Monday, 31 December 2007
2008 blog
Click on this link for the 2008 blog http://thebuchans2008.blogspot.com/
Friday, 28 December 2007
Christmas 2007
Sue and I were walking close to the Bolderwood in the New Forest and spotted these two Red Deer stags. Nice pair of antlers.
On Christmas Day we were joined by Jane, Ron and Margaret. We all had a very good time.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
ECA Christmas Celebrations
We had a great time and as usual the staff produced a super lunch, Glyn even got his baked beans.
The table was well decked out with crackers, poppers and flying balloons so it was like a kids' day out.
Lady Bristow and you know who!
Lord Bristow and you know who!
Sue and Sybil - thanks go to Sybil, the main photographer, and Roy the facilitator for emailing the photos. I left my camera behind.
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Lanzarote One
Here I am at Puerto Calero filling in a geocache. There some very expensive boats in the harbour.
In the south west of the island there are these salt pans. The pans are designed to trap the seawater in huge mud reservoirs or cocederos where it then collects before being channelled through rough stone trenches to smaller rock-lined ponds, tajos, where the salt crystallizes at 25°C.
Another geocache, but with a difference. I think this is the first we have done in a volcanic crater. Fortunately the way into the crater was not too difficult, over the top would have been impossible for us.
Another volcanic crater which has been partly washed away by the sea. This is El Golfo which is a major tourist attraction.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Lanzarote Two
Manrique had a major influence on the planning regulations in Lanzarote, when he recognised its tourist potential and lobbied successfully to encourage sympathetic development of tourism. One aspect of this is the lack of high rise hotels on the island. The buildings that are there are in keeping with the use of traditional colours in their exterior decoration.
One of his mobile sculptures, many of which can be seen throughout Lanzarote.
The living area.
Views from the Castillo de Santa Barbara towards Teguise, the old capital of Lanzarote. The Castillo houses the emigration museum. This documents the emigration of the Canary Islands poorer inhabitants to Cuba and Venezuela in the 19th and 20th century.
Who goes there?
Lanzarote Three
Not a lot grows around here.
Timanfaya's symbol - that's the one on the left!
Sue at the Ermita de los Dolores (Hermitage of Sorrows). This is where the lava flow stopped just short of the village in 1824. The church was built to honour the Virgin of the Volcanoes.
The church.
The interior.
Charco de San Gines, Arrecife. We had a couple of visits to Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote. The first time was with our hire car. Unfortunately there was a marathon being run along the promenade so there was traffic chaos throughout the city. The second time we took the bus (we only had the car for half our time there).
The Gran Hotel is the only high rise building on the island. We had some super views, but the windows were dirty so the photos from here are c**p. Coffee and cake is £1 pp so we went there twice.
We knew the hotel was close to the airport!
Below is Club Nautilus, we had a self catering apartment here which was excellent.
We went to Portugal on the way home (to take on more fuel) and then had an interesting landing at Bournemouth, very jiggly.