiple countries (and cultures) and land in such a diverse and interesting place. At home we'd get to Adelaide....

We have landed on our feet. Croatia has been the entire focus of the trip. Everything up to now was the build up to here. The views from the private transfer van were through clean windows and bordering on being mind-blowing. Every angle, every vista was picture post card stuff. Pity the blogger was using the other camera at the time. Being a rain god is a difficult gig. Little did we know that transiting via the UK would also incur picking up a pocket of their crappy weather and have it erupt out of our luggage as soon as we opened it. Oh well. Whatever - at least we got here in one days travel. On the bright side it created some fab images of a rain soaked sky catching the calm sea over a coast line that has been inhabited by humans for eons. Our acommodation on the hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea is fabulous.

We did a count back over the years. This wins. Excotic rating 10/10. Wandering just out of visible eyesight from the room we found the ability to stock a pantry, have a great dinner (at Melbourne prices but we had no choice) and wander home to write blogs etc.

Day trippin to Cascais

Being creatures of habit (albeit somewhat constricted by continuos location changes) we headed back into the main drag in the centre of town for coffee and pastries in the same joint as yesterday. All very pleasant while surrounded by the busy inner city morning life of Lisbon. Generally there is a very happy vibe to the place. So good on 'em. We then wandered down to the port area and eventually found the train station that funnels the hordes along the river bank to the coast. There is definitely a mentality by the tourist throngs that queuing is ok. Queuing is good. Queuing is what you travel for. Yesterday we skipped the queuing hordes at a different station all patiently waiting in line to buy tickets to get to Sintra. Today they were all waiting in line to buy tickets to get to to Belem and/or Cascais. We could've saved a couple of minutes by going to queue-less machines in the levels in the Met below but had already missed the waiting service so it didn't really make any difference. What was really surprising was the queues in Belen we noticed as we shot past. There were thousands of them lined up along the river just to see a memorial to the "Age of discovery" (aka "Conquest") and a bit further on a small (almost toy) castle built on the water line. We'd had the rap from a fellow traveler yesterday and so knew better than to stop there and kept going up to the end of the line.

Cascais is another playground for the wealthy. This one is situated where the Tigris River meets the Atlantic ocean and as such has decent beaches, impressive cliffs, clear water, surf and sun. Fun for everyone. Five minutes before arrival we had the thought "what are we going to do when we get there". Luckily the internet gave as a list of ideas via the Trip thingy and we walked straight out of the station , hired a couple of push bikes and we were off. Weaving our way through cobblestone streets, dodging tourists and avoiding cars. Once we got through town, around the impressive fort that is the harbour we hit the very well appointed bike path that runs along the cliffs and heads over to the ocean proper. We didn't go the whole way as that was not the intention. Instead we turned around in the car park of a very swanky looking resturant on the cliff edge and coaxed our creaking single gear hire bikes back up the hill whilst the gleaming luxury cars in the carpark behind gloated to each other in the bright midday sun. Stopping for a very pleasant lunch in a slightly less salubrious establishment (Casa da Guia) we were surrounded by some very well dressed and well behaved locals. Obviously the elite were out for lunch and were in no hurry to go anywhere. Still, the staff fed and watered us which is all we needed before riding off on our trusty steads to stop at the bike side market at a place called Boca do Inferno. This has some awesome rock features carved from wild waters and lots of interwoven staircases and tunnels and bridges carved by mankind into the stone as well. We didn't stop to look at this because there was a market set up to cash in on the tourists who stopped there. Which we did stop at. Got some stuff and treadled on.

Back into town and had the bike hire guy snap us on our transportation, caught the train back into town and walked back through throngs of young people in blue shirts performing chants and strange movements all choriographed and lead by older ones in black and white. It sounded politically motivated. There were swarming all over town. We discovered later this was the first year uni students going through their orientation week and this was a hazing ritual. Dinner was yet another walking tour. This one was called "Tapas Experience" and was quite an adventure. Seven people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds lead to more interesting conversations than the actual food and drinks which we'd already pretty much experienced over the last days. It was interesting to see the old red light district which still maintains a seedy feel and apparently comes alive at 3am. Way after these old fuddy duddies are in bed.

