Tag Archives: Retirement abroad

Spain

Spelunking the Cueva del Puerto

We decided to try something totally new and different. We went to explore some of the caves in Murcia. There is a cave system which is over 5 kilometers long called the Cueva del Puerto. They are located in Calasparra and approximately 5 kilometres of the caves have been mapped. Nearly all the caves in the Murcia Region are formed by limestone or dolomite,

We drove with friends to the mountains in Calasparra and arrived at the caves visitor centre.

Cueva del Puerto centre

We were met by our two guides who would be leading the exploration of the caves. We went into a change room to change into our cave gear.  We wore coveralls, rappelling gear, and a helmet with light.

Shelley getting ready for the exploration of the caves.

Once everyone was dressed we walked up a trail which brought us  to the entrance to the cave system. There we had a finale review of our equipment and then headed inside the caves.

Our group with one of our guides before heading into the caves del Puerto

In the entrance of the cave is an area for tourist to explore a small section. We headed along that pat then headed down into other areas of the caves not open to tourist.

Zack, Susy, Marcelo, Sonja, Ray and Shelley in a section of the Cave del Puerto

It was a frightening and exciting experience at the same time. We climbed down through some small crevices working our way through the caves. We repelled down sections of the cave, sometimes over 20 feet at a time.

Ray rappelling down a section of the cave of Puerto

There were times when we had to literary crawl on our stomachs to get through some of the openings. It was not an activity for the faint of heart or for anyone who is claustaphobic. We would stop every once and a while to take a photo and rest.

We entered areas of the caves which opened up into larger caverns. Some of these caverns were quite large and impressive while others were so small you could not even stand completely upright.

It was a very challenging exploring the caves and after four hours, we reached the exit of the caves again.

The group at the end of the four hour cave exploration.

It was a very physical and long day,  but it was very rewarding and enjoyable.

“Adios y tenga un grand dia”

Spain

Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento

On the evening of October 21st there was a religious celebration  in Alicante called “the Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento” . It is a procession which is held in Santa Cruz locate in the heart of the old quarter of Alicante.

We went to a friend’s home to watch the procession. They live in the barrio of Santa Cruz along the route of the procession. We had a balcony which overlooked the procession along one of the smallest spots in the route.

View from the balcony of the route for the Salida

The Salida extraordinria del Descendimiento has a wooden platform which is carried through the barrio of Santa Cruz. On the wooden float is a wooden carving of Jesus and other religious figures. They are all carried on a large wooden platform. The weight of the statues and  the platform is approximately 25,000 lbs (1135 kg).

Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento platform being carried through the barrio of Santa Cruz

People gather throughout the route to pray, sing and clap as the platform is carried. There are approximately 30 people who carry the heavy platform and they stop along the route for prayers and songs. There is a band which follows the procession and plays unique music for the event.

Band marching and playing music behind the Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento.

We had an excellent location to watch the entire Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento. The balcony was located so close to the route that Shelley was able to reach out and touch the cross and the carving of Jesus as it went by.

Shelley on the balcony waving after the procession passed

We had a very enjoyable time, visiting with some of our friends and experiencing a Catholic Spanish tradition. We made a short video of the Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento for you to enjoy. The music in the video is from the Salida extraordinaria del Descendimiento and was played during the procession.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Poland

A day in Krakow

We went into the Krakow city center to explore the old quarter. There were beautiful old buildings with great architectural features.

Krakow city center

We walked through the streets looking at the buildings and enjoying the sites. There were many unique features including a bicycle.

Skeleton framed bicycle in Krakow city center.

We came across a beautiful large plaza which had horse-drawn carriages parked there.

Linda, Bev, and Shelley, in the large plaza area in Krakow city center.

We went over to the horse and carriages to check them out. There was one in particular that looked really good.

Horse-drawn carriage in Krakow

We went over to the women and inquired the cost of a ride. The price was reasonable so we decided to take a horse-drawn carriage ride.

Linda, Bev, Ray, and Shelley in Horse Carriage in Krakow

We enjoyed traveling through the streets in the carriage, seeing some of the main sites.

We went shopping along some of the shops in the city center. There were some specialty shops and unique stores.

Bev and Shelley going into a shoe store in Krakow

There some beautiful restaurants, pastry shops and cafes located in the plaza and streets.

Cafe on the side street in city center of Krakow

The visit to Krakow was very interesting and quite enjoyable.

“do widzenia i wielki dzień”

Netherlands

Venice of the North

We went to Amsterdam for a few days and explored this amazing city.

Ray in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is also known as the “Venice of the North” because of all the canals. There are 165 canals covering over 100 kilometers in Amsterdam.

We decided to take a dinner cruise and enjoy the canals in the evening. We arrived at around 7 p.m. and lined up to get onboard our cruise boat.

Each table was reserved and we had a nice table near the rear of the boat.

We set off and shortly after the waiter served us with wine and cava. The cruise was a very calm and the slow ride down some of the less traveled canals made it enjoyable. We enjoyed the wine and relaxed as we passed by some of the amazing homes.

Beautiful homes along the canals in Amsterdam

We came across some interesting things on our cruise. There were restaurants and other businesses located on boats anchored on the canals. There was the largest Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam which happens to be a floating barge.

We also saw some unique buildings and boats located at the canals.

During the cruise, we were served an amazing meal. There was a kitchen on board and the chef made the meal while we toured the canals.

Shelley, Ray, and Bev on boat cruise

During the evening cruise, it became dark and we were able to see the canals at night. The canals take on a new appearance and feel after dark.

The buildings, canals, and bridges take on a new look at night. The bridges have lights on the arches and light shimmers across the water of the canals.

The cruise was very relaxing and enjoyable. We had a delicious meal and was able to see Amsterdam on the water. It is definitely a great way to see the city and the canals.

“tot ziens en een goede dag”

Netherlands

A visit to Amsterdam

We went to Amsterdam for a few days and toured this wonderful city. We walked through the streets of Amsterdam and were amazed to see the number of bicycles being used. There were separate bike lanes on every sidewalk and if you were not careful you could easily be struck by a cyclist.

Cyclists on Amsterdam cycle lanes

There were bicycles parked and locked everywhere in the city.

Bikes parked and locked along the streets of Amsterdam

There is a saying in Amsterdam that there are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam. Bike theft is also a major problem, the police estimate that each year approximately 80,000 bikes are stolen.

We walked along the historic red district of Amsterdam. There were many coffee shops which sold Marijuana, sex related shops, and a few prostitutes displaying their wares along the way.

We went through the older section of Amsterdam where there were beautiful architectural buildings.

Anne and Shelley in historic Amsterdam
Amsterdam Train Station

We came across a beautiful building that was converted into a high-end mall.

Historic building converted into a Mall in Amsterdam

We decided to go in and look around. The inside of the mall was very elegant and there was a large chandelier hanging in the center.

Crystal Chandelier in mall

We then came to an area of Amsterdam where there were old traditional style homes.

Old style building in Downtown Amsterdam

Some of the buildings were slanted from years of settlement on their foundations. It was interesting to see how slanted some of the buildings were.

Buildings settled over time and leaning on another building in Amsterdam

At the top of most of the older style buildings, there were cantilevered pulleys. These were used to hoist furniture and other items up to upper-level floors.

Pulley used for hoisting furniture to the top floor.
Ray, Anne, and Shelley in downtown Amsterdam

Amsterdam was a very interesting and unique city. We enjoyed our time there and look forward to another visit in the future.