Spain 2016 - Tavira, Portugal

It was rather a grey day so we decided to drive to Tavira in Portugal, a town that Mum and Dad have stayed in 3 different times. We took country roads rather than the motorway and it took about 40 minutes. Dad was driving and remembered the way into town but then we got caught up in a lot of one way streets and drove out of town along the river to have our picnic lunch.
There were flamingos in the salt flats and Mum and I took a quick look.

There were flamingo families in this flock. It appears that the young have black wings and no hint of pink yet.

A Black Winged Stilt, we think, although it doesn't have the red legs that it should have.

We drove back into town and, after winding our way through some narrow streets, found a parking spot within striking distance of the river.

The old market building now houses restaurants and souvenir shops. We had coffee in the cafe with the white umbrellas. George, Christine and I visited Mum and Dad on one occasion that they were here and I remember having coffee here. There is a modern new market building not far away.

When we were here we used to go to an Internet Cafe on the other side of the river for morning coffee because the sun was on that bank of the river in the morning. Those were the days when we used their computers to check and send e-mails rather than the personal tablets and netbooks that we have now. Christine also rented a motor scooter (vespa) for a half a day and we had fun riding that around and out to the beach.

The stone arched bridge is Roman and only used for pedestrians now.

Coming at this time of year means that things are less than perfect as winter maintenance has not been completed yet. The place by the bridge needs a coat of paint and there is scaffolding on the clock tower. On that hill there is also a "castle" which is just a walled garden now.

It is harder to drive into the city centre than it used to be but the town is still hopping with tourists and townspeople. English is spoken everywhere.

Pretty bandshell in the park by the river..

surrounded by fountains, koi and turtles.

There are a few, colourful fishing boats moored at the wharf beside the river but its not a fishing town like the ones we are currently staying near.

I drive home with a quick stop at the Mercadona (grocery store) for essentials (like wine and shrimp).

Spain 2016 - flamingos and beach restaurant

Each morning I take my coffee out to the terrace, just see what is happening. This morning we could see flamingos in the marshes to our left.

Flock of flamingos in the marshes using the digital zoom from the terrace.

One of the things I like about being in a place for a few months is that I begin to get the rhythm of  it. Walking out on the terrace here, I can see which fishing boats are in, the status of the tide, birds in the marshes, restaurants along the wharf, workmen in the commercial area below us. Although not belonging to the community, I get a feel for it.
Looking across to Punta del Moral I could see that, although it was Sunday, the grocery store was open, so, as we needed green pepper for the recipe we wanted to make for supper, I walked over. After successfully getting a pepper (and saran wrap and a baguette, I always end up with more than I went for) I took a track, beside the marsh to see if I could get closer to the flamingos.

This track comes off the roundabout on the edge of Punta del Moral.

The shrubs were full of birds. This one, on consulting the bird book, we have decided is a Linnet.

Think it is a Woodchat Shrike. The book says "Strikingly patterned .... perches prominently on a tree top ..."

I am not usually this into bird watching but here it is pretty flat, no vineyards, no mountains, so I am looking for something to make taking walks more interesting. I take pictures and then, in the evening when I look at them on the computer, we go through the bird book and try and identify them.

Round a bend in the track and here was a "guard horse", tethered. We exchanged looks and I gave him a wide berth. He followed me at a distance as far as his tether allowed.

The horse belonged to a farm and there was a fence that prevented me from getting close to the flamingos but I took some pictures with the zoom.

Although not a birder, flamingos can't help but draw attention, they are just so unusual looking in stature and colouring.

I had made the comment to Mum that this looked a little like an English plant called Broom. Yesterday I read that it is called "Bridal Broom".

Prickly Pear Cactus is everywhere and we learned today that it is an invasive species. After looking it up I found out that it is only native to the Americas and Australia has imported a moth to eat it and reduced the spread.

After lunch at the apartment we decided to have coffee at a restaurant on the beach that Dad had noticed is open on the weekend.

Coffee, turned into wine (I'm told I am a bad influence). It was warm enough to sit out in a T-shirt.

The beach on Isla Canela is a Blue Flag Beach. This is a respected, world wide system of accrediting beaches based on extensive standards of education, cleanliness, safety and ecological concerns by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FFE). According to the internet, Port Stanley Main Beach is the only Blue Flag Beach on the Canadian side of Lake Erie.

After "coffee", Mum and I went across to Punta del Moral to do some sketching.

Monument to "The Women of the Mariners"

Even more fishing boats rafted at the wharf on a Sunday.

Punta del Moral's "clowder" of cats. Around the church are a gang of 6 to 8 cats. Feral?

The anchor stained glass window in the church.

This last picture is not posted due to the bird, as I have already posted one of this species, but because I like the effect of the ripples in the water.

Another Kentish Plover.

