From the Feria in El Puerto to the Feria del Caballo

In Andalucia you can't escape the Feria in April - either the big and famous one in Sevilla, the smaller in Vejer, the famous in El Puerto, or the horses' fair in Jerez. The Feria del Caballo in Jerez will start next week, but the shops and the talks are full of gitanas, shoes and jewellery for the feasts. Plus tv is showing hours and hours of pictures, discussions and music on the ferias. Yeah, well - most probably I'm gonna soak up enough of this to last me another year...
Since the internet shops in El Puerto are still closed, I'm sitting in an internet room in the middle of Jerez now, for a change. "Lefties" and their choice of very cheap Zarah clothes is just round the corner and tempting. The main market area and the shoe shops as well. Poor me!
Yesterday in Cadiz I couldn't resist and had to buy a verrrrry cheap indian style shirt at Zarah's, reminding me of my first travel to Spain in the early 70s, when I bought a similar shirt in Madrid.
Cadiz was wonderful with its silver light, as always. Near the coast I found a new bar, "La Canela", doing multicultural food, drinks, and music sessions. A place to remember.
My favourite "bar" in Jerez, a small place near the market hall selling sardines only (plus beer), was closing down when I came there, so I went a bit further down the main street and found the big and beautiful "El gallo azul" is not as expensive as I always thought it was, but rather cheap, and doing the best and most interesting tapas I ever had - and I had some fine tapas in Andalucia over the years. Another place to remember - I'll go there right back after typing and chatting in the internet.

Escaping the Feria to Cadiz by boat

I should have gone around El Puerto and visit museums yesterday instead of to the Feria - eveything is closed down now until May 1st, even the Internet shop.
So I took the steam boat to Cadiz, where I'm sitting right now in a horrible place with lots of electronic machines and games hammering away the loudest they can.
The trip with the boat was nice, though, and shops are open here, so I might have a chance and get some more shoes. ;-)
In El Puerto everybody is either going to the Feria, coming from the Feria, staying at the Feria or recovering from the Feria and trying to get some sleep before going back there. The only people working seem to be the women changing the gitanas, the famous feria dresses from Andalucia, to make them fit even better.
The Feria is full of dancing, eating, drinking, laughing, chatting - a really big and wonderful festival. Yesterday was women's day, there they were, done up in their best gitanas, drinking rebujito, which is a mix of sherry, lemonade and icecubes, and eating local sea food, stopping every now and then to dance some more sevillanas. The women look so great and proud in their gitanas, and the special feria jewellery!
I enjoyed being part of it, even without a gitana. I had brought my orange flower from home, and wore this in my curly hair, to look a bit like feasting, too. I even had considered buying a gitana, normally they are about 300 to 400 €, but I found a second hand place where they cost only 50 to 100 €. The small space was crammed full, in the back of the ferreteria, the shop where I had some keys made. But well - traveling on a low budget and light weight doesn't go with to much dresses.
Guess where I spend most of the time on the Feria! Right you are - in the trade union's caseta! I felt quite at home with all the trade unionists, and the food was cheapest, too. ;-)

The big festival

In the evening, the bus from Plaza Espana took me to the Feria ground, just in time for the big illumination. The fun and the dances had only just started. It was smaller and cosier than the Feria de Caballo in Jerez, with lots of casetas (big tents) from neighbourhoods, churches, parties.
Always go where the crowd goes - they took me to a caseta with delicious pinchitos and beer, not the more frequently drunk sherry. So I had a fino later in another caseta, where they gave it out for free, straight out of the cask.
Main theme this year is Vizcaya, and the caseta right beside the main one was from Galicia - this part of Spain seems to spook me since a few days. I'm going to Vigo soon, so maybe it's attracting me with every mean possible...

