What d'you think .........

......... of this photo? I took it from my bedroom window! I thought it was a good 'cloud shot'!

Is that over Beynor Landgate ?

I've seen them before , they are burning slag heaps with the derelict pit building near by, used to be plenty in Owfen. After many years they burn all the way through and finish up a pile of lovely red ash, just the jobs for paths and driveways. Oh and it's a lovely smell for five or ten years.

They look like heavy contrails that have sunk down

Tonker do you get snow on them there hills

The Castell de Miravet is a stunning fortress located in Miravet, Tarragona, Spain. Perched on a hill overlooking the Ebro River, it boasts a rich history dating back to the 12th century. Originally built by the Moors, it was later transformed into a Templar stronghold after the conquest of the region by Ramon Berenguer IV. The castle is a remarkable example of medieval military architecture and is considered one of the best-preserved Templar castles in Europe.
Visitors can explore its impressive walls, towers, and various rooms, including the Romanesque church, stables, and cistern. The site offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and is a popular destination for history enthusiasts and tourists alike.

Somehow, I didn't envisage having a view of slag heaps from his bedroom window over here. Was it taken from your Spanish home, Tonker?

APLS, does your post refer to the Knights Templar?

Yes, Mollie, out of the side bedroom window.

Yes Peter .......

LOL! Yes Tonker, of course it is. I just came back to call myself a daft bat as I'd answered my own question!

This recent photo looks like it was very very cold there. What month of the year was that?

That was last January, Mollie. I'm going over on Thursday, to fit some French windows onto the front porch. It's forecast to be mid-20's!

This photo is over the valley to the town, Benissanet, 1 km away .... (out of the other front bedroom window)

Look at this for low cloud! Looking over the river towards Ginestar. It must be a contrail left by a low-flying 737, eh Harold / Mick?

PS: the crosses are the mosquito net on the window!

Oh definitely contrails!

You have some lovely views. This is probably asking too much, and you'll probably say no, but is there any chance of a photo of your house there?

No, well, I can't say I blame you.

It's not finished yet, Mollie, but it's a bit more finished than it is here. Next week, it'll have French windows in place of that window on the right!

Ooh, thank you. It looks like it's very high up on a hill, so it's no wonder you have such great views.

Yer front garden looks like it's going to need a bit of a major make-over as well when you're finished with the house.

It's not a garden, Mollie, as such. It's a farm with an acre at the front and three acres behind, mostly forest, olives and carob trees. I've got mandarin, pear, pomegranite and figs too now. Oh., and vines for eating grapes, recently planted, courtesy of my neighbour, Pere! He looks after things when I'm not there. There's a lot of vines around, as it's just on the outskirts of the Priorat region.

Here's Pere (or Pedro) on mine in the snow last January. He does well for 83, he's fitter than me! (ex professional cyclist) (Tom'll be as fit as Pere when he's 83!)

I wondered if you had someone to take care of your premises when you're not there, even if it does look like it's in an isolated spot.

Will you think about making your own wine from the grapes, pomegranates and pears when you're properly established?

No. Mainly because I don't know how. But I haven't the time. Plus, I'd get raided for tax over there as well as here. I have neighbours on both sides who are there regularly, well, one has just died, so there's only Pere now. But there's also Antonio, directly in front, who I see every time I go (he has a local bar / restaurant and we eat there often), Michael, who I don't see much of. Jordi, who is very friendly and has run us to the airport when we've been stuck. Juan who's also very friendly. They are all really nice people!

Glad you're not isolated from civilisation then.

I didn't mean for you to make wine to sell - just for your own consumption. Believe me, it's not all that hard to make wine, but you're probably never there long enough to make it as you have to be vigilant keeping an eye on it. Pity that.

Pere looks to be in good shape for an 83 year old. It's probably down to that good fresh mountain air as well as fitness.

Wine is very cheap, Mollie. A good bottle of Vino Negre is from €2.25 in the supermarket, Only €4 in the local restaurants.

It's a well known fact that clouds and contrails can sometimes sink down to ground level.
My doctor told me that I'd had my share of the pies and ale so I stopped, I now take 12 tablets a day to keep me ticking over, thank god they are all free.
Last week I drove down to London and back and that alone can be stressful, so it will be even more for you when you drive all the way to Spain.
Even flying on those cheap micky mouse airlines you take won't be helping your health so you should pay a bit more and fly with a proper airline.
All my ex oilfield friends who desided to settle in places like Spain, Thailand and Cambodia have all kicked the bucket because they found out that there was nothing to do except hit the bottle every night.

