travel

Ready to travel

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DonQui is on his way to Tanzania in a few days time.

So he is off to the Fleet Street clinic. This is where he goes whenever he need to be poked, prodded, jabbed, inoculated or otherwise medicated to prevent him from picking up any nasty tropical diseases.

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Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient they are better than your average Vet. They keep his inoculation records, remind him if he needs a booster and give good advice on what he should have and what he could do without.

He knows he must take his yellow international inoculation card with him and that the Tanzanian authorities will check to see if it is up to date for Yellow Fever. Fortunately DonQui does not need any nasty needles this time. All he requires is some Malarone to protect against Malaria. Malarone may be a wee bit expensive but it does not give him any side effects. Some people, not least the British Army, still use Lariam which is cheap and only requires one pill a week rather than one every day. However it does have some very nasty side effects and therefore DonQui stays well clear of it.

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The Fleet Street Clinic also shares premises with an optometrist and DonQui thinks that the antique chair on display looks rather scary. He is not sure he would want an eye test there.

Then DonQui stocks up on US dollars at the Post Office where they do not charge commission. He knows you can get a visa on arrival at the airport but it costs $50 — cash only and no change given. Taxis from the airport in Dar Es Salaam operate a flat rate also in US dollars only. There is no point in taking anything larger than a $20 bill but a few smaller denomination notes can come in handy. Tanzanian shillings cannot be obtained in advance but DonQui has found them easy to obtain from local bank machines — or ATMs.

The Most Beautiful Bridge in London

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In DonQui’s opinion it is not Tower Bridge – although it is pretty impressive.

It is certainly not London Bridge, which is in Arizona.

Waterloo Bridge

Neither is it Waterloo Bridge, despite the Kinks’ eulogy and the rather magnificent views.

Albert Bridge

In DonQui’s view it is Albert Bridge which has to take top spot

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He always feels inspired whenever he sees it or crosses between Battersea and Chelsea

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And if he is trotting along with others he is always careful to break step – after all he would not want to cause it to fall down.

A Stroll Through Soho

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Avid readers of his blog will not be surprised to find DonQui in Soho. After all he made a promise to himself yesterday while wandering around Piccadilly.

DonQui likes Soho. Full of eating, drinking and entertainment establishments there are plenty of possibilities for a decent lunch or a good night on the town. There are still even a few naughty places left over from its 1950s-70s heyday as London’s capital of sleaze, not that DonQui knows anything about such matters. Although rather gentrified now, there is just enough grit left for DonQui to feel that that the area has not become too sanitised.

Bypassing the tourist hell of Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, DonQui heads straight for the back streets to the north of Shaftesbury Avenue.

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A stroll up Berwick Street reveals plenty of options for good  food. From the fruit and vegetable sellers…

Soho2 to pseudo street-food stalls offering everything from burritos…

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to salads…

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and even fish and chips; there is plenty on offer if you don’t have the time for a sit-down lunch.

Before too long, DonQui finds himself on Dean Street. This is where he usually finds himself when he is in Soho as it houses some of his favourite stopping off places.

Prix Fixe

Prix Fixe is an excellent lunch or dinner spot in the manner of a French brasserie. They have a set menu offering incredibly good value in a relaxed atmosphere. Inevitably DonQui ends up having a steak-frites as his main course. The frites are proper thin french style — crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

French House

The French House, a bit further down Dean St, is one of DonQui’s favourite watering holes. During the second world war it was the unofficial headquarters of de Gaulle’s Free French and this is the root of the name. The French House still retains its character and is a perfect place to meet for a drink before going to dinner or for turning a lunch into an all afternoon affair. French and Belgian beers are on tap, served in half pint glasses only, and they also have some excellent Breton cider.

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Favoured by actors, writers, bohemians and all sorts or reprobates it is about as far as one can get from a blonde wood and chrome chain pub. There is no music, no slot machines, no sports on television and woe betide anyone who uses a mobile phone.

Just the sort of place DonQui likes.

Coach and Horses

The Coach and Horses around the corner on Greek Street used to be another haunt. It was a ‘proper boozer’ and one of the few remaining Soho stalwarts. Sadly, since the departure of Norman in 2006, it has begun to tidy itself up. Norman, who ran the pub for 62 years was the self-proclaimed ‘rudest pub landlord in Britain’ and would not tolerate boring people nor anything that might get in the way of lively conversation or proper drinking.

