Thames Path

The Thames Path from Hammersmith and Fulham to Putney was almost deserted on a dull and overcast Saturday; the winter ghost giving up its last breath to the budding crocuses and daffodils; the pathway sprinkled with a few sinewy and dedicated joggers.  I came here, to the River Cafe no less, to meet up with a friend whom I had not seen for a year, and to share the palpable excitement of her daughter's upcoming wedding in the summer. 

Inside the much over-rated River Cafe located at Thames Wharf.  Despite its fame, or because of its fame, there were no signs above the entrance to indicate its presence, just a long line of windows where you can see casually dressed diners enjoying themselves.  The food is home cooking, but the price is couture.  

A touching reminder of the mortality of life.  The River was quiet, there were no rowers from the nearby rowing club, no boats, no river traffic.  The bouqet looked desolate.

The River Thames at dusk, seen from the Putney Bridge. 

Spain Series - Paradores

This time, we stayed mostly at paradores when we traversed Spain from north to south.  These government owned accomodation, described in official literature as "luxury accommodation in castles, palaces, fortresses, convents, monasteries and other historical buildings" were certainly worth a visit if only for the architecture alone.

Paradore Limpias - Hotel Palacio de Equilior in Cantabria.  The palace was constructed in the 19th century, and was once used by King Alfonso XIII for his ministerial council meetings.  Despite the rather imposing building, the bedrooms were modest.

Paradore Alcala de Henares, outside Madrid.  The parador has been converted from the Dominican Collegiate-Convent of Santo Tomas de Aquino, a 17th century building.  Inside, the decor, furniture and furnishings are pure 21st century.

The residents' lounge at Parador Alcala de Henares, a perfect place for an appertif before dinner or some tea or cofee after dinner.

Parador Jaen - Hotel Castillo de Santa Catalina.  Perched on a cliff with panoramic view of the city of Jaen on one side, and the hills of the Sierra Morena on the other side, this castle attracted tourists from all over Europe as well as Japan.  Despite the imposing architecture, the interior was tired and at places even shabby.

Parador Ronda, situated in the former town hall, a stone throw away from Puente Nuevo where tourists flock to gaze at the 120m deep gorge.  From the bedrooms, guests can see the hills and valleys of Ronda, basking in the warm winter sunlight.

 

Paradore Zamora - Hotel Condes de Albay y Aliste, once the palace of the Count of Alba and Aliste in the 15th century.  The cloister and the gallery above have now been incorporated into the living space.  Inside, the place looked frayed and used.  The food was big on quantity but poor on quality. 

The grand staircase was adorned with tapestries, suits of armour, rugs and heraldic banners.

The magnificent Parador Leon, once the San Marcos Monastery, was founded in the 12th century to provide lodging for the pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela in Galacia. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Spain. 

Inside, imposing cloisters overlook the gardens.  All the public rooms boast tapestries, paintings and carvings. Impressive.

Spain Series - Glimpses of Everyday Life 03

A bank of bikes for hire at Seville.  Unusually, there were no punctured tyres among this lot.  They reminded me of Boris bikes, recently introduced to London.

Two men chatting at the town plaza at Zamora.  Probably because the Spaniards mostly live in apartments in city and town centres, a lot of pets were small dogs.

A congregation celebrating mass at the San Esteban Cathedral at Salamanca.  Judging from the attendance at this and other churches, there are still a large number of practising Catholics in Spain.

Harvesting oranges at Cordoba, Andalucia.  Not only were the oranges picked, the trees were also given a haircut.

A pair of helmets attached to a motorbike.  How charming, and one wondered who the owners were... 

Two small dogs came face to face in strange territory at Salamanca, central Spain.