OUR HONEYMOON BEGINS IN TORREMOLINOS SPAIN

Our honeymoon journey began with British Independent Airlines, which, takes us from London to Malaga airport. From there, we travelled by bus to Torremolinos, a beautiful resort on Spain’s Costa del Sol.

From From England to Malaga then bus to Torremolinos

The bus ride from Malaga to Torremolinos was spectacular. Along the way, we enjoyed views of the hills and a monastery outside Malaga.. After arriving at the Torremolinos bus terminal, we took a taxi to our hotel.

OUR TICKETS TO TORREMOLINOS

Where is Torremolinos

Torremolinos is a seaside town in Andalusia, southern spain, just west of Malaga. It was once a small fishing village, but tourism began to grow in the late 1950s. It became one of the first resorts developed along the Costa de Sol and remains one of the region’s most popular.

The Los Mercedes Hotel Welcomed Us

The Los Mercedes Hotel was brand new when we stayed there, and it became the first destination of our honeymoon.

After our long journey, we were warmly welcomed by the hotel staff. Their kindness immediately helped us feel more relaxed. By the time we arrived we had travelled by overnight train from Sault Ste. Marie to Montreal, taken a bus from Montreal to Quebed City, crossed the Atlantic by ship to Southampton, flown to London, stayed there for several days, and then travelley by air to Malaga. From Malaga, we continued by bus and then taxi to Torremolinos.

Being Pampered at the Hotel

We felt pampered from the moment we arrived. We loved the unique decor of our room and the view of the ocean from our balcony.

The evening turndown service was especially memorable,. The staff arranged my nightgown attractively on the bed and placed small squares of chocolate beside it. It was a thoughtful and charming touch.

Wonderful Meals and New Flavours

The food at the hotel never ceased to amaze me. Each dish was colourful, beautifully presented, and delicious. Some of the flavours were unfamiliar to me, but they were wonderful discoveries. Even today.I still dream about some of those meals.

The Waiter’s impressive Skills

The dining room waiters were extremely skilled and attentive.They seated us graciously, placed our napkins on our laps, took our orders, and served each course with care.

One waiter demonstrated an amazing way of peeling an orange. With one knife and a quick movement of his wrist, he removed the peel. He then aranged the orange artistically on our plates. It was both practical and beautifully presented.

Refreshing Visits to the Bar

The bartenders were friendly and skilled.. They prepared refreshing non-alcoholic drinks for me, which were especially welcome after our adventures in the hot sun.

The drinks contained different tropical fruits and juices, including flavours that were new to me. Each colourful drink was served with such elegance that it was impossible not to enjoy it.

Artistry in the Bedroom

One evening, after supper, we returned to our room and received a lovely surprise. My nightgown had been arranged on the bed in the shape of a flower, with small chocolates placed nearby. The room was filled with the gentle fragrance of jasmine.

Entertainment Every Evening

The hotel provided entertainment every evening. One night, a violnist perforemd for us, and we were fortunate to keep the brochure from the event.

On another evening, a group of Flamingo Dancers entertained us. The men danced with the upright posture and controlled movements associated with flamenco, while the women wore colouful, dramatic costumes.

The women’s energetic movements and sweeping skirts added excitement to the performance. The men’s costumes were also colourful and their, slow, dramatic movements and changes in posture showed great skill. It was a beautiful way to end the day.

A Colourful View of Torremolinos

The map and the photograph help show the area around Torremolinos and the small town we enjoyed.

The View from Our Hotel Balcony

One of my favourite memories is the view of the ocean from our hotel room. It was a beautiful sight to wake up to and one we remember fondly.

An Unexplained incident in the Town Square

A Bicycle Ride to the Beach

One a bright, warm, sunny day, we decided to ride our bycycles to the beach. To get there we had to pass through the town square.

A policeman stopped us there. He did not speak English, but he made it clear that we could not continue toward the beach. Since we did not understand the reason, we returned to the hotel. We never discovered what the problen had been, but the incident remained an unexplained part of our holiday memories.

An Excursion from Torremolinos to Malaga

A BullFight in Malaga

Exploring Malaga’s Bullfighting Tradition

During our stay in Torremolinos, we spent a day in Malaga, where we observed the bullfighting tradition. What we had previously seen on television was taking place before our eyes. We saw people running through the streets ahead of the bulls, although we did not take part.

