Rain forecast overnight happens but not much. It stirred up the homeless guys sleeping rough outside, I’m guessing with a little chemical help. They are yelling a lot of the night.
8am the taxi arrives, €10 to Sorolla train station which again works out well. Thumbs up to Spanish taxi drivers and their fares.
The Navigator argues the train on the board, No 01092 showing Alicante 8.55 is not ours. I advise its the arrival board not the departures board which shows the destination Barcelona Sants 9.05 . She struggles with the concept a bit does finally grasp it.
Fun Population Fact Madrid 3.2m Barcelona 1.6m Valencia 800k
Our train is a little late but after our platform comes up on the board we’re through security and on platform 9 where the tickets are checked.
This is a nicer train than the one from Madrid, more room better seats. It’s a duck billed sleak looking unit in need of a wash on the outside.
The train in Spain,
Was late, but in the main,
It was fine, there was rain,
As we sped across the plain
I hate to be a pain,
The Navigator lost again,
Nearly drove her insane
An argument that was in vain,
About time and platform of our train.
There is lots of intensive agriculture on the outskirts of Valencia, all irrigated but mostly plains, however there are mountains that hug the Mediterranean coast as we edge towards Barcelona.
This train runs at about 200km/hr. Very civilised, good coffee. I manage to knock over a few chapters of A Death in Cornwell” by Daniel Silva. Gabriel Allon is one of my favourite fictional characters.
We have lunch in Barcelona Sants train station waiting for our apartment to be ready.
Taxi rank at the train station is bedlam but €19 gets us to out apartment. We rush in, throw our gear down and head up the ramblas to meet our walking tour group of the Gothic area of old Barcelona. Tamara is a Chilean girl who has lived in Australia, Portugal and now calls Barcelona home. Great tour ,too much to see, too tired to tell you.
Tomorrow we see Goudu’s the Sagrada Familia Church.
Rain??? It rained all night, drizzle. It’s dark at 7am and just light at 9am. A light breakfast in house.
We seek advice from the Mons Suites guy 3 minutes walk away regarding a taxi for tomorrow morning. He’s advised of a toaster that trips the circuit breaker and is clearly faulty, a safe that’s needs to be unlocked to be useful and where to leave the key in the morning. The apartment is just average, looks like an ’80s reno by a home handyman, it’s a bit short on stuff. It’s position is OK but ideally I’d prefer to stay down the bottom end of the old city, near the Cathedral, about 10-15 minutes walk away. Wherever you are there are restaurants, cafes, Carefours corner shops so you won’t starve or dehydrate. Water from the taps or fountains anywhere is fine here.
We find the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus after an interesting walk through placed we hadn’t seen before. The Ceramics Museum is a spectacular building. Down town the modern architecture of the city is spectacular, stunning maybe. The Turia River bed ( the river diverted) is the green lungs of Valencia and splits the city into 2 sides, is spectacular. Apparently the others segued down it yesterday, it’s green, no cars, a haven for bicycles, sport, runners and all sorts of stuff. We traverse the marine area, the beach and then back to the old walled town. A walk to Plaza del Toros where the bull fighting stadium is doesn’t get us a result, we can’t get in.
We have lunch at a Cafe, then walk to Valencia Cathedral, €9 each gets us in. It’s spectacular, no wonder they hold the plates out at mass, the gold, scultures and paintings ( some by Goya) would cost a lot. This basilica is of significance because they believe the original chalice that was used in the last supper is on display. Monty Python eat your heart out, I know where it is.
Valencia has a very interesting history of being conquered by Christian, Islamic, Spanish dictatorship in recent times. It’s clearly a very Catholic place now.
Beer, hydration then some food to end the day at 7pm. We’ve been 9 hours on the go.
The Navigator and The Mechanic need to sort their eating out, they struggle to work out what they want to eat and at the end of a long day it makes for tension or bad decisions.
Tomorrow we’re on the road ( or the rail) again to Barcelona.
Ciao
Pauolo
Valencia graffiti – there is lots of itThe Mechanic and Simone with Valencia Basilica behind Inside Plaza del Toros – the bullfighting ringA matador, The Navigator and PauoloStreets of Valencia.
