Bedrock

Archive for the ‘spain’ Category

The weather in Galera has been improving day after day in March and April – still a tad cool overnight but we’ve had lots of wonderful sunny days and clear nights – for example last night (Easter Friday) the sky was superb at 10:30pm

We had a very busy day with Maureen working on her plants etc. and me doing a spot of painting outside to finally get rid of the effects of last year’s sand storm.

New Tech Kit

In between I’ve been having fun with the best phone AI gimbal I’ve owned to date – the new M6 Kit from Hohem – quite possibly the most advanced of it’s kind. Not had a chance to get out and about yet with it but I gave the cloning option a quick shot in the afternoon – this stuff used to need editing, no, I just put camera+gimbal on the garden table, told it to go and that was it. Great fun.

Note the new t-shirt. As you might imagine, the maths is utter nonsense but it’s unlikely anyone will check:-)

Maureen bought me 2 new t-shirts, the other one asks “Have you turned it off and back on again” – that proved popular with friends in the village.

I love being able to wear sandals and t-shirts at this time of year – back in Bellingham I guess the folks will still, by and large be wearing raincoats. I do miss our friends in the area, but aside from that and eBay, I can’t say I miss the UK at all.

Local developments and the heat toll on plants

Meanwhile, most of our plants are fine and Mo’s already taking frequent trips to garden centres – but already some of the hotter days have taken their toll on the odd plant. Mo’s been working hard on the “garden” while I’ve been putting up a new set of solar heater pipes for the pool (not quite warm enough to use yet).

Something new: there has been a load of frantic (but part-time) development going on at the top of the hill as our local builder is turning an old messy farmer’s chicken shed into a large new cavehome and though it has some way to go, he’s also giving it a garden – the first part of which is looking good already (see below).

I could imaging the area being unrecognisable in a year or two – now if only Google Maps would keep up with developments – they still don’t have our roundabout and that’s been in place for years (Google Earth on the other hand DOES seem to be reasonably up to date).

I’d like you to read this please, guys, word for word:

Galera is a small village located in the province of Granada in southern Spain. The village is situated in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, providing residents with breathtaking views of the surrounding natural beauty.

One of the main attractions of Galera is its peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. The village has a friendly and welcoming community, making it easy to feel at home. The streets are lined with beautiful white-washed houses, giving the village a charming and authentic Spanish feel.

In addition to its natural beauty, Galera is also known for its delicious local cuisine. The village is home to a variety of traditional restaurants that serve up delicious dishes made with fresh, local ingredients. Visitors can enjoy delicious tapas, paella, and other traditional Spanish dishes.

Galera is also a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The Sierra Nevada mountains offer a wide range of activities, from hiking and rock climbing to skiing and snowboarding in the winter. There are also several natural parks and reserves in the area, perfect for those who love to explore the great outdoors.

Overall, Galera is an idyllic village that offers the perfect combination of natural beauty, delicious food, and friendly community. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or an active holiday, Galera has something to offer everyone. It is truly a wonderful place to live and visit.

Now that you’ve reached the end…. you need to know something: While that is pretty much how I feel about living here, guess what, I didn’t write this – nobody did – and it did NOT come from a search engine… if you’ve not yet come across ChatGPT – wake up folks – the above came from me typing “Write a 200 word article about how wonderful it is to live in the village of Galera in Southern Spain.” – NO EDITING AT ALL – that’s what came out WITHOUT ChatGPT using search engines – like it or not, AI is truly opon us.

Next time you see an Amazon review of a product or service – ponder CAREFULLY instead of being written internally by, say an employee – as if that wasn’t bad enough – could an AI have written it? Next time you read a definitive article about – well, anything really… ponder the above… I’m so glad I’ve retired away from everything – this is already a blessing for the few – but what if I’d said “”Write a 200 word article about how awful it is to live in the village of Galera in Southern Spain.” Go on then – you talked me into it….

I promise I won’t do this again (I added the photo – that’s my total contribution)… but you need to be aware this is the future – not the 10 year future – but – like – fromabout now…..

Galera, a small village located in the province of Granada in southern Spain, may appear to be a quaint and picturesque destination, however, it is not without its flaws.

One of the main issues with living in Galera is the lack of job opportunities. The village has a high unemployment rate and limited options for those looking for work. This can make it difficult for residents to make ends meet and can lead to feelings of financial insecurity.

Another issue is the lack of infrastructure and modern amenities in Galera. The village has limited public transportation options and limited access to healthcare and other essential services. This can make it difficult for residents to access the resources they need to live comfortably.

The village also suffers from poor air quality due to the nearby industrial area and the high traffic on the road that passes through the village. This can be harmful to the health of the residents and can lead to respiratory problems.

The village also lacks nightlife and social activities. There are very few options for entertainment and leisure activities, making it difficult for residents to enjoy their free time.

In conclusion, while Galera may be a picturesque destination, it is not without its flaws. The lack of job opportunities, poor infrastructure, poor air quality, and the limited social activities make it a less than desirable place to live.

