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.

Wednesday 28 April 2021

Found it!

 

 

There you go Ms Orchid has bloomed not once but twice and there is another bud peeking through right beside these two

I so love Orchids...pretty sure I have said that before... but I do!





Flamingos

At the beginning of last month we went on our outing as usual on the Sunday but our final destination was quite an impulsive decision. In other words not planned and we didn't have much of an idea where it was.  

Sr P remembered this lake he had been to when he was a young man with a group of friends of his. He must have been talking about way back in the 60s when he last went there and I was very doubtful if we would find it or if there was any access to it now. This sort of thing has happened before you know!  Sr P isn't into organising outings very much he is very spontaneous.. he will often say  I remember this place or someone told me , it must be near or I'll ask when we get there!  If I know where we are going I check it out before hand and look at what's there and the different routes to get there. It is much quicker that way. Many is the time we have gone round and round looking for a place Sr P had heard of but doesn't really know how to get there. We both only end up getting irritated and annoyed if we can't find it! 

He only just mentioned it this time when we were en route to go to the salt lakes in Santa Pola which was our original destination that day. Halfway there he says " ... afterwards we can continue on to Torrevieja to the La Mata Lake and have a walk around it" My question was "What and where is that?"  really to get information and details out of my dearly beloved about the Mata Lake was like getting blood from a stone. Needless to say after numerous questions I still had no idea where this lake was situated.  Siri on my iPhone didn't help either. I gathered from Sr P, the temp tourist guide, that was just after arriving into Torrevieja on your right but there are dozens of right turnings off from the motorway as you enter Torrevieja .


This is Torrevieja a very popular tourist resort.   

 

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

 Exactly that would be best!

 Santa Pola another tourist resort is a small coastal town about 25 minutes by car from Alicante City.

 
 Google image

As mentioned previously our initial objective was to go to the salt lakes to see the Flamingos. Although the flamingos are there all year round in those wetlands you don't always get to see them near to the shore or flying. I have only seen a pink cloud of flamingos flying overhead once in all the time I have lived in Alicante and it is a very pretty sight.  This is why we occasionally go that way to see if we are lucky and catch a glance of them.   This time we weren't but I did take a few photos.

Santa Pola salt lakes

 The old watch tower. 

At one time this part of the coast was constantly besieged by Barbary pirates.

 We stopped there for a little while but it is on the main road so it isn't easy to park. Just had time to take this snapshot.  We decided to continue on and look for the lake.

As we were driving,along the motorway into Torrevieja, I was having a good old grumble under my breath outlined with a tut or two about where the entrance to this supposedly interesting lake was situated.   Lo and behold and with a highly emphasised told you so from Sr P  I saw a sign on the right indicating LA MATA, practically straight away which made me swallow my mumbled protests rather rapidly.  I knew though I wasn't going to hear the last of this! 

As we drove along the rather dusty path towards the lake that I could now see in the distance we saw a sign indicating La Mata Lake Information Centre. In other words it had not disappeared in the aeons of time as I had suspected. In fact it has become a National Park and the local authorities have opened it up to the public offering different types of footpaths and bicycle paths, a  picnic area and some lovely views with lots of interesting notices along the way about the fauna and the aquatic birds that inhabit the lake.   

La Mata Lake

This was a totally different type of landscape than beach,city or mountains which I usually post about here. These are the low lands, the Vega Baja del Segura and the Park footpaths ran beside several vineyards.

The grapes from these vineyards are mostly used for making Muscatel,sweet white wine.


However I also saw the odd fig tree and it was laden with fruit.



 

It was a somewhat dusty walk and quite warm. I couldn't see myself coming here in July or August; far,far too hot.  Nevertheless this landscape has its own beauty!

 


 I'd come back for sure. There was another footpath we did not explore which goes around the other side of the lake. I'd like to go on that one but next time and better prepared with a good sun hat.

 We usually make lunch together but I decided I would prepare lunch for us when we got home as I felt I had to make amends for being so grumpy earlier on. 😁

 

The Mess

I am pleased to add that after a week of chasing up the home insurance company the mess I mentioned about in my last post was cleared up and nice new matching tiles have been put in place.


I thought that was all sorted but now it looks like the water heater is on the blink.. tch! If it isn't one thing its another ! I must admit though it is old 😳

 

 Happy blogging


keep well


Amanda :-)

 

 

 








 

 

 


 

 



34 comments:

  1. You have some really interesting countryside around you - thank you for sharing. Good luck with the water heater!
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Hi Ellie, There is certainly alot to choose from here when we go on our outings. Glad you found my post interesting. A x

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  2. Everytime you post about your adventures in and around Alicante, I truly apppreciate the beauty that surrounds you. There are so many people for you to visit that are steeped in history. Our country is so relatively new and seems so set on destroying itself at the present time, I wonder if we'll ever have the beautiful history of hundreds if not thousands of years to share with future generations.
    I think it would be fantastic to see a cloud of flamingoes flying overhead. A pink cloud. Love that description.
    I hoope the water heater problem is taken care of quickly my friend.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. Hi Betsy, USA has some marvellous places though. The two trips I did to Chicago to see my daughter and grandchild was good but I was really peeved that I couldnt get out of the city and see some the beautiful places I had read about there. Remember America has a fabulous natural history that is very worthwhile to discover even if it is a young nation like Australia. A x

