Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Thursday 22 October 2020

Down that way and turn left

 Having received so many encouraging comments on my previous post it has moved me to stop procrastinating about having to walk for exercise and to get on with it!!

 

The Walk routine commences:

 from here where I live


Alicante City
 

Day 1.  As soon as I finished my online class last Saturday I got my walking gear on and my old college back pack with supplies and my mask (of course) and I was out of that door in a flash. It was such a beautiful day....my legs and thoughts were saying...freedom...go baby go. So it was a brisk start but I did stop here and there to take photos along the way.  

I found I took with out thinking the usual route down towards the city centre, it was as if I was going to work. Although it felt a little strange it was nice to be able to stop leisurely and take photos of some of the gardens in the residential complexes in this neighbourhood:


I am not very knowledgeable about plants so I cannot tell you the name of this flower. It was a very bright red but it was more like a wispy feather than a flower.

 

There were very few people around. Nevertheless, I could hear cheers and people shouting further on down the avenue. This sounded like a football match was underway and that could only be in the Juvenile football club. I took this photo because usually you cannot see the spectators as they would be in the club itself watching the match. Due to C19 no spectators are allowed! I rather liked to see that the parents or family members were still determined to be there to cheer on and encourage their boys who were playing in the match,even though the spectators had to stand back behind the wired fence that encloses the club grounds.

 

 

I continued walking down to the centre and there still weren't many people about,which actually suits me fine. I went past what is now the Palace of Justice which wasn't worth taking photos of as it looks quite a mess as they are still restoring (they have been at it for years) it. This old building used to be Benalua Prison. I remember the old building it was very gloomy indeed although the last time it was used as a prison was during the Spanish Civil War.

 

 

 

 As I got  nearer to the centre I hesitated and decided to turn back as there were just too many people rushing around.   I took another route back past the Cuartel (the old Army barracks) which is now a car park and cut through the Chalet del Ingeniero Park(The Engineers House Park).  It is a lovely relatively new park which was built on the grounds that housed the old Ministry of Public Works. I remember there was a huge wall all the way around this plot of land and a very large wooden gate which was always padlocked.  When they started to demolish the wall it caused quite a sensation with the people in the area as it was discovered that there were these beautiful gardens, albeit rather wild and unkept, behind those stone walls.  Now it is a large public park and holds a public indoor swimming pool. I took two snapshots of the old trees that are still there and some rather pretty hibiscus but I plan to go back because it is worth seeing the rest of this park. 


 


 

 

I am happy to say I managed to do 6020 steps according to my steps  counter and I also found a neat webpage where I could convert the steps into kilometres.. in a jiffy....here!

 I didn't think 4,5 kilometres was too bad for my first day. I must admit I was a bit tired though!!

 

 

 Blocking latest make.  Finally finished..just need to add three tassels

 I started this scarf (bit small for a shawl) approx a year ago. 

I so heart this worsted yarn Katia Polaris...soft,shiny and silky and strong multi-colours. I'd definitely use it again!  The free pattern is Lost in Time designed by Johanna Lindahl. Beautiful pattern; the yarn really makes the variation of stitches stand out. Why did I take so long to finish it?  A few hiccups! As I said it is a beautiful pattern but there were a few intricate parts to it which I just didn't get the hang of so I had to frog it a couple of times! Once I had that sorted I found I had miscalculated the amount of yarn and had to order again during lockdown and they didn't have it in stock so I had to wait for it.

 


Lots of front loop stitches,V stitches and popcorn stitches.

 


 

Just have to add the tassels in each corner


 

 

Hello to my new follower Joy Shallcross

Welcome to Crafty in the Med my personal blog where I share my love of craft, particularly crochet and anecdotes from my daily happenings living here in Alicante,Spain.  Please feel free to comment and could you send me a link to your blog please.😊😊😊

 

 

The weekend is nearly here!! Have a good time!!

