Souvenirs of Nerja

I fell in love with the Costa del Sol...

I thought it was just
sun, sand and flamenco

but I discovered
dramatic mountain scenery,

Moorish history

and orange groves.

You can sit in the sunshine in Granada at lunchtime

and then drive across the hills

back to the sea

and the bustle of the promenade.

Nerja, I'm missing you already.

Roll on next year.

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Friday Night in Tutti-Frutti

Errr...

Help me out, folks...

What shall we call this...

'Social Geography'?


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Another Intense Day

Up early because we are off
to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada...

to study Geomorphology
with our fearless leader.

This required us to spend the morning
in an almond grove
surrounded by sugar pink blossom,

a brief stop for lunch
breathing in the smell of wild thyme,
admiring the white-washed buildings,

and then it is off
down the hill through the orange trees
to the river bed.

Chemical Analysis

Measuring Flow Rate

Observing Sediment Deposition

Taking Photos

Well...somebody has to do it.

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Physical Geography

This is the Geography
of hard hats and rock hammers

of observation,

of landscape.

This is the Geography
of schist, silt and scree

of river, mountain,
coastline and desert.

It can only be done outside
wearing trousers with pockets
on the side of your legs.

I'm coping.

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Postcards from Spain

Dear Head of Department,
Here we are at the margin of Europe.
It is an ideal place to study cross-cultural interaction
and the contemporary challenges of transition
from an agricultural and fishing subsistence economy
to the wider boundaries of tourism
and transient ex-patriate communities.
I am out of shot carrying the First Aid Kit.
I am working hard...
Yours, most sincerely,
Alice


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First Day of Term

MrsM slept soundly
and woke feeling rested
which was just as well...

La grasse matinée

because she had completely forgotten
what the first day of term feels like:

invoicesexpenseandpayclaims;
examquestionsassessedwork
employmentcontractsattendanceissues;
insuranceagreementsworkshopadvertising...

and...the Spain Field Trip...

MrsM has been distracted
but she needs to plan her wardrobe urgently
because she departs on Sunday.

At the Races

This little number will be perfect for field work:

note the responsible use of sun hat
and day sack for first aid kit.

La Madeleine

This outfit will blend in nicely
for the in-depth study of cafe culture.

Julia

There may be an occasional evening expedition
and MrsM want to be prepared
and observe the local dress code.

After the Ball

Finally, MrsM plans to travel in this.
She is required to be on campus
at 3.15am on Sunday morning
and she wants to look stylish
when she collapses with exhaustion
on Sunday afternoon.

*****

All paintings by Ramon Casas i Carbó (1866 - 1932),
Catalan artist and contributor to Modernisme movement.

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