DonQui drops in for a quick pint and is horrified to learn that it has now become a vegetarian pub. He shakes his head in disbelief and thinks that Peter O’Toole and Francis Bacon (who were once regulars) must be turning in their graves.

DonQui also Recommends
Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington St for a cosy, intimate atmosphere, high quality food and a great wine list — a good place to take a date.
Ronnie Scott’s 47 Frith St, for a night of top end jazz with big names often playing there. A Soho institution since 1959
Bar Italia 22 Frith Street for a proper Italian espresso in a proper Italian atmosphere. Across the street from Ronnie Scott’s it has been running since 1949
Pizza Express 10 Dean Street for both good pizza and good jazz. Although DonQui generally avoids chains he makes an exception for this one. There is nothing chain-like about the Jazz Club downstairs.
La Boheme 13 Old Compton St for a lively atmosphere from breakfast through to dinner and then late drinks. The public face of the original Soho House (once a fine members club and now an industry) it is a good place to go for the buzz rather than an expectation of exceptional or good value food.
Ain’t Nothing But the Blues Bar, 20 Kingly St for a lively buzzing atmosphere and great live blues until the wee hours of the morning.

Passing the Time in Piccadilly

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DonQui finds himself in London and at a loose end for about an hour. Now an hour is rather an annoying amount of time to have free. It is not enough to do something really interesting like having a proper lunch but it is too much to simply kick ones hooves and do nothing.

In his view, time wasting is an art form which should be cultivated. The more he observes humans rushing around in a constant state of busy-ness, the more he thinks they could learn from donkeys — most of whom are perfectly happy to laze around in a field all day.

Piccadilly

So with this in mind DonQui heads for Piccadilly where there are lots of places to waste time in a pleasurable and productive manner.

Fortum & Mason’s is always worth a nose around.

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Mr Fortnum and Mr Mason have sorts of delectable delights very attractively arranged,  and DonQui rather approves of their old fashioned formality. Although tempted — he doesn’t buy anything as the prices are a bit on the steep side.

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He wasn’t even tempted by Japanese Wagyu beef at a mere £195 a kilo!

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The tea selection is pretty impressive and they even have tastings. DonQui had no idea that there could be so many different varieties

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— even a blend to celebrate the Battle of Waterloo.

Hatchards

Next door to Fortum & Mason, and boasting one more Royal Warrant, is Hatchard’s — Britain’s oldest bookshop which was established in 1797 and is now owned by Waterstones. Packed full of great books, and not just the latest bestsellers, Hatchard’s is a great place to browse as well as picking up a good book or two.

Waterstones

A little further on, the five floors of books at the Waterstones’ flagship store could absorb DonQui for ages. There is a café upstairs and there are worse ways to pass the time than picking up an interesting book or two from the shelves and then retiring to the café to leaf through them.

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There are plenty of good places to stop for a bite to eat although some may require taking out a second mortgage on the stable in order to pay the bill.

DonQui simply goes for a coffee and croissant at Paul — one of an increasing number or rather welcome French boulangeries and pâtisseries  that have crossed the channel in recent years.

Piccadilly_Arcade

Then he takes a stroll through the Piccadilly Arcade with its impossibly quirky and expensive shops. These range from bespoke tailors to Maille mustard; militaria to Russian icons.

RA

If he had more time DonQui might have considered dropping into the Royal Academy across the road for a bit of artistic culture. On the other hand it is probably more likely that he would have made his way over to Soho for something to eat and drink.

In fact that sounds like such a good idea that he resolves to go to Soho tomorrow,

Best Airport in Britain?

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London Southend?
DonQui was not entirely sure that he had heard correctly. Southend was certainly not London and he was pretty sure you couldn’t fly there unless you were a bird.
But it was true. He was flying back to England and not only did Southend have an airport but apparently Which magazine has named it as the ‘best small airport in Britain.’ It might be a bit of a cheek to call it ‘London Southend’ but the train into London Liverpool St is only 55 minutes — not much more than the train from Stansted.
DonQui was flying from Alicante airport and he was afraid that it would be overrun by the Benidorm crowd. Actually it was fairly quite and spacious. Whether it would be the same in high season he cannot say.

flight

The flight was quite pleasant, even thought it was EasyJet and there was a good clear view over the Thames estuary as the plane made its descent.

