Feeling Seedy

I have been inspired by other bloggers to get started on my Grow Your Own projects.

Just a humble beginning but here on my kitchen windowsill I have two pots of parsley seedlings growing taller now  (one flat leaf, one curly) wearing plastic bag hats, plus two pots of courgette seeds  in plastic bottle greenhouses.  Only one of the courgette seeds is starting to show a tiny bit of green but I am hoping the rest come to life soon.

Last year's basil is there too, spindly now but still hanging on.

The south facing windowsill seems to suit germination. It may get quite overcrowded soon.

Cancelled

We have recently booked a short break during May; a week exploring the town of Bordeaux and its environs.

However, the news coverage over the past week has been less than encouraging with some disturbing scenes like this in several French towns and cities ...

We decided to cancel our trip as it does not bode well for an enjoyable holiday.

I checked online for a suitable alternative and P managed to ring the airline and successfully change our booking.  Same week, different location.

I wonder if France's tourist industry is suffering any noticeable losses as a result of the protests?

Is It Really Here?

Today (Tuesday) it seems that Spring really has arrived.

I had to collect my prescription from the GP surgery which is a 40 minute walk across town.   P offered to drop me off as he had to drive in that direction to get new windscreen wiper blades fitted but, as it was a gloriously sunny, mild day I elected to walk.

There was only a light breeze and it felt so good to walk alongside the shore, looking over towards the Cumbria hills and breathing in that fresh sea air.

Walking through the park, I was able to admire the extensive display of spring flowers, all now out in force, and listen to the clamour of the small birds singing away all around me.

I collected my prescription and walked back down "Heart Attack Hill" into town to drop it off at the pharmacy.  It would be around 20 minutes before it was ready to collect so I wandered around the supermarket, buying a few bargains for the freezer.

Back home again after my hour and a half's gentle exercise, P was ready with the coffee and a chocolate biscuit for me.  He had been busy working in the garden, which is really coming back to life now.

It certainly feels like Spring is here, despite the forecast for more heavy rain on the way.

Unfortunately for a couple of families there has been a cliff landslip in the coastal village of Laxey.  Two houses on the clifftop have had to be evacuated and the services disconnected as it is deemed to be too hazardous to continue occupation there.  I can't imagine how those residents are feeling right now.

A Good Weekend

We were invited to a birthday celebration last night at our friends' home near Peel.

As I cannot see very well to drive in the dark, and P wanted to be able to enjoy some of the birthday fizz and wine, our friends offered the use of their guest bedroom so that we could stay over.

There were ten of us there altogether and we enjoyed a great meal with our good friends.  Unfortunately we no longer see them all as frequently as we did before we moved up here. so the opportunity for last night's get together was very much appreciated.

We slept really well in the guest room and shared a very pleasant breakfast with them this morning. As a bonus,  I was able to join the girls for their regular Sunday morning walk.  An hour and a half around the quiet lanes then coffee and a slice of carrot and banana cake in the local café. 

P had taken the opportunity to visit a friend who lives nearby, and who kindly gave him some plants for the garden.

The sun  had come out for our drive back home so after a quick lunch and a shower, we have planted out the new arrivals and are now relaxing with the newspaper crossword and a cup of tea.

Our weekend staycation was just like being on a 5 star DBB holiday.

No Joke

 I received an email this morning from my uncle who lives in Australia.  He forwarded this message, sent to him by my sister last night...

A bit of bad news, not been feeling my best over the last few days I just wanted to let you know that I have been admitted into hospital and they are keeping me in. I have only gone and bloody poisoned myself. What I thought was an onion for my salad turned out to be a daffodil bulb. They said I should be out early spring.

Me being me, I didn't read down to the last line and so stupidly thought that she really was in hospital with a bad bout of poisoning.

After I had messaged my niece and found out my mistake I was very relieved but annoyed with myself for falling for the joke.

Stupid me!

How The Island Was Created

 With thanks to Culture Vannin for this....

The story of how the Isle of Man was created by a meeting of St. Patrick & the devil...

"Long ago the Devil discovered a district in Ireland so much to his liking in every way that he resolved to appropriate it. He dug it up with his claws, and was flying over the sea with it when he met St. Patrick.

The Saint hove some holy water at the Old Boy and the latter in his alarm dropped his burden into the sea, where it became the Isle of Man, and if you measure Lough Neagh and look at its general shape you will see that the lough now stands where the Isle of Man once was.

