Busy in the Festa Major

Everyone is after all the free seats in Corona Plaza.
These two women were squeezed onto one seat. I'm happy the young teenage boys were comfortable though.

The Basque Country, July 22013

We've spent the last 9 days on a driving holiday around Aragon and part of the Basque area of Spain.
We camped for the first 7 days and are currently recovering in a rural house called Pikua just outside the town of Mutriku.
We were very lucky with the weather. It only rained twice. Once when we were in the tent, and very lightly, and once at the BBK festival. We recovered quite quickly. 
We went to the BBK festival held in Bilbao. Saw Depeche Mode, Biffy Clyro, The Editors, Kings of Leon, Fat Boy Slim and many other bands.
We leave tomorrow morning for Madrid, to pick up our new family members from our sisters. And we begin a new phase in our life.
The first photo is of Albert pitching our tent in a place called Fiscal at the base of the Pyrenese. We used Fiscal as a base to explore the area.
The second photo is of a village being reconstructed after being forcibly evacuated in Franco times to build a dam (that was never finished)
The third photo is of the camping area for the music festival. We seen learnt we'd chosen a rather unfortunate spot.  It was close to a bright light, the toilets, the bar, the main cross roads of the camp and a picnic table that acted as a meeting place for loud drunken British any time after 3am. Luckily we were so tired at the end of the night we could sleep through most of it.
The fourth photo emphasises the delight in small comforts. My Prince Albert bringing me the essentiial and restoritive cup of tea and a lovely big dish of rice pudding. We'd found a bar at the top of the hill hosting the bands and could recharge our phones (hence avoiding the 3 euro surcharge from a little Catalan Truck parked outside of the camping offering to charge mobile phones), eat delicious and large country portions of rice pudding and feel completely civilized for the moment. Happy moments.
The fifth photo is of our rural house called Pikua. A lovely haven of hot showers, hearty breakfasts, bunnies, chickens and ponies, a view of the Atlantic, a remote control, and neighbours that i have taken a photo of in the 6th photo.
The 7th photo shows the Basilica dedicated to Saint Ignacio of Layola. We visited the area yesterday and were lucky enough to hear a choir singing. A beautiful place.
The final photo is of the sunset over the Atlantic last night. We drove along the coast on the way home and watched the slow descent of a red sun into the waters.  Gorgeous area. 

Topkapi Palace, Byzantine Cisterns and the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Well today was another full day. We hardly leave the Sultanahmet area. Too much to see.
I have to admit I was tired today so I didn't rush about too much. The treasury from the Palace and the relics were pretty amazing. Bos loads of people everywhere.
Perhaps the loveliest place was the cistern. just outside the palace walls and boasting Medusa heads. Beautiful and atmospheric.
We popped into the Blue Mosque too. Beautiful, spacious, ornate and peaceful.
A full day.

The Porte and the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

The guide said we would need about three hours to do some serious shopping in the grand bazaar. How about 8? Albert and I were totally bamboozled by the stalls, the merchants, the wares, the alleys. It took us about two and a half hours of walking and staring before we were ready to start actually buying.
We knew we'd come to buy some things in the bazaar, and felt that we were prepared. We had to get used to the haggling and the 'where are you from's' from all corners but all in all we had a successful day. We even bought a little cushion for our new kittens.
Yesterday evening we went down to the Galata Bridge for the recommended stroll along the harbour. People everywhere. Boat rides offered along side fish sandwiches, fishermen, a few child beggars and a mass of tourists from everywhere.
We ate a cob of corn and took some photos of the setting sun.
Tomorrow we're heading off to the Palace.
We've had a great selection of vegetarian food. All yummy and all cheaper than back home. What else to ask for on holiday?

Visiting the Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Here we are resting in our cute hotel on our first full day in Istanbul.
It's hotter than Granollers! We're breaking a sweat. Had a cool shower this afternoon to freshen up.
Eating fresh salads and soft delicious breads. Oh, and Turkish Delight!
We spend the morning in Haghia Sophia, one of the most spectacular churches I have been to. I loved it. I love the recently uncovered mosaics! I just love them!
We're off to the porte this evening for an ice cream and one of the pieces of corn they sell for a lire. (30 cents)
This morning we ate breakfast on the hotel roof terrace with a pregnant cat under my chair.

Half Marathon of L'Escala, 2013

Today Albert participated in the Half Marathon. Cold, windy and rainy day.
The runners were marched to the starting line by Roman Soldiers through the ruins of Empúries.
It's a lovely seaside town. I could live here. Has a great view over the sea to the Pyrenees. Yesterday the tops were covered in snow.

Granollers Half Marathon 2013

Albert was very pleased with himself, doing his second best time.
Jett ran the quarter in 25.50.
Everyone happy!

World Championships of Men's Handball, 2013

We're in Granollers sports hall supporting the handball.
Three games today. Right now it's Germany and Tunisia.