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Southend was a revelation. Clean, modern, uncrowded and with everything close together it was quite different from the human zoos of Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick. DonQui was most impressed.
It took no time at all to get to the airport train station which had no barriers or queues. A train pulled in a minute or two after DonQui got on the platform and he was on his way home.

A Nice Quiet Beach

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Feeling in need of a little R&R by the sea, DonQui makes his way to La Azohía, not too far from Cartagena on what is called the Costa Cálida or ‘Warm Coast’. By now it is late September and the air temperature is still hitting the high 20s – low 30s although the water seems a bit colder than it was in Tarragona a week or so earlier.

Azohia beach

DonQui was hoping for a quiet place to relax without horrid high-rises, garish attractions or too many humans.

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He had found it. La Azohía is about as laid back as even a sleepy donkey could hope for. There is only one tiny shop, a few restaurants and a couple of beach bars.

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With the season coming to an end, the coast is pretty free of humans and many of the restaurants and bars are closed. The best, however, are still open.

Azohia sunset

Although it is on the east coast, the south-west facing curve of the beach means that there are some fabulous sunsets to watch while sipping a drink and having a meal at the Restaurante Bodega Molina.

Azohia fish

Here DonQui enjoys some very nice freshly caught fish grilled with garlic, olive oil and chillies.

Azohia sunset

An even better sundowner is to be had at the Rockola Summer Club – a tiny beach bar.

Azohia bar

Here all drinks are €1.50 and they have a great play list of rock, blues and jazz.

Azohia7

All in all DonQui thinks La Azohía is a pretty good place to stay for a few days of blissful peace and quiet. There are no hotels here but if you fancy a stay there are plenty of holiday apartments to rent. DonQui found a very nice one right on the beach through Airbnb.

Drinks and Tapas

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One of the best things about Granada is that whenever DonQui goes for a drink in the evening he is offered free tapas. His favourite haunt is Torcuato at the top of Cale Pagés in Albayzín which seems to be primarily frequented by locals.

Torcuato

From 9pm onwards the atmosphere is buzzing and DonQui spends several happy evenings here whiling away the hours sipping wine, savouring the free tapas, and occasionally ordering a dish or two off the menu. It is the sort of casual place DonQui likes — good food and drink without any pretension or fuss. It would probably not appeal to those who want slick service or an orderly meal.

tapas

The tapas varied each evening – DonQui’s favourite was a plate of grilled squid on  crispy cabbage salad bed.

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Further down Cale Pagés there is a small square (Plaza Aliatar) where the bars start up a bit earlier. The tapas there is not as good but DonQui rather liked the ice cold beer served in a clay beaker at El Panero. So a beer there first and then up to Torcuato for wine and food.

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The Mirador San Nicolás is the place to go for a sundowner with unbeatable views of the Alhambra as the setting sun catches the walls.

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Many people simply gather on the wall of the square…

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…but DonQui prefers to have a drink at either El Balcón de San Nicolás or the El Huerto Juan Ranas next door. Neither of these places have free tapas but they have great views of the Alhambra and comfortable seats.

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In the square a number of artisans set up stalls to sell their wares to the tourists. It is all quite atmospheric.

A Lazy Sunday at the Beach

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First impressions were not great. The beach looked grey and deserted, and a lady warned of jelly fish.  However, a little cove by the Paraiso de Nerja was just inviting enough to tempt DinQui down the steps to explore. In worst case he could have a coffee and then head off to find a better place.

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At a pleasant 26 degrees with clear sky and an off shore breeze, Nerja started to feel like a place to stay for a few hours. Close up the gritty grey sand was not so bad and some inviting parasols clustered amongst palm trees were enough to convince DonQui to shell out €4 each and stay a while.

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As Duchess basked in the late morning sun, DonQui went off exploring. He clambered over the rocks at the bottom of the grey slate cliff, which gave its colour to the sand and then paddled back along the shore.

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Apart from a lone fisherman and a couple of other humans, DonQui had the place to himself.

