amapola66's VirtualTourist Home Page

Welcome to my VT pages. I am one busy person, but I love to travel. I have been lucky to travel quite alot with my job as a musician, but most of these pages hold some of the more recent places I have visited with family and friends, although there is the odd musical haunt listed under 'nightlife' tips when a certain venue is memorable in some way.

I love Europe and my heart and home are definitely here. Since starting these pages, it has become rather apparent, that I have a penchant for 'cities by the sea' and am also rather partial to a mountain or two...

Currently home is Brighton, UK where I live with the 'Small Person' (now referred to as 'Little Rock Chic'). I run my own piano school for children and play, write & produce music for Hush Collector I love living here and have added, and will continue to add, some of my favourite haunts for those who may be visiting our lovely city. Spain is also is one of my favourite places to spend time, makes sense really, being a cross between my Anglo/Venezuelan blood. I also also adore most things Francais.

I am trying to add a little each day, (it is like writing ones memoirs in many ways don't you think?) and have recently updated my pages from my other country - Venezuela, from where I have just returned having spent Christmas and New Year with my lovely family.

We also lived in Boston MA for a year (2001), so have been adding to those pages aiming to avoid the usual tourist spots (as they have been covered so well already by VT members) and trying more of a European in Boston type thing including favourite local haunts and stores that I used to frequent there. The same will go for my London pages, where I was born and lived most of my life. The latter are slow to come, as there is so much I could write and can't think where to start! So I have started with some practical help for visitors in the transport department and adding tips from my old stomping ground as I get time.

I hope you will find some of the info and links useful to get a feel of a place or find something amusing at least...Let me know if you enjoyed them, or have any questions, I've really enjoyed building them and making some new friends in the process.

My homepage pic was taken in Venezuela, Dec 07 at a little fish restaurant on the road from Caracas to Los Taques in Paraguana.

Summer 2005, I spent just under a month in the Andalucian province of Granada, with my amiga (the Gypsy Dancer) and three 'Small People'. Most of our time was spent in a village house in the old town of Salobrena, followed by some time spent in the mountain village of Niguelas (beautiful).
More coming very soon on my Salobrena pages

After alot of hard work and creative energy, my current musical project 'Hush Collector' is now up and running. We made our live debut on BBC Southern Counties Phil Jackson Show followed by a launch party/gig, for our debut 'the Flowby ep' (out in the USA and UK) and which turned out to be a really special night. So far, the reviews have been fab -

If you fancy a listen, there are some excerpts on the Hush Collector Website and a full track for streaming on our my My Space Page. Our music is also available on i tunes. We love to receive feedback, so please feel free to send your comments.

Dec 2005

Had a last minute weekend in Paris just before Christmas. I was very excited as it has been too long . I spent two days seeing some art, walking alot, shopping and eating . (It's a hard life!) I also met up with mon ami 'The French Painter' while I was there and we had a ride on his little motor bike around the Arc de Triomphe which was the most fantastic fun! Paris looked as beautiful as ever with all the little white Christmas lights in the trees... I feel France could the place for Hush Collector to play, maybe I would be happy to just go round and round France with the band and forget about other places! The people of France seem to have more appreciation for the arts in general and I have always thoroughly enjoyed previous tours there with previous bands and you get fed so well ; ) More in my Paris pages very soon.

Dec/Jan 2006

Not long home from Christmas with relatives in Michigan and I can tell you, it was cold! The Small Person was ecstatic with the abundance of snow and we caught up with alot of people we had not seem for some time. I will try to catch up with my Michigan pages soon.

While staying on the Granada coast of Spain 2005, we did a day trip with the Small People to the nearby Almunecar water park and spent a short time strolling around the old town with its cobbled streets and small independent shops. We wished we had more time to explore, so summer 2006 we did a 'recky' there for three days in June and then returend for the summer staying in a village house in the old town See my Almunecar pages which I am currently updating, for further info and tips from our trips there.

Dec 2006 saw me and the 'not quite so small anymore person' (and now referred to as 'Little Rock Chic') return to the mountains of Southern Spain. This time to celebrate ' Uncle Dread's ' grand coming of age (40th) birthday party. The venue - a large villa nr Lake Iznajar; The clientel - assorted misfits of all ages and styles with a love of Uncle Dread in common. As always, I will reporting on the finer details, so stay tuned.

Well, unusually, I hadn't been very far sinse my last ramblings...Recently though I had a short fix with a road trip to to Andalucia with my pal 'Inspector Leaf' which saw me fall in love with Granada city. I have been in self imposed 'creative exile' over the winter period writing and recording for Hush Collector....Returned to Granada for two weeks in August and am currently updating my Granada pages.

- Have just returned from Venezuela where we spent a nice long time with my family. Updates on my Venezuela/Los Taques pages are ongoing.