Feria al Puerto

It was a long, but quiet journey along the coast with a stop in Cadiz (and the public loo, I know best, worldwide, I guess).
At the busstop in El Puerto I met my friend Dolores. After not having heard from each other for almost two years, I had asked her to look for a place for me to stay for a few days in her home town El Puerto de Santa Maria near Cadiz.
From El Puerto you can easily travel to Cadiz, Jerez, Sanlucar and the National Park Coto de Donana, so it's a perfect place for a great holiday. It's an old town famous for fish dishes, Sherry, and bullfights, which I first came to hear about in Stuttgart, in my favourite spanish restaurant (the one I even had my wedding dinner at, ages ago).
Dolores offered me a wonderful spacious room in her flat, located in an old monastery in the middle of the old town. Of course I accepted - I am so lucky!!!!
Today I'll explore the town, where Columbus started his travels to the Americas from, and tonight I'll be dancing like mad at the opening of the Feria! Five days and nights of partying. Whow! :-)

Delicious dishes

After my nice walk up and down the hills of Ceuta, I felt I needed a break and had some coffee and cake in "El Santuario", a cafe inside the big walls of Ceuta, los murrallas reales. It's done up with saints and crosses like a church - strange.
The cake was rich and sweet, no wonder its name is "muerte con chocolate", death from chocolate. But i thought, what the heck, it's my last evening in Africa, I might as well have it. And not eat anything else all evening.
But well, only half an hour later I was invited for a last dinner with Cesar and his friends Carlos from San Fernando and Luis Carlos, the Indian traveler. :-)
We went up the hill (again!), and into a very small bar, with the best and freshest sea shells and fish dishes. We had navajas, looking like knifes (see picture), almejas, very tasty sea shells, and boquerones. They were delicious and worth every euro they cost.
This morning, before taking the ferry back to Europe, I had a last coffee in the teteria "Alhambra" in the gran via, after having said goodbye to Cesar. We might meet again in Berlin this summer, ojala!

Walking through Ceuta

Today it was a last walk through the town and enjoying the architecture of arabian baths of the XI century, the archeological sites and monuments and imagining what life was like through the centuries in this important part of the Mediterranean. Well, the columns of Hercules were here, too!
The street where I'm living now in the midst of the very old part of the town is situated on top of the old fish factories, Ceuta always was famous for. Garum made here from tunafish was a delicious, very expensive, and throughout the roman Empire asked for fish sauce.
From here I walked along the coast to the Fortaleza de Hacho, high upon the city, but was not allowed to enter because of the military. The views were splendid, though, more so since the sun was out again after two long days of rain and drizzle.
Every now and then on the way I sat down in front of a cafeteria or teteria (or inside, because of the rain), had a cafe con leche and some churros, or peppermint tea with pan moruno, and mused about how different life and lifestyles can be, but all so beautiful, if lived to the best!
What helped feeling good today besides the sunshine was the nice woman I met in the post office. I helped her find out about the stamp machine, and we got to chat, and she's from Almeria, and actually from Mojacar, one of my favourite spots on earth! She thought I was 35 - she definitely made my day!!!! :-))

Assalum alaykum!

Back in Ceuta for a concert of a spanish choir from Burgos. Yesterday evening we enjoyed the music of a moroccan orchestra playing music called andalusi. Then on with more friends to a pizzeria (of all places!), but they had tasty moroccan soup, eaten with sweets (!), too.
Afterwards we strolled through the streets of Tetouan. The Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin), is inscribed into the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, considering that it is an exceptionally well preserved and complete example of this type of historic town, displaying all the features of the high Andalusian culture.
Of course I had to buy some shoes, wonderfully handcrafted out of the softest leather, and had to bargain with the shopowner to get them 10 dirham cheaper in the end (which is only one euro, but still...)He said it was because it was my first day in Morocco and he wanted to give me a warm welcome to his country.
Our friends' house is situated a wonderful beach, near a river, with an enchanting view up and down the coast, close to one of many palaces where the king spends his summers. Juan Manuel, a guitar player, painter and music teacher, and his wife Maribel decorated their house with moroccan works of art and did it up in bright colours. Flowers and birds and the soft sounds of music add to the impression of relaxation and beauty.
We spent our time with music, discussions, mostly on education and India, and meals filled with laughter and joy. It was a lovely weekend. How lucky they are to be able to live this every day!

