Willkommen!

Wie schön, dass ihr mein Sammelsurium gefunden habt!
Über Rückmeldungen würde ich mich freuen
- als Kommentar oder an: strick_else(at)yahoo.de
Danke

Freitag, 23. März 2012

Solution/ Aufloesung Teil II

Wenn ihr dies lest, sitze ich schon im Bus (falls nichts dazwischengekommen ist...)
Nun kann ich auch das zweite Werk zeigen, weil es mittlerweile heil in Luebeck angekommen ist.Es hat mir besonders Spass gemacht, weil ich bis zum Schluss selbst noch nicht wusste, wie es aussehen wuerde.
Klar war, es sollte ein Schluesselbrett werden, fuer Freunde die kuerzlich nach Luebeck gezogen sind und Schiffsliebhaber.
Da sowohl beide Vornamen als auch der Nachname vier Buchstaben haben, kam ich auf die Idee mit dem nautischen Alphabet. Zuerst wollte ich die Symbole nur aufmalen, dann fand ich in Málaga auf dem Friedhof ein kleines Fliesenkloetzchen. Bei einem carpintero habe ich mir Holzstueckchen in dieser Groesse zuschneiden lassen und bemalt. Das Holstentor und der Falke sind aus Servietten.


Ich besass auch noch Servietten mit der Seekarte der Luebecker Bucht. Und sind bei alten Karten die Meere nicht immer mit Seeungeheuern bevoelkert? Als ich sie auf meiner Norddeutschlandtour im neuen Domizil besuchte, fiel mir das Toilettenpapier auf und ich habe es wohl auch kommentiert, denn im naechsten "care-Paket" war so ein Rolle! Tja, das kommt davon ;-))


Und obwohl ich ja auch gerade Moby Dick im Original lese, dachte ich an das Zitat erst, als ich es auf einer spanischen Weissweinflasche entdeckte (das Label werde ich auch noch mal irgendwie verarbeiten)


Das Bild habe ich eben geschickt bekommen - nun haengt es schon und ist in Gebrauch!

Donnerstag, 22. März 2012

Solution part I

This is my last day in Cocentaina and , yes, I did get to see the cardboard making!
There is also a lot more to tell about history and ceramics, tiles in particular - and it will be too much anyway. So I have decided to write another little blurb-book. It will be in English, then I can use parts of those posts.
But for today I can give you the solution(s) to the sneak preview I showed you here.


The knitting was (of course) another pair of cat-potholders for the owner of Jasmina. She had told me, she had a new blue kitchen.


I packed them in a Pringles-box glued with serviettes...


... and tied a label around.

Mittwoch, 21. März 2012

Surprise, surprise

The rain has stopped, the sun is out - and this is my view today:

SNOW on the mountains behind the castle (and also on the mountains behind me)!

You might have noticed, I have been trying to go to the paper factory during the last days. On Friday, when I passed it, the gates were open and I had a look in and a nice man came out and told me, I could come back "a partir del lunes" when they are working and they would show me around. From the outside you could see the paper sheets hanging in large sheds for drying. It looked really interesting.

So, I went down on Monday - closed because of fería.
Tuesday - rain
today, Wednesday - have a look at this:


There was a road block, but a few cars passed around. Only none was going my way, or I would have tried to get a lift....
So I will show you the photo of the paper, as I might not see more about it. Tomorrow is my last day.

Dienstag, 20. März 2012

The castle of Cocentaina (part II - views)

From the castle I had a great view over the town and the whole valley up to the other hill, where I am staying. On the lower end of the picture you see the traditional quarters of La Vila (left) and El Raval (right). The big square block of buildings in the middle is the textile factory Textiflok S.A.


Here I played around a bit in Picasa (which is sadly closing in a month) and circled some places. To get to my place, the orange spot, I am passing the green spot (Textiflox) and the purple spot (Cartonajes Aitana), the paper factory, which I also hope to be visiting tomorrow.

There is still so much more to tell, but I'll leave that for tomorrow.

The castle of Cocentaina (part I - general)

Now I have lost the status of "guest" with Jasmina and belong to the household, which means she jumped on the bed at sat on my chest at 7:15 this morning. We got up - what else is there to do, if there is a gentle (without claws) paw in your face? - and realised it is RAINING!
Well, it is good for the garden and definitely much needed here... and it gives me time to tell you some more about the town of Cocentaina.

The emblem of Cocentaina is the castle. It is a cube on top of a very steep rock above the town and, of course, you can see it from everywhere. Can you spot it in the photo with the sign and in the photo with the view from the road?
I thought, what a pity that I would never be able to get up there... but walking around town on Friday, I noticed a poster:

"Discover the charm of the castle in the course of history" during this weekend and especially this part:

Free transport from the palace to the foot of the castle (!!!) Limited places.

