Something from Bali: White Drop I

OK this is a special post as it will be in two parts.... but I'm not going to tell you when the second post is, just yet.

Some of you may have known that recently Paul and I took a quick break away, and had 10 days in Bali, staying at two locations.  The first was The Maya, Ubud, http://mayaubud.com/ (will open in a new window).  This is our buddies, Gary and Stuart's favourite place in Bali, and we both agree is a lovely tranquil place to chill.  I'll put some holiday snaps up soon.

The other place was the Nyaman Villas, down in Seminyak http://www.nyamanvillasbali.com/ (opens in new window).  Another great place to stay but down in the busy Seminyak and all the great restuarants.

So back to this image.  This image was taken a few moments after arrival at the Maya.  The gardens are beautiful and vast.  But this set of flowers caught my eye.  Nestled in amongst the dark green foliage was this drop of purity.  White Drop.  Enjoy.


Seville Cathedral and La Giralda...


Seville's cathedral was built over and incorporates a great mosque built by the Almohads in the 12th Century.  So the architecture is a mix of Moorish and Christendom influence, really spectacular.  The tower was built as a minaret in 1198, and the was changed over time to include the new belfry by 1568.  The staircase inside was built so that the priest could ride his horse up to the top of the minaret.   



Now whilst travelling it can be very easy just to look around and see whats in front of you... occasionally I have been know to look up... and look at ceilings... occasionally you come across some awesome imagery.  Again, like in New York, the guards tend not to like you laying on the ground taking pics... oh well :D

A ceiling in the Real Alcazar....

more to come...

Granada and the Alhambra and the Generalife


A panoroma of the Alhambra and Generalife in Granada, Spain, whislt we are watching the sunset and having dinner... awesome.

The Alhambra was build under Ismail I, Yusuf I and Muhammand V, caliphs when the Nasrid dynasty ruled Granada. Spectacular and magical use of space, light, water and decoration... you will be amazed... but thats the last of the trip panoramas... but never fear... more to come....

Palacio Real

Madrid has a great lavish Royal Palace set high over the Rio Manaznares and is still used for state occasions.  Two quick panoramas from the side and the front for you.




Parque del Retiro Part I





This series of panoramas are from the rose garden in the Parque del Retiro in Madrid.  I'll have a series of images of some of the individual rose in an upcoming post.  Awesome garden... though it was soooo hot to wander around in.

An evening at Comptoir Darna restaurant

One of the things I enjoy about travelling is that you get to taste and experience new and exciting things.   Well we were set for an adventure this night!  After looking through the guide book and after wandering around some of the inner city areas we decided on a place called Comptoir Darna - just a short walk away from our hotel.  The review in the book said good things... so off we set.

Now the thing about Marrakesh is that the street layout and the maps don't always match up!  So after wandering around for a bit and getting hot (remember its about 38/40C during the day), we almost gave up and were deciding to head to another place just off the main road.   BUT, we came across this place, with three VERY beefy body guards out the front... so I thought I would ask them if they knew where this restaurant was.  Well yes, you can guess, it was the place we were looking for!  D'oh.  Very funny.  Anyways, any place that has three guards out the front has got to be interesting right....

We were not disappointed.   I'd suggest you check out the website as the images below are screen caps, and the colour is a bit funky.  http://www.comptoirdarna.com/

The entrance...


The actual image is more brown... but you get the idea...

Now we hadn't booked... why should we... it was early, at the start of the week.  Well, they were a little surprised we thought we could walk in... so they headed off to the courtyard for a drink.




Ohhh, ahhh.... this is a bit flash... 

Next other people start to arrive.  Now I didn't think we were too shabby, nice jeans, dress shirt... well... talk about glamour!  This place was obviously one of the place the FABULOUS people come too.  Tall, glamorous, gorgeous outfits... oh my.  One of the groups that joins us in the garden are two younger women with a little 2 year old boy.  Cutest kid, who just decides to leave his mum and friend and come and hang out with Paul and I.  Had the cutest grin... he decided that he needed to share all his drinks and toys with us.  Oh well... it was fun. 

Eventually our table is ready.

We head upstairs, and the decor is just fab.  




We have a seat near the main stairs, and get a good view across the entire restaurant and ability to watch the comings and goings of the place.  The restaurant also has a bar upstairs, which is also fab. 

So we order some salad and a couple of mains.  Salad arrives first.  Its seven courses!  Its Moroccan salad - small tastes of the most divine flavours.  Yummy.  Actually when we eventually finish this we are full... but wait there is more.  Now Paul ordered the fish, encrusted with olives, and I had the lamb targine.  Now my sister warned me.  Everything comes with olives and salt in Arab countries, well, she was right, the lamb, swimming in olives in a very salty sauce... oh well, it was yummy, and I swallowed a couple of diuretics (makes you pee out the salt)*!

