Catching Up....

Being aware,

 that my Christmas preparations were way behind this year,

 very unlike me,

I ventured off to Bath,

 a town famous for it's Roman Baths,

 although not enough time to visit them on this occasion.

The Christmas Market was also in full swing,

 offerings from Mulled Wine or Cider,

 to a wide range of crafts

But, being a weekend & the festive season,

the town was just SOooo...Busy!

But, this gave me more opportunity,

 to explore the side streets with plenty of individual eateries

& exclusive/creative  shops.

vf

Due to the crowds,

I gave most of the street market a miss,

which was mean't to put me in a festive mood,

but I enjoyed watching the old fashioned Merry Go Round ride,

which appeared to be a magical delight for young & old.

This visit to this historical town ultimately

gave me the chance to visit a favourite shop,

The Cath Kidston Shop,

which thankfully helped me to choose some of my seasonal gifts!

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S e a s o n a l   G r e e t i n g s

to Y o u   A l l

Guadalest, Spain

On my recent travels to Spain,

I had a chance to visit the small town of Guadalest,

situated in the mountainous province of Alicante.

To reach another part of the town,

 with the castle on the top of the mountain,

it mean't a trek up loads of steps,

 with a walkway tunneled through the mountain.

Of course,

a visit would not have been complete

 without a tour of the castle.

This was a beautiful Spanish location,

 with also some lovely shops full of charming souvenirs.

If only I had had more room in the suitcase!

The scenery from the top,

 overlooked the valley to a nearby reservoir

Overall,

 a very tranquil & enjoyable day!

j

Perfect Blend

 On Spanish waysides,

 the brightest blueness of this tiny flower,

 mingles in with the subtleness of bunches of grasses,

Spain's countryside, arid & dry terrain.

Villages with colour from the rustic style housing.

Splashes of sultry coloured flowers add to the Spanish influence

A ground covering succulent with the bright pink flower

Beautiful doorways,

 with intricate ironwork,

 enhancing the character of the older style buildings

Inland Spain,

 reflects a more natural look of Spain,

although  it's very dry & dusty,

 with often a hilly rough landscape,

splashes of colour emerge with the flora,

 making it a perfect combination

 with the rustic painted dwellings.

Spanish Influence

Been back a week since my Spanish holiday,

 not one by the coast, but inland,

 experiencing a more true natural Spain, 

compared with the touristic coastlines.

The Villa I stayed in was on the

 outskirts of a town called Sax.

Streets & streets of housing,

 much character in these dwellings,

 particularly in the older part of the town,

built on the side of a hill,

situated  just below a very imposing castle,

a landmark which was visible from the villa. 

A spectaclular  view of the castle,

& evermore striking light up at night

Colour for a Rainy Grey Day!

Saved these images for a rainy day,

 when definitely need to see some colour to brighten up the day.

Today, & the past week has been no exception. 

 Downpours of rain only offering grey dull days!

~ ~ ~ ~

Whilst on travels to The Netherlands in the Autumn,

 exploring Amsterdam,

 we visited the Flowermarket.

A street, crammed with market stalls,

 selling a huge variety of garden bulbs,

 seeds, pot plants, fresh cut flowers,

& items for the tourist,

 anything from fridge magnets,

 to the blue & white china associated with Holland.

Cabbage flowers,

 a selection with

 either white or purple centres. . . .

Masses of Sunflowers. . . .

I've  never seen so many cacti in flower. . .

Bunches & bunches of roses. . . .

Not forgetting the Dutch Tulips!

Pedal Power

Back to my travels to the Netherlands,

during our stay in Amsterdam,

it was often a battle

 to cross the road with not only motor vehicles,

 but competing with trams & bicycles.

Whilst sat comfortable outside one of the main cafes,

spoilt for choice in Rembrandt Square,

 it was just a relaxing time to take in the sights.

The taxi bicycles were really something different. 

 Definitely pedal power needed!

In almost any space at a railing,

 on one of the many bridges or outside residents dwellings,

bikes were parked up everywhere.

Eventhough cycling is free,

 the tram is really good value way

of getting around the city for sightseeing.

But, to reinforce the popularity of cycling,

even a barge was spied catering for parked up bikes!

The Netherlands boast a huge extensive network of cycle lanes,

 which really does make you feel more confident when cycling around.

But their landscape is very flat,

 which is of benefit if you decide  to use pedal power.

I use to love cycling when I was younger,

 but with even more traffic on the road in the UK,

I am reluctant to do so now.

Although English councils here,

 have made an effort to instigate some cycle lanes,

these are not consistent & 

it is still not as safe as I would like,

a great shame.