Christmas in Blanes

Photos from the large Nativity set in Blanes.

The scene takes up all the end of the narrow road and is placed on a raised platform as you can see from the photos. Many of the plants and trees are real with all the surrounding grass also being real. Making a very nice attraction, which a lot of thought and hard work has gone into.

The scene not only shows the Nativity, but also farmers working in the fields along side cows and sheep. There is also a small water feature with a waterfall. If you are holidaying near to Blanes this Christmas its worth a trip just see this !

Vigo, Galicia

The history of Vigo on the Atlantic coast of Spain can be traced back to Roman times and is the largest city in the province of Galicia. This city has many historical buildings and interesting statues. The building above is the Caixanova bank building, with the Guardian Angel of Savings above the clock on the corner. Maybe other banks around the world could do with a Guardian Angel of their own during these difficult times?

Benalmadena Marina.

Out on the wall surrounding the marina at Benalmadena you can always find the locals doing a spot of fishing. The fish they catch is then taken back home to feed the family.
Some of the men even gut the fish there and then, leaving the waste on the rocks. Its not there for long though, as the local cats now know where to come for a good meal!

Medieval Festival in Lloret de Mar

Last Saturday and Sunday in Lloret de Mar was the very popular Medieval Festival. This event takes place every year, and it brings thousands of people into town. The town is decorarated in a Medieval theme, with bannners and flags. The stalls sell their home made crafts and potions etc and many of the stall holders dress in Medieval style costumes.

Flowers in November.

One thing about living in Spain is that no matter what time of year, something in the garden is always in flower. Just now the pampas grass is in flower, these plants can be seen growing wild in many places usually at the road side and always looks immaculate.
Although the days are much shorter now the clocks have gone back, here on the Costa Brava the weather is still quite good and we are still seeing butterflies and very large bees through the day.

Costa Brava, Palamos

Palamos is a town on the Costa Brava in the province of Girona on the Costa Brava. During the summer it becomes a stopping point for many of the cruise ships sailing the Mediterranean.
The local market is held on Tuesdays here you can find a wide range of stalls, selling clothing, food, household items and the usual souvenirs.
One thing that Palamos is well known for is the prawns which are caught daily by the local fishermen who bring them back to shore to be auctioned along with the rest of the days catch.

Lloret de Mar Today.

This was taken in Lloret de Mar today at about 5pm, today's weather has been very pleasant even so that people were still able to sit at the beach bar and have a drink. For the last few days we have not seen much of the sun at all, so today everyone made the most of it and were out and about!

Santiago de Compostela

A colourful souvenir stall in Santiago de Compostela.

Vigo

The city of Vigo in the North West of Spain has many statues here are just two. The top one in the form of a dragon, can be found on Calle de Elduayen. Next one is a strange looking thing called El Sireno !

Girona - The old town

The ancient city of Girona is very picturesque, every corner you turn gives you a different view and a different photograph to take. If possible, visit out of season when the streets are quieter so that your photos dont have too many unwanted guests in them!

During the summer season the temperatures are very hot and humid here, even more so than on the coast. Some of the best photographs to be taken are around the Jewish quarter, where the streets are very narrow and cobbled.

Benalmadena Bars

Benalmadena has a numerous bars, many of which do really good food through the day with out door terraces to sit out while you eat.

Then if you like to go out for the evening to watch live entertainment in the bars, all tastes are catered for, whether you want live music, a comedian or karaoke.

Blanes Costa Brava

Blanes is located just a few kilometers south of Lloret de Mar. Although a very popular holiday resort its also quite an industrious town.

The beaches here stretch for almost 4kms. Tourist attractions here include a choice of 2 botanical gardens, several ancient churches and the tower of St Joan which you can see situated high on the hill at the northern end of the town.

A very good market is held on the sea front every Monday in Blanes, and the bus companys bring tourists from all over the Cost Brava.

Pontevedra, Galicia

Views of the bridge over the Lèrez River in the old Galician town of Pontevedra.

Benalmadena, Paloma Park

Walking around Paloma Park in Benalmadena, you are sure to see something different each time you visit! The park is a haven for wildlife, although only 3-4 mins walk from the beach, its almost like having a walk in the country side. You will see tame rabbits running around right next to the hens and cockerel's which roam freely around the park, and can sometimes even be seen walking along the pavements outside!

Puerto Banus

More photos from the small but wealthy town of Puerto Banus. Taking a walk around the marina you can see not only the yachts of the rich and famous but also their very expensive vehicles (such as this Astin Martin above!) parked alongside.

 A view of the apartments surrounding the waters edge, if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will see over to the right the very well known Sinatras Bar.

Puerto Banus Marina

Some of the most exclusive yachts in the world can be seen in the stunning marina at Puerto Banus. The one above 'Shaf' was owned by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia until his death in 2005. I should think now it has been passed down to one of his sons. This is the largest yacht here in the marina and is a very popular tourist attraction. To read more about the impact the wealth of the Kings family has had in Marbella and Puerto Banus - CLICK HERE

Galicia - Pontevedra

60kms from Santa de Compostela is the historical province of Pontevedra, which is one of the four regional provinces of Galicia. Here you will find a coastline more than 500 kilometers long, so has a history of trading and maritime, even to this day the coast is dominated by the industries of fishing and shipbuilding. Even Christopher Columbus's ship the Santa Maria was built here, but at the same time you can see some of the best coastal scenery in the North West of Spain, and also many grand buildings such as the Pilgrims church as seen above.

Ronda - Lara museum

In the ancient town of Ronda is the very interesting Lara Museum. Situated in a former palace where some members of the Spanish royal family stayed when they visited Ronda. The museum is split into various rooms each with its own theme. Some of the themes being music, knives, bullfighting and the very spooky witchcraft collection, but the most sickening part of the museum is the torture chamber, on show here you'll find implements of torture used during the Spanish Inquisition.

Galicia, Sanxenxo

The most exclusive area of Galica is the resort of Sanxenxo. It's said that property prices here are among the most expensive in Spain and quite possibly in Europe.

The most busiest time of the year for this resort is between July and August, when many of the local Spanish who live and work out of town take their annual holidays and come to their holiday homes here in Sanxenxo. During this time is when the waters of the Atlantic are at their warmest and the southern facing beach which seems to go on forever also make it a very popular tourist resort.