One good result of the fright that Old Nick got is that he never could be induced to learn Manks!"

['The Legendary Origin of the Isle of Man' by Cyril I. Paton in the Journal of the Manx Museum, Dec 1941]

As Laa'l Pherick (St Patrick's Day) approaches, it's probably good to remind ourselves of the Isle of Man's unique links to St Patrick, like this lovely folktale.

Full information about this tale (which dates back about 140 years in the Isle of Man, but perhaps reaching back as far as the Norse Eddas in some form or other), as well as much else about St Patrick, is available on our page dedicated to Laa'l Pherick:

https://culturevannin.im/manxfolklore/laal-pherick-571007/

Who Ate All The Flowers?

Last autumn I planted 40 crocus bulbs in the bare patch of earth at the bottom of the drive; a mixture of purple and yellow ones.

All the purple ones had come up and were in flower until this weekend when I noticed that every single bloom had disappeared overnight. 

There were no petals strewn around to indicate wind or storm damage, just bare stalks.

I am very disappointed that the yellow ones are still asleep underground and very upset that something seems to have eaten the rest.

I shall have to plant something else down there. Something pretty but less tasty.

What Would You Do?

Somebody mentioned to me recently that they had bought lottery tickets as they were hoping to get lucky and win a large enough prize to buy a house.

I have never participated in a lottery;  I just think the odds are way too low for me to spend my money like that.

Out of interest, I looked up the Euromillions Lottery and see that the jackpot could be up to as much as £250 million.

That got me thinking about what I would spend all that money on if I did ever enter and win the top prize.

Obviously, handing over a large amount of that to my sister would be top of the list, then sharing out the rest to wherever it is most needed.  We won't have enough years left to spend that much money by ourselves, even if I did buy good champagne to drink every evening.

I would love to know what you would do with £250million.

Sitting On The Fence

 We have a pair of wood pigeons that seem to have decided that our garden is now their sole territory.  The smaller birds no longer get a look in when it comes to use of the bathing facilities.  At least they are too fat to get on the peanut feeder or the half coconut feeder.

They tend to take it in turns to sit either on the fence beside the feeders or actually in the bird bath so that nothing else can get a drink.

Here they are in a romantic mood this afternoon...

P says that they sit on the roof above our bedroom skylights, loudly cooing to each other at the crack of dawn.

I am in two minds whether or not they are a nuisance.

You could say that I am on the fence.

Bombs And Snow

The eagerly awaited snow has been slow in arriving over here but it seems it has now started to build up a little over the higher ground

Schools  and the high level roads were closed this morning ahead of the weather front arriving.

Local keyboard warriors have been making fun of the forecasters and authorities all day. I think they were quite disappointed that they couldn't get out on their sledges.

Meanwhile, we had the excitement of a visit from the Bomb Disposal Squad on the beach. The loud thump woke P at 7:30.  

Controlled explosion of device found on northern Isle of Man beach - BBC News

We are having a stay at home day in the warm. A big pot of soup has been simmering on the hob and a mug of hot chocolate has my name on it.

Hope all is well where you are.

Wednesday Ramblings

Still bright and sunny today but very chilly and the wind has started ramping up in advance of tomorrow's forecast snow.

We walked into town this morning to meet friends for coffee in the park café.  Warm and cosy by the window looking out over the lake  we had good coffee and a lively chat which meant that an hour and a half passed really fast.  They had an errand to run and we had a little shopping to do so we each went our separate ways.

We walked back home via the larger supermarket in town and stocked up on some "makings" for different suppers for the rest of the week.  I have become so very bored with our usual meals so at least now we can have something different.  All were yellow-stickered thankfully so it didn't cost too much.

I have left the heating switched on today as it is so cold outside.  

P has gone for a run over the hills.  I hope he doesn't come a cropper on the ice.

I am still waiting for some visitors to our purpose built bird café. 

Making The Most Of It

 ... while it lasts.

Today has been all sunshine, bright blue sky and hardly a breath of wind. Only 2C out there but we wrapped up warm and walked into town to stock up on some fresh food.

This is the view from the front window at the moment

This is what we can expect later this week ...

Resurrection

This morning as I was leisurely finishing off my morning coffee, P came bounding downstairs from his small computer room with the devastating news that his laptop had the blue screen of death.  He hoped that I could somehow wave my magic wand over it and make it better again.  