The students had gone by the time we walked the same route back through the centre of town again, replaced by partying participants in Portugal's politically permissive population. The fancy elevator (aka tourist trap) looked resplendent lit up at night. Back in the room it was time to yet again pack up and have a restless night as poor preparation for the day's hop, skip and jump to the next destination.

Enlightened via a pit

The alarm got us ready in time to stop for breakfast at a joint which offered tables for guests. It seems to be a norm around here to stand at the counter whilst breaking fast. Way to uncomfortable for us heathens. Coffee and croissants went down well before we headed back up the cascading escalators to the tour meeting point. Once we were all organised we set off. A group of 8 intrepid explorers (one of which was our guide - Fred for short) to explore the wild regions and subsequent delights of the nearby mystical hills. A forty minute local train took us from sunny downtown Lisbon, up through drab suburbia, into more suburbia covered in a eery fog, to more drab suburbia looking damp and wet.

By the time we got to the end of the line in Sintra it was raining quite heavily and it was a bit disconcerting to see our fellow travellers pull out coats, jackets, poncho's and umbrellas because we had not done our homework and checked the forecast. After all this is meant to be a summer holiday. Nothing to but suck it up and hopefully it will pass. As the guide helpfully (!) told us on arrival that this place has magical qualities. One of which is it's own unique weather patterns. As we traipsed off into town and through rain sodden gardens it was interesting to note strange turrents and other similar features drifting in and out of vision as the fog swirled around the hills and valleys.. There is of course a long history to this place. It's named after the moon followed by a litany of cultural misinterpretations over the ages. It's been the escape location for many over the years, including the rich hierarchy. Indeed still is as we were shown the place Madge has just bought. She has some work to do because at the moment it looks like an abandoned Moorish squab. So we walked around one residence (aka palace) where royalty had hung out while listening to stories of the links between the Poms and the locals. Touching all the various golden ages of Portuguese world domination. Apparently the 5th is just about to happen. Just watch the world cup next year. Slowly the clouds cleared and the afternoon turned bright and sunny - finally revealing the castle on the hill.

We didn't get up to this because of logistics. Apparently the hills are riddled with tunnels that have been used for all sorts of reasons over the years. After a yummy sweet snack from a tourist ridden shop in a tourist ridden street we then lunched similar to last night's dinner - we went to find some of them. This joint is called Quinta da Regaleira which has a grand old turrented house, lots of adjoining buildings, running water, amazing gardens and a really cool secret. Dan Brown would've loved this. Possibly he'd been here. As had the Knights of the Templar and indeed the Masons and a whole lot of subterfuge, symbolism and strange clues as to what the truth actually is.

The highlight is a journey down a 27 meter depth well which was used to initiate members into their secret societies. We didn't have to actually pass the test as the way through the caves was lit by led lights. We did follow the correct path though - thanks to the directions of our guide. Emerging from the cave we had to walk across water and into enlightenment. At least we now know what the Masons do - well the general theme anyway. Unfortunately we had to cut the tour a bit short in order to catch an earlier train back to the lowlands. No harm done - like every place we visit there is always more to see and do. This is what creates a desire to return. Sintra is definitely one of those locations as is indeed to whole country it seems. After a quick refresher at the strange temporary structure they call a hotel we went out and caught up with Lottie and Peter for a pleasant few hours of drinks on a Rooftop Bar with photogenic views across town and then dinner in a fabulous up market restaurant in a posh area of town we hadn't yet seen.

Pete runs the local Aus embassy here, so there were many interesting conversations had and even yet more insightful information on the local area. This time it was modern politics and world views. A great night out after a great day.

