I have returned from Spain after one of the most momentous holidays of my life and my first tatse of Semana Santa in Andalucía. The flight over was pretty uneventful, although Easyjet could pick a slightly better slot for its sole Almería flight from Gatwick. However I managed the 3.30 am Gatwick Express and sailed through check-in and security. What a difference the no weight limit for in-cabin baggage makes. I was able to take masses of photographic equipment with me, and keep my eye on it whilst travelling. Another reason for choosing Easyjet over RyanAir. The flight over the snow capped Pyrenees was spectacular, and landing in Almería, one could see the  Sierra Nevada in the distance, for once living up to its name.

What a welcome in Spain after a long , hard winter in England. My friend, and host for the week, Juan met me at the airport and whisked me off for a breakfast of tostado with ham and tomatoes and café con leche in a bar and then back to Roquetas de Mar. I spent a quiet day sorting myself out, looking round the shops and in the evening tapas and cervezas in the puerta. One of the recurring themes of the holiday was mariscos, seafood, and I have never eaten so much in my life. The other strange phenomona was the sunlight, and the warmth, both very welcome.

Tuesday, Maribel, Juan’s wife took me to Almería to visit the Alcazabar and I managed a few photos and have posted those on my  Flickr page. Below are a couple of samples.  One of the Arab wall and one of the Christan wall for a comparison in construction. A fantastic place to visit, and perhaps an example to the English in how creative one can be in preserving ruins. I think a little restoration is quite in order.

Another evening of tapas and cerveza, and this time pulpo (octopus), two different kinds, along with the best boquerones (fresh anchovies, fried) I have ever had in my life.

The rest of the holiday was spent in Úbeda and I am just sorting through the photos and video now, hampered by my host sending me the most scurrilous articles in Spanish about Spanish politicians! I will be posting more about Semana Santa as the material is edited and post later, interspersed I’m afraid with a few rants about the general election, which is sending me into a coma already.

Until next time!