"The Travels of Amapola" amapola66's Profile

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 (briefly interluded by a short spell in Spain) where I live with the 'Small Person' (now referred to as 'Little Rock Chic') and the 'Motorcyclist'. I run my own piano school for children and play, write & produce music for Hush Collector I have added, and will continue to add, some of my favourite haunts for those who may be visiting our city. Spain has to be my favourite country in the world. It makes sense really, being a cross between my Anglo/Venezuelan blood. I also also adore most things Francais.

I was trying to add a little each day, (it is like writing ones memoirs in many ways don't you think?) but lapsed for a while, now I am updating! Some of my pages from my other country - Venezuela and some of my Spain pages where I have visted many times and briefly lived.

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. (Must update!)

Salobrena

I have spent much time in Spain, mostly in Andalucia as I am a flamenco dance fan. We have stayed in the Albaycin in Granada, cheap and cheerful village houses by the sea (see tips), funky more luxury hotels in Malaga where we went to the August feria (2010) and more cheap and cheerful hostals on the road. We even lived there for a while 2009. I will continue to add tips of cheap and cheerful and not so cheap an cheerful, but nearly always cool, places to stay and visit in this lovely country. This year (2011) will take us to Ronda, Arcos de frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Conil among other places and I'm really looking forward to it, especially after our rather dull year for weather in the UK so far!

I try to keep my tips up to date and do try to add little quirky things of interest, little road trips and festivals which I hope you will find useful, if not at least somewhat interesting? Please let me know if there is something out of date if you are reading, or contact me if you wish to have any further details on something in particular. I know the south of Spain pretty well and would love to go back and live there again sometime.

Besos.

Paris in December

I cannot resist a weekend in Paris! Last time I was there was just too long ago now, I must do something about it. On my last visit, 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 ; )

The Motorcyclist and I, often pop over to France and I've added a few handy tips not too far astray for those living on the south coast of England. We are so lucky we can hop on a ferry or grab the chunnel and be in the north of France in no time at all. I hope you find some of my tips handy, I will continue to update whenever I have the time...

Life's a beach - Mauritius

Spent a nice long time with my family over Christmas and New Year. Updates on my Venezuela and Los Taques pages are ongoing. I hope to visit again later this year (2011) and will add tips as soon as...

I have also been very lucky to have visited the beautiful island of Mauritius - Updates ongoing as I get time.

Hush Collector - Flowby ep

After alot of hard work and creative energy, my current musical project 'Hush Collector' is was released in 2005. 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.

let's go!

We love the open road and love to drive for miles- especially on our Harley Davidson. Not had too many good sunny days in the UK this year, we really must get that rather expensive ferry over to Espana soon.