Paving in Portugal

Another before dawn get up and go saw the late moon (upside down from home) leading a bright Venus up out of the eastern horizon. By the time we we're coming into land in Lisbon the sun was deciding to follow suit. The taxi driver to the airport had taken us for a ride in few ways - even to the the extent of short changing the change. Oh well - when you're half asleep and just happy to get there on time is couple of bucks is really not worth stressing over. The flight went smoothly. The Portuguese cheap carrier went one notch up again by providing snacks and drinks for gratis on the short hop. So now the Irish sit well back in that race. We were surprised how chilly it is in Portugal. Expecting the same weather as Spain was indicative of a lack of research. Figuring it's actually on an ocean and gets cooled by the northeryt currents doesn't really help the fact that it's a bit chilly after hours and we were rapidly spoilt by a week of really nice warm days in dear departed Spain. Lisbon is one of those clever cities in which the Metro trains run to the airport (how logical!) So we relatively easily navigated the airport, collected the luggage and got our way through the quiet early morning Sunday system to pop up at a stop in a square just near out new abode. This was a bit disconcerting as it was quiet(ish), seemingly dirty streets with seemingly seedy shops with like people hanging around them , these impressions were all incorrect and just a case of moving from one country to another - as we later discovered. The hotel is undergoing complete renovation. So the location as advised by Google revealed a closed building site. This was also disconcerting. As it turned out they have done a temporary refurb on the building next door.

Once we found that at least we were in a comfort zone if some sorts. Once again - early to arrive. Room not ready. Leave the bags. No chance to change and hit the town. Extremely clever pre-planning by the non-blogger saw us head up the hill to join a walking tour of the town. As we were hanging around for that start a model and 3 support crew turned up to take photos in the middle of the crowd. A thong in a throng. The walk was exhausting after 3 hours of traipsing around, however absolutely invaluable in providing insights into what we were seeing, what to see and why as well as tips about how to get around, where to eat etc. So now we are set for the next 3 days. The history of the place is incredible. They've certainly had their ups and downs over the centuries. Similar to next door they've had the Romans, the Arabs, the French, the Germans all come through and take over at one stage or another. They've also had their share of power broking, expansionism, socialism, dictatorships, revolutions and now tourism. Along the way they also had next door drop in for while. Significantly they also had the biggest earthquake in history bring the whole thing down to a pile of dust, also creating huge tsunami's which rolled through and drowned all the survivors. It was politically significant that the timing of this event was Sunday morning when everyone was in church (as they had to be). Where all the roofs collapsed on them. Then caught fire - the survivors got washed away. Needless to say the big G's reputation took a big hit that day. When contemplating the incredible atrocities also performed under his name over certain periods it's not overly surprising that the notion of the separation of the church and state holds sway here.

The architecture in the streets is pretty cool. The buildings are adorned with many mosaic Muslim based tile patterns (they're restricted from depicting people or nature), the footpaths are a rich tapestry of patterns and colours. Unfortunately they are a bit rough, uneven and decaying in spots. The walking tour ended up in a grand Plaza down at the water front. For some reason they haven't paved that yet. It's only been there over a hundred years... maybe that's why it's still gravel. After the tour we capitalised on our new found wisdom and caught a wonderful series of escalators back up the hill to check out a spotted on the tour market and have lunch in a great little bakery nearby. Finally back into the now available room we spent a few listless hours trying to catch lost Z'ds whilst noisy neighbours in adjoining rooms kept running around, slamming doors and generally showing that whilst these rooms look well appointed they are actually sitting on a very unstable, temporary structure. Let's hope the 100 year overdue earthquake doesn't arrive whilst we're here. Then again if it does happen we probably won't notice if those annoying Aussies are still next door at the time. Sort of refreshed we headed up the hill next to us for drinks and dinner. Straight into a local locale where all the locals we hangin' around on Sunday afternoon. Very interesting to see them all in action. We found a restaurant which was exactly the sort we were told by our earlier guide to look out for. This was a great experience with the menu nicely interpreted into English on a hand written A5 notepad piece of paper. Genuinely fresh and singularly cooked we were lucky that a local who knew English spent some time giving us some tips. This was yet another highlight experience. All thanks to the walking tour.