Cultural life in Ceuta and Tetouan

This weekend is full of museums, expositions, musical performances, and above all discussions with Cesar's friends and collegues from school. We had the most enchanting time together at a restaurant overlooking the seaside, and breakfast at Juan Carlos' place in the Ceuta mountains, with the loveliest views on the city and its ports.
For the weekend I'm invited to come with them to Tetouan; they will show me a glimpse of moroccan life. So I packed my nightie and my washing kit plus of course my passport, and off we go!

Teatime in the Gran Via

Now all you nice readers can be really envying me: I found a room in the middle of the historic center of Ceuta, three minutes from the beaches both north and south (see webcam), on the Gran Via, which is the main boulevard, with the biggest and most expensive hotels, palm trees, benches, cafeterias and of course teterias, you ask for it, we got it!
Own room, with bathroom, and mutual internet access - what else would I need?
When strolling around the city last evening, I was lucky (as per usual) to see some rare military event with a band playing and lots of people watching, and by asking nice looking women found the best tapas bars in Ceuta. And of course teterias with the sweetest cakes you can imagine!
I had to give it a try, and asked for tea and a piece of cake. Whow! Tealeaves in my glass! More like tea branches. So I had to ask again, and was told to not take them out, but leave them in the sugared water. Which I did, and a few minutes later had the most chewinggum like tasting tea of my lifetime.
For breakfast today I rather had coffee again in the Teteria Alhambra. ;-)

Africa!!!!

Well, almost. From this beautiful romantic village of Vejer, I'll take the bus to Algeciras at noon, and then cross over the street of Gibraltar to Ceuta. Not Africa yet, and not even Morocco, but close enough, I remember from a day trip twenty years ago. This time it's almost a week. Cesar from Hospitality Club will be awaiting me at the ferry. :-)

Moving from fishermens' road to the Calife's house

Barbate felt a bit dull and lonely after busy and on Semana Santa even crowded Conil. So I took the next bus back, and was lucky: the wind had stopped blowing. Sunshine, nice warm air, wonderful! So it was another day of beach, tapas, beach, tapas in Conil, and will be so again today. I won't have to leave my very small flat till evening, when I'll take a taxi to Vejer and luxurious Hotel "La Casa del Califa", done up in 1001 nights' style. The table for andalucian/arabian dinner is booked already. That will be a change from the atun encebollado and potatoes dish plus beer for 6 € I had in a village bar last evening, being the only woman and the youngest between all the fishermen watching a football match on tv. I enjoyed it, all the same. :-)

Last day in Conil

...and it's freezing cold! 18· is not enough to go to the beaches, though the sunshine's fine. But the wind blows from north and is strong and icy. :-(
I'll take the bus and go to Barbate, a small fishermen's town I've never been to yet. Or maybe Tarifa? We'll see - I'll tell you later. ;-)

Vamos a la playa!

Another day at the beaches - today I'll walk north to the playa de la Fontanilla.
What a fiesta we had yesterday in Vejer! Everybody was up on walls, roofs, terraces to watch the spectacular event. Me, too.
Afterwards for a boccadillo de tortilla in front of the local soccer club "Pena Real Madrid" with the neighbours. Younger people were dancing in the streets to modern spanish rhythms.
I left - picked up by a bus not meant to take people and brought all the way back to Conil - to enjoy the sunset from Bar "Juan Maria". The picture today is a view from the webcam onto the Conil beach and almost as nice as the one that can be enjoyed from old fashioned "Juan Maria" terrace. It's only a few steps along my street Calle Cadiz in the middle of the historic centre to this fishermen's bar at the Puerta Cai - the old town entrance to Cadiz. And the home made tapas are to die for!

