Things I Love About: Spain

Normally lists have a number applied to them, but this list is open-ended, so I'm not going to put a number on it. Maybe after I move out of Spain, but even then I'm sure when I'm not living here I'll think of things that I love[d] about the country, and add them on when I please. First I'll give you a bit of history...

I first moved to Spain in 2009, and lived and studied abroad in Getxo/Bilbao (Pais Vasco) in the north. It blew my mind to see that there were other ways of living, eating and being, and really expanded my mentality and desires for the future. I knew as soon as I was packing up to go back home, that someday I'd move back. I didn't know how, I didn't know when, but I did know. Skip forward three and a half years, some grammatical differences, and here we are, I'm back! This time, I moved to the south (Andalucia), to the magical, amazing city of Sevilla. I'm currently writing this from my couch in Sevilla, where I've been living and teaching since January of 2013 (in Sevilla, not on my couch...). And, I am going to be staying another school year...I think.

So, in the course of the 2+ years I've spent living in this great country, I've definitely had time to notice some things. These are some of the things that have caused me to fall in love with this country:

• Life seems to move at a slower pace. If you are walking around, chances are you're going to be thinking, "Why in the heck are they walking soooo sloooowwwlllyyy?" And then suddenly the person in front of you will stop (perhaps outside a ground-level apartment window) and just start chatting, as if nothing else is going on. I gather that the point of life isn't so much to race around, make money, and get on to the next thing, but instead, it's about spending good, quality time, with people you enjoy and love. And that, I LOVE.
• That it's perfectly acceptable to eat lunch at three in the afternoon, or dinner at eleven at night. These times aren't going to blow anyone's mind, but if you try to have lunch at noon, well, they might not even have the kitchen ready for that kind of thing yet. (This one is a double-edged sword, since I'm not such a fan of 10pm dinners.)
• I love that the aforementioned lunches aren't considered abnormal if they last for more than an hour, two hours, three hours. It is so incredible to pass two hours at one meal with people. Laughing, eating, enjoying life, and very importantly, the food.
• THE COLORS. Oh my GOSH the colors in Spain are amazing! Well, it's different in the north and south, but here in the south, there are beautifully ceramic tile walls all over, potted flowers on most balconies, orange trees lining the streets, and brightness everywhere you go. So. many. flowers!!!! Definitely can be attributed to so much sun, which is another thing I love about southern Spain.
• Seeing little hoards of tiny, tiny, tiiiny (short) old ladies walking around chatting. It's so obvious and cute that they've probably all been neighbors and best friends their entire lives, and it's so cute when they're either holding each other, or holding their canes, and just shuffling along down the street hanging out. Perhaps I find this so intriguing because I'm not sure if my gypsy-traveler self will have this kind of experience in my life, as I don't really stay in places too long.
• Pretty similar to above, but I love so much seeing someone hanging out outside their friends apartment window. I sometimes wonder why they don't just go inside, but then think, it's so sensible the way they're doing it. Also, one person being in the street, yelling/conversing up to a higher level with whoever they happen to know inside. Kind of like the couple times I would call my family in the living room, from my bedroom, because I knew it was just as effective as physically shortening the distance.
• That because people tend to live in flats and not houses, they spend A LOT of time in the streets, the plazas, the squares, and at the bars. As someone once told me upon arriving to Sevilla, "Nosotros vivimos en la puta calle." Translation: We live in the f-ing street. I love, love, love how much life there seems to be here, because everyone is living in the effing streets. The outside tables at tapas bars are always full (crisis, what??), and any plaza/square there is, is usually to be seen featuring gossipers, children playing, and hanging out. It adds an energy to Sevilla that I have yet to feel and find anywhere else.
• The fact people have beer whenever they feel like it, and no one says anything, or makes a "what are you thinking" face. Many of my workmates will have a beer at the bar across the street if we have an hour w/o class, then return to teaching. Most of the time, they have two. In the States, if someone saw a teacher having a couple beers between classes, they would probably be investigated and fired. Granted, the beer down here is very low % and watery, but still...

As I said, this list will continue to grow, but for now, these are the things that jump into my mind. I feel like I'm selling it a bit short, but, well, that's what there is for now. :)

Come to Spain anytime, and ask me any questions you have, whenever you want! I'm not an index, but I think I can give you some solid suggestions! 

Blessings, Love & Light all!