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  3. Haha you make me laugh Amanda, I think I would be the same, I like to know exactly where I'm going and hate going round in circles trying to find a place, thank goodness you found La Mata so quickly and it looks like a lovely place to visit, the salt lakes look gorgeous too. I would love to see the flamingos. I'm so pleased to hear your tiles are back in place and everything is back to normal, pity about the water heater there always seems to be something that needs fixing I hope that you manage to get it sorted. Take care. xx

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    1. Hi Linds, Glad I made you laugh!! In all it was a good excursion. We are looking at water heaters at present. The old 'un is still working but it is making some rather rude noises so any day it will be sent to rest LOL! A x

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  5. From a daughter to a mother , what I am going to say it is not very nice , I am very jealous!
    My Orchids never grow,it's so frustrating.
    I won't refrain from saying how fortunate I feel to live in Alicante.The Locals always say how cristaline the daylight is here , it reflects on the water sketching a beautiful picture.
    Having said this , Dartmoor and Exmoor are forever in my sweetest memories.
    Uray! Pipe problem solved!

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  6. Your orchid is beautiful Amanda - such pretty speckled colours. Your countryside is also beautiful & so varied from the city to the countryside - I love seeing your pics. xx

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    1. Thanks for popping in Julie. I must admit I am not much of a city girl having always lived in a small coastal town right beside a national park,so our outings help as I need to get out of this concrete jungle frequently. A x

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  7. Got out my atlas and traced your trip - how lovely to live so close to such beautiful sights! I'm with you on not travelling in the heat of summer, very wise!

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    1. Hi Chris ,thanks for calling in :-) I rather like this idea of following the route. I might just do the same. It is like armchair travelling. A x

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  8. I'm in awe. I've yet to find an orchid who would stick me.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Hi Amalia, I assure you I don't have green fingers and not am I very good with plants. I think it is luck and having found a place they like within the home and not my ability to take care of plants. A x

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  9. Such beautiful images Amanda. I'm itching to get out and about in Blighty. I think a seaside trip is definitely in order. keep well
    Jean. x

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    1. Thanks for popping in Jean. Seaside is the best so I hope in May we can start going to the beach too. There have been lots of storms here recently and its been colder than usual. A x

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  10. Your orchid is so beautiful! I love them but have never attempted to grow one. My husband's uncle that lived near Chicago in a city had a small greenhouse built where it was filled with orchids-he loved them too.
    You live is such a beautiful area for exploring-enjoyed all the photos. my husband loves to go on adventures like that too-we used to do that more but he isn't really healthy enough any more.
    I agree in life especially with electronic things we use-it is always something going down when we least expect it. Happy new week Amanda ps I sent off a slow mail to this Monday

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    1. Hi Kathy, Thanks for calling in :-) I am already looking forward to your letter :-)
      You live in a beautiful place too. I envy you your marvellous views that you see every day from your home. A x

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    2. Good morning, I am happy you are enjoying the views-this month as it was a bit warmer in the mornings we are sitting out on the deck early enjoying all the different birds, water fowl, and fish jumping very peaceful

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    3. That sounds idyllic Kathy...my sort of place :-) A x

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  11. I wish to heck my fig tree would bear fruit. Every year I say 'maybe next year' sighhhhhhhhhh

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    1. Hi Cherie, Thanks for calling in :-) Figs seem to grow everywhere here so they must prefer the Mediterranean climate I suppose. A x

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  12. A thorougly enjoyable journey reading about it. You have a wonderful style of writing that makes me feel like I'm almost in the back seat. lol Beautiful photographs

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  13. A wonderful outing, so much to sea, we haven´t explored any of the countryside around Alicante, usually just head for the airport lol, which is about 75 mins away. Lovely to see the flamingos, they congregate in the salt lakes in Calpe. Lovely your orchid is flowering so well, had one for 4 years and only has leaves, no more flowers. Should really look up the care of them. Take care xcx

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    1. Hi Chrissie, Thanks for popping in :-) I didn't know there were salt lakes in Calpe! I have just asked Sr P and he says "oh! yes there are" I foresee an excursion back to Calpe in the very near future to see those salt lakes. A x

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  14. What an interesting expedition! I'm glad you were able to find the lake.

    Lovely orchid too!

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  15. Great travel trip narrative for us!

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    1. Thanks for popping in Kathy :-) Hope you've put your angel in a special place! A x

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  16. Hi Amanda, I enjoyed seeing your adventures. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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    1. Many thanks Teresa. Do hope you are feeling better now . Hugs A x

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  17. Another great walk, thank you! :-) I like mystery trips.
    xx

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    1. Hi Radka,thanks for calling in :-) I like mystery trips too but I like to know in which direction before I go on them LOL! A x

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