Day 29 - 34 Partying with Hutch

Today we’re off to the UK. EasyJet from Barcelona. Pick up a car at Gatwick. Karen's doing the driving because I’ve left my licence at home. Then it’s down the M6 to visit Matt Alderton in his oasthouse near Tunbridge Wells. It’s good to catch up with him, Karen and Sophie. 

They recommend Hever Castle, home of Ann Boleyn and built in 1382. Lord Astor moved from the USA to the UK in 1890 having declared that the USA was no place for a gentleman to live. It seems like little has changed. 

He refurbished the castle from 1903-1908 including having 800 men dig a lake over 18 months. The gardens are extensive, the tulips are out and some topiary has turned a table and chair into a tortoise. 

A good meal at the local pub for dinner and home for a good night's rest. 

This morning we take a walk around Scotney castle grounds. There are a number of  friendly walkers out with their dogs. Quintessentially English, rolling green fields, cattle and church bells tolling in the distance. 

The afternoon sees us back on the road again. Sunday is Uncle Hutch's 95th birthday and we’re celebrating tomorrow with the family in Manchester. Google tells us it will take 5 hours but with a Bank holiday and British traffic we decide to drive part way to Rugby today. A planned 3 hours still turns into 4 but we’re happy that we’ve broken the back of the journey. 

Saturday dawns and we head up the M6 to Manchester. We go looking for some Australian wine but the labels leave a bit to be desired. 

Hutch is looking well and it’s wonderful to see him, Karen's cousins: Robin, Steve, Laura and her daughter Isla,  and Sally as well as Karen’s sister Jenny from Australia. We spend the day catching up and celebrating as a family. 

Sunday morning we go to church at Altrincham baptist then meet Laura to wander the shops. A little difficult as the Manchester marathon goes through the middle of Altrincham today. The crowds aren’t as big as those in Seville but it’s still difficult crossing the street through the myriad of runners. 

Back to Hutch's for a late lunch before walking with Laura to the station so she can catch the train back to London. 

A final day in Manchester, the Wedgwood factory is not far down the road and we decide it’s worth a visit. The process is labour intensive with barely any automation. Every piece is hand cleaned, may have several firings and is individually decorated or painted. I’m not sure I could spend all day painting single lines around the rim of a bowl. We begin to understand why it’s so expensive. 

Amazingly pieces in the gift shop, able to be picked up and handled, range in price up to £26000. We learn that any imperfect pieces are broken up and recycled for use as road base, makes for expensive gravel, and that potholes are named from the times when clay diggers would source their clay from the middle of the road. 

A wander through the small village of Lyme then back to Hutch's for dinner and farewell. It’s an early start tomorrow to fly to Bucharest. 

Day 27/28 Gawking at Gaudi

Barcelona

Think Barcelona, think Sagrada Familia. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Started in 1882, its original architect only lasted one year before being replaced by Gaudi and the last of 18 bell towers is expected to be finished in 2033. Interrupted by the Spanish civil war Gaudi's plans were lost, then recreated over 20 years. 

The windows create cold green and blue light to the north and warm red and yellow light to the south. There are intricate mosaics and stone carvings to represent Jesus life. Gaudi used these as tools to tell Christ's story. 

There’s controversy as the local council is looking at demolishing a whole block of buildings in front of the church to create an open square opposite the entrance in line with Gaudi's original plans. 

Our tour takes us up on to Montjuich, the Jewish Hill, birthplace of Barcelona from where the city is laid out before us. Back to the streets and past buildings adorned with roses, St George’s day is approaching and purchasing roses is expected. We'll be elsewhere by then. 

On to Casa battlo, or house of bones, a house designed by Gaudi. There are mosaics, few straight lines and an arched roof. Not a design you’ll see every day. 

We walk home then it’s a farewell tapas dinner with our last two travelling companions and goodbye to Jose, our guide. 