Spain 2016 - points East

We packed a lunch and headed of Isla Canela to Ayamonte and then East along the coast. We drove for 20 minutes to get to Isla Christina which is just across the river from us. Its quite a large town but not particularly attractive.  It has a huge commercial fishing area as all the fishing boats I saw the other day on my walk were heading into those docks.
Each community we drove through had a slightly different feel depending on when they had been developed. Some built 30 to 50 years ago had square apartment blocks about 6 stories high with metal balconies, ugly. Some had small single story houses spread along the beaches and for a couple of blocks back. Some had new developments with golf courses, swimming pools, tennis courts and a nod to Spanish and Moorish architecture. Long sand beaches are the commonality.

Houses right on the beach., near La Antilla.

Its Saturday and lots of people were fishing off the beaches.

We stopped in El Rompido and had coffee at this beach bar on what we took to be a river, but it turned out to be on the inside of a barrier island

Boats pulled up on the beach.

The cook walked out with a bin of fish garbage. As soon as he appeared he was surrounded  by the gulls. Must be a regular occurrence.

Lighthouse, El Farro, marking the port.

Heading out for a Saturday afternoon sail.

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We ate our picnic lunch overlooking small sail boats zipping along in a good breeze.

The weather forecast had said "occasional showers" and every now and then it would cloud over but we never got rain and it was lovely every time we stopped to walk or look at something. We drove as far as Punta Umbria as Dad was hoping to figure out how to access a marsh there to go birdwatching. We saw storks and flamingos as we drove by but didn't find how to get to them.
Back through Lepe and stopped at a huge Carrefour  supermarket. The only thing we have not been able to find is Fish Sauce for a couple of Thai recipes we like to make but even at Carrefour, no fish sauce, in fact a just very small International section with some Mexican and some Indian food.

Back onto Isla Canela and I saw lots of kites in the air and checked out the beach. Kite city, reminded me of home.

There were about 12 kites in the air and at least another 40 on the beach.

Carrefour had a Offerra Special of 6 cakes for 5 Euro. I tried to buy 3 but that was still 5 Euro so we ended up with 6 cakes! So sad.

Tonight's dessert; one of the cakes, cut in 3 with strawberries.

Spain 2016 - Plaza Laguna and Punta del Moral

After a bit of a mishap last night with a flooded kitchen (dishwasher overflow?) we needed to get some assistance from the rental office. We then headed into Ayamonte to check out the town square that is depicted in much of the advertising for the town.

It is quite charming, surrounded by banks, restaurants, palm trees and

benches covered with painted tiles (decorative but not that comfortable)

The label says that the original of this painting is in the Hispanic Museum in New York.

Practicing for a bullfight. There is a bullring marked on the maps, I will have to find it.

You'd look a little put out too, with a pigeon on your head.

On a side street from the square is a church up some steep steps. Mum and I went inside and found it surprisingly bright, painted white inside.

An intricate wooden ceiling

Many of the statues were clothed and not in dusty old stuff but in rich velvets and bright colours. A group of people were clothing one of the statues in new material being very careful about the draping and taking pictures (with their phones) during the process.

I don't think I had seen a sculpture depicting Christ being taken down from the cross, before.

There was a beautiful painted ceiling above it.

After checking out all the restaurants we settled at one and ordered drinks and tapas. We decided that we would, over the course of the 2 months, try each restaurant in the square and determine the best for tapas. We need something to replace the "best croissant" search that we had in Ceret last year.

This is the Queso Parmesano and Pate, half eaten. We also ordered salmon and cheese, jamon  and tomato ensalada.

That with 3 wines and 3 coffees cost about 30 Euro, $45 Can.

Part of the clean up crew. He handles below the table.

He handles on the table.

We came back to the apartment after lunch and I went to explore more of Punta del Moral, the little fishing village across the marina from us.

Commercial fishing boats are now rafted 3 deep on the dock, perhaps home for the weekend.

Crested lark on the beach.

Across the river, over Isla Christina, a motorized hang glider (not sure if it can be called a glider if it's motorized)

Punta del Moral is a neat little village with clean streets and tidy houses painted in white, cream, pink and blue. There is a small supermarket and about 6 restaurants. There is however no mistaking that it is a fishing village.

Fishing buoys leaning up against a house.

Nets spread out to dry. There were 2 men repairing the holes in them. How many 100's of years have fishermen been doing that?

The stained glass in the window above the church door depicted an anchor.

We decided, on consulting the bird book, that this was a Kentish Plover.

I got home to find that Mum had gone for a walk in a different direction. It was warm enough so we had a drink on the terrace and embraced the Spanish habit of baguette with herbed olive oil and olives to go with it.

There was one piece of bread left. Mum and I were leaning on the railing and Dad had gone inside when our resident seagull, Johnathon (of course) swooped onto the table and stole it. We watched and laughed as another seagull stole it from him!