Training to Become a Bullfighter

Instead, we visited training schools for young men who hoped to become bullfighters. We also saw other establishments connected with the bullfighting tradition. After giving the matter considerable thought, we decided to attend the event.

The Matador’s Skills

The experience made a strong impression on me. I do not think I will ever attend another bullfight, but I was mesmerized by the matador’s skill. His precise, dance-like movements and ability to avoid the bull using only a red cape were remarkable. The performance was dramatic and spectacular, although I also found it difficult to watch.

This was an unforgettable part of our honeymoon because it allowed us to witness a tradition that we had previously known only from television. Our experience also made me think more deeply about the cultural importance of bullfighting and the ethical concerns surrounding it.

History of Bullfighting 

Attending the bullfight sparked an intest in me to learn more about it and I wanted to share some of what I found with you.

Malaga was close to Torremolinos, so it was easy for us to visit. During our honeymoon, we went there to see a bullfight, an experience that introduced us to an important and traditional part of Spanish culture.

An ancient painting found around 2000BC in Knossos in Crete shows that women, as well as men have performed acrobats that involved grabbing the bulls horns as it charges and then vaulting over its back.

Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle associated especially with Spain. Although its origins reach back many centuries, the modern form developed over time into a highly structured event held in a bullring. The matador, supported by other members of the team, follows a series of movements and rituals that require practice, timing, courage, and precise control.

Controversy

Bullfighting has been an important part of Spanish history and culture, but it is also controversial because of the harm caused to the bull. Today, opinions about the tradition differ greatly. Some people view it as an important cultural practice, while others believe it should no longer continue

Bullfighting Explained 

Bullfighting in Spain is called corrida de toros (which translates to ‘running of bulls’) or la fiesta. 

In the traditional bullfights there are three bullfighters who each have to fight two bulls. The bulls are aged between four and six years old and weights no more than 460kg. 

Each bullfighter has six assistants, two lancers on horseback (picadores), three flaggers (banderilleros) and a sword page (mozo de espadas) this group of people are collectively known as an entourage (cuadrilla). 

A Spectacular but Unforgettable Experience

The experience of actually seeing a young man together with a bull one-on-one is something I can still remember. Reading the actual stages the fight follows helps me remember the mixed feelings I was having. Sometimes I was trying to save the bull and other times the matador was in danger from the bull.

How can anyone forget the magnificant colours on the matador and the cape. The graceful, poised movements of the matador were also awe inspiring.

Bullfighting Images

SAN SEBATIAN, SPAIN

THE HOTEL MARIA CHRISTINA

Our honeymoon travels took us to stay at the Hotel Maria Cristina next.

“We stayed at the Hotel Maria Christina, What a beautiful hotel. “I am happy here”. My Diary entry.

An early photograph of san sebastian

San Sebastián is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants helmed by innovative chefs. In its cobblestoned old town (Parte Vieja), upscale shops neighbour vibrant pinto bars pairing local wines with bite-size regional specialities. ― Google

I was happy to find a diary. in which I had kept some details of the places we visited but,unfortunately not enough.

Diary Entries

My Diary Entry Date: Wednesday, December 28, 1960

Arrived in San Sebastian at 9 PM. It was a foul pouring rain day, and we had to wait for a taxi. Just as we were about to enter the taxi, I realised I left my coat on the train, alas, The train was gone. I wondered if I would ever see my coat again?

My Diary Entry Date: Thursday, December 29, 1960

The weather is the same as yesterday, pouring rain. Fortunately, we were able to buy a big black umbrella and my coat had arrived.

In the afternoon, the rain let up. and the beauty of the downtown was calling us. This beautiful town is right on the ocean. The streets caught our attention, they are wide with large trees down the center. The sidewalks were unique, they were paved with tiles containing coloured designs/

One Street with coloured tiles

The weather was nasty. We walked down to the docks along the ocean anyway. The wind and the rain dashing onto the break water and onto the sidewalk was very spectacular. The splashing water was always just ahead of us or just behind us allowing us to remain fairly dry. We walked around for a few hours.

We returned to our hotel room tired just a bit wet, but happy.

