A really bad blogger.
Do any of you vaguely recall that I went to Spain in May? Were you expecting to see various photos of said trip and had your hopes dashed when they never appeared?
I only have on explanation for that: I've been a really bad blogger. I mean, come on, people, I went to SPAIN and I never blogged about it!
Fortunately, I happen to be a firm believer of PICS, OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. So, six months later, I have finally come to my senses and I will do a series of
Without further ado...I present Murcia, Spain 2011!
I teamed up with two of my cousins and they set off to give me a tour of the city center.
This is a statue commemorating the sardine fishers of yore. Of course, my guy cousin, who has a warped blogger-esque sense of humor, claimed that it commerated the foundation of the first Ku Klux Klan chapter in Murcia...and my other cousin believed him.
I soon learned that sardines are a big deal in the south of Spain, so much that the river has a sardine water fountain swimming in it.
Vibrant colors marked what would otherwise been just another cloudy day.
Two things I love are fountains and the color red, so seeing this fountain surrounded by crimson flowers in the Downtown area made me go just a little bit giddy!
Even the public garbage cans demonstrate the sardine fishermen.
Water for all! As my cousin explained, the south of Spain is very arid and often lacks the necessary resource of water. My cousin commented that the poster in question took on a somewhat political air.
I look drunk here. Drunk from the happiness of red flowers and fountains!
I can't really recall seeing statues of cardinals displayed in France.
Based on his pose, maybe the Cardinal also studied martial arts?
And this I certainly would have never seen in France (way too secular to display mega-sized posters of religious personalities). It's interesting to travel to different countries and see how they vary from one another.
The cathedral sitting in the public square is one of the most impressive that I've seen in years! Let's take a look around...
This was the view right in front of the Cathedral.
Ceramic street signs? Yes, please.
Our afternoon stroll made a pit stop at an ice cream shop in the plaza.
I discovered so many yummy things in Spain, and helado de nata was one of them. "Nata," in Spanish, means "milk cream," a.k.a. "that filmy disgusting layer of milky fat that forms after you've boiled milk at a certain temperature." For the sake of vouching for how delicious this ice cream really is, let's all just think of milk cream ice cream. It's so good that I honestly wish it were sold in the United States.
So, if you ever go to Murcia, you absolutely must stop by this ice cream shop and at least have one scoop of nata ice cream. Or two. Two scoops of different flavors! Nata y chocolate!
...Can anybody tell that I'm currently in Ice Cream Nirvana just by thinking about this place?
Nata ice cream time eventually made way to a night time stroll in the city.
El Corte Inglés = The Macy's of Spain
And I want THIS giant ladybug to be in my local playground!
Here are pretty much the same pictures of the same things, except we now have the added benefit of seeing them in the sunshine! I find that natural sunlight does justice in bringing the colors to come to life.
This is Alphonse X, the Wise. You WILL respect this man.
You will also respect Chewbacca...
...And Darth Vader.
This poster announces a day of solidarity to honor the Lorca earthquake. It truly was a disaster.
And here are a few shots of things that didn't quite fit into place.
Ladies and Gents, take note: "Love is a strategic game..."
Who else thinks that we need this store in the U.S.?
The local Football (soccer for us Yanks) team has their own merchandise stand in the mall!
"I only went to get a belt!" Apparently, Spanish guys always get something more in the malls.
Barb the French Bean
Nice photos. I was thinking the first statue looked more like an over side gnome :p
ReplyDeleteLol blonde isn't my color either :p really nice pictures! finally! :D
ReplyDeleteThis all kind of makes me want to go to Spain. Mission accomplished, I guess.
ReplyDeleteStu: When you mention it, it kinda does. Do you think that he was a Smurf who was kicked out of his community for having grown too large?
ReplyDeletePartner-in-Crime: And this is only the beginning of "European Flashback!" Muahahahahahaha...
(On a more serious note, I've been thinking of dying my hair to a dark red color. I think it would suit me. What do you say?)
Dave: You guess? Ha ha, just wait 'til you see some MOAR pics of Europe! Maybe then you'll really want to travel abroad! :D
Lovely pictures! I love travel pictures, especially ones in Europe! (I was in Italy over the summer and was also a bad blogger and didn't post pictures until recently...lol!) That fountain with the red flowers is gorgeous, and you look cute in those pics too! :)
ReplyDelete♥Principessa Gabriella
Well, seeing is believing.
ReplyDeleteValance the has bean.
No statues of Cardinals in France? I'm sure there must be one of Richelieu somewhere... I'll have to look for it when next I'm in Paris.
ReplyDeleteChewbacca and Darth Vader? LOL!!!
AS for that water sign, it's about the "trasvase del Segura". The Segura is the main river that goes through Murcia and the south of Alicante and provides water for agriculture... but it has very little water running through it! As your cousin said we live in a very arid region *sob*. Anyhow there have been plans over the years to transfer (through canals) water from the Ebro river in the north (dumps into the Mediterranean in Cataluña) to the Segura since they get waaaaay more rain than we do up there. It's been an ongoing ecological/agricultural/political discussion ever since I can remember. :s
Lovely photos of Murcia! I need to go down and visit it for real... I don't think I have since I was a kid when my grandparents lived there! The only memories I have are that it was bloody hot and to be avoided at all costs! It's only 100km down the road... maybe I'll take the friend I have visiting this weekend...
I look forward to more Spain/France/Italy posts!!! ;o)
Gabriella: Thanks! Like I said, I love the color red and fountains, lol. ^.^
ReplyDeleteValence: And believing is seeing. (I like the "has bean" pun. Kudos to you!)
Sara: Thank you so much! I really hope that you will get the chance to go abroad, too!
Crazy Cris: Ahhh...touché. I had forgotten about Cardinal Richelieu, and I have seen him featured in Monty Python's Flying Circus far too many times to have him slip my mind. :P
Thanks so much for giving in better detail the meaning of the "agua para todos" message. I know that living in dire, arid regions can be quite horrid if you don't have enough water.
And I hope that you get to go to Murcia! It's like an hour's train ride on the Renfe from Alicante, isn't it? :D
An hour? Dunno... probably! It's only an hour's drive so I have several options. Am definitely going to look into it for this weekend, I'll ask my friend and see if she's up for it!
ReplyDeleteIf you do go, PLEASE have un helado de nata at Sirvent and think of me! :D
ReplyDeleteY si vas en coche, you could also go to el centro commercial de Nueva Condomina and cruise the shops! lol
Not a fan of helado de nata I'm afraid (unless it's a "sandwich helado de nata), I prefer a leche merengada or helado de turrón! yummm
ReplyDeleteLeche merengada is pretty good, but I could never have the turron ice cream; I'm allergic to nueces. :P
ReplyDeleteAllergic to nueces? So no almonds means no turrón! TRAGIC!!! ;o(
ReplyDelete