Well, I tried all the usual steps but it was definitely doing its best Dodo impression.

At the stroke of 9 a.m. he tucked it under his arm and set off for the local computer repair shop in town.  The chap said leave it with him and he would take a look.  An hour later came the news that the ten year old hard drive was kaput and everything was lost but he could install a new one by lunchtime for £120.  Definitely cheaper than buying a new laptop.

All done and ready to collect by 1 p.m.

P left it with me whilst he went for a run so that I could re-install his games and set up all his accounts and passwords etc.

He is now happily ensconced upstairs tapping away on his faster and less clunky laptop.

A happy bunny once more.

Misophonia

I recently came across an article that mentioned a condition called Misophonia.

People with misophonia are affected emotionally by common sounds — usually those made by others, and usually ones that other people don't pay attention to - such as heavy breathing,  chewing, sniffing and throat clearing.  These create a fight-or-flight response that triggers anxiety or anger and a desire to escape.  Although not widely recognised, it is apparently a  real disorder that can compromise a person's mental health.

I have to admit to being amazed to learn that these sounds don't affect everyone as they do me.

Well, now I know that I have a disorder  that has a name and at least I am able to leave my hearing aids switched off most of the time.

No Customers

Last week P decided to make a bird feeding table as we have been amassing a tubful of crumbs, sultanas and seeds over the past months. Scattering these on the ground attracts the unwelcome sort of wildlife.

Using one of the old fence posts,  some scraps of wood and leftover roofing felt from the shed repairs  he came up with this handsome creation,  which stands just a few feet from our front window. 

Although well stocked with tasty morsels it remains forlorn and unvisited, although the fat ball and peanut feeder around the back of the house has plenty of feathered customers.

I was hoping to be able to sit on my recliner armchair, coffee in hand and watch the birds feeding right before my eyes.

Perhaps it is too exposed for them now that the Pittosporum has succumbed to the winter gales and there is less cover from the local buzzard and sparrowhawk. 

I shall remain patient and hopeful for a while longer.

The Dog Ate My Homework

Real Life seems to have reared its (sometimes ugly) head again recently so I have not been playing in Blogland for a little while.

I apologise for not replying to all comments on my last posts, and for not commenting on your blogs recently.   I blame that dog.

Today I had a 40 minute walk across town for a double dentist's appointment (lucky old me);  half an hour with the hygienist for a scale and polish then half an hour with the dentist to replace a broken filling.  Afterwards, as I stood at the reception desk to pay the bill and make my follow up appointment, I started chatting to the smiling and cheerful receptionist.  She was a real tonic and we talked about how much we enjoy living in the town, our seaside walks and the general way of life.  I had already had a very positive experience with the kind and gentle hygienist and similar with the dentist, so came away from a previously dreaded experience with a spring in my step.

I feel good today.

Seeing Stars

I had difficulty sleeping last night, just dozing on and off for an hour here and there.

It was a cold, cloudless, still night so I was content to just lie snuggled up under the duvet looking up at the stars through the skylight above my bed, as I have done on previous sleepless nights.

Our bedroom faces north so Venus was clearly visible above the treetops.

Have you noticed that it is easier to see the stars if you don't look directly at them?  I let my gaze drift slightly to one side and could then see them all twinkling away.

Around 3 a.m. I became aware of a brighter spot of light moving steadily down, from the top edge of the window in a straight line down to the bottom edge. It was gone in less than a minute.

I am assuming is was the International Space Station so had a quick look at the online tracker map this morning. It does seem to have passed overhead at roughly that time.  I didn’t think to wave to the crew.

I Missed You

It has only been a couple of weeks but I have missed my blog friends.

I am feeling a lot better, physically and mentally, and hoping to rekindle my friendships with everyone.

My blog posts and comments may be a little sporadic but I am still reading all your news.

This sight outside my front door cheered me up this morning.

So Weary

Lately I have been feeling quite tired most days and lacking in much motivation to get started on all the little projects I had planned.

Today I finished my volunteering shift at the charity shop an hour earlier than usual as I was feeling tired. I walked home but my legs felt like lead.  After lunch I lay down on the sofa and fell asleep for two hours.

I know it can't be down to my thyroid problem as I had all the blood tests last month. Only a slightly raised white cell count but everything else was normal.  I am over last week's cold now so it can't be that.

Perhaps it is the gloomy winter season or just me getting older!