An easy stroll down the hill to base past a local political rally ( elections are coming and socialism is on the rise - based on the tourist squeeze. Similar threads everywhere it seams - no one is entirely happy and it's always someone else's fault). It really did appear that they were all pretty upbeat though...maybe it was the fabulous BBQ that was being put on. The pavements seem to glow under the lights at night.

Understanding Spanish

Waking to the sounds of construction next door was not overly unpleasant. Once again lying in knowing there is no real pressure to do anything much takes away the pressure associated with uncontrolled noise from someone else's nearby presence. After spending a week in the country you come to understand the emotions expressed in the language even if you don't know the specific words. In this case there is no doubt these guys were banging on about their women. As tourists it's just sometimes easier to do the touristy things. Today we used trip advisor and basically did what previously minded tourists did here. Based on some sound advice we first went to the church el Salvador.

This was a fast track to the main cathedral later. In the meanwhilest though it certainly did have a couple of impressive characteristics. The first being the smoke wafting around inside. Possibly the same stuff the priests wave around when leading processions down the aisle. Can't be sure. Was fairly certain the place was not accidentally on fire due to lack of trucks, panic etc. What it was doing was highlighting the sun streaming in through the high stained glass windows thus providing a view akin to the second coming. Entirely on purpose one assumes. Guadi would've been impressed. Possibly this had actually inspired him in the past. The other impressive item was the huge intricate sculptures they'd adorned the walls with. This was apparently a brazen attempt to hide the fact that the building was originally a mosque and as such they were ejecting one god and putting their own in. This is a common theme around here as most of the old places started out Muslim and then got converted when the Christians took over. Muslims can't be too grumpy though because they had mostly built their stuff on what the Romans built previously. And where would we be if it wasn't for the Romans? Trying to dodge ex Aussie Pollies we then headed over to main attraction in town being the cathedral. This had a really impressive queue out the front..and around the corner..and another corner again..then a gate, a courtyard, a queuing maze like an airport and finally a ticket booth. We sailed straight past the whole lot of them waving our tickets from the last joint and sadistically laughing strode into the abode. Promptly being told to shut up, take the hat off and respect the the fact it's a place of worship. Fair enough. We'd had our fun with the less educated hordes left behind anyway. Depending of whose version you read this is either the biggest or the 3rd biggest Gothic cathedral in the world. Doesn't really matter that much because it is significantly big. You could fit 4 normal cathedrals in here which is pretty much what they've done. We headed to the bell tower because Trip Advisor had told us to. Up the ramps we went. 34 times. 90 degree turns between them.

Popping out into the bright light at the top surrounded by milling tourists from all nations all getting along fabulously whist the threat of the bells loomed large overhead. Never been so close to so many significantly large bells. When these suckers go off it would be like the end of the world. Luckily (or due to renovations) they didn't. Like everyone else our main aim was get many photos of the spectacular views as possible. No time to actually sit back and enjoy the show. We can do that in the comfort of our own homes after we've left. We also discovered a very clever mirror in front of Chris Colombus which is designed to do selfies to the ceiling.

By strange co-incidence it's also great for upskirting. No wonder you don't find these in Scotland. Next stop as advised by the trip thingy was to the India's archive museum. The Spanish have never got over the fact the Chris really did think the Americas was the subcontinent. This impressive building was free entry and entirely in Spanish. Luckily we have a device with an app which translates for us. Sometimes with somewhat interesting results. Often we were looking at the pig archives. The whole top level has floor to high shelves stacked with boxes housing all the precious artefacts. With no photography signs. This is to avoid people realising the sham. Closer inspection revealed no coding on the boxes. Closer again (no guards in sight) every one of them empty....oh well - at least the marble floors were a nice red colour. Lunch at a typical Spanish tapas bar and then a non touristy activity as the blogger headed off across town on an epic journey to find a laundromat and while away the hours writing inane descriptions about visiting two churches and the old building next to them. The non blogger went for some retail therapy. Afterwards we headed off to another version of flemenca dancing. There were significant differences from the last experience. More people, bigger room, had to queue to get in, no drinks supplied. All pretty much irrelevant as it's all about the cultural expression by them and the cultural experience by us. Three sets - each with the same structure: guitar starts and goes on for a while, 3 singers take turns whilst the others hum and get into the rythym and quite a few minutes later the dancers glide in seemingly under some sort of a trance before launching into the actual tap dancing, skirt lifting, bottom warbling, spinning around, arm waving and handclaping, yelling that makes up the art form. Being art - interpretation is the key and once again - whilst not understanding the words we had a pretty good idea what it was all about. It was either about lost loves, bullfighting or cats mating. It certainly sounded at times like the last option. So we went with that.