 

keep well 

 

Amanda :-)

28 comments:

  1. Hi Amanda, I enjoyed reading about your walk, you had some interesting spots to walk around too-that looks like a beautiful park to explore. Wow your shawl is gorgeous!! I love it I don't knit or crochet but I do weave-I need to get back to that once I am caught up on my quilt making.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by Kathy! I plan to go back to that park as there is much more to see there :-) A x

      Delete
  2. What a fab blog entry. The sky in your photos is such a stunning blue and I think you were wise to avoid the crowds.
    It's lovely to have a 'secret garden' p[ark to explore and I'm looking forward to seeing more photos.
    As for that shawl - double wow. It is just gorgeous.
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Joy! I certainly plan to go back to the Engineers park.....there is something there I particularly want to post about. :-) A x

      Delete
  3. Well done on the 4K+ walk. I enjoy seeing other people's gardens when I walk. You miss so much when in a car. I made the Lost in Time shawl last year, with yarn left over from the Moorland blanket by Lucy at Attic 24. It's a lovely pattern, once you get the hang of it! After much deliberation, I decided against tassels for mine. Please continue to share your walks with us. We may not be able to physically travel, but we can do so virtually! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks HH. The scarf is for my grand-daughter. I asked her to choose what she preferred with or without tassels. She has chosen tassels :-) If I hadn't put it down for about a month and returned to it on having to review how to do the BL and popcorn rows it wouldn't have been so difficult. I wasted time having to learn how to do those rows again...tch!! keep well Amanda x

      Delete
  4. That is a gorgeous shawl Amanda. I'm glad you persevered and finished it. Your walk was also beautiful and interesting too. That park is like an oasis isn't it. The plants are so different than what we have here. Thanks for sharing this adventure with us all.
    Blessings,B
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Betsy. I shall be going back to that park there are more photos to be had there :-) A x

      Delete
  5. Good walk under lovely blue skies! I walked yesterday with a friend - we have walked one a week all through the year (apart from when it was total lockdown) as a socially acceptable government decreed (!) distance however our walk was under leaden skies and fleeting showers - we managed 5 1/2 miles but it was rather muddy in spots - give me your blue skies any time! well done Amanda :) knew you could get back into walking :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks for your encouragement Hawthorn. 5 1/2 miles that is about 8,5 kilometres...wow!! I am already beginning to feel better for it!! Not being able to walk or even get out of the house during lockdown was incredibly hard!! A x

      Delete
  6. Thank you for taking us along on your walk. The feathery flower looks a bit like a bottlebrush plant, (callistemon). The jewel colours in your scarf are beautiful. The park certainly looks interesting and I look forward to seeing more of it, with that gorgeous hibiscus.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ellie. I am going to take note of that...Callistemon and check it out! A x

      Delete
  7. Great walk Amanda I really enjoyed your description of all the things you encountered along the way. I love the look of that Park and can't wait till you go back so that we can see what's inside. Your scarf is fabulous, what gorgeous colours.😊xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda. I hope to get back to the park this week...there is something I particularly want to photograph and post here :-) A x

      Delete
  8. Beautiful blue skies for your walk. I like the story of the park and the other historical references to buildings. It was good to see the spectators cheering on the juveniles playing football. Your shawl is beautiful. It looks like an intricate pattern.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Linda, It was a good start...such a beautiful day. I am glad I made the effort. I am trying to get out and walk every day. THe shawl was a little heavy going but my grand-daughter likes it and that is the main thing. A x

      Delete
  9. Replies
    1. Many thanks! I have to say I am pleased with the results :-) A x

      Delete
  10. What a wonderful post! I enjoyed seeing your area and where you live and the garden.. and the hibiscus! And.. wow.. that shawl is spectacular! I hope you'll model it for us. I love the idea of using variegated yarn on the shawl instead of having to change colors so much. Have a fabulous weekend! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Teresa. As the scarf is for my grand-daughter I shall get her to model for it. I just have to add the tassels. A x

      Delete
  11. It is great that you have discovered such a beautiful park while walking.
    The scarf has a beautiful color, hope you can get some yarn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for calling in Loes :-) Seems the yarn is out of stock at the moment but I have pre-ordered so I hope to be able to get some more for future makes. A x

      Delete
  12. Walking is the new paddle boarding here! The water is to cold to paddle anymore. But we have wonderful trails to hike. I enjoyed your walk and the photos allowed us to go along

    ReplyDelete
  13. Glad you like the photos. Enjoy your walks too :-) A x

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have made this scarf too, lovely pattern, really enjoyed it.
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for calling in. I think the particular yarn I used was a good choice for that scarf. I have yet to make the tassel :-) keep well Amanda :-)

      Delete
  15. OOOOH! I LOVE the colours and weight of your scarf. Well done for persevering with the intricacies of the pattern. It is well worth the effort - look at the beautiful results! You are inspiring me find my crojo again (buried under a burden of bureaucracy).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for dropping in:-) Sounds like you definitely need a little crochet contact to reduce the boredom of dealing with mundane tasks :-) A x

      Delete

Thank you for your comments. I do read them and try to reply to all as well.Please keep them coming. Amanda :-)