THE STORM

Images of the Town

mADRID, SPAIN

WE ARE TRAVELLING BY IBERIA AIRLINES SPAIN FROM MALAGA TO MADRID

MY DIARY ENTRIES ARE NON-EXISTANT FOR MADRID

I am using the items below from my scrapbook to complete this visit.

CHRISTMAS IN MADRID

WE ATTENDED SERVICES AT THE BRITISH EMBASSY, THE CHURCH OF SAINTE GEORGE MADRID

A CHRISTMAS GIFT

We spent our first Christmas together in Madrid. It was the first time that we did not have family close by. We did manage to get a tree to help us deal with missing our family. It was a small tree with minimal decorations. We did buy small gifts for each other.

Gordon gave me a bracelet. The design on the bracelet was a spanish design of black and gold. I wear that bracelet today. I am afraid neither one of us remembers if I even bought him a gift.

A SPECIAL DAY – A SPECIAL MEAL

The Casa Botin was recommended by the Concierge of our hotel. If you go he said be sure to have their roasted pig, it is a must. We ordered the roast suckling pig as was suggested. It was as delicious as we were told.

I can remember the taste of the roasted suckling pig. The old comfortable atmosphere of the dining room is part of the memory too.

The dining room and the menu

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CASA BOTIN

This Spanish fixture opened in 1725. It is famous for its roast suckling pig, which was mentioned in a Hemingway novel.

Service options: Reservations required · Outdoor seating · Private dining room

Address: C. de Cuchilleros, 17, Centro, 28005 Madrid, Spain from Google:

SOME MEMORIES OF MADRID

THE POVERTY:

Walking down the Madrid streets I saw such poverty. The poverty was very obvious very quickly. I remember this incident like it was yesterday. A fairly young woman approached us. She was holding a small baby bundled in rags with bare feet peeking out of this blanket of rags. She and the baby were surrounded by several small children. As she got closer she looked to me like she was trying to give her baby to me. The poor mother was begging for money. She needed to feed herself and her children. We gave her some money.

We were sitting by a window in a restaurant, several children in ragged clothes stood looking at us as we ate. They stood with their hands outstretched and a pleading look on their faces. It became very difficult to finish our meal. I cannot forget the look on the faces of these children.

PARIS FRANCE

My Diary Entry Sunday, December 31, 1960

We are in Paris, at 455 pm on Christmas Eve. We traveled from Madrid by train. The train ride was so relaxing. We were not tired after our long journey. We had an compartment to ourselves.

Lafayette Hotel

We checked into the Lafayette Hotel. There are two different shots pictured below.

The Hotel Opera Lafayette was a disappointment to us, as the Water Closet (bathroom) was across the hall. We would be the only one using it. We stayed there as the price was right .

The hotel restaurant was noted for it’s restaurant so we had a meal there, before we headed out for the evening. It was New Years Eve and we wanted to celebrate in someway. Going to see a movie was just what we needed as we hadn’t heard any english for a long time. We had been many weeks, not understanding what people were saying to us. The movie was “Don’t Give Up The Ship” with Jerry Lewis. It was our New Year’s Eve celebration.

Paris celebrated the New Year by ringing bells and honking car horns. The cars and the noise on the streets could be heard from our Hotel room. It was fun to listen to. We felt as if we were part of the night’s celebrations. The continuous noise began to bother us by 4 AM.

My Diary Entry Dated: Sunday, JANUARY 1, 1961

On this day we had our first ride on on the Paris subway to “Concorde” to the Eiffel Tower travelling along the Seine.

The Eiffel Tower

the Unesco building tour

We joined a guided tour of the Unesco building. The tour was mostly in French and as French is not our second language we missed out on a lot of history.

As we missed hearing our own English language we went to an english movie called the “Can-Can” with Frank Sinatra and Shirley McLean which we enjoyed.

My Diary Date: Tuesday January 3, 1961

Our plan to visit The Modern Art Museum, on Rue Du President Wilson Street did not happen as it was closed, just like the Louvre yesterday. The afternoon was spent watching a Judy Holiday and Dean Martin in the movie “Bells are Ringing. We left the movie theatre to pouring rain. We raced to the hotel as we didn’t have our umbrella.

holland is our next visit

My Diary Entry Date: wednesday January 4, 1961

We were able visit The President Wilson’s Modern Art Museum.. We were mesmerized by the enormous collection of modern art and modern architecture that was available for viewing.

