MAIACETUS: Scenes from the south of Spain, March 2011

Travels in Cadiz and Granada, Spain

Many times I ask myself `how did I get so lucky?` I work a job that, when I finish a contract, I usually have the option to walk away from the ship and explore new and interesting places. And this time I decided to do it again :)

After completing my marine mammal observer (MMO) job offshore Egypt (see posts from November and January) and a transit across the Mediterranean, I disembarked the ship to enjoy the sites and scenes of sunny Spain. This wasn't my first time in Spain...and you might be asking why I wouldn't check out somewhere new, like nearby Portugal, but, well, what's there to not love about Spain? With it`s beautiful old churches, palm trees, beaches, tapas bars, patios, accordion players, cerveza and old friends...pure bliss! Plus, I can speak the language. Enough to get by that is!

So...maybe next time I`ll check out Portugal :)

The first day of my 2011 Spanish adventure, was spent with the rest of the Ramform Valiant`s crew saying our last goodbyes over tapas and beers at a variety of lovely bars and patios around Cadiz. We got cheerfully tipsy and realized we had bonded in a way we hadn't expected during the past few months working together. Of course, with me being a contractor I was really the only one saying goodbye; the rest of the crew were to continue with ship-life as usual and on to their next job. Still, I think, the memories of 10 weeks of moments together offshore Egypt, and now with beers in hand in the streets of Cadiz, would remain fond :)

Cadiz waterfront

Tapas and Accordian fun with the crews of the Ramform Valiant and Ramform Viking

My first pint in five weeks :)

Despite the port call...some still had to work!
Sorting cables in Port of Cadiz

Ahh! A PPE* fashion show with Ramform Valiant as a backdrop

(Personal Protective Equipment :)

After shedding tears of goodbye to my, now favourite, crew of the Ramform Valiant, I departed the Port of Cadiz in a taxi and zipped along the coast of Spain to Fuengirola. In this lovely (and touristy!) part of the Costa del Sol I met with my good Spanish friend, Marina, for a long-due visit.

Views of central Malaga with the hills surrounding Malaga in the background

I like visiting Marina in Fuengirola...the accommodation is cheap, the food is good (very important!) and the company is fabulous! Although Marina lives with her boyfriend in Fuengirola I usually get to stay in her family apartment just off the Malaga Beach. We spent the weekend catching up over lunch at one of her family`s favourite restaurants in Malaga (El Chipiron), chocolate treats at a Malaga cafe and a night out on the town with her friends. As always, I had a lovely visit...and I will be back again!

Well, I almost remembered to take the photo while there was still food on the plate!

Our good friend Emma, who we worked with at the Center for Whale Research in `04, should`ve been their with us...so we did the best we could to include her :)

Num num nummy treats from the local cafe

This is the view of the sea ...from the shower window!

Views of Malaga from the balconies of the apartment

One of my other favourite places to go in Spain is Granada. I was meeting Canadian friends in Barcelona next but I decided to spend a few days checking out this beautiful city again. Granada is truly stunning with a plethora of wonderful sites including the UNESCO world heritage site La Alhambra, the Mirador St Nicholas, the Albaicin, the Carrera del darro, Arabic baths and so much more.

I found this wonderful quote signifying the beauty of this city:

`Give him charity, girl, as there is nothing worse in life than being blind in Granada.` - Poet Franciso Alarcon.

The Carrero del darro is a walk which runs along the foot of the hill below La Alhambra