Sevilla, Spain.

Let's get all the nasties out of the way, I am pleased to report that DH has recovered from his lurgy. He caught the flu from our UK coach tour, as did many others. After 10 days he has finally stopped coughing. My event was a fall in Madrid, fell quite hard and hurt my right arm and right hip, slowly healing, at least I can sew again, after 6 days, had to wait for the swelling to go down.

Bruise is slowly healing.

I cannot believe that I did not write about what is a very important art to the Spanish people, We would consider it a sport or entertainment, (maybe to some people) and that is bull fighting. 

DH and I chose not to attend one of these events. There were tickets on offer, but we declined. 

What is interesting about these fights are how they sell the seats, in the sun, shade or sun/shade. Price varies on where you sit. When the bull fight is over and the Matadors do well, flags are waved, if they continue to wave he gets one ear of the bull, if the crowd feels that he has been very brave, he will get two ears, so on and so on. The bull is then killed with the sword and sold off for meat at the end of the fight.

A brave matador

A couple in our tour group, attended the bull fight and the young matador was gored by the bull, the bull's horn gored near his jugular vein and in the stomach, the matador is on the critical list, apparently he was gored last year as well. Makes you wonder why they go back for more.

The bull ring arena in Madrid

Bronze statues of famous Matadors.

After leaving Portugal we  re-entered Spain and onto Sevilla, what a gorgeous city, we had the opportunity to attend a flamenco show.

The next day we explored the city of Sevilla, we visited the ruins of Italia, after visiting Ephesusus in Kurdashi, Turkey, these ruins were not very impressive. The only bit worth mentioning was the tiled mosaic floors in the ruins, otherwise not much to write home about.

The entry into Italia

Same entry, this was the only green area.

Mosaic tiled floor of a swimming pool, apparently the houses were quite large.

I can see lots of patchwork patterns in this tiled floor.

After Italia we visited the Sevilla Cathederal, the name is too long to remember. 

Horses outside the Cathederal.

This Cathederal also holds the coffin of Christopher Columbus.

The Cathederal in Sevilla has the Guinness book of records for being the world's largest.

Dressing room of the popes.

As always these Cathederal 's are elaborately decorated.

After the visit to the Cathederal, we walked 30 mins to the Espana Plasa, so pleased we actually took the effort to do this on such a hot day, what a beautiful square with the most gorgeous tiled buildings. each city in Spain is represented with a tile picture and it's coat of arms as well.

A canal flows through the square and boats can be hired to row on the canal.

Tiled staircases.

Tiled bridges with boats underneath.

Tiled city and coat of arms.

After visiting the Plasa we had tapas, then back to the hotel for a swim. We leave Sevilla to drive to Tarif to catch the ferry for Morrocco. So begins our next adventure.

Busy entering garden competitions and planning holidays

Seeing DH worked so hard in the garden preparing for our quilt show that we held in early September, I thought it was a great idea to enter the annual Hawkesbury Garden Competition. We have entered this event a few years ago and 3 years running,  we have won a prize, then with restructuring , losing some of our pine trees, lack of water, we became disillusioned and  not entered the competition since, but on a whim I entered again this year, much to the dismay of DH. The results will be revealed on the 16th October, we will see......

Some photos of our garden.

Gazebo area.

Our back yard.

Heathton Manor's verandah room. Bright sunny day.

After our quilt show we took the opportunity to seal our entertainment area, my oh my I have not seen it empty since finishing the construction in 2005. Very pleased with the result.

After all our hard work it is time for me to get back to some sewing, with work and preparations for our quilt show, entering garden competitions, I have had so little time, as always I have a few things on the go. 

The good thing about having stalls at a fund raising event is to rid yourself of unwanted fabrics, items and frustrating UFO' s, pass them onto some one else to finish. I am pleased to report that 3 of my unfinished quilts that had stitchery's incorporated into them have been sold, so now down to 5 WIP from  8.

Red and white is beckoning, next year for the  NSW Quilting guild is having a red and white challenge, a quilt in red and white, something that I have wanted to do for awhile, but can I keep,it small.... That will be my challenge, should I choose to accept.

Plans have been finalised for our trip to Houston, last time I went to Houston was in 2010 and was so overwhelmed and not sure if anything that I saw was absorbed. So with these few days that I have to spend at the show will be done at a leisurely pace. DH will do his own thing and I will be left to take my time, this year Houston is celebrating it's 40th year, so should be an extra special event.

We have also finalised plans for the Tokyo Quilt festival in 2015, need to get some thermals...This time DH will be in his element because he will have 3 women to boss around. We are staying at The Tokyo Dome  hotel, whilst the quilt show is on, after the show we will then get the amazing bullet train around Japan. Of course my challenge with Chris Jurd will be to visit every Yuzawaya store in each province, these stores are amazing with Yuwa fabric at $10 a metre, how can you go wrong. DH will have the delightful company of my sister who does not quilt, but is a fantastic travel companion. I visited the Yokoharma Quilt festival in Nov 2013, a little cool, not cold, in January it will be cold and snow, looking forward to seeing Japan in winter.

Next on our agenda is Nantes France, DH won out on this one, I would have liked to have gone to 

Paducah in April for the quilt festival, but he is all USA'd out so what could I say, as long as our trip incorporates the Nantes, Quiltmania's Pour L'Amour du Fil quilt show, I am happy to go, we will spend the first few days in Nantes, travel back to Paris by train and spend a few days there, travel to Dijon and possible pick up a car, oh the thought!!!!!, hopefully meet up with friends that will also be in France whilst we are there, 3 weeks in all travelling France, then to London with a trip to Wales to catch up with some friends, still in the planning stage, holidays have been confirmed so all we need to do is finalise plans for our trip, hard to keep track of dates etc, when we have 3 trips planned at once, I am up for the challenge, my bucket list is slowly dwindling, so excited!

2016 Paducah I will be there!, with or without DH. Cheers!