And so culturally enlightened we headed back to the first nights restaurant and had a great meal (paella and tapas) and headed home to pack for the next ridiculously early start to move on. Spain was great - would like to spend more time here - especially now we understand what the locals are on about.

Enjoying Spain

Compared to all the action and adventures of previous day's on this little foray today was relatively quiet. It's amazing how easy it is to sleep in when there's no pressure to do anything much. The only appointment we had was to meet the Segway tour folk at 11:30. Easily achieved even with stopping for a pleasant breaky along the way. Still enjoying walking past the nachos rip off place at least 3 times a day. All other gourmet experiences here have been pretty much that. Even today's toast with marmalade was a cultural experience due to the great accompanying coffee and general Spanish ambience of the cafe. There are some fabulously looking people in the cities of this country (no reference data to the country folk) and it's great to just watch them strut their stuff.

The two wheeler powered stand up tour was a stand out event. Great fun as well as an easy way to cover a lot of space in a short time. Given an hour's learning in a vineyard in the Yarra Valley last year we were reasonably proficient in the use of the vehicles and as such with only a wobble or two we were off. Tearing through the tourist throngs the three two-wheelers tried tirelessly to tour the town. Our guide (Gus for short) was very adept at his craft. As it turned out also well educated in South America and therefore had a very good perspective on how the Spanish got their wealth (ransacking and destroying native nations), how Chris Columbus thought he landed in India and indvertantly mislabeled the natives of North America. Always wondered why Chief Bald Eagle was called an Indian but did not have curried priarie dog on the menu. Now we know....The story about how his son "Two Dogs" got his name is of course completely off-piste for this blog. And so we spent over an hour winding our way through a variety of different environments in the centre of town. Through major squares, tiny cramped cobblestoned alleyways squashed up against ancient city fortress walls, into green parklands with copious fountains with adjoining ponds. All really good fun and somewhat educational as well. It's a real shame these machines are banned on the public streets back home. We have to leave the Nanny State to really enjoy all the world has to offer. After an awesome lunch (Ceasar Salad and a mini burger - al fresco of course) we followed a tip from a recent visitor to the town and had a look through the Palacio de la casa de Alba which is a recently opened grand residence of the local nobility for many past generations.

This was really cool. On a few different levels... Pity the pool was empty as that would've been even cooler. The gardens were fabulous - well tended, very green and shady ( thus cool) and used very effectively to create entrance ways into the various buildings which had high open entrances leading into the opulence contained within. All sorts of different themed rooms from reception to dining to study to worship to dance studios...all amazingly presented and well explained. There are still people living here so the upper story is closed off and the whole place is still fully functional as a working house ( they do call it a palace though). It was extraordinary to be so close to huge tapestries that had been hanging there for over three hundred years. Very faded but that actually adds to the power of what you're seeing. The furnishings and all the other showing off "I've got a lot of cool stuff in my house" attitude were almost too much to take it all in. Worth being there to be impressed by it all though.

Afterwards we sort of fell into a non-descript sort of an afternoon. We finally found a supermarket in the basement of a huge department store (single malt for 16 Euro's) A bit of in house research by one whilst the other slipped out to the shops. Dinner in a nearby Tapas place was suitable but a bit noisy due to traffic. We have been spoilt recently with our locations when we start to whinge about mildly noisy steets in Saville. Back to base camp to try and sort out details for the next few days. Where would we be without the internet?