Later that day we flew to Dan Haag, Holland. On Friday we had visited KLM who made the arrangements for our flight.

My Diary Entry Date: Thursday, January 5, 1961

Although my diary is empty for this day. I know that we contined to visit some well known tourist attractions such as The Arc de Triomphe, the The Champs-Élysées , The Eiffel Tower and other interesting buildings and parks. Writing about this magnificent structures would have taken a lot of time and thought.

We also enjoyed window shopping. It was fun to look in the windows and imagine buying something there. we promised ourselves that we would return and buy. We have been to Paris again and still did not buy.

Tomorrow we fly to Amsterdam Holland

Den Haag, holland

My Diary entry Dated: friday, January 6, 1960

A bus took us to the departure gate at the Paris Airport. Our flight departed at 1200 hours. We arrived in Amsterdam at 1300 hours. At approximately 1400 hours we went by busto Den Haag, our destination in Holland. We would be meeting Henny and Bill Dykstra. We are staying with Bill’s parents. Bill’s parents are friends of Gordon’s parents. The Dykstra’s, Bill’s parents had been in Canada for a while. The senior Dykstars were to be our hosts for our stay.

It seems we have a decision to make. We could each have our own room to ourselves or share a single bed in one of the rooms. If we each took a room their daughter Inaka would have to go to someone else’s place to sleep. Inaka stayed in her own room. Gordon and I shared a single bed. I was amazed to find that after six nights in the single bed at Dystkar’s we did very well. I must admit that we had met many a single bed on this trip.

It seemed that many places on this trip only offered single beds. It started with our train trip from the Sault to Montreal. The private car we had was furnished with bunk beds and a small sink and toilet facilities. There were two sets of bunk beds in the cabin we were assigned to, on the MS Italia. Were we going to be the cabin, I asked myself, but no we were not.

Having two sets of bunk beds facing in different directions was helpful for me when I became seasick. I could choose a bed depending on the way the wind was blowing and the way the boat was rocking. This seemed to help my nausea.

My Diary entry Dated: saturday January 7, 1961

After a leisurely breakfast Bill took us to the city of Den Haag to see the works of Dutch Artists. One that interested me was the “The Anatomy Lesson” of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. It is a 1632 oil painting on canvas by Rembrandt housed in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, Netherlands. It was originally created to be displayed by the Surgeons Guild in their meeting room. read more.. Bill bought a coloured slide and of the “Anatomy Lesson” and gave it to Gordon. Bill gave it to Gordon who had been admiring it so much.

The Mauritshuis Museum is home to the best of Dutch painting from the age of Rembrandt and Vermeer. “The Girl with a Pearl Earring”by Rembrandt is a masterpiece you can see here.

My Diary entry Dated: SUNDAY, January 8, 1961

Bill, who volunteered to be our tour guide, took us to Amsterdam to explore the Canal District or the Red Light District. The houses there have bay windows which show case women posing seductively in the window. Prostitution is legal in Holland. Read more…

Bicycles, are seen everywhere. They are main the mode of travel. in Den Haag and other parts of Holland. They do have streetcars, which we used to take us to our next destination the Rijksmuseum.

Famous Dutch artists were housed in the Rijksmuseum. I was not familiar with most of the artists. The artists impressed me with their abilities. I studied some Dutch artists in an Art History class at Algoma University in 1969.

Ancient articles of war were on display in The Rijksmuseum. The display included, a variety of armour, the shields and swords. Old soldiers uniforms in their different designs and colours drew my attention. There was an amazing number of huge models of actual fighting vessels. We returned to the Dystkars.

After this long day we returned home to a delicious home cooked meal. Mrs. Dykstra fed our starving bodies. Bill was invited to stay for supper after being our guide for the day. Henny was invited but she was busy so she joined us later. A very pleasant day and evening.

I must mention that we saw several windmills on our drives. Some were in use and others had seen better days. Both were very picturesque. You will see some windmills in the pictures below

We were pleased to meet a dutch architect friend of Bills.

My Diary Entry Dated: monday, JANUARY 9, 1961

Gordon went off without me on this Monday morning, which allowed me to sleep in. He had a desire to see more of the Museum of Modern Art and to visit some architect firms.