And while I was still trying to take those photos through the shop-window, the shopkeeper - a very nice muslim lady - came out: " ¡No hace falta. Llevatelo!" and she peeled off the tape and handed me the poster. Great, isn't it? Well, you might think they could have told me about this event in the tourist office?!
So, I decided to go there on Sunday.
This little bus drove us - we were only five people - through the outskirts of town and up the hill.

The last bit of the way we had to walk.

The castle dates from the end of the 13th century and is built in military Gothic style over ruins of a moorish building. It has two floors: on the first floor is a courtyard, a chapel and a storeroom, on the second floor were the living quarters with different rooms and bigger windows.

From the rooftop you have a great view over the whole area. I will write a new post about it after lunch.

Montag, 19. März 2012

Holidays

No, the title is not about the holidays I am having here, but about festive days that suddenly "leap up" and catch you by surprise.
Today I wandered down to the paper factory - closed. Then I decided to take the bus to Alcoy. When I came into Cocentaina, I saw closed shops and boys playing on the street... So I asked an old man: "Si, hoy es un dia festivo, la feria de fallas de Valencia, y fiesta de San Jose - y aqui parece un desierto." Yes, here it's like a desert. And I wandered up again. The weather is cloudy and cool, which made the walking easier. The egret was not home, but I did see a griffon vulture. Sorry, the photo is not so good.

Now I have time to do a bit of house- and computer"work".
The other fiesta, of which I only saw the rests, must have been the Festa dels Nanos on the wednesday when I arrived.


The little guide about Cocentaina says it's on the third wednesday of lent. We saw some fireworks and wondered what it is about. It is mainly celebrated in the old moorish quarter of El Raval.
Those owls certainly were part of the decoration. Aren't they sweet? I have to try to make one - it's an egg carton!



Finally, I will give you a nice quotation from the guide-leaflet: "Its (Cocentainas) population of 11.000 inhabitants, enjoys holidays and celebrations almost all year round, culminating in April with celebration of the Virgen del Milagro and in the middle of August with the traditional festival of Moros y Cristianos in honour of San Hipólito, declared of national tourist interest. The importance of the Fira de Tots Sants should also be emphasized. It has been celebrated since 1346, attracting numerous visitors, in early November."

Sonntag, 18. März 2012

Cocentaina

By the way, I am not the first one coming from Granada to Cocentaina:
In september of 1304 moorish troops from Granada came and raided and burnt the city and

in december of 1653 six nuns from the convent of Saint Anton in Granada arrived and founded the convent  "La Mare de Deu del Miracle".
I will not give you a day-to-day account of my adventures, but rather pick some events and spice them up with some history (mainly taken from spanish wikipedia).

But first I want to show you, where I am: This is the view from my road towards Cocentaina.

On the way, I took some photos of "roadside botany"...

and "roadside zoology"...
 - I spare you the photo of the dead snake; I will still have to identify it...

Going further down, you'll cross the motorway N 340 and later the "river" Serpis. I have to go there again and try to take a good picture of the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), which is usually there, but not used to people walking. And you pass the old paper factory Cartonajes Aitana. But I will leave this also for another day.

Then you finally reach the town of Cocentaina.
Tomorrow I'll show you some more of the town...

Samstag, 17. März 2012

Travelling and arriving in Cocentaina

Wed, 14th of march was the travelling day. I left Granada at 10 and after stops in Guadix, Baza, Velez-Rubio (lunch), Puerto Lumbreras, Lorca, Murcia, Elche, arrived in Alicante at 16.30 - on time! But imagine having to go all the way from Malaga to Barcelona!
I was picked up by the owners servants of the cat and I don't remember how long it took to get to their place, because we talked all the time. I already felt at home then. But of course, the idea was to stay there, while they were gone.

 The next day, when we drove down to the village to get my shopping for a week, I was not feeling quite so sure. It was is a rather long way, all downhill. So, coming back, of course all uphill. But - you, my regular readers, might remember - I think I need more exercise. During this stay I won't have to worry about this. Tomorrow morning I have to remember to take a photo where you can see the village. Now it's against the sun.

Here, I may introduce you to Jasmina. She is only fur, about half the size of Kasimir and a real little princess. I think she knows, I am here just for her; but I am also a guest and must be treated well. So, in the morning, she will wait until she realises I am awake, and only then jump on the bed and ask for her breakfast. And after my breakfast, it's time for the first brushing. She gets really excited about it, I wish I would have another hand for taking a photo. When I come back in the afternoon, she comes in as well and tells me, where she was and how many burdocks there where, and could she please have another brushing...

Freitag, 16. März 2012

Ausflug der Woche - Parque de las Ciencias de Granada

The next few posts I will (have to) write in English, so that some important and helpful people can read it... But I think all my other readers will manage as well :-)
So, my trip of the week is really a trip for a week – to cat-sit in the mountains of Costa Blanca.