Morning and it’s time to take the challenge of the local public transport system as we seek out a couple of hidden recommendations from Rose, one of our fellow travellers in Morocco. First stop is the Palau de La Musica Catalonia built from 1905-1908. An impressive foyer, a grand staircase and an amazing concert hall. 

There’s a tour group here and their guide plays a short piece on the organ, magnificent. We wander up Las Ramblas to the Mercat de Le Bocaria, a huge market, so much fresh food, and then to the Hospital de Sant Pau. 

Rose has told us that it’s a couple of old hospital wards recreated in their original style. Sounds interesting and from outside the entrance looks good but we’re not prepared for what we find inside. The original hospital of Santa Creu became too small and was rebuilt in the 1930's as a health complex of 12 Art Nouveau pavilions linked by paths, underground tunnels and gardens. 

We’re quite stunned and it’s interesting as we explore the complex and read its history. 

One final Gaudi experience at Park Guell. The park originated when a housing development failed and the developer commissioned Gaudi to design a park. No such philanthropy these days. 

Gaudi lived here and wanted functionality in his design. He recycled broken plates and teacups to create mosaics, a reflection of nature as no two pieces are the same and made the design on columns at the back higher than at the front to create an illusion of space. As our guide said, architects don’t have to explain.

By the time we get home we’re beat and to add to our dilemma the local chicken fast food is shut. Who knew that the local supermarket sells prepackaged meals, has a microwave and a space to sit down and eat. Surprisingly tasty. 

Day 25/26 Blue turning Green

 Ubeda/Valencia

Today our tour splits. Four of us will continue to Valencia and Barcelona while the other 15 head to Morocco via Madrid. But first some time together in Ubeda. It’s cold and breezy as we exit the bus in this town of 35000. Built in the 15-17 century we take our usual walking tour including the local church, city hall and some Roman ruins. 

The locals have stored their Paso out of the rain and are getting ready to carry it home.

'You can buy cheaply in the old town, only 100000€ but it will cost you to renovate as the heritage police will be watching closely every day. 

Ubeda is the home to 70 million olive trees and accounts for more than 20% of the world's olive oil production. Olive oil is a juice, extracted by crushing the olives. There are 280 types of olive trees in Spain and Picual is the variety you want. Early picking gives a higher quality but lower yield with only 3l of oil from 100kg of olives. Probably not on our supermarket shelves but we’re told to buy the current year and it will last up to 6 months. Take no notice of non-filtered, cold press, first press etc, it’s all just marketing and keep it away from light, heat and air. 

Time for a tasting. Now we remember the shot glass of olive oil in Croatia. Not an experience we planned on repeating but, forget the colour, smell the oil, sip the oil, grit your teeth and inhale over the oil, then swallow. It still catches at the back of our throats, but not as badly. Is it extra virgin, virgin or lampante (lamp oil). Fortunately not the last and we’re now better educated in choosing what we use at home. 

Time to farewell the majority of our companions but time for one last group photo. A local, older woman strikes up a conversation. Aah, Australians, some of my favourite people, I should be in your photo too. And so we grow to 20 before farewelling the 15 and taking Jose, our guide, for our exclusive group to Valencia. 

Valencia was a walled city with 12 gates. They've made some changes over the years with the walls demolished in the 19th century and following a devastating flood in 1957 decided to be innovative, reroute the river to bypass the city and turn the riverbed into a green corridor through the centre of the city. Everybody in Valencia runs. 

The Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe is in the science and arts space. The architecture is amazing and we find some Moreton Bay Figs, the oldest trees in the city. The old tobacco factory is now the court of justice, we pass the Post office, City hall, Market square, the cathedral and the Palace of the marquis of two rivers, now ceramic museum. 

Valencia's animal symbol is a bat. Look carefully and you’ll find one on almost every building. We contemplate horchata de chufa, a white, milk-like drink made by crushing tiger nuts but opt for paella instead as the bells of both the cathedral and bell tower echo around the square before boarding our van and heading for Barcelona.