Wishing For Rain?

Manx folk lore would have us all hoping for a rainy day on 1st February.

It was believed that the Caillagh ny Groamagh (roughly translated as ’Gloomy witch’) was thrown into the sea in Ireland and drifted here.

On the morning of 1st February she landed at Port St. Mary where she hunted for sticks to light a fire to dry and warm herself.  The area she landed used to be known as Callie or Caillagh Point, but has today become known as Kallow Point.

So the legend goes, it is hoped that every ditch will be full of rain or snow on the first morning of February.  This is so the caillagh cannot start her fire, and only then can we can be sure of a good spring.

Laa’l Breeshey, or Breeshey’s Day.

’Breeshey’ is the Manx form of ’Bridget,’ the Irish Saint who famously laid out her cloak, which miraculously stretched to cover enough land for her nunnery.

The Manx believed that Breeshey would wander the island on Oie’ll Vreeshey (St. Bridget’s Eve, January 31), looking for a place to stay, so people would make up a spare bed, leave out food and drink, and recite at the door before bed:

’Vreeshey, Vreeshey, tar gys my hie, tar gys y thie ayms noght.
(Breeshey, Breeshey, come to my house, come to my house tonight",

In the morning, if the food and drink had been tasted and the bed slept in, it was a sign that Breeshey had visited and your house was blessed, so you could look forward to great luck and fortune ahead.

This was, however, open to abuse, as at least one story tells us.

Edward Faragher, the poet of Cregneash, tells of the woman of Earyween, a farm high up the Baldwin valley, who prepared correctly for Oie’ll Vreeshey.  However, unknown to her, a Jurby man was passing in the night and couldn’t resist the free food, beer and bed.  He had already gone by the time she emerged in the morning, allowing her to believe that Breeshey had visited and her luck was made. She carried this belief to the grave, as the man was too ashamed to tell the true story until after her death.

Ooh, look, it's raining!

Sound

Yorkshire Pudding recently posted here  about the images and sensations that can be conjured up by certain sounds.

His post struck a chord with me (yes, I realise that is a bad attempt at a pun).   As I have a genetically acquired hearing loss my relationship with sound has changed dramatically over the years since I began to grow deaf in my late 30s.

As a young woman I loved to listen to music, visit the theatre, restaurants, pubs etc and watch films and TV.  Crowded places were of course noisy but nothing that caused any problems with my social life.

Once my hearing loss was properly diagnosed and I was fitted with hearing aids, my life began to change subtly as ordinary, every day sounds became less familiar, often distorted and frequently uncomfortable.  It may not be widely understood but hearing aids do not always provide the wearer with "normal" hearing.   For a normal hearing person, your brain will automatically tune out some background noise without you being aware of it, making it easier to listen to conversations for example. With a hearing aid that is more difficult as all noise is generally amplified at the same level, making it difficult to filter out unwanted background noise.  There are some very sophisticated "smart" hearing aids out there now which do have the ability to filter out certain background noise and adjust to different environments, but these cost several thousand pounds so are out of my reach.

I have found that I can no longer hear all the different frequency levels when listening to music so songs that I have been very familiar with now sound totally different, so much so that sometimes I can no longer identify them when they are played on the radio or TV.

Other sounds are very uncomfortable; I have become super sensitive to sudden loud noises, for example if an object is dropped onto a hard surface or a car engine revs or someone coughs loudly.  The sound of running water is for some reason another sound that can be very uncomfortable and will often drown out(!) all other sounds.

Reading YP's post made me a little sad that I have lost that wonderful ability to just let everyday, soothing sounds wash over me and conjure up memories, images and sensations that I took for granted in my younger days.

Enjoy what you have whilst you have it.  Some simple pleasures are well worth savouring.

A Break

 ... from the cold, rainy winter we have endured so far.  This week has been mainly dry and today has been bright and sunny. This is the view up at the mountain tram stop this afternoon...

I decided to take advantage of the break in the weather to have a little day out on the bus.  All by myself.  I had some gift vouchers from my sister for Christmas and birthday so thought I would see what I fancied spending them on. P had planned to have a long run up on the fells so he didn't want to come with me.  No tugging on my leash as I browse the clothing aisles!

A two minute walk to the bus stop at the end of  Dog Poo Alley then hop on the bus, paying with my old fogey bus pass and a pleasant 50 minute pootle along the coast road.