The Navigators alarm goes off at 7am, it’s still dark in Madrid, and she’s not sure if the taxi was booked for 8 or 8.30, reception can’t tell her either (even though she said she booked it). Classic case of if you say you are doing something f….g well do it – don’t mess with the Navigator.
So, we get our own taxi to Madrid main station Atocha Central. Pretty easy really. Busiest train station in Spain we hear. 100 million passengers a year we hear. €8 for the taxi is good value and another great driver. They all turn their meters on when you get in, I check.
The train in Spain, runs across a plain, to Valencia and there’s no rain. Not yet anyway.
Breakfast after passing a light security check. Get our platform 10 minutes before we leave at 9.44. Seats are found but not with a table between us like we’d hoped for.
The train tootles along at about 300 km/ hour. Spain looks dry, smaller paddocks but a lot like parts of inland Australia. Looks like poor soil mostly.
Madrid Sum Up I liked Madrid, if I’d felt better and had a bit more time and patience I would done the Prada, the Reiner Sophia and Thyssen Museums at my own leisure, especially the Reiner to see Picassos “Geurnica”. The city is tree lined, there’s a buzz in the streets, we felt safe, taxis are great and with more time we would have used the metro which is pretty extensive. Next time. Would I come back? Yes.
The Navigator is fighting with her phone, the eSim isn’t performing to her lofty standards. I think it’s to do with it being an iPhone as the eSim works fine on my garden variety Samsung. There is a fair chance I’m to blame for this issue. I think, no actually I don’t think, that means trouble.
Major train panic, the Navigator has returned from a loo break, thinking she might have locked herself in. She confessed she was on the verge of ringing me, but then worked it out ( ie how to open the door). Being semi trapped in a Spanish crapper at 300km/hr has softened her issues with the slow data speed which she actually manages to solve herself.
Anyway, she sees a little humour in it, but not as much as me.
We arrive in Valencia on time, €8 taxi to our check in then a drink in the old town pending actually getting into our apartment at 4pm. All is working OK
The Navigator has booked 3 segway tours of Valencia at 5 today. I’m not on the list, I’m not having her show me up on those confounded weird machines.
The old Mercator Centrale ( central market) is beautiful, the building and all sorts of foods. We buy some goodies for the next few days
The seaway tour is OK, I think. But it rained on their medieval Valencia tour, and it rained on me wandering the streets. It’s cooled down and raining, we’re eating in tonight.
Oh, and a comment for the bowel queens, the universe has aligned – I’ll now be eating and drinking normally, and just possibly, I’ll be a little more agreeable to my travelling companions.
Ciao from Valencia
Pauolo.
Downtown Valencia – today getting ready to rainThe Mercato Centrale ValenciaSeaway lessonsPassed the test
A few things from yesterday that I forgot to mention. Fatigue must have caused it.
1. The taxi (€33 fixed price) front the airport to Madrid city is worth it, quick, well managed at line up at the airport. We got a great driver, a Rumanian guy who came to Spain 20 years ago. Good advice, on the money, an Athletico Madrid supporter but prefers skating and rugby. Whodda thought!
2. Italian food near the hotel, rude people, food only OK and expensive.
3. Belly troubles remain, no explanation to be provided but it’s causing me a bit of grief. Unblockers have been deployed.
Back to today now, we start with breakfast at Starbucks (only normal looking breakfast around) and the travelling crew are pretty limited with food range.
Hop on Hop off bus is next and we do a few laps of Madrid. It’s leafier than I imagined and the bustle and hystle builds up until 8 or 9pm and it’s then positively teaming with people heading out to eat and have a drink. The Spaniards we’ve met seem friendly and it has a nice buzz about the city. Shame that we don’t have more time here.
We walk quite a bit. The museums are busling except for the Thyssen which is closed when we thought it was free today. The Prada museum has a long line up. There is a Ruebens exhibition on at the moment. The Reiner Sophia Museum is one I really want to see with contemporary works from Dali and Picasso ( especially Geurnica) plus many others but the line up at the free session is about 500 metres long and I’m too weary and not feeling so crash hot so give it a miss. Apparently the line does start to move but my gut us suggesting it’s time to move. Maybe next time.
