Flamingos to Flamenco.. and Amigos. Van Gogh to Picasso.. and Columbus. [ Yet Another Solo-Trip!]

Just managed to do a 11-day solo trip..Dec 20-30.. South of France and Spain
(Nimes, Marseille, Arles, Camargue-RhoneRiverDelta, Toulouse,.. and then crossing the border and onto Barcelona, then Seville and around )

Was a great experience.. Fun (yes, you can have it, travelling alone too!) and adventure.. including riding a scooter thru Nimes city and French country side,and Tresspassing a protected area for early morning shots of Pink Flamingos. Then a medley of the usual history-art-architecture circuit (Roman stuff almost everywhere.. o'course.. , museum of VanGogh-@-Arles, and the very comprehensive and insightful Picasso museum @Barcelona, +some transfixing architecture in Barca..), plus some quality hi-tech(SpaceCity in Toulouse, though couldn't go for Airbus FactoryVisit as it was booked till Jan1st week) , and nature-watch..


[Drove thru 2 NationalParks.. Hired a scooter from Nimes city and went around the French country side and thru the grassy-marshy wilderness of the Camargue area Rhone-River Delta.. could see PinkFlamingos in 100s there..

Barcelona had this surprise for me.. a Chocolate Museum!!.. Barcelona was the first port through which chocolate entered europe, thanks to the conquistadors who brought it from the Red Indians ( though the Mayans consumed it unsweetened and drank it hot- with chilli pepper). There are so many specialist chocolatiers and bakers who make so many different chocolate based confections so much different from the variety I have seen elsewhere (including Swiss), that the choco-lovers wud go bersek in Barça !

[FLAMENCO performance at Seville]

Did car-rental from Seville to go thru Doñana NationalPark and other historical places near Huelva, including some Columbus-sites.. the beachfront from where he set sail inorder to find the route to the India; The village church where he offered his prayers before he left; The palace and monastery where he made his plans for the trip..etc ]

It was from the coastal town of Palos, 13km from Huelva in Andalucia, that on Aug 3, 1492, Columbus's ships sailed to find a route to India and happened to discover the Americas. Here is the [Church at Palos] where Columbus offered his prayers before he set sail.. In the Huelva area, Columbus exchanged ideas, explored competing theories, and, after a time, put together the political and economic support that had been previously denied to him by other European monarchies. Local rich sailors at Huelva lended their support (ships, captains and crew) under the patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella of Seville.




While travelling in Spain, after hearing the word 'manana' being used extensively, (actually written as "mañana" pronounced something like 'manyaana' , touching the tongue flat on top for the ñ) I asked a lady what ALL it meant!..
She was using it so many times in a short phone conversation, while I was waiting to ask her something.. and I heard her use it in many different tones which amused me.. she then patiently explained it to me.

Later seeing this article "Bidding adios to 'manana'.." on BBC brought these memories back.
( Right on time
Who are the world's most punctual and who are the latecomers?
)