I was out for three and a half hours in total, stopping briefly for coffee and a sandwich just before the office lunchtime rush.

I took advantage of the bus free WiFi to message P to let him know I was on my way.  

It was a pleasant surprise to see him waiting by the bus stop as I got off.  He must have missed me!

A Crackling Kettle

For the past week our electric jug kettle has started making a very loud crackling sound as it starts to heat up.  It is so loud that I can hear it from the next room even without my hearing aids in.

I consulted Professor G and most online posts I found suggested that the heating element may be on its last legs.  P and I duly walked into town yesterday afternoon and I selected a replacement kettle which we purchased.

When we reached home P made a cup of tea, using the old kettle, as I started to unpack the new one.  From experience we found that our current stainless steel kettle needed to be boiled several times using clean water to remove the taint caused by the factory's protective coating on the inside, so I intended to do the same for the new one.

P stopped me from unpacking the new kettle as he said that he thought the current one didn't sound as bad and that perhaps we should take back the new one and get a refund.

Seriously??  I have boiled our kettle a couple of times now and it still sounds like it is going into orbit!

I think he just has second thoughts on spending the money and is desperate to get it back whilst the current kettle is still hanging on.  I think I need to point out to him that even if it lasts another month or so, we shall still need a new one at that point and the prices may well have risen  by then.

Winter

 P has kindly passed on to me his cold, probably picked up from our trip last week.  Sore throat, cough and an excess of "gunk".

However, I am wrapped up in several warm layers with a plentiful supply of hot tea and have only ventured as far as the front door to take a photo of the memorial garden sycamore tree in its winter state...

At breakfast this morning we watched the most vivid sunrise slowly emerging;  the deep crimson and orange hues were mesmerising. I tried to capture it in a photo but this just doesn't do it justice.  It is also fuzzy because of the old glass in our kitchen window.

Winter can be very beautiful at times... when it is not raining.

 

My Week

Since arriving home from our short break on Friday afternoon, I seem to have been confined to barracks for much of the time.

Saturday was spent doing the usual post-holiday laundry and shopping for fresh stuff - fruit, veg bread, milk etc.  It was quite a miserable, windy day so we didn't venture too far.  Overnight we had more gale force winds and woke up on Sunday morning to find that our once handsome pittosporum had taken a tumble ...

P went out to chop it up and remove it but, once he had sawn off the top section, the trunk miraculously bounced back upright by itself.  He has now firmed it back into the soil and staked it so we shall see if it survives.

Monday was actually a good, clear, bright and sunny day but bitterly cold. We went out for a walk in the morning as we had heard that bad weather was on its way later.

Tuesday morning we awoke to find that it had snowed overnight and a few gentle snow showers came and went during the day.  

We were lucky here but most of the island's roads were blocked by snow and ice, the schools had to be closed and most people had to stay at home as it was unsafe to go out and about.  A Snow Day.

Now the snow has gone but it is still very cold.

We have one poor confused daffodil that had woken up too early and had its head frozen, and one tiny clump of snowdrops have poked their heads out to see what is going on.

Only another three months to go before our Spring gets going.....

Last Day

Wednesday was our last full day in Cadiz.  It was a grey, overcast day and a chilly breeze was blowing in off the Atlantic.

We had breakfast in the bookshop cafe around the corner from our hotel.  Coffee and a pastry (very healthy!)

We had read that the large covered market was worth a visit so we strolled through the narrow streets, past the cathedral and found the market in a small plaza surrounded by cafe bars.

Quite a few of the stalls there were closed up, presumably because they don't do much trade in the winter.  However, there were plenty of others open and most seemed to be doing a good trade.  All of the central aisle was taken up with fruit and veg stalls. Piled high with  bananas, oranges, papayas, melons, strawberries and lots of exotic looking fruits that we didn't recognise.

The next aisle was the fish section.  My goodness, what a selection of wonderful fresh fish and shellfish, all glassy eyed and piled up on mountains of ice chips. Around the far edge of the market are all the meat and deli stalls.  Again, all incredibly fresh looking.

I wanted to take a photo but didn't like to intrude so this is borrowed from the internet to give you an idea

We stopped at one of the cafe bars outside the market for a snack lunch and coffee and a spot of people-watching.

After lunch we walked across town to the far side of the promontory to take a look at the beach, La Caleta.  It was still overcast and breezy and there was a group of hardy souls trying to surf, although the waves were not really big enough for that.  There were cyclists, walkers and mothers with tots all out along the promenade.  We sat on a bench and took in the view for a while.