Off to Sunny Seville

It was an early morning today, we were up before the dawn. We really enjoyed our stay but we must be moving on. Like a king without a castle and a queen without a throne, early morning travellers and we must be moving on*. Our walk through the deserted streets was a lot quieter than the previous similar foray due to well layed polished granite sidewalks. Arriving at the Central train station as it opened it quickly became apparent that our long anticipated train journey was to be replaced by a bus due to infrastructure works. However, as it transpires, it made no difference as it was dark, the bus made no stops, is was extremely comfortable and we got to our transit station at the planned time. Wondering why the train exists at all we sat around in a modern station in the middle of a Spanish plain and finally realised that sunrise is about 8:30 am. No wonder all the Spanish have wierd internal body clocks.

Here the trains were functional and we shot off though the early morning haze rising over the desert like a cannonball..*. The environment here is a dry harsh landscape. You tell that by looking at the soil. Interestingly the locals have turned the whole thing green by planting olive trees. Millions and millions of them. There are more olive trees than you can poke a stick at...and that is a serious amount of trees. The amount of olives resulting from these endeavours must be mind blowing. It does nicely resonate that when drinks are served in the taverna's and bars that frequent the cities that they are invariably accompanied by a sample dish of olives. They literally have so many they give the away for free. And then there's the oil..... The train ride to Seville was comfortable, fast, efficient and quiet until some very loud elderly Spanish came on and promptly spent the the rest of the trip yelling at each other. It was more funny than unpleasant. Their language is not as harsh as some at at least we were not in any position to pass judgement on the content of their conversation. An easy taxi ride you our rooms for the next 3 nights was insightful. Very small tight roads. Best stay out of the way of cars in these streets. In one short burst we had the mirror on on side hit a dude who was not paying attention and then a rubbish bin on the opposite side. So by the time we arrived the driver was restricted to internal mirror only as both externals were folded flat. The hotel is a complete contrast to the modern one we just left. Will probably miss a bidet for the rest of my life, however a more realistic contrast is the Moorish influence in the designs, furnishings and general ambience e.g. our room door faces into the general foyer. It's well appointed though so we're happy and comfortable. Location wise it's pretty good too. The goodbye strangers* start had us feeling like we'd be hit by a bus - not carried by one. So grabbing a quick bite of nachos for lunch ( where we had our first bad food experience of the trip. 6 Euro's is a small price to pay for a lesson well learnt - in this case it's don't eat at the joint around the corner. Funny thing we will now walk past this guy repeatedly over the next few days) Siesta time....really getting the hang of this. There's no point heading out in the heat of the afternoon as everything is shut. May as well catch up on lost debt. So snooze we did. Easy to do as of course even the builders next door went quiet. Afterwards we headed out into town at 5:00 pm as the place slowly came to life.

It's kind of nice not having any real plans when exploring a new city. One vague focus we had was to hunt down our ebike tour company that we'd used in Granada. In finding them we managed to wander through a few interesting sections of the town. It gets seriously hot here. Luckily we've missed the 56 degrees days (yowsa!) And it's a mild 32 today. They have strung up seriously big shade cloths over the streets to keep the place bearable in summer. It's a different vibe to the other two locales seen so far. It may take a day or two to be able to understand and articulate it.

We did have a great time relaxing in the old part of town. Lots of sitting on street side tables consuming local produce whilst the non-blogger darted in and out of nearby shops. Meeting a relaxed group of like minded northern English was funny. They were here for a long weekend. Interesting contrast. They go to Spain in two hours. We go to the local beach in that same timeframe. There is of course no real comparison. They see flamingco dancers, we see waves dancing. They get surrounded by manmade architecture being used to express individuals application of power and we get surrounded by the architecture of nature expressing the power of the universe. Both are valid. It's nice to be familiar with both aspects. A stroll back through the building throngs after sunset you could feel the vibe of the town starting to pick up. We were too exhausted though to consider kicking on. Maybe tomorrow night. For now a fabulous ice cream was a great ending to a tapas dinner and an interesting day in bull fighting territory. * Apologies to any Supertramp fans