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After a little rest on the sun bed DinQui was in need of some refreshment. Fortunately just a few metres up from the beach was El Avalon – rated on TripAdvisor as the #1 place to eat in Nerja. DonQui agrees. The food was delicious and the setting on a high terrace overlooking the beach was hard to beat.

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The pawns in garlic butter sauce were the highlight…

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…but all the dishes were excellent.

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Than it was back down to the beach. There were more humans there but still pretty peaceful. DonQui found a nice shady spot under a fan palm and had an afternoon nap, the sound of the breaking waves gently sending him off to sleep.

DonQui Recommends:

El Avalon for a long, leisurely, luxurious,  lunch

Lunch in Paradise

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DonQui rather likes Granada — a city built for Donkeys not for cars.  The narrow, rough-cobbled streets of the ancient Moorish Albayzín district made him feel quite at home and he could imagine his ancestors carrying baskets up and down the hills to build the famous Alhambra.

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Now the Alhambra is justly famous and should not be missed. The problem is that everyone else knows this and the number of visitors each day are strictly limited.

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Buy a ticket in advance was the advice.

Excellent advice it was, except that when DonQui went online to reserve in early September, every day was booked out through to the end of November. The only option was a guided tour.

DonQui cannot abide guided tours.

Not to be put off he searched various websites. Most were fully booked but then Ticket Bar came up with availability in the afternoon of his first day in Granada. There was no immediate receipt for payment which gave DonQui a few nervous hours in case it had been a scam and then to his delight a voucher came through with an entry time to the Palacios Nazaríes at 15:00.

On the day, after wandering around the centre of Granada and looking in at the Baroque cathedral — all of which were so-so — DonQui trotted up the steps of the tourist information office.

By now it was around noon and DonQui’s ticket to the Alhambra did not allow general entry before 14:00 with a set entrance time to the palaces at 15:00. He wanted to know if there was a possibility to have lunch at the Alhambra before starting his visit.

The lady in the tourist office looked at DonQui — her face a picture of incredulity.

“But you will only have an hour. That is not nearly enough time!” she said, regarding DonQui as if he were a barbaric fast food Anglo-Saxon.

Suddenly her face cleared. She had a solution.

She told DonQui that he could take a taxi to the Parador which is a 5 star hotel in the centre of the Alhambra. It has a separate entrance and if he went there DonQui would not be bound by the entry times on his ticket. Looking at her watch the lady saw that it was nearly 12:30. A taxi from the centre would cost around €6 and would get him to the Parador before 13:00. This would give him a bit over 2 hours for lunch. Barely enough time, she acknowledged, but it might work.

And work it did.

DonQui often waltzes into 5 star establishments to have a drink and then use their facilities even though he is not staying. In his experience if one is dressed reasonably well and acts as if they own the place then no one questions their right to be there.

alhgdns

So a taxi whisked him up the winding road past all the hapless tourists to drop DonQui off in front of the grand entrance where he was met by a suitably obsequious minion who guided him to a waiting table in the aptly named ‘gardens of paradise’ which had been designed for the Sultans’ pleasure many centuries ago.

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Duchess had a Gazpacho Andaluz…

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…while DonQui could not resit what the English translation of the menu called “fowl stew wrapped in fine dough”. The latter (Breua de pollo in Spanish) turned out to be very similar to a Moroccan bastilla — a delightful mix of chicken and/or pigeon, egg, almonds saffron and cinnamon amongst layers of ultra fine phyllo pastry. Washed down by an excellent rosé it was just what DonQui needed to set him up for his visit to the magical Alhambra.

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He suggests you should enjoy discovering it for yourself.

DonQui Recommends

Book Alhambra tickets in advance. The entrance times to the incredible Palacios Nazaríes are fixed for an exact hour but you can spend the rest of the morning or afternoon (depending on your ticket) wandering the grounds.

The Granada Card is worth considering as it gives entry to all the major sites, including the Alhambra, as well as the use of public transport.

Set aside at least 3 hours for the Alhambra visit. It is a place to enjoy at leisure not to rush around.

The Parador and the Hotel America are located in the middle of the Alhambra. You can go to them outside the official visiting times. Both are good for lunch or drinks with the former being top end and the latter more casual with old world charm.

Ticket Bar is a good Dutch website for obtaining tickets to various attractions. They got DonQui tickets to the Alhambra when Ticketmaster failed and there was no big mark-up.