her wedding day

father God,

please bless this marriage. please protect this marriage. please sanctify their love, their unity.

please be their all.

amen

welcome to the family

cocoa and buttons are the latest edition to the burge family.

Madrid, Spain

we went to see a flamenco show after having tapas at alemendro 13, a recommendation made by locals. the evening was a beautiful blur of red and white and black. the music is haunting and powerful. the movements leave one mesmerised.

calvin and i spent the evenings on the plaza mayor playing around with the camera and the different lights. this was taken just outside of the royal palace.

the metro stations are filled with buskers. my favourite was two jamaican looking men who had bongo drums and the biggest grins on their faces. virtually everyone who walked past started swaying their hips and tapping their feet.

madrid is characterised by its art and architecture. it is rich in history. this particular piece really spoke to me.

reine sofia is the modern art museum where picasso's work can be found.

afternoon siestas and time spent on the local square is very important. it marks each day.

the prado museum holds important art works dating back to the early 15th century. what amazed me most was how my emotions mirrored that of the paintings as i passed from one exhibition hall to the next.

we are off to granada next where we have booked a cottage in a white village. i am thinking that i might need to learn how to speak spanish.

Canal Du Midi, France, Day 2 - 7

tucked away villages, forgotten churches, hidden towns, ancient cities, castles with motes, fresh farmer's markets, cafes by the canal, blue shutters, interesting people and unexpected discoveries filled the rest of our week along the canal.

Canal du Midi, France, The Locks and The Canal

the canal is lined with ancient oak trees. the roots of the trees form the banks of the canal. this is the view that continually meets the eye along the way, with the falling leaves that float downwards in autumn and couples and children taking long walks during the lunchtime hour.

grapes are the primary cultivation in this area. the majority of the farms were completing their harvesting while we were there. it is incredible to see the blood red mountains of grapes in the co-operatives. the renowned wine farms harvest and press by hand. it is a community activity that ensures that centuries of quality are not lost through technological mechanisms.

roman aquaducts can be seen everywhere along the route and in some cases even form part of the existing canal.

here calvin is getting ready to steady the boat once the water starts pouring into the lock. heavy duty ropes are tied around ballards to make the process easier.

as you will see in the next few photos, locks are the means by which boats are able to travel up or downstream. the canal spans hundreds of kilometres and ancient barges from the earlier centuries can still be seen on the canal. naturally the drop, or increase, in altitude needs to be accounted for as barges and smaller boats cannot go through rapids. massive metal gates lock the boats into an enclosed area that fills up with water until the water level is even with the rest of the canal passage. the doors of the lock then open and the boat can sail on.

this gives you an idea of just how huge these gates are. some of them are over 18 ft in height.

we are waiting outside this lock as there is no more room to accomodate us as well. most locks can accomodate up to five, 7ton boats.

leslie is positioning the boat to enter the lock. it is not easy to manoeuvre the boat as it does not have a bow thruster.

just for fun...

because they can...

Canal du Midi, France Day 1

our week started in narbonne where we collected the boat and were instructed on how to operate the locks (photos of these to follow later) on the canal. the brief introduction did not prepare us for the incredible experience it would all turn out to be. we were all expecting a relaxing holiday but it turned out to be a physically active one. tying up a 7 ton boat in a lock with water gushing out of massive iron gates is no easy task, especially when the wind is an added factor. each lock operator owns a dog and these little ones kept us company and certainly entertained us. jon was our captain but we all had a go at steering the boat and leslie proved to be the best boat parker ever. the men were seriously impressed. this is of course only one of the many reasons that i just love her as a friend. le somail was the first town were we tied up for the evening. we cleaned the boat and set out on our bicycles to enjoy the town. it was my favourite town along the entire route. perhaps it was because of the aroma of food and the sound of children's laughter that filled the streets as we rounded corner after corner, discovering little corridors and alley ways. perhaps it was because of the freedom in my heart. perhaps, perhaps... but as each sight filled my eyes, my heart expanded.