Apparently

The mist flowing down from the mountains is caused by the weather

APLS: Now why didn't I think of that?

Can anyone tell me what Harold is talking about, in this thread, about pies and stress? Wrong topic. Then he reverts to type by being rude to Tonker about his choice of airlines.

Mollie, I don't consider Ha .... Mick was being rude, it's every mon to his own.
But ....... Harold, have you ever used those airlines? Do tell me, what's wrong with them? It's a two-hour flight. The Ryanair planes are Boeing 737-800s, so are new. We get on, sit down, snooze, chat, get off at the other end. This Thursday's flight, 1.20pm from Liverpool, has cost me £14.99 there and £14.99 back. £29.98. A taxi to the airport is dearer than that! What is there to complain about?
We've used Easyjet, same experience but dearer. Jet2, same thing. Vueling, different plane (Airbus) but the same trip only dearer still.
I've heard a lot of people call Ryanair, most have never used them, they say they never would, but I can't understand their mentality.
As for airports ...... avoid Manchester like the plague! (unless it's absolutely necessary) Liverpool Airport is like executive travel compared to Manchester.

Mick, we enjoy the drive over. It's not stressful in any way. We take, at least, two nights stopover, sometimes three. Folkstone, Orleans, Limoges, Bossost, Vielha, sometimes Rouen on the way back.
We enjoy the trip.
Yes, I drink too much, now. I don't know what'll happen if I've no work to do!

Fairy nuff, Tonker. It sounded snobbish to me like it was below his "higher standards." but there's nothing wrong with a cheap flight from A to B when you're doing the trip several times a year.

Tonker, yes I've flew with some cheap airlines in the past. But I think my flying days are over, it's not just the very small seat with no leg room I don't like in the way the cheap airlines treat there passengers like cattle, and the way the crew try to sell you £10 bacon butties.
A doctor once told me there's nothing worse for making you ill, than being cramped up with your legs bent double while sat in a airline seat.
Oh and then you've got all the other passengers and there out of control kids and drunken wives to cope with.

I did fly to Italy a few years ago from Liverpool on one of the cheap airlines and paid extra to board the plane first We were told to ho down the stairs to board the plane, but when we got to the bottom of the stairs we got told to just wait, we were left stood on the steps for about 5 minutes with nothing to lean against or hold onto.
and all ended up with aching legs.

In the meantime, did the more fit and able people get on the plane before you like what happened to my Wife and I on the one and only time we paid the extra price?

Yes they did OC, they all started to run towards the plane when they finally let us go.
Then we were forced to stand and wait again while they tried to squeeze there heavy bags in the overhead lockers.

Big Harold

My eldest daughter has also told me the same thing happen to her after paying the extra for the priority boarding for herself, partner and kids.

It appears that the airlines are never short of customers or should I say mugs falling for it, especially the elderly and familes with young children.

Another reason why less people are posting.

Your purple people eater face keep appearing if it is not of any interest to yourself!

Sorry

Owd Mon Sorry., with Ryanair, priority boarding is only worth paying for if you've got two bags, one being a larger one. Getting on the plane earlier is irrelevant, as it still takes off at the same time and you sit on the same seat whether you're on first or last.
I understand, if you've got kids with you, it's mandatory to sit together, so you have to book your seats together at £6 a seat.
Anyroadup, I never book anything 'extra', unless I have to take something big with me, like car parts,
one small bag is suffice for me.

Posted by: tonker
"and you sit on the same seat whether you're on first or last."

Are you allocated a pre booked reserved seat on these cheap budget airlines if you pay for priority boarding?

I'm led to believe its just like boarding a bus and you get wherever there is a seat available?

Chesh., don't you believe it. Here's how it works .....
Check in the day before your flight and download your boarding pass. Your seat number is shown on the boarding pass.
At the airport, scan your boarding pass to get you through to security.
Through security, follow the "go to gate" number.
At the gate, join either the "priority boarding" or "non priority" queue.
Show your boarding pass and passport.
Go to the plane when told to. The "priority boarding" queue goes first.
Up the steps, find your seat, put your bag in the overhead locker, sit down and wait for take-off.

At the other end, when plane stops, stand up, take bag out of locker, leave plane and proceed to passport control.
Simple as that.