It started on Tuesday, 13th of March by going to Granada. As there is no direct bus from Antequera to Alicante, I decided to make a stop-over in Granada. The pomegranates of Granada are everywhere. (Las granadas de Granada... :-) )




I stayed in her little apartment in this beautiful house








I found a place to stay with a very nice greek girl via couchsurfing.






Then I went to the Parque de las Ciencias, because I had heard about an exposition of the lithographs and woodcuts of M.C. Escher. Unfortunately they did not have any postcard of his works - but I took at least this one photo.


But there was so much more to see, and even though I was there for about five hours - until they closed - I did not have time for everything.












Life-size animated models of Tyrannosaurus rex and the question, whether it was a predator or a scavenger...




... and a tropical butterfly house...












... and a show of free-flying birds of prey...

... and botanical walks ...
...and a solar powered spring, where you could move the panel and see the different effects, when directly to the sun or not....
... and displays about water and wind energy...



... and an observation tower with view of the Sierra Nevada...
... and the Alhambra

Tomorrow I'll tell you more about my stay here...
So long

Freitag, 9. März 2012

Ausflug der Woche - Spaziergang in Antequera

Dieser Ausflug war (einfach) ein Spaziergang mit meiner Freundin/ Nachbarin am Rand von Antequera. Wir haben viel geschnackt und allerhand Interessantes gesehen - und sie hat mir dazu einiges erklärt:
Waschbrett - äh -stein; tabla, no piedra de lavar

Reste einer Fabrik mit Mühlrad; restos de una fábrica con rueda hidráulica

 
unbestimmte Schwertlilie; Iris deconocida
Angela, Gracias por este paseo - y ¡hasta la proxima!

Freitag, 2. März 2012

noch einen Tip ;-)

Also da wollt ihr - oder zumindest du, liebe Cat - noch einen Tip zu meinen aktuellen Werkeleien....
Wenn ihr wüsstet, wie gern ich das jetzt herzeigen würde... früher konnte ich solche "Geheimnisse" ja gar nicht für mich behalten und meine Mutter musste immer ihre zukünftigen Geschenke wieder "vergessen" - was sie auch brav getan hat! ;-)
Das geht nun leider gar nicht!

Aber hier ein Tip:
– die bunten Klötzchen sind Teil eines nautischen Alphabets - zum Glück musste ich nur ein N malen! Das ganze Ding ist eben fertig geworden und es gefällt mir richtig gut! Jetzt muss ich nur noch sehen, wie ich es nach Deutschland bekomme. Vielleicht will mich ja jemand besuchen kommen?? Übernachtungsplatz gegen Transport von ca. 3 kg....

– das Gestrick ist eine Variation zum bekannten Thema. Du Cat, solltest wissen, was gemeint ist!

Donnerstag, 1. März 2012

Ausflug der Woche - Laguna Fuente de Piedra

Mein gestriger Wandertag führte mich (mal wieder) zur Lagune von Fuente de Piedra. Ich wollte doch sehen, was es noch an überwinternden Wasservögeln gibt oder wie weit der Frühling fortgeschritten ist...
Diesmal haben es mir die Enten besonders angetan:

Löffelente - Pato cuchara - Anas clypteata
und

Krickente - Cerceta común - Anas crecca
Außerdem habe ich gesehen:
Stockente - Ánade real - Anas platyrhynchos
Tafelente - Aythya ferina - Porrón común

Stelzenläufer - Himantopus himantopus - Cigüeñuela común
Säbelschnäbler - Recurvirostra avosetta - Avoceta común
Bläßhuhn - Fulica atra - Focha común
Teichhuhn - Gallinula chloropus - Polla gris

Kiebitz - Vanellus vanellus - Avefría europea
Lachmöwe - Larus ridibundus (seit neuestem: Chroicocephalus ridibundus) - Gaviota reidora
Weißkopfmöwe - Larus michahellis - Gaviota patiamarilla (gehörte früher mal zur Silbermöwe)

Die ersten paar hundert Flamingos waren auch schon da:

Flamingo - Phoenicopterus roseus - Flamenco común
Sandregenpfeifer - Charadrius hiaticula - Chorlitejo grande
Waldwasserläufer - Tringa ochropus - Andarríos grande
sowie

Mehlschwalbe - Delichon urbicum - Avión común
Rauchschwalbe - Hirundo rustica - Golondrina común
Haubenlerche - Galerida cristata - Cogujada común
Bachstelze - Motacilla alba - Lavandera balnca
Hausrotschwanz - Phoenicurus ochrurus - Colirrojo tizón
Schwarzkehlchen - Saxicola rubicola - Tarabilla común
Turmfalke - Falco tinnunculus - cernícalo vulgar,
Kaninchen - Oryctolagus cuninculus - Conejo común
und
Maurische Bachschildkröten - ...

... Mauremys leprosa - Galápago leprosa ...

...beim Sonnenbad!
In diesem Sinne wünsche ich euch einen schönen Frühlingsbeginn!