Spanish Castles

Any visit to Spain has to include a castle or two. There are plenty to choose from. In fact, the challenge is which ones to visit given the limited amount of time during a particular tour. I found a website that has plenty of photos. Here’s the link:

http://www.castillosnet.org/spanishcastles/source/mapa_index.php

The homepage has a map that you can click on. You are then directed to that particular region’s castles. So many photos that you can spend hours sorting through them. One thing that always amazes me about these castles is simply how many stones had to be cut and stacked. Millions of tons! Incredible feats when you think about the lack of machinery. I’m looking forward to posting my own photos soon of a couple of these castles. You’ll find them right here on The Bent Page.

Published in: on February 19, 2010 at 9:51 pm  Leave a Comment  
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New Year’s Eve, Madrid

Here’s a great video from Spain’s Channel 1 showing the New Year’s Eve festivities at the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Keep a keen eye on the footage as they project scenes from various countries on the main building behind the hosts.

And aren’t those hosts snappy dressers? You bet! Someday I’ll have to experience New Year’s Eve in Spain. I did in Aruba once, and many other times in the USA. Each country has their own approach. Viva la diferencia!

Special thanks to www.madridman.com for tipping me off to these video.

Published in: on January 3, 2010 at 4:07 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Amadeus Restaurant, Aruba

Amadeus Restaurant in Aruba is a new find for me. My wife and I joined friends there for a very nice dinner out last night. Upon entering, you’ll find an appealing bar with tables in the distance as well as a staircase leading to a balcony seating area. Here’s a view of the bar.

After having a glass of wine, we took to the stairs for a table with a view. The waiter promptly brought us menus, these in the form of framed cartas with a fair selection of dishes. Two of our party started with the escargot. These snails were served in a garlic mushroom sauce that looked like this:

This is not my thing, however, both diners reported them to be very tasty and a different way of serving this delicacy. I opted for the tried and true coconut shrimp, which arrive with greens on the side as can be seen here:

We enjoyed excellent conversation through these appetizers, not to mention a few glasses of wine and beer. Then came the entrees. Two of our group had fish, one was tilapia as seen below:

The other fish from the menu was a grouper, and here is a photo:

Both individuals found the dishes tasty and well prepared. As I like ribs done many ways, I gave the West Indies Ribs a try and here is what came to the table:

The sauce is more of a tomato-like concoction that was definitely not the same old same old. After this we polished off a slice of apple pie and some chocolate ice cream. Sorry, was too full to take more photos.

I have to say, Amadeus does a great job with both the food and the service. The prices are very (VERY) reasonable for the quality of the cuisine and attentive service. (I would go so far as to say that some other places in Aruba should send their staff to Amadeus for some re-training.) Thus, if you’re on the island and looking for a good meal slightly away from the usual areas, give Amadeus a try. It’s on the road to Paradera and easy to find.

Bon dia.

Beach Volleyball, Aruba

The ProAm Beach Volleyball tournament was held at the Divi Resort in Aruba this past weekend. The weather was between showers and sunshine. They managed to get the matches in. Here’s a video showing some of the action.

Ricoh, Swatch, Divi Resorts, and Polar beer were major sponsors. Thanks to them and all the players for providing a couple of days of live action sports.

Bon dia.

Published in: on December 14, 2009 at 4:06 pm  Leave a Comment  
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