So we are eating away, and the fabulous people have all arrived, and ordering, music is very funky, think Arabic lounge meets Buddha Bar.  All of sudden the music stops, changes, the lights go down, and I see candle light coming up the stairs... ahhh I think... obiviously a birthday thing... oh no!  

It was two belly dancers, not just any belly dancers.  Two mature women dressed in white, with a large tray on their heads, tea pot in the middle of it, and candles all around the outside.  These women (two upstairs, two downstairs) proceed to belly dance through the restaurant with these trays on their heads... very impressive!  Music changes again, this time the more mature ladies are joined by four young lithe scantley clad women who also proceed to belly dance around the crowd/tables, much to the amusement of everyone their. Now as it turned out we where in the middle of the restaurant floor, so the women were constantly dancing around us as we were eating.  There were a lot of Moroccan boys at the restaurant who were very envious of our position.  All I will say is those girls hips swing a lot!  Pretty gals.  

A great night.  Great food, more entertainment than we were expecting, and as we were leaving, the locals were just warming up and the DJ was getting started.  Definitely a place to go whilst in Marrakech.

more to come...

* for those that don't know.  I have a condition which means I have to have next to no salt in my diet... less salt in a day than you'd find in two slices of bread.  So you can see this was a bit of a challenge! :D 


the long trek that made us equal!

So the weather over here is warm, about 38/39C at the moment.  It makes for a good sweat when your out and about looking at historic sites or attempting to be scammed in a Souk to be shown a tannery.

Anyways I digress.

So the morning was lovely, up early, quick bite to eat for breakfast then first port of call a famous local garden called Menara Garden or Jardin de la Menara. Paul's call as I made him do the tanneries yesterday!  We we step outside and the temperature was hot.  Never fear, sunscreen on, sunnies on, map in hand, coffees in our bellies - we are off!

So we walk...

and walk...

and walk somemore...

finding the signs to the airport now... seem to be where we arrived!

did I mention it was hot... very hot...

still walking...

*pant pant*

oops... forgot to bring water...

an hour of walking... we find it.  OK, we took a slightly scenic route to it.  Very illuminating as it turned out... I'll tell you why in the next post.

Anyways, after a very long walk, much sweating we arrive at the famous Menara Gardens - one of two grand "Almohade" gardens.  Local are flocking there, tourist buses arriving... we turn to each other... looking good.

Well we arrived.  Walked down the long entrance which is a very large plantation of olive trees which the locals have picnics under, but the people are walking to a main area.  Well we must go see.

This is what was there...




So it was a large irrigation pond, filled with very big carp or tilapia or something... we looked at each other and agreed... we were even tannery vs garden :D

So we grabbed some water from the stall in the garden... and commenced our long walk back.


to that mosque spire allll the way on the horizon...




in 39C heat.... seriously, its good for sweating out the salt from dinner! So all good I say.

Seriously though, the place is great.  Very different culture.  Its great seeing the interwining of the French and Arabic cultures.  Quiet extraordinary. 

More to come...

one for my brother...

Back in Marrakech...

So this post is dedicated to my brother who via Facebook, suggested we find a KFC or Macca's in Marrakech... as I explained to him, in the old Medina there was no such thing*

So being the wise person he is, he suggests hunting down the Moroccan version, Kentucky Tagine Chicken.... well bugger me you'll never guess what we found!

**

Well there you go!

:D

*(except on the main square as it turns out!)
** apologies to KFC :D

a quick visit back in time... back to Madrid for a sec...

We were going through some of the images from Madrid tonight... some good ones to come, but we did come across the images of The Sofia which I hadn't posted.  The Sofia is short for the The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) is the official name of Spain's national museum of 20th century art(informally shortened to the Museo Reina Sofía, Queen Sofia Museum, El Reina Sofia, or simply The Sofia).


We almost did end up going to this one as we where a little fatigued of all the religious art that we had seen in the preceeding days.  And we also thought it was a small building, small collection, and one we could miss.  BUT we steeled ourselves and made the journey through the back streets to find it only to come across this...







The museum entrance with the Dali sculpture was impressive.  The collection... very impressive.  So pleased we made it there.  The building is actually a reconditioned old hospital.  and the sculpture in the front... well here's a clue... there is a person on the left hand side in the corner taking a pic... if you can spot her. 

Now back to Marrakech.  Its very hot here today.  And I'll post more on what we did today tomorrow... suffice it to say that Paul and I are now even on the 'oh god, what have you taken me to see' stakes today :D

-mtc

snakes and lamps.... and whats that smell...


Well it certainly has been a busy first full day.  Breakfast - yum yum.  Then off to the central square... oh boy.  What is it like... sort of like Kuta Square Bali, but worse hussling, and an arabic influence.

