#stayhome

March 2020. Corona lockdown. A good opportunity to sketch corners in the house.

La Gomera 2020

Shortly before our flight to La Gomera, my husband and me got really sick. A bad virus knocked us out and we had high fever for three days. It was not clear if we could fly, but we really didn’t want to miss this journey. We were desparately longing for the sun and some light, so we managed to fly (with protecting masks) and reached San Sebastian in La Gomera. We were lucky with our wonderful apartment in the center of the town with views on the port and the mountain. 

This week was like a sanatorium for us. We didn’t do much. We slept a lot, rested and slowly recovered. We did a few short walks into town, 

enjoyed zumo de naranja at Plaza de la Constitution

walked to the beach nearby 

and did a day tour with the boat to Playa de Santiago.

With new energy we then moved to the other side of the Island, to Valle gran Rey. Our apartment there was located near the port just in front of Vueltas bay and we felt happy that we booked it for three weeks. 

The morning in the bay started with some active people. Some swimmers, a tai-chi lady, a hula-hoop lady and some yoga groups. Later on came a singing group and slowly, slowly it filled up with beach life.

Every time of the day, the bay looked completely different. I enjoyed being able to observe and sketch its dynamic appearance from our balcony.

What I like so much about Valle Gran Rey and La Gomera is that it remains very simple and doesn’t change much. You won’t find big hotels or much luxury. 

We were very lucky with the weather. The whole island was sunny during these weeks. Even the eastern and northern parts, which are usually  cloudy and very moist. We did some hiking admiring the beautiful and impressive nature. Even though we enjoyed the sunny warm weather very much, I do hope that the clouds and rain will come back to the island. It is getting dry!

Writing these lines from rainy, grey and stormy Hamburg I am already looking forwards for January 2021 in Valle Gran Rey. We have booked the same apartment - this time for four full weeks :)

Conil - a white city at the atlantic coast

White city, beautiful endless beaches, blue water, sun and light… 

Córdoba

We stayed 5 days in Córdoba. Córdoba is famous für the Mezquita-Mosque which has been converted to a Cathedral. I loved the atmosphere in the great Mosque and tried to ignore the huge Cathedral which was built into the heart of it.

Córdoba is the town of patios and orange trees. I can imagine the smell and how beautiful it is in the blossom season. Flowers and plants are decorating every corner, green patios and orange trees everywhere. 

„Plaza de la Corredera“ was a good location for a serveza in the early evening,

and a Flamenco show is always a must for me in Andalusia, even if it’s a touristic show. Olé!

Algodonales 2019

My husband cannot imagine an October without being in Algodonales. He is a paraglider and this small town in Andalusia is famous for its good conditions for paragliding. The area is also famous for the large amount of vultures who live there. They even fly beside the paragliders - making this an unforgettable experience. I am happy to accompany him. During the day, while he is in the air, I have time for sketching.

Since it was the third time for me in „Algo“ (here are the previous posts from 2018 and 2016) it was a little bit like coming home. The long plaza with two rows of orange trees in front of the church is still the center of life. 

At any given time in the day there is a different activity there. 

Siesta time. The Plaza is empty

My favorite time is between 18:00 and 20:00, when the temperature cools off, and everybody shows up there. Small groups of men, couples and old people with their helpers are walking up and down the plaza. Kids are playing all over, while their parents are sitting on benches.

I loved the view from our window. Again and again I tried to catch the exceptional light. While looking at these sketches I still hear the sounds of cocks and chickens, which had whoken us up every day…

Every morning we had breakfast and every evening we had a meal with some of the pilots in one of the bars in the Plaza.

I was lucky this time. There was another non-gliding wife in our group and - unbelievably - she also liked sketching and had a sketchbook and pencils with her! So we spent the time together moving from one shaded spot to another, sketching in Algodonales and enjoying every minute of it.  

We also visited Ronda,

Zahara,

and Grazalema.

Next October is already booked :)