The Navigator does some shopping. A late lunch in the Atocha area, lovely little Cafe, great waiter (Roberto)
Dinner is at a little tapas bar in an alley near our accommodation at Woohoo Suites Grand via 44
Ciao for today
Pauolo
Jesus is watching you Madrid!!!The Reids – waiting on a busPauolo on the streets of MadridPalacio Real
The flight to Madrid isn’t something I’m looking forward to, long haul flights are a means to an end, not a pleasure. As we pass midnight and into Sunday we’re over the desert country Western Australia with about 11 hours of this leg remaining.
I wasn’t tempted by the drinks on offer, except for a Fanta. I’m feeling I’ve imbibed/ ingested ( whatever the correct word is) to much carbon dioxide, consequences for later?????
I watch a few movie, listen to music, read
Doha Airport at 4am is nice but mostly not operating. A decent meal to settle a few unsettled bellies is helpful. Otherwise we check out the shops which mostly have stuff that only rich Arabs can afford eg Porsches, Mercedes G Wagons, Paterson Pillipe watches and other expensive.
Finally on board our plane at 9am for the leg to Madrid. The longe before we board is full of machine voices talking in Spanish, loudly and non stop. Like Italians but less hand waving.
One thing that really annoys me, huge bags coming on board as carry on when they should be checked. Unacceptable!!! Fix it you airlines
The flight goes south of Israel and Lebanon, the over the top of Cairo, Tunisia and Algiers before Madrid.
Madrid is dry and brown, but the centre of the city is busy, for a Sunday arvo.
We’re absolutely stuffed, so a shower, a feed and bed, to hopefully wake up with the body clock set correctly for the next month.
Translate the heading. That’s if you want to know what it says.
The Navigator is worried, out of all the things she thinks she can control Mother Nature is not one of them. It’s raining, worry worry, it might fog up at the airport, worry worry, so she busies herself with jobs, a tidy up of Tim’s grave( we won’t be here for his 40th birthday), cleaning up our place, printing last minute passport photos until the Mechanic arrives to drive us to the Dubbo airport.
John and Annette are picking us up for a rest before the big flight tonight (Sydney – Madrid). The Navigator comments on the repairs to their driveway retaining wall, a good job “but” there’s no rail for her to hold as she ascends she comments. I wish she’d say what she really thinks! The Mechanic and Simone make no comment – smart move. My sarcasm is met with the stink eye look.
John picks us up at the express pick up, and after he drops us off he then picks up Annette who has been out at a “long lunch” and quite cheery – tooo mucho bubbles I reckon.
The Navigator comments on the repaired retaining wall being a good job but suggests it needs a hand rail. This time she …. gets the stink eye from Annette.
She’s prepared a late lunch/ early dinner but John takes the Mechanic and I to a mates place to view some guns ( legal) he has a gun room with better security than Fort Knox. He has a large collection of Sako rifles, a few 50 calibre, a huge range of pistols including some rare expensive guns.
But, it takes time, we rush back to Roselands, get our bags get dropped off at the airport. We’ve already been checked in from Dubbo to Madrid, the run through immigration and security is quick and easy.
We’re out of Sydney on time. First stop in about 15 hours is Doha, 2nd stop is Madrid (Sunday afternoon)
Sleep is impossible. I’ve got a lady in front who immediately goes full tilt on her seat and refuses to raise it (initially) when we are given food or drinks – the cabin steward sorts her out for me.
Gooday, The Navigator, The Mechanic, Simone and moi, Paulo, are off travelling in a few days time. The Mechanic is turning 40, so we’re celebrating his birthday in Cortona in Tuscany, but, prior to that we’re going to Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary.
The Navigator has put the trip together, Sonya Hogan has booked it. It’s a busy itinerary, planes, trains, vans, cars.
Looking forward to getting on the road again. Although that said in 2024 we’ve had a break in in Thailand, then another short spell in the Cook Islands, Port Macquarie for a week, a few weeks on Cobar on a farm hunting pigs and a camping trip to Bellbrook on the Macleay River.
So, over the next five weeks I’ll be posting a WordPress blog of our travels, with a link to Facebook, every day or two.
Early start, up at 5:00am, The Navigator is huffing and puffing stuffing last bits in here and there, I assist with the zip,on the bag that is. She asks if she should pack some glass Chrissy decorations in her check in bag that’s already closed,” I can’t recall what I said, Your Honour”, but it comes back to haunt me later.