Time for a siesta, so  another long walk back to the hotel where I snoozed for a while.

That evening we argued debated about where to eat. I was tired of tapas snacks and wanted a "proper" meal.  P was not keen as he said that the only restaurants that would be open at 7 pm would be tourist traps. He finally agreed to take a stroll around the places we had passed earlier as I had noticed one that looked inviting. 

I persuaded him to go in and take a look around. Inside it was done out in a style to match the building's history. No plastic tat.  We were greeted by one of the most beautiful young women I have ever met, who showed us into a little dining area at the back. She was very chic and elegant  with a stunning,  warm, welcoming smile. I think P was hooked right there.

There were lots of enticing options on the menu.  I chose the pheasant breast stuffed with figs and P had the slow-cooked suckling pig.  Both were gorgeous. 

The chef came out to ask if we enjoyed our meal and we chatted with him in our very sub standard Spanish. He was a very cheerful and charming young man who was originally from Gran Canaria so we spoke a little about our time living in Tenerife. 

After our meal the lovely young lady presented us with a plate of two sublimely light and oh so delicious profiteroles.  Heavenly.

By the time we left the main dining room was full so it must be a popular place to eat.

We strolled around for a while  enjoying the street vibes before heading back to the hotel for a coffee.

It seems there was a big football match on that evening as a big screen had been set up in the bar as well as the usual TV in the corner.  There was a family of five and two couples watching but they drifted away after a while.  We were left alone with our coffees and complimentary turrones (small almond paste cakes). 

I am going to need to lose some weight now.

The Next Episode

Enough of the boring history lessons.   Now on to some food and drink.

Day two of our three day break we spent walking ..again .. 

In the morning we walked to the more modern part of town. Just modern apartment blocks but Cadiz has a large Corte Ingles department store and we popped in for a look.  We like to just browse, seeing what is available and comparing prices, much like looking in estate agent windows when abroad, comparing house prices.  Does anyone else do that?

We walked back to the old town and had lunch in a tapas bar;  thinly sliced pigs liver fried and served cold in olive oil with red onion,  and a plate of eggs whisked in the pan with wafer thin iberico ham, setas and champinones (two different types of mushroom) . And local beer of course.

We may just have had another beer later.

After a siesta  we went out to walk around town to join the evening paseo.  One of the things I like about the Spanish lifestyle is the way that the city streets are so lively at night with young and old out and about . The shops are open, lights are blazing,  lots of people around. Being a university town there are lots of young people;  very well behaved too.

The restaurants don't generally open until around 9 pm which is too late for me to eat but we found a local bar on the corner of a plaza that served tapas. This was a real local bar,  no tourists here so we were a bit of a curiosity to start with but the regulars soon ignored us after a while.  We sat in the corner by the loos and did quite a lot of people-watching over a couple of glasses of wine and a plate of meatballs in a ragu. 

Back to the hotel the long way round as we got lost.  It took 45 minutes instead of 10 so we felt the need to restore ourselves in the hotel bar with a glass of anis over ice.

I slept well that night.

A Little Bit Of History

Our first day in Cadiz was spent just wandering the streets of the Old Town to get a feel for the place.

One of the beautiful plazas

A huge Ficus tree (I was standing at the edge of its longest branches)

Public loo ... Cadiz style

We visited the city museum to learn a little of its history and, although none of the exhibit  information is in English,  our rusty Spanish language knowledge allowed us to get a reasonable overview.  

We learned that Cadiz is the oldest city still standing in Europe, founded by Phoenicians from Tyre around 1100 BC .  At that time what is now the old town was actually two separate islands which the Phoenicians called Erytheia and Kotinouessa, which joined together to form a promontory as the sea channel slowly silted up.  The Old Town is currently joined to the rest of the mainland by a causeway.

There was a good display of finds from many different periods that had come to light as the city was being developed.  Some of the oldest are still exquisite and in perfect condition.

Those naughty English and Dutch sacked the city back in the 1600s so large walls and defences were built to defend it from further attack.  We walked the remaining city walls, which are still quite impressive.

In 1980, during excavations for a building, the remains of a Roman amphitheatre were discovered and a small part is now preserved, although it is a little crumbly!

The next episode of "Wish You Were Here" follows tomorrow, probably...