La Adventura de las Setas (The Mushroom Adventure)

Each fall and spring in different mountain pueblos (villages/towns) there are gatherings of people, who've all got one thing on their mind -- mushrooms. Now, before all my psychedelic supporters get all juiced, I'm not talking about something like the annual collection of psychedelic shrooms in Golden Gate. What I am talking about, are people who go into these villages, with the sole intention of scouring the hills for mushrooms to study and/or eat. My roommate has gone three years before to different pueblos to "coger setas" (pick mushrooms), and this year, upon hearing his plan to "go pick mushrooms in the mountains," I decided to join him!

We decided we would go to Constantina, a pueblo an hour and half from Sevilla, but still within the province of Sevilla. We would take the train on Saturday morning with our bikes, arrive to the station, and then bike to the city center. Then we would explore Constantina, stay the night, and then wake up on Sunday morning to go into the hills with an organized and guided group to pick mushrooms. I couldn't have been more excited for the experience! In my mind, I saw us having a casual, relaxing, natural time. I saw us biking around the town with big smiles on our faces, and baskets full of yummy mushrooms! What could possibly happen that wouldn't leave me smiling and feeling completely relaxed and refreshed for the coming week? Right??

Well, I'm sure, that if you know me, my life, the way things go, the way things happen, and just life in general, you can probably tell from that little intro that the experience wasn't exactly the relaxing nature weekend I had in mind. And, as a matter of fact, it actually turned out the be the physically hardest thing I've done since I went 136km around Ibiza...in a kayak.

First off, we didn't really make any sort of a plan. We didn't have train tickets, we didn't have a place booked to stay, nor did we know where we were going apart from the name of the village. The only thing we knew, was that on Sunday morning at 9 o'clock we were signed up to be part of a group going to pick mushrooms. The rest, we left unplanned and open.

Now, I'm normally really okay with this type of plan. In fact, I prefer it. I am not big on over-planning, and I love to just let the travel plans sort themselves out by the grace of God. But, I have had some experiences that have left me a little changed (soon there will be a link here where you can read about my experience in Cesky Krumlov), and therefore, I do like to have a little bit of a plan, especially when planning a trip with a bike, and most-especially, when it's during seasons of cold weather. And when we woke up at 8:35am on Saturday morning, for a train that we didn't have tickets for, and was set to leave at 9:30am, I was definitely wishing that we had planned a little bit more.

We arrived to the station less than 10 minutes before the train was supposed to leave, and the time stamp on the tickets told us we had exactly four minutes till it left. So after biking at a high speed about about 20-25 minutes, we then had to run, with our bikes, to the train. Oh, and did I mention that I had stupidly decided to do a one-day fast the day before? Or that because we woke up with less than 20 minutes to get our stuff together and get out the door, we didn't have breakfast before the bike race and sprint sesh? So yeah..here I am, dying, not having eaten in well over 30 hours, exercising. But we made it on the train.

And then we were off! The ride was amazing.. I really do love traveling by train. It is more comfortable than a car, bus, or plane, and it goes fast, but you get to see everything! So we were passing by countless run-down and deserted factories, mines, and buildings, as well as lakes, and endless trees. I could feel my breaths were fresher and infused with new life!

And then, we arrived! The train took us to a station that is shared by two villages, Cazalla and Constantina. At the station, there is a little cantina where you can have a tapa or a drink, so we popped in to have some breakfast before we went to the village. The cantina is a charming, artistic place. The owner is a zany painter, and the place screams woodland charm and art. It was a great vibe-y way to start our big weekend of adventure and time in nature.

 

So after some conversation and coffee, we gathered ourselves up, and got ready to head into town! Now, when my roommate first petitioned the idea to me, he quite casually said, "We'll go by train, and take the bikes. Then when we get there, we can just bike from the train station to the city center." I was so instantly down with the idea, that I didn't really think much about it until after I was committed and mentally prepped. I did think about the fact we were going to the mountains, and therefore would likely be facing some hill-age with the bikes, but figured I could handle it, no big deal.

Well, what my roommate failed to mention, or rather, we failed to look up, was the distance from the station to the city center. So when we arrived and were in the cantina, we got a map and some directions, and were told we were 11km from the town. But considering that we had just taken a train for an hour and half, there was no way I was backing out of this one. Even if I did decide to bring a fold-up bike to use for the journey. And do a fast the day before.

