Skiing

Panorama at lunchtime

Sierra Nevada is near Granada and boasts a mountain high enough for winter snow. Because it is the highest in the area, it can also be windy. You select your day to go by looking at the wind forecast.

Today was forecast as not too strong, but it was strong enough on the upper slopes and since the wind got up towards the end of the day, when it blew painful showers of ice in our faces we headed for the more sheltered runs.

The wind is key in this area. If it is too high the the lifts close and nobody skies. But today proved to be mainly sunny if a little cold at times, especially on the lifts where you are at the mercy of the wind and in the air too.

3 of us went skiing. Me, John living in Spain and a Spanish colleague. We spoke about the recent terrible events in Paris and after a while the 4th person with us on the lift said "careful, I am French". That certainly opened up the conversation.

John, me, and in the background, Africa and the sea.

There were lots of English voices on the slopes, you would particularly hear them as masses of people were squashed ski-by-ski at the lift entrance. It was a very pleasant time, and particularly useful, as John noted, to have a Spanish guide who knew the area.

And everyone except John's skies survived in one piece. (He got them fixed that very evening so it can't have been bad).

Cordialement
Terry

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Winter blooms

Not quite flowers, but considering this is January I have begun to notice just how much greenery there is here in Martos.

Typical of the area are olive trees, although it is not only these that are green. However, on this roundabout there are olive trees that appear to be sprouting. So last Wednesday I took a photo.

Pretty eh? OK more fun!

As in France, the Spanish appear to like decorating their roundabouts. Near where I go to work there is an old car sprayed grey-green probably because of the car industry associated with the factory. And I know that near the olive-tree roundabout there is a large olive factory.

So the roundabouts are decorated appropriately, and as I was on my way to eat with a colleague from my French office, I could not resist pausing on-route for this picture. It was cold and sometimes raining, but these trees, always grown in pairs or triplets, appeared to be thriving on it.

I have not been back in daylight so you have to have this night shot of the olives. I am not sure how they will harvest them in the summer.

Cordialement
Terry

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Sunshine

The advantage of coming to Spain is partly that it is further south than my usual residence. And the lady owner, clearly knowing this, persuaded the landlord of their hotel I am in to give me a room with sunshine. So this morning I took a picture of the sunrise. 

The photo is a panorama from my balcony. The sun is not yet up above the distant mountains, but that increased the lovliness of the clouds which were white-lit from below and bright in a clear blue sky. In the distance, the far mountains, probably Sierra Nevada, are white-topped in snow.

Unfortunately the brilliancy of the colours is completely lost in the photo, so read what I said and use your imagination!

I ought to be grateful, but the WiFi does not work in that room and I mentioned it. This morning they moved me to my usual room again. WiFi normality has returned even if I lost the view and the morning sunshine! 

Terry

terrywestoby@gmail.com

+33 6 75 91 87 71

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Transport

Today I had to leave work early, and I got home late!

The need was to visit my consulting company, the one I actually work for, and they are 2 hours from where I actually work. So I hopped on a couple of busses. 

First the TVM which is mostly routed on its own bus lanes. Hence the TVM is rarely held up and the frequent service is reliable and quick. Lots of people use it and so, despite being a double-length bus it is often so crowded that you stand cheek-to-cheek (top of leg) with the other passengers.

Then the more conventional 379. I got to sit down on an uncomfortable seat on this one and rode it from the start to the end. I am always impressed how the drivers fight through the traffic so that the bus runs on time (there are exceptions like when my bus was 3 hours late).

What was new was the tramway at the last bus stop. Since I was not sure where it went, I caught it only for the return journey- just 2 stops to the bus. It is the one in the picture.

As you can see, the new tram is a mono-rail, well ok it runs on ordinary tyres with a mono guidance rail. My guess is that the rail is part of the electrical circuit too.

There is no step to get on the tram, the tram-stops are raised and the floors are always level. The interior is open all the length of the tram making it a long tube inside. Being electric it is silent at the stops and quiet otherwise. My tram accelerated away at a surprising speed and it was smooth and impressive. Very soon I have covered my 2 stops, the information board confirming the station and I returned to the bus route, a now much less satisfactory experience!