We got 'befriended' by a local, who for 'no fee - free for you' I show you where the tanneries are... well as it turns out he did, but to look at the tannery owned by his friend - $$, to look at the shop also owned by his friend - $$, and the sneaky bugger found us again and asked for money. I had to firmly remind him he promised that he wasn't going to charge... got a little tense.

Well it wasnt a total bust, we did learn something about the process of tanning hides, and the short version - requires fermented pigeon shit they collect from the Atlas Mountains to soak the hides in for about three weeks to soften them!  So yes, the tannery stunk...they actually give the poor delicate westerners some mint leaves to smell as you wander around.  No fear tho... we were brave lads and didn't use it... but I have had to wash the clothes tonight!  If you have been to a piggery... similar to that. ;-)

Then we took a journey through the souks.  Interesting markets, lots of handicrafts and stuff, not quiet as much husseling, but you dont want to stop and admire anything as you get pounced on to buy!  All part of the experience.  We covered most of the areas of the souks, but didn't take too many pics... I'm sure we would have had to pay someone for the privilege of taking them. A couple of places I might go back and buy something from there stall and ask then to take a pic.

Next we were out in the main square again, and we spy cobras and snake charmers... charming mostly the tourists out of money.  Well surprise surprise... I turn around to find Paul and he now has a snake and its being wrapped around his neck... whats more he's now heading to where the cobras are to have a picture taken...with a cobra whilst the locals stand well back!  Next the guy heads towards me with a snake as I'm taking pics.... oh boy... tomorrow, some of the local parks...more adventures to come...



well we are very surprised again...

Arrived into Morocco this afternoon... just as Madrid was getting some unseasonal rain... well a few showers.  Enough though for us to flee! haha... well the flight to Marrakesh was only 1hour 40minutes.  Customs went really well... tho everyone gets a gander at your passport it seems.

All was going well until we get to the luggage hall.  I was a little suspicious of the luggage handler who peered out from behind the curtain of the luggage conveyor belt as I was the only one there at that time, and says to me, "Madrid", "yes" I replied, then calls me over and asked me what my luggage looked like??  WTF???

"Black" I say... "Is it this one" bringing out a ubiquitous black suitcase..."No miseur".  Three attempts were made at this exchange... how bizzare. Paul is snickering at this point!

I suspect he was genuinely trying to be helpful.. and looking for a tip!  Luckily his mates called him to do some work.  Too funny.  Thank god he didn't find it, not sure if I was going to have to pay extra to actually get it.

Next adventure... getting a taxi to the hotel.  Oh boy.  No problem.  We are skilled.  Just get in and make sure they put the meter on.  Written the address on a piece of paper.  Should be fine.

I look in the taxi, "Meter please"... the guy directing the punters says, "No meter!", tried again... "NO METER!!", and they tell you how much your going to pay after they know which hotel your staying at..hmmm.  So being good negotiators we agree on an exorbitant price, well they tell us what we are going to pay. 100MAD's (Moroccan Dhirams) for a 10minutes journey, the cab driver agrees, our anxiety levels settle... negotiated well... huh! not.  Oh well... lets just get to the hotel.  Then as he gets in the taxi... he says ahhh yes, and 50 MAD's for your luggage extra.  LOL  these guys are skilled.  Your in the taxi, already moving and what are you meant to say... no... leave the luggage behind!  It can make its own way there.

Anyways we arrived at the hotel in one piece, even through the taxi driver was yelling on his phone and gesticulating whilst talking with his other hand... yup, you guessed it, no hands driving... bikes going every which way, trucks almost hitting us.  oh what an adventure, and we haven't been in the coutry 20mins.

But fortunately the hotel is very nice.  We have retreated to it for a welcomed break from running around Madrid for 5 days looking at all the art, museums, ruins etc.  More on that and pics when I get a chance.  So this afternoon a bit of sitting by the pool in the warm sun, to regain our strength and prepare for tomorrows adventures...out wandering around the city.

The room?  Its nice.  We are indeed very fortunate.

back in time... to Barcelona...


OK, a quick update for tonight (Madrid time) a few quick snaps from Barcelona earlier in the week.  The first from Gaudi's church... much has happened since we were last here about 20 years ago.  I will get back there when we come back to Barcelona in a week.  Next is a shot from Los Ramblas on a Sunday... note to self... lots of folk out and about!  Next two shots... yes well you know who those two are!  :D

Mouse for desert?!?!

So tonight is our last night in Madrid... and we were desperate for some simple food.  Luckily we found a great Argentinian steakhouse... and the guys looked after us very well.  We were very early for Madrid dinning... it was 9pm... most people dont start going out till that time for dinner!  Anyways we had a great feed, and were treated to a desert.  It was 'Mouse', "oh" said we?  And then the mousse arrived... we had a great night exchanging my bad Spanish and their bad English and a lot of laughs.... tomorrow onto Morocco!