Beach_dog's VirtualTourist Home Page

One of the years most interesting weeks in Marbella, Easter. Daily evening processions of hundreds of people dressed as penitants, nazarenes, bands and the large heavy thrones carried on the shoulders of bearers, depicting a different scene from the passion every day. I will try to build a t'log for each evening.

Spain was located right on the line of Annularity for Octobers Annular Solar Eclipse. An annular solar eclised is when the moon is at its most distant part of its orbit, it is therefore not big enough to cover the whole of the suns disc. On the line of annularity you still see a ring of light arount the edges of the moon. This differs from a total solar eclipse where the disc of the moon totally obscurs the sun. The line of annularity in Spain ran from Vigo in the northwest, the capital Madrid in central Spain and passing off the peninsula at Valencia in the southeast, before continuing across the Mediteranean to Libya, Sudan and the Indian Ocean. At Marbella we were off the line of annularity and only witnessed 85% coverage of the suns disc, but I managed some good photos of the event. More photos are in the album below.

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Bush fire in the foothills.

Fire in Marbella - Saturday 23rd July

With the exceptionally hot weather and drought here this summer, forest and bush fires are becoming more common along the coast and in the rest of Spain and Portugal

On Saturday I witnessed one at close hand and was able to get pictures of the fire and the fire services efforts to extinguish it. See more photos and the full story in the album below.

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Snow on La Concha

Snow in Marbella!!!! (March2005)

March 5th 2005 - I had quite a surprise this morning, I walked out onto the terrace and looked up at the mountain above the town. I was amazed as there was snow on top of La Concha a mountain just a couple of miles north of us and just under 1000m in height. Its the first time anyone has seen this in at least 25 years.

Most of Europe seems to be suffering a mini ice age this March, much of Spain is snowcovered with many motorways and mountain passes closed. I just wonder if the mountain at Marbella is the most southerly limit of the icesheet. The city itself has had temperatures as low as 7?C quite cold for Marbella.

I went but a way, and sat down upon the ground, looking out upon the sea, which was just before me, and very calm and smooth. As I sat here, some such thoughts as these occurred to me: What is this earth and sea, of which I have seen so much? Whence is it produced, and what am I, and all the creatures, wild and tame, human and brutal. Whence are we?
Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

I never travel without my dairy. One should always
have something sensational to read.
Oscar Wilde

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have a few pages for locations that I consider my favourites here in VT. Most are Spanish as I consider Spain as my favourite country. Both before and since moving here I have been lucky to explore so much of the country. I think Spain must be one of the most photogenic countries, it?s history and the things I discover never cease to amaze me.

Spain
Andalucia, Spain
Marbella, Spain
Granada, Spain
Medina Sidonia, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Sevilla, Spain
Madrid, Spain
Ibiza, Spain

Prague, Czech Republic

Mizpe Ramon, Israel