You see odd things on the Paris transport network. Apart from the many army personnel who are now making themselves obvious all over Paris (and they appear fully armed too), there was an old lady on one bus, cloaked and well wrapped up against the cold. She was fiddling with a mobile phone as she sat near the door. As I watched, suddenly her thick woolly headscarf lit up with a blue light from inside. As I watched it flashed on briefly at about 10 second intervals. I realised that the little old lady was wearing a bluetooth headset under all her warm clothing.

I was aware that Paris ladies stay up with fashion even into their retirement. Clearly they are up with technology too! 

Terry Westoby

Mobile    +33.(0)6.75.91.87.71

Fixed      +33.(0)1.64.48.33.72

email     terrywestoby@gmail.com

Paris in the rain

It is January and it is alternately raining or drizzling, but Paris is out in force just the same. The Saturday streets are busy with shoppers and the cafés are full. Since it is still early, the cafés are serving drinks and those outside (under covers and with patio heaters) are smoking. People rarely eats before 8.

There is still the sense of the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo shootings but Paris is not going to shut down. There are regular posters declaring "Je suis Charlie" and in one case the all inclusive "nous sommes Charlie".

Ship detail - click to enlarge

As I walk down one of the colourfully lit streets there is an international air to the shops. One is an Asian antiques shop sporting this huge ivory ship in the window. Next door, down a darker ally, is a British contribution; a Scottish pub. The pub boasts products just as authentic, and consumable too.

The other photo is down the road from the Paris Ritz. The road has a wide, clean feel. It feeds me towards the Opera.

But it is still wet and the blustery conditions have blown my cheap Spanish umbrella inside-out so many times it will be junked when I get home.

For now, even an inverted umbrella is useful as I dive into the nearest metro. I have another umbrella for tomorrow.

Cordialement
Terry

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Beautiful Olongapo

Home of the most beautiful women in the world, or so the poster over the road proclaims. And perhaps with reason because I understand that the current miss world was born and raised here. 

Olongapo is where we change buses on the way to Manila airport. The photo is of some of the housing on the outskirts as we leave the town. Of course there are plenty of nice brick houses too, but what you see is very typical. 

I suppose beauty is not necessarily a product of good living? 

Terry

terrywestoby@gmail.com

+33 6 75 91 87 71

Sent from Samsung tablet

New Years Day

Fireworks and karaoke characterise most celebrations in the Philippines, and none more so than at new year. Most nights there have been both in evidence, but on new year's eve there was renewed enthusiasm! 

But not by us. We were tired and were anticipating an early start next morning. So amid the bangs we slept until midnight. Then it was impossible to ignore the fusillade that was unleashed so we gainfully got up for a while and watched from the balcony. 

In the morning we were of to Pampange, some 3 hours by bus, so when Evangeline's brother Roger said he would give us a lift, we readily accepted. It is 1 1/2 hours by car. And so we arrived in light traffic just after 9am at brother Roger's in-laws. The pictures are from there. 

The purple dish is obi-cake and the colour is natural. It tastes like rice cake with sprinkled nuts. The house is brick built but no internal ceilings, at least in the part we were in that consisted of a kitchen/dining room and a bedroom off to one side. But there was much more house beyond my view that I did not see. 

Tradition has it that an abundance of food should be served on new year's day so that there would be prosperity for the rest of the year. So loads of food was laid before us for breakfast. The family had been up until 3am celebrating and had only just got up. 

There were 4 generations in the house. Roger's wife, her mum and gran and their child. In the picture with Roger are the 3 older generations. Incidently, Evangeline consistently called her brother "manon" and when I asked why it appears this means "older brother", and if younger, it sounds like the English for "add in". 

The situation looked a little rough, but all were healthy, especially gran who shuffled around in a spirited manner, and who insisted in giving us each a warm and affectionate hug as we left. Later on we called on the other daughter, Roger's sister-in-law who was living in a makeshift house beside the main road. The call was brief but from the outside you could tell that things were poor and I was told that health here was an issue. We left some "Christmas money" before we drove off. 

Today it rained. We were so glad of the car! 

Terence Westoby

terrywestoby@gmail.com

+33 6 75 91 87 71

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