Graffiti at Motril

Park at Motril, Spain

One good thing about writing a blog on graffiti is that it has made me tolerate, even appreciate, more when I see graffiti. I had to ease in to it by only liking the elaborate art form of graffiti at first. But now I embrace it all. It just doesn't bother me like it used to, partly because it is inevitable and everywhere and partly because of the unique uses of it. I see it from a different light.

While in Motril, we came upon a park near the Señora de la Cabeza Cathedral. (Who names their Cathedral Lady of the Head???) It was just loaded with graffiti everywhere. I couldn't help but take some photos.

There was graffiti on the walls, there was graffiti on the signage and even graffiti on the steps. The park walkway meandered around and ended up at the back of the Cathedral.

Graffiti on signage at Motril

Graffiti on the steps of the back of the Cathedral

Motril and the Surrounding Area

Jimena and Moises at a local restaurant in Motril

We had a great time the day we docked in Motril. We didn't expect much and it was so much better than we hoped for. For one, Motril is a very industrial port. Other than the La Cabeza Cathedral, which I will post on another day, there was just a few restaurants to visit, but we had fun there. We started the day off with a great breakfast and espresso coffee near the Cathedral. We then took a taxi to Salobreña, which is a lovely white village in the mountains. We had an excellent day there at the Castle and wandering the narrow streets. 

Castle at Salobreña

More information on this charming village can be found here. It is an amazing area of the Costa Brava, Spain.

Lemon drink

Then we returned to lunch in Motril at a restaurant Moises had spotted earlier. I was in the mood for something to drink besides water so I had the lemon soda shown above. It was really good. I had a wonderful sandwich for lunch. My husband opted for a more elaborate meal. I need to ask him what it was, but it is a dish we also have in Mexico and he said it is much better here in Mexico, not Spain. Of course knowing him, it is probably just different, which he definitely doesn't like.

Moises' meal at Motril

Transatlantic Professional Photos Part 3 at Gibraltar

me at windy Gibraltar

The candid shot of me getting off the boat at Gibraltar came about as I went back on the ship to look for Lavinia, the spa receptionist we befriended. She was to meet us at the gangway, but there were two gangways getting off that day, one front and the other midship. So I popped back on to check to see if she was at the midship location. When I came back off, I had the photographer take my photo. 

Lavinia from the Spa with Jimena

Having Lavinia with us was super fun. She is not only a great receptionist at the Elemis Spa on the Nieuw Amsterdam, she is also a very sweet and wonderful person. She made our day extra fun!

It was a super windy but sunny day. In the shade, it felt quite cold, but the day warmed up as it went on. That was my second time in Gibraltar, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. So much to see and do, and the Barbary apes are so fun. We did have a little incident at the Trafalgar Cemetery. A group of Barbary apes made their way down from the Rock, and one of them grabbed my shopping bag. I forgot I had marshmellows and licorice in the bag, but a stern warning did the trick. He let go. Not only is it illegal to feed the Barbary apes, it is also just a really bad idea. If one gets something, the others come running and the adults are really large.

Jimena, Moises & Lavinia 

We took a lot of photos of Gibraltar, as witnessed above. I even took one of a Street Cleaner. I loved his attire with the flip flops.

Lavinia and a Street Cleaner

More information on the Barbary apes, which are actually a stub-tailed monkey, can be found here. I just read an article that they may try to reintroduce about half the population back in to the wild, as so many have become fearless of humans due to their being fed. Please don't feed the Barbary apes, as that leads to them becoming aggressive. I even saw a tour guide feeding them. What a shame.

Transatlantic Professional Photos Part 2

Moises at second formal night

We were happy with the package of photos we purchased on our Transatlantic Cruise. As we spent eight days at seas total of the 14 days aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, it gave us plenty of time to get some night shots. We purchased a package of two portraits and seven candid shots for about $200 dollars. 

Moises at first formal night

I am not sure which photo I like better, from the first or second formal night of my hubby. I think I like the second formal night better. What do you think?

me and Jimena on second formal night

I opted for a more casual look for the second formal night. I think we were the only two women not wearing black. Having these photos to look back on is great, and we got the package that included digital images ... which is why I can post them here. Que bueno!

Transatlantic Professional Photos Part 1

me, Moises and Jimena

Here we are after making our way to the Fort Lauderdale Port (Port Everglades) to embark on our transatlantic cruise on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam. First we spent two nights at the Cambria Suites, which was as nice and comfortable as ever. My only complaint was the menu changes in the restaurant. I liked the old menu with many options of vegetables better. The new menu seems really limited, but the staff are great and we had a productive two days. Mostly we shopped for clothes and Moises got his eyes examined and he got new glasses, seen above.

me and Moises

Jimena on first formal night

Jimena and I spent some time at the hair salon before the first formal night. I had my color done and my hair washed and blown out. Jimena had her hair washed and straightened. Our hair dresser was from the Ukraine, so we discussed the problems there with him while he worked on our hair. I loved how he whipped on his "tool" belt, when he got ready to dry our hair, reminded me of a gunslinger from the Old West.

Dimitro with his tool belt in place

It was a really fun night, very festive with a great dinner in the Manhattan Dining Room. We did Anytime Dining and found it to our liking. We only waited about five minutes one night for a table. Other nights, we were whisked immediately to our four-top table. We were always a party of three.

Praetorian Palace of Koper, Slovenia

Praetorian Palace courtyard at Koper, Slovenia

I found the architecture and design of Koper, Slovenia to be amazing and unique. Above is a well that is in an inner court yard of the Praetorian Palace. More info on the Palace can be found on Wikipedia, follow the link above.

Another architectural detail of the Praetorian Palace

And another architectural detail 

The style is considered Venetian Gothic. It was once part of the Venetican Republic.

Sun motif prevalent thoughout Palace

The sun motif was something I saw throughout the Praetorian Palace at Koper, Slovenia. I took the inside tour, which was not really all that impressive, as only a few rooms were open to the general public. Getting out and about and seeing the town was way more exciting!

Koper, Slovenia: A Delight

Graffiti of Koper

The graffiti of Koper, Slovenia is really at a minimum. I took this shot as I loved the guy in the cap and what it says, "Graffiti is Forever." Actually that is true and graffiti has been around a lot longer than we realize. Roman times had graffiti. I couldn't imagine Italy without it. It is just the way Italians express themselves.

Mostly Koper is filled with narrow cobblestone streets, small wonderful shops, including great bakeries and a market with luscious fruit.

Bakery where I ate a cream puff of some sort

Fruit stands are Koper market

I took a very long walk through Koper. It felt safe and relaxed. I walked from the Praetorian Palace to the waterfront, where I saw the fruit stands and stopped to have a very good cappuccino. Not expensive at all, as well. The people mostly did not speak English, but I was able to get by just fine ... holding out coins like I normally do to pay for my purchase. 

Streets of Koper

Koper was a place that calls my name, and I would love to go back. I felt there was much more to see there. I actually took a tour later on that day to see the Lipica horses. The show was good and the horses were beautiful, but i preferred the town over the horse excursion. I could have lingered there all day, walking along and stopping in shops and just gazing at a way of life so different from my own.

me on the streets of Koper