Toro!!!

No bullfight last night, the beach in El Palmar was way too nice! But today it's definitely going to be bull racing in Vejer, the famous Easter sunday event. Don't worry, I won't be in the streets, but watching from the windows of "Janis Joplin Bar". If you'd like to get the bull racing feeling, give it a try here.

The rain in spain...

... is falling on the plain - and the beaches, too. Well, it did last night. This morning the air is fresh and clean, and I'll enjoy a stroll along the beach to El Palmar de Vejer, and tonight maybe take the bus to San Fernando to the Easter bullfight.
Yesterday was a lazy day - third day on holidays always are the hardest on the body. I walked along the beach to "La Ola", a chiringuito famous for great sunsets, and for tapas in the evening to Bar "Camelo", known for tasty bacalao dishes. I had my usual choice of bacalao camelo, pimientos de bacalao, and croquetas de bacalao, washed down with a beer or two. Less than 5 euros, imagine! And the newspapers and rock music are good as well.
Did I mention that the original owner of the pub and founder of the bacalao goodies is Camelo, the man who took me from San Fernando to Conil on wednesday? And the former owner of "La Ola" is a good friend of my favourite shop owner in Berlin, a woman from Duesseldorf, my hometown? This is a small world...

Blowing in the wind

Imagine a very narrow street in a small spanish town around midnight. Full moon. And all of a sudden this music "Blowing in the wind", played by an orchestra.
What is it? Well, it's Jueves Santos, Holy Thursday. And the procession only began. The statues of Mary and Jesus are carried through the streets in a solemn march. Hundreds of children, women and men of the brotherhood are disguised in violet robes and hoods leaving only the eyes to be seen, like ku-kux-klan.
Then the huge platforms with the saints, carried by fifty men each, at least. They are made to just about pass through the streets. Underneath small boys with oldfashioned water potery to refresh the carriers.
After five hours of walking and carrying the enormous weight, stopping every hundred meters, at around 4 o'clock the members of the brotherhood bring the statues back into their small chapel, waiting for Easter festivities the next day.

Semana Santa

Yesterday I met Juan, and we had a great time at the Internet Café de la Habana - outside in the sun, not chatting online. I went to bed early, though, and missed the processions of the Semana Santa. There will be an other one tonight around 23:00, so when I come back from Cadiz I have a second chance. Got to get the bus now to go to Cadiz and meet Joannah, an Erasmus student from Finland, whom I met in the chatroom of Hospitality Club - quite a nice family, they are! :-)

Conil - here I am!

After only three hours of sleeping I got ready for take off this morning at 4 o·clock. At 13:45 I arrived at Jerez airport and made my way to Conil. Of course the bus to Cadiz had left just 5 minutes ago. So I took a taxi and was lucky to find a nice driver who even gave me fresh strawberries - and charged less for the trip. In Jerez I was lucky again - the only daily bus to Conil was waiting for me. No seats available, though. :-(
Well, there·s always a train. Stopped at San Fernando, walked thru the empty, sunny streets - no bus station to Conil, where it used to be :-( When I asked around, I met this nice woman telling me her friend was from Conil, and he agreed to drive me all the way. Turned out, he was an old friend of an old friend of mine and had recognized me - red curly hair... He even offered me a flat - shit, I already booked one for lots of money! Whatever, we·re gonna meet tonite, and now I·ve got to go and meet Juan from Hospitality Club. :-)

Manana a las seis en la torre de Guzman

Today whilst packing for my travel to Spain and Portugal, I chatted a bit by the side. There was a guy, Melkart, who asked in spanish if anybody was from Spain. Since nobody else was that good in this language (mostly nice people from Finland, Lituania and Poland, knowing about five different languages at least), I answered. Now where would he come from but Conil! He lives 100 m away from the flat in calle Cadiz I booked for my holidays! What a coincidence! So we agreed to meet tomorrow at the Guzman tower at six o'clock and then go tapear - have some tapas. Yeah!!!