After about six, grueling, uphill kilometers, my roommate got a sense that we should stop and ask for some directions. So we popped into this natural reserve where people go to learn, explore caves, and spend time in the natural park, and asked how far we were from the town, and how about we should go to get there. And it should come as no surprise that we were informed that we actually were currently heading towards Cazalla, not Constantina. But not just we were not going towards the right town, we were going the completely wrong direction. Simply put: I had been sweating and heavy breathing uphill for six kilometers, just to have to turn around and go back to the train station and push the restart button. Now, THANK GOD that since we had done the way up on the way there, we were able to go downhill and use minimal effort on the way back, but my gosh!

For a moment, I thought about killing him. But the moment passed as soon as it came, and I literally could do nothing but give him a hug, and laugh. Especially after how comical the whole trip uphill had been, it would have been so senseless to get angry now. And even more especially after we decided to stop and visit the monastery we'd passed on the way up, and found it to be a highly magical place. And Roberto now knows where he wants to get married, and from which towns he needs to find his wife (good news all around!).

 Walking the drive-way (??) to the monastery

After exploring the monastery inside and out, we decided it was time to return to our bikes, and get back on the road again. Back down we went, six kilometers, to the train station. Rober went into the cantina to verify our direction, and then we crossed the river and were finally, really, on our way!

Now here's the thing about things you tend to get really excited about.. the more you picture and imagine something, like an adventure, the less likely it is that it is going to be that way. Unless of course you are using the powers of manifestation, in which case it will be, but if you're just doing some childlike daydreaming and playing out scenes in your mind, you can pretty much kiss all those ideas goodbye. As was the case in this situation, when after 11 kilometers, NINE of them climbing, we finally, finally, fiiiinally saw the sign telling us we had reached Constantina!!!

Yes, that's right, after doing 12km with a fold-up bike the day after a fast, I then had to climb for about another 9 out of 11 kilometers. And man, let me tell you, when I saw that sign that said we had reached Constantina, adrenaline struck me like the Hulk, and I was hollering with joy!

Constantina itself has about 6,000 residents. It's a "pueblo de verdad" (for real village). It's charming, it's small, it's in the mountains. It was a beautiful place to explore, and the people were all very friendly. After eating, we found a youth hostel, got a room, ditched our stuff, and headed out to the mushroom exhibition that they have. There were probably three long folding tables lined up in two rows, absolutely COVERED with mushrooms. I didn't know there were so many kinds. It was beautiful, exciting, and I was into it in an instant. Later that night we went out with a friend of my roommate, and then were up the next morning early to meet our mushroom-picking group and head into the hills!

Unfortunately, the area they took us to pick mushrooms didn't have such a wide variety, and the variety it did have were mostly inedible or toxic. But that didn't keep me from singing to the trees and gathering up all the little shroomies I could find! Here's a picture of my day's take...

And one of the amazing chocolate truffle that I got in the tapas bar we had lunch in upon our arrival into Constantina... and then again the next day when we passed by... And yes, the cup that it comes in, that's chocolate too ^_^

After we picked mushrooms, we went back to the exhibition of mushrooms, then met up with a massive group that had come from Sevilla, and went on a gastro-tour to eat mushroom dishes. Here in this photo below, we have a dish that is made from the type of mushroom that is most common in Constantina. I'm going to go ahead and say that you have to grow up eating this in order to fully appreciate the flavor. And maybe it's better if you're not a bit weird about textures... I've never eaten snails before, but I am pretty sure after this dish, I never need to.

Overall, the weekend was a blast. The way back to the station, we went flying so fast, even on the sections we had to push it uphill. We got back with time enough to go down by the river, and pop back into the cantina for a final beer and decaf coffee. It certainly is a weekend I will never forget, and one I will consider repeating, no doubt! (But with a different, more suitable bike for uphill rides.)

If you're ever in Andalucia, I recommend you check out the mountain towns. They are a pretty special way to get to know this region!

And now, I will go finish making the Thanksgiving dinner I am hosting tonight! Check back later for a post about "How To: Have Thanksgiving in Spain." Also quite special, since it's my first time ever making the meal! (Can I say that I'm a "real American woman" now? I think so...:)

Abundant blessings, love & light to all! :-* 

Los Pueblos Blancos: Cortelazor

This past Sunday I finally took advantage of one of the coolest groups in Sevilla: Senterismo Sevilla. A friend told me about this group many months ago, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I added them and decided it was time to take advantage of what they have to offer, and I am so pleased that I have!

Each Sunday there is a hike organized, and so long as there are enough drivers, people go. I planned to go on the hike a couple weeks ago, but ended up having a pretty nasty allergic reaction to something I ate the night before, and had to cancel. But, I am not bothered by that at all, because this Sunday I went on the senterismo (hike), and it was magical!