Is that amazing and worrying at the same time – or what? I repeat, not edited, not from a search engine – and already – this is being highly rated by my SEO tools…..

That last paragraph incidentally is wrong… nothing wrong with the air in Galera – the water could do with LOT less calcium – but the air is great.

Ok, I’ll grant you – the general idea isn’t far off – I just asked DALL-E (keep up) to generate “A yoga session in a small village for old people”.

Well, generally ok, but too many people for our small village unless it’s one of Brian’s (our Yogi) Muheres evenings… Thursday nights (and it depends how you define “old” I guess – to a 25 year old, anyone over 30 is probably old) there are generally half a dozen of us.

And I put this up for WHAT reason? Galera at this time of the year isn’t THAT photogenic in real life so I thought I’d entrust the image to the “DALL-E 2” AI.

Today was to be a fairly eventless day, just a spot of grocery shopping in our nearest big town of Baza. And that’s how it started. After a half-hour trip to town I was about to stop at Lidl supermarket when a helpful Spanish driver signalled to tell me something was wrong. About the only word I picked up was pinctura which I took to mean paint.

I thanked him and proceeded to the car park. Knowing there are some scuffs on the rear bumper I decided to take a look. I peered down and happened to notice the rear wheel – utterly and completely flat. Thank heavens for Google Maps – I found a Euro Repair Centre within half a mile or so and carefully drove off, knowing the Spanish shops etc. were due to close in an hour – what timing.

When I arrived at the centre, a helpful technician took the wheel off and demonstrated the state of the tyre by showing the big clump of black soot inside and the large screw pierced straight through the middle. I could see for myself this must’ve happened earlier in the day without me noticing it – unless it had been a slow leak in which case it could have been even longer – the weather yesterday was dire. The damage to the tyre edge was severe and he was right to state it was a dud. AS is often the case, he strongly recommended that I should fit two tyres and keep the one working unit as a spare. I’m not sure how it was that I had no spare – probably lack of room in my little Renault Cleo. Got one now!

And there she is, legless on the ramp…

30 minutes later I was back on the road and 180 Euros worse off.

I did my day’s shopping firstly at the local Chinese hardware store then Lidl (somewhat amusing display) and headed back home, taking a wrong turn on the way out of town – this is how you discover new things..

I didn’t know that building below existed and still no idea what “La Dehesa is” – no doubt I’ll find out next time around.

On the way I was stopped by the local guardia – just a spot check – nothing onerous… that is until they asked me for my license only to discover it lapsed a few days ago.

They were very nice about it and told me all I had to do was visit the local “Polyclinica” to sort it out in an hour.

The bits they missed out were getting and taking various documents one of which can only be obtained from the local town hall – and they are now closed for 4 days for holidays and weekend. You have to wonder how important offices can just close for 4 days and be damned.

That gives me a few days to get over the shock – thankfully I don’t need to go anywhere – If I’d had to do an airport run I’d be in severe difficulty.

Still, could have been worse – no natural disasters up to now and the roads were very quiet today. No inner city traffic jams here.

Superb weather for the time of year, it looks like everyone in our small village who was out at the craft faire yesterday had a good time.

Mostly English-speaking folk out and about, by the look of it. It just occurred to me, I didn’t take a single photo – but I did take a video – several in act. Must remember some simple photos next time.

The weather was truly stunning for the time of year as long as you were in the sun. Crystal-clear sky for the most part.

Today (Sunday) is sunny but much cooler – jackets on… but then, back in Bellingham, UK where Maureen will be in a couple of days, it’s a LOT cooler and rain is forecast from mid-week onwards – so shouldn’t complain. Hopefully this winter in Spain will be more like mask-free normal life with minimal freezing conditions – but just to be safe I’m getting new jumpers:-)

Ok, time for Menu del Dia….

Near the beginning of October 2022, Maureen and I went off with our neighbours to visit Morocco, our first and most likely last trip to that part of the world. I have many photos of our excursion in our online photo album. Parts of Morocco are really fascinating (Fes and Rabat for example), others are downright depressingly filthy – so three days in the country was enough for all of us – with stop-overs at both ends in Malaga during which three of us managed to get a spot of food poisoning – not ideal.

On our return and after recovering, I ended up with Covid despite three previous jabs so that filled up the middle of October. Later in the month, we took a trip to Mojacar to visit our ex-neighbours and friends John and Julia – a marvellous short break in which we visited parts of old Mojacar we’d not really covered in the past.

And of course – when in Mojacar you have to go to the sea front.

The weather was outstanding throughout both trips.

That pretty much wraps up October and in November, Maureen and I, in the lead-up to an Alicante airport run to pick up friends, visited Santa Pola (just south of Alicante) – somewhere we’ve overlooked up to now but will no doubt re-visit next year, the place was that good.

As part of that mini-break we took the ferry to a tiny island called Tabarca just off the coast of Santa Pola.

If you end up checking out the short video below, don’t forget to select the high quality 4K version, YouTube has an awful tendancy to select 360p first. Best viewed in YouTube itself.