Chatting with friendly people

Last thing at night and first thing in the morning: laptop, mails, and hospitality club chat! It's so nice to meet people from all over the world. Today I got invited to come to Helsinki, Finland, end of may. So I booked the flight and I'll be at the big party they'll be giving! Great!

A day with the dogs

Today we had a wonderful, sunny day in spring. Great to walk the dogs early, and to (try to) teach them how to behave properly. We went to Hundesportfreunde Degerloch, where friendly people told us what to do. We had fun, and the dogs, too. Let alone our two cats Felix and Emily, who enjoyed a day in the sunny courtyard without being chased by monsters. ;-)

A message from China

Today Janis sent me a mail. He's a swedish member of Hospitality Club traveling Asia now. I'll meet him in autumn, and we'll go on together for some time. All day today I spent chatting in HC with members from all over the world. Nice!

Nach 9 Wochen Streik endlich ein Ergebnis in Baden-Württemberg

Endlich! Der neun-Wochen-Streik in Baden-Württemberg ist zu Ende. Die Arbeitszeit von 38,5 Wochenenstunden pro Woche konnte nicht gehalten werden. Aber die Arbeitgeber haben sich mit ihren 40 Stunden auch nicht durchgesetzt. Trotzdem - die 35-Stunden-Woche wäre besser für uns, bei der Arbeitslosigkeit in Deutschland. Mehr auf der ver.di-Webseite.

Made it!

I'm so proud! Tax office workers were busy today, and everything is done, except putting the money on my bank account. I can well do with it, considering all the traveling this year. Back home it started snowing again. I'm getting fed up with this never ending winter. Next week I'll be in sunny Conil. :-)

A quiet day in Stuttgart ;-)

Yesterday afternoon I finally managed to do the paperwork I had to do about my taxes for 2004. Which I definitely hate! The friendly woman at the tax office counter today told me how to do better, and when I started working on 2005 taxes, I realized I forgot a few important figures at home. Great! So I'll have to do it tonight, and go back to the office tomorrow. What a nice, quiet way to spend a day!

Urlaubsplanung

Mein Spanien- und Portugalurlaub im Mai und Juni ist geplant, soweit ich im Voraus planen kann und möchte. Erst Conil, wie immer ;-), dann Vejer, Ceuta, El Puerto de Santa Maria, und dann kreuz und quer durch Portugal.
Aber was ist mit meiner Asienreise im Herbst und Winter? Immer mehr HC-Mitglieder schreiben mir und laden mich ein, zuletzt nach China. Soll ich doch lieber mit der Transsibrischen Eisenbahn fahren und nicht fliegen? Hmmm - da muss ich noch mal gründlich drüber nachdenken.

Spanische Pferde in Schwäbisch Gmünd

Das mit der Ablage und Steuererklärung wird einfach nichts. Heute ist wieder ein wunderschöner Frühlingstag, und wir fahren nach Schwäbisch Gmünd. Dort ist heute 4. Gmünder Pferdetag und verkaufsoffener Sonntag. Einer der Höhepunkte ist die Vorstellung der traditionellen Reitweise der spanischen Viehhirten - Vaqueros - durch den spanischen Meister und Europameister Manolo Rodriguez. In Jerez werde ich ihn dann auf der Feria del Caballo wohl wiedersehen...

A sunny day at home

After our fantastic day in Strasbourg and Baden-Baden yesterday, and after the most delicious dinner we had in our favourite Alsacian restaurant "La Couronne", today we're taking some time off, doing nothing special but enjoying the spring in Stuttgart which finally arrived. The flowers in our small garden are blossoming, the sun is shining - and I have to do some work in my home office. :-( Tonight will be early enough...