If you're one of the holiday-making tourists, you might have to get to the airport 2 hours earlier to deposit your kitchen sink at baggage drop-off, then you might have to take ages putting all your liquids and gels in the bins. But that's the airport department, not the airlines.

Boarding Pass ....... this, plus your passport, gets you on the flight.

Posted by: tonker
"If you're one of the holiday-making tourists, you might have to get to the airport 2 hours earlier to deposit your kitchen sink at baggage drop-off, then you might have to take ages putting all your liquids and gels in the bins."

That is exactly what happened to me, Tonker. But, I wasn't a kitchen sink tourist!
I had to go to Slovakia for a couple of days so I just took a " weekend" sized cabin luggage holdall which fitted comfortably in the measurement crate.

However, prior to that at check in, I had to jettison a lot of toileteries etc and bin them and was told I couldn't take this, and that!

Are you suggesting that if you check in the day before your flight all that
would have been avoided?

Surely they are going to check everyones luggage regardless of when you check in?

If that is not the case, I will be doing what you do in the future!

Edit. When you said "check in the day before your flight"
Will that mean travelling to the airport twice?

Liquids and Gels cannot be taken onboard.
That's international airport security, not the actual airline, whether you've paid £14.99 for a flight or £499.99. Nothing avoids that.

In the case of Ryanair, like I've said, you can check-in free, online (on your phone or computer), from 24 hours before your flight. That's check-in with the flight, not the airport, and download your boarding pass (which tells you your allocated seat number) as shown above.

I'm with you now, Tonker. Thank you for clarifying that.
I actually flew with, Ryanair, but I didn't book the flight. It was the first and only time Ive used them.

To be fair, it was acceptable, apart from the hassle of discarding a major chunk of my toiletries! Mind you it was the middle of January and the aircraft was half empty, and the cabin crew were not exactly rushed off their feet..

So all in all, if I checked in the day before, I would not have avoided the baggage check?

" ..... it was acceptable, apart from the hassle of discarding a major chunk of my toiletries!"

Ah., but, that's nothing to do with Ryanair!

I'll give you that one, Tonker

I bet them security men were grinning like Cheshire Cats!
Cheeeeeese!

Tonker stated, "Liquids and Gels cannot be taken onboard."

Aren't liquid and gels accepted but regulated?

Regarding Manchester Airport, liquid and gels are allowed to be taken onboard, but these are only allowed when they comply with the rules. Liquids and gels have to be under a certain weight and to be placed in a clear, resealable plastic bag of a regulated size or under.
Additionally, before some person wishes to bring the following up, the liquids and gels must be lawful and safe. Therefore, a small bottle of skin lotion or deodorant is fine.
The resealable plastic bag, with your liquids and gels, must fit into your hand luggage. This plastic bag containing your liquids and gels has to be taken out of your hand luggage, when you are at security check, and placed in one of the available trays.
Any liquids and gels which do not comply with the regulations, such as being too large, have to be discarded. Additionally, the security people judge the size of liquids and gels from the container details. I have seen people trying to get through security with 125ml or 150ml bottles by saying that the bottle is only half full. Only the container size (50ml or possibly, at some airports, 100ml) is accepted. It does not matter whether the container is full or half full.
Also, if they are not contained in a clear, resealable plastic bag, they are not allowed to be taken through security; therefore, they are to be discarded.
Manchester Airport has, on the recent times I have been through, clear, resealable plastic bags available for free in the security area. But, I would not take the chance of these being available, because if there aren't any plastic bags, then you may have to discard all your toiletries.

If you are taking a large suitcase which must be checked-in, liquids and gels (as long as they are legal) can be stored in that suitcase. These come under different regulations to the carry-on regulations.

But, as Tonker stated, these regulations are set by airports. Therefore, it is always better to check the particular airport or airports you are going to travel through as these regulations could differ.

The best advice is, check all details before you get to the airport. There are different regulations and some could cost you a lot more money, such as: hand luggage not being accepted as it is slighty too large and, therefore, it has to be put through check-in and you will have to pay an additional cost. Also, leaving check-in too late and having to do this at the airport desk; this will carry a charge and not a few pounds.

I was going through security at Manchester and the bloke in front of me was arguing with them over a bottle of T- Cut.

No hassle whatsoever flying and checking in up until about 25 years ago.

Look no further than the overseas terrorist's to lay the blame on for the delays and stringent checks.

I've been in many airports all around the world, when check-ins and flying were a pleasure, but not anymore.
Now I'm forced to fly business class to experience the same kind of service.