Qatar Airlines checkin was done by Sonya so all good, just need to checkin the bags, a few questions are asked by the checkin lady and The Navigator needs to lighten her carry on slightly, she does then immediately repacks what she removed.
Through the gates of no return, The Navigator gets picked up on some glass in her bag, ” the aforesaid Christmas decorations your honour” …. ” how does the defendent plea?” …..” guilty your honour?” ……”your options 1. are remove it 2. Carry it 3. Leave it with me for my Christmas tree?” ……..” Ah, you can have it, Merry Christmas then “
Breakfast is light, as we wait for our gate. Finally it’s up, gate 573, surely they don’t have that many gates? Maybe they do, there are gazillions of Easyjet flights leaving here to all over Europe and North Africa, west Asia. It’s a long walk but there isn’t 573 gates, obviously, we board and our seats are 12ABC&D. It’s a good flight, the woman in front doesn’t tilt her seat the full way, so she’s in my good books. Her 9 or 10 year old son in the middle seat is a battle for her, he’s busting for a leak but must be a shy slasher, he goes, comes back, goes comes back, with a strained look, his Mum grabs his arm, not sure what she says but I’m guessing he finally gets the load lifted as he finally returns with a happy look on his face. I watch a few movies, read a little and listen to music.
Doha airport is a bit of a cluster f… again, we have to go through 2 more security checks, the first they redirect us about 5 minutes walk from where they had us lined up originally, then out into huge crowd where we struggle to find a seat, unless you want to go to a bar, which we don’t. Then another security check into the waiting lounge for our flight, no toilets, lots of people people including a lot of young misbehaving children, we cross our fingers none of them were sitting with or near us. We end up very lucky, the couple in front of us have a 2 year old girl who is delightful, cheery little thing who hardly whinges to whole long haul from Doha to Sydney.
I wonder how they’ll ( Doha Airport) cope when hundreds of thousands descend on Doha in November for the soccer world cup? They’ll need to pick their act up, the airport is beautiful but the processes and staff performance leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion.
The usual thing on long hauls, food is crap, your body clock is thrown right out, but Qatar’s food has been good before so maybe it’s just me. Finally we arrive in Sydney, on time, through immigration, then customs after we declare chocolates as “dairy” and tea as “plant material” , we’re waved through. The 5 week trip is nearly done.
Rydges at the International terminal is a relief, big shower ( as in space with hood flow of water), a good wide bed, good food ( hotel expensive though) and a few beers before bed. Sleep happens then doesn’t happen, The Navigator chastised me for being restless, what do they say about people in glass houses? I say nothing though.
We’re ready in the morning, early, the checkin bags go through in the Transfer area at International, and we’re on the bus to Domestic in no time. A few of the Australia A Rugby team are transferring over to Domestic heading to Brisbane, they’ve just come back from a successful series against Japan in Japan. We see Vunivalu and some of the others, all enormous fit looking young men, I don’t see any of the old Country Eagles blokes from Elders days though, eg “Shed” Hanigan.
Breakfast is a relaxed affair we’re ahead of schedule for the 9:30 am flight home to Dubbo.
Finally we’re home, bags unpacked, Marks got the house and garden organised, good man! The Navigator is busy organising things.
Trip nearly done, a full sum up and some tips and recommendations will follow after I have a break for a few days.
Pauolo at The Rolling Stones shop in Carnaby Street – my favourite album is Sticky Fingers – what’s yours?
Last day before the long trip home, shame we can’t keep travelling but I guess it’s got to end sometime. It rained last night but when we leave it’s just a light mist.
First stop off the Tube is Piccadilly Circus, the clouds are threatening but a very light drizzle comes and goes. The Circus us busy, the neon lights are bright in the dull day so we walk up, or should I say around the curved Regent Street ( expensive in Monopoly) to Hamleys toy store for the Murphy’s to see if they can afford anything there. The Navigator and I explore the shop then keep walking up to Carnaby Street, the old fashion street from the 70’s days of mini skirts, high boots, fluffy jackets, and it’s sort of like that still. The Navigator pulls off a minor win by finding some £3 earnings, on special, can’t be returned they say, she says “don’t care!”.