We met up here in Sevilla (a friend and I + three other people), and then drove for about an hour to a village named Cortelazor. And when I say village, I mean a real village. Like, teeny tiny, less than 350 people living in it village. There are actually only 325 residents in Cortelazor, to be exact.

Many European countries are loaded with villages, and Andalucia happens to be home to a very high number of beautiful little villages. There is a particularly well-known part of Andalucia that is called Los Pueblos Blancos, or The White [Hills] Towns. A name which I think requires no explanation, but an area that I highly suggest you visit if you ever find yourself in our lovely southern region. And just like the other white hills towns I have seen, Cortelazor was charming as could be.

In order to get to the starting point of the hike, we had to go on a little tour of the village. Which in reality means we probably saw about 50% of it just by walking on the two or three streets. ;) The town itself has wonderful vibes, but it's the views and landscapes you have in these villages that really make them something special.

The hike itself was rated as being a fairly easy hike, but I would recommend you don't go on it if you are opposed to some mild rock climbing, inclines, and incorporating your hands to nature in order to get around. It was only a 6km hike, and the time went so fast, that when we got to the end we were all a bit surprised. But the route is really amazing, and quite the adventure! You end up doing some light crawling and clawing around, but then you find yourself hiking along a stream in the middle of a forest. It is peaceful, beautiful, and a perfect opportunity to recenter surrounded by various lifeforms. And let's not forget about the waterfall and pools that you arrive to at the end of the route!

 The most amazing moss-covered rocks and trees line and cover the entire route. It feels like you are trekking through the world of fairies and tree people.

Overall, the trip was great. I really look forward to returning to Cortelazor and doing the hike again when the spring comes so I can jump into the pools and swim around in the waterfalls. I loved the village, and I always love the people in villages, so I know I will return again during my stay here in Sevilla. 

Thank you Senterismo Sevilla, Cortelazor, and God for a beautiful Sunday spent outside!

Travel Tip: If you go to Cortelazor and do not intend to do a hike (there are various routes you can do in the village since it is situated in the hills), I would recommend just going for an hour to walk around, stop and have a drink or lunch, and then continue on to your next destination. It is a place that's worth seeing, but since it is so small, not much time is needed there. Unless you find some special souls to pass the day with, then by all means scrap whatever you were thinking of doing next and enjoy the moment! :)

Blessings, Love & Light, and as always, sending sweetness to you all!

<3

WOMAD Festival in Caceres

Earlier in May I was presented with a chance to go to Caceres, Spain, and attend WOMAD Festival with my roommates. I had never heard anything about Caceres or WOMAD, but figured, hey, I love seeing new places and music festivals, and I especially love when those music festivals are free, so why not? A few weeks have passed since the time of the festival, but I am finally here to report that I am so glad I went! It was quite the experience, and one I look forward to repeating!

Caceres itself is a charming place, full of history and interesting, medieval, Renaissance buildings to see. The landscape is beautiful, as it's surrounded by greenery and land. And the people that I encountered while I was there were lovely too. It worked out nicely that I took a bus to Caceres on Saturday morning and was able to explore the town and walk around a bit before the festival activities commenced later that afternoon.

I saw many of the things that one might see when they go to Caceres as a tourist, but probably the highlight for me was seeing the Plaza Mayor during the day, and then seeing it again during the festival that night.

It's a massive plaza, and when I saw it during the day, it was very much alive. People were eating at the restaurants that surround its edges, drinking on the well-known massive stairway that leads down into it, and enjoying the sun and life itself. I thought, "Oh, what a perfect place to have a festival. It's so big, there's plenty of space for all the people, and this will just be great, so much room to dance!" So having stuck this thought in my mind, I was in total shock when we arrived to the festival that night and could barely walk through it!

The festival was crawling with people, so many people, I couldn't believe I was in the same place. The plaza suddenly seemed too small, and I was wondering where all that room I'd seen earlier might have gone. It was quite a sight! WOMAD, which stands for the World of Music, Arts, and Dance, has been taking place in Caceres for the last 22 years, and has developed a reputation for being an awesome, international, free festival. Started by Peter Gabriel (of Genesis), Thomas Brooman, and Bob Hooton, WOMAD has become synonymous for good music in a great setting. They bring a deeply international lineup, and keep the workshops and sounds pumping for many hours.

The festival had two stages that alternated having people perform each hour or so. The main stage was in the Plaza Mayor, and the smaller stage was in another plaza near the Plaza Mayor, Plaza San Jorge. My roommates had been the night before, so