I spent the day catching up on some washing, I went shopping with Mrs. Dykstra about 4 pm, her housekeep accompanied us. I had a quiet ride by street car to Henny’s house, as the housekeeper who accompanied me only spoke dutch.

An interesting activity

Avalanche climber/walker. I did not know such a sport even existed. A friend of the Dykstra’s visited one evening and entertained us with stories and slides of his experiences with avalanches. This sport is almost as dangerous as mountain climbing. The beauty of the landscapes share a certain beauty. A winter wonderland.

Food safety was an issue with me.They had very small refrigerators some what like the ones we have to keep our drinks cool. Their windowsills were used to keep many foods cold.

Bathtubs were about the size of the copper tubs one sees in old western movies. I think they could be even a bit smaller. I cannot remember if they had showers or not.

WE ARE LEAVING HOLLAND

Our hosts Mr. and Mrs. Dykstra, Bill, Henny and Anaka could not have been more gracious. We said our sad goodbyes at the airport.

photos of holland by gordon

london england is our next move

It is time to settle down and find work.

We were lucky we could take the overnght ferry through the English Channel to England. However, discovered that travel over water is going to be a bad experience for me.

Seeing the White Shores of Dover was worth being seasick. They are whiter than I had imangined.

the city of london england

OUR DESTINATION FOR THE BEGINNING OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER

The Regent Hotel pictured above was where we stayed for a few days. We eventually move to B&Bs and Private hotels. Gordon got an offer of a job in a small seaside village in Ipswich which we felt we had to investigate.

Job Hunting

Gordon was job hunting and got an offer of a job in Ipswich a town by the sea. We traveled to Ipswich and stayed at The Gables. How well we were treated there by Mr. And Mrs. C. Roberts the owners. We were there for a few days so when we came in from roaming the small town, they had lit the fireplace in the living room for us and heated our bed with hot water bottles or hot stones. We enjoyed breakfasts with them and Dinner if we wanted to. We always took them up on the dinner as Mrs. Roberts was an excellent cook.

While we were in Ipswich we looked at places we might possibly want to live. The very old thatched roof houses were so picturesque as you can see below.

Unfortunately, or fortunately the job did not materialize and we headed back to London. I say fortunately we did not stay there because Gordon would have a job, but I would not, as there were no hospitals nearby. At first, the thought of not having to work was okay with me. However, after 3 months of not working, spending so much time alone, as it was difficult to meet people, doing notheing, was no longer desirable.

A thatched roof house we looked at. The Gables bill.

THE BILL FROM THE IPSWICH BED AND BREAKFAST WE STATED AT WITH THEIR CARD

SETTLING DOWN IN LONDON: STARTS WITH….

Searching for a home, but first we had to stay somewhere while we searched. Below you will see the hotels and the bed and breakfasts we stayed in while searching.

REGENT HOTEL

Having stayed at the Regent Hotel when we first arrived in England we decided to stay there for a few days to oreintate ourselfves to the city before we started house huning.

Later moving to other places to rest our weary heads after home shopping.

Images of a small cover which opens up to reveal the many amenities available in the Regent Hotel.

OTHER PLACES WE PUT OUR HEADS AT NIGHT

The Mount Royal Hotel Marble Arch London

Sedene Private Hotel

Sedene was a quaint private hotel on a quiet street.

Our Special Treatment

The owners of these establishments were most generous and kind to us. They liked Canadians. The fact that we were newly weds who planned to stay in London made us more special to them.

During the day we were out looking for a place to live and were so happy to walk into the lounge with a fire glowing invitingly. We also ate our breakfast and evening meals in there lovely dinning rooms.

Besides the lovely fire and the wonderful meals, they also pampered us by making sure the beds were warmed with hot water bottles or hot stones. They as in,

House Hunting

places you could get for six pounds

At first we thought 6 pounds would get us a reasonable place however, the places we were shown did not appeal to us spoiled Canadians. Many you had to share a bathroom, others offered daily house cleaning, which sounded nice,but no, another had the bathtub in the kitchen.

Places for Seven Pounds

We found what we wanted when we raised the 6 pounds to 7 pounds.

We chose a downstairs apartment in an older two story stone house at 72 Grove Park Road.

OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES IN LONDON

iS UNDER CONSTRUCTION