The Murphys’s catch us up and we explore Carnaby Street and its side streets, we find the Rollling Stones shop ( part of the Stones international business I guess) and buy some T shirts, Paul lashes out on a rare Stones vinyl in the shop, I reckon he should have asked for Mick, Ronnie and Keef to sign it but not that’sq happening.
Lunch is at Shakespeare’s Head pub, something to do with Shakespeare I guess, some young Belgium soccer fans are sitting next to us downing Italian beer, not far away at another bar some young blokes are singing, loudly, what’s the story we ask. Well, West Ham United are playing Anderlect in the Europa Conference League game at London Stadium tonight. (spoiler alert – West Ham win 2-0), and the boys have crossed the channel to watch the game. Wonder why they don’t drink Begium beer, it’s better than Italian beer?
A grey Regent Street
After a short walk we decide enough is enough and get the Tube back to Earl’s Court to rest a bit before our lift to Gatwick arrives at 4:30pm. The black Merc van arrives in time and an hour and a half later we’re at the Premier Inn at Gatwick. Sonya has our seats and boarding passes sorted (not sure when she finds the time?) so we’re good to go for a 6am start for a 9am flight in the morning.
This will the last blog for a few days till I get home on Sundsy morning and get over jet-lag( if I get it?)
It’s been a great trip, well organised and planned, great company for celebrating Sonya’s birthday in Italy with long time friends and someone haven’t seen for a while, and then travelling on with the Murphy’s.
Westminster – Big Ben has been cleaned and refurbished since we were here last
Yesterday afternoon Genelle & Liz did some washing, as in clothes in a washing machine in our apartment in Earls Court, the spin cycle feels like there is a Blackhawk chopper landing on our roof. So the not quite dry washing is scattered through the apartment with the heating turned on, by about 10pm its like a sauna, its hard to breathe and so sleep eludes me for a good part of the night, even after the heating is turned down then off and windows are opened. Why did I tell you this, well I like people to know that I’m suffering, maybe even slightly hypochondriac, maybe, dunno?
This morning is an in house breakfast, then checkout the cost of a transfer to Gatwick rather than the Tube and then the Gatwick Express. Cost comparison is 24 quid each = 96 quid for the trains and a lot of stress and walking, 155 quid for a mini bus that is comfortable and no stress door to door, which one will we do?
Earls Court Tube Station is excellent for one reason, just about all the different lines converge in a way on Earls Court so its a great launching point, the main 2 lies are the District Line (access up the top and the Picadilly Line which you take the lift down to. You need to know the end station on the line and which way you are going and in central London you will hardly ever be more than 3-400 metres from a Tube Station. The Navigator is going to Covent Garden markets and shopping (thats a surprise!), Paul & Liz are going to the British Museum and I’m going to the Tate Modern Gallery so we all take the Picadilly Line to Covent Garden and I show the Murphy’s up to the museum (well worth a visit but you need a lot of time) then I walk down to the Thames, turn left and then cross the river over the Millenium Bridge and head East to the gallery.
The Tate Modern is free, like most museums in London, although they encourage you to donate 5 quid but thats entirely voluntary. The gallery is in the old Bankside Power Station, opening as a gallery in 2000. It holds the national collection of British art from 1500 to today including international modern and contemporary art. Its my first visit, there’s a Cezanne exhibition and a couple of others that you have to pay for, Cezanne is a long wait and I don’t have the time but the international stuff, the Jackson Pollacks, the Picasso’s, Matisse, Salvador Dahli, Andy Warholl and many others. This is the stuff I enjoy spending time looking at.
The Tate Modern building
Next step is the walk back over the Thames to Blackfriars and get a Tube to Westminster where I meet The Navigator and a surprisingly small purchase portfolio, only 2 bags, whats going on. We catch up with the Murphys, walk through Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square where we find a pub and have drink. Good decision.
Big Pauolo with Big Ben
Its getting late so we get the Tube back to Earls Court and have a small rest, book the airport transfer, then head to a pub not far away for dinner. Then we walk to Cromwell Road to Sainsbury’s supermarket to get a recycled shopping bag (I got one years ago and they are almost indestructible), some Fry’s Chocolate Creams and some other nibbles.
Tomorrow is our last day, tomorrow night we will be in a hotel at gatwick and early Friday morning we’ll be on a plane home via Doha in the Middle East.
reidy55 