August 2011

August 2011

Hi dear friends peregrinos and rellies.
It's been a while since I did a bit here. Life has been as hectic as always. I have been walking most days along the river and got a few reasonable photos, some Maisie has put on her page so I'll try to only use the others.





One shot of the reflections reminded me of the painting above I have just finished but the houses are newer and we don’t have Roman bridges here chuckle I like the fisherman sitting there










The pelicans are on Maisies blog and the swifts I think too but not this one,




























I have started a big 1mt painting of Dancers in Santiago but the drawing of it has taken a long time and I had problems making up my mind what to leave in the background. So started on the dancers first and then made the decision to paint the buildings in the background anyway. So started to draw the buildings and had problems with perspective but think I have it now and have reverted to painting the background first as one should, but even this is testing my ability to catch the sunlight and shadows.












Segovia and Avilla.


I now go back in time to telling you a little of what I did when I left Vigi's to go to Segovia and Avilla. I caught the coach
stopping on the way at Valladolid for the night and found this also a city worth a look















A well polished thingy















For the Madrid Camino that I think comes through here















The weather was worse as I left next morning

















then arrived and found a cheap hostel and for a week walked this wonderful city taking photos and exploring it narrow streets.


The aqueduct is incredible . I had painted this many years ago before seeing it for real and Josie has that painting I think. But here are a few of the photos I took of it.

The market was fun too and the music and players enjoyed their work entertaining the crowds.

There was a painting competition on while I was there and it was ver good In a very short time lage canvases were covers with great art. Unfortunately that was a day when I had left the camera behind!
I just realized How many good photos I have so I am going to try to open a new Blog called Segovia and Avilla, Madrid
It will be on the left favourite sites if all goes well

From Segovia I took a bus to Avilla here I had problems finding cheap accommodation. It was a but rough but they were friendly and the food good too, especially the chulaton.
The walled city is amazing and again I took many photos but oh the streets were cold. The weather was not good and even with my new jacket I could not keep warm chuckle
Well time was running out and I headed back to Madrid on the bus. Here I found a hostel near Plaza Mayor and arranged to pick up my parcel from Antonia and Amador's, they as always treated me so well with strong vino and tappas! I had a day or too to explore the city here and found a few things new
One was a game the play in the park that I never did completely understand it, even though I got in deep conversation with the players! Also some how I walked into a part that I had not been before and took a trip on the cable car to a park way across the river with some great views. But now time had come to return to the airport and start the long haul home and to save a night of hostel costs I tried to sleep in the airport. That was a bad decision it cost me as much to eat there as it would have cost to stay in the hostel!!!! I was lucky as I saw a chap loose a laptop while we slept on the floor. I was just awake and too slow to intervene! After that I didn’t sleep much till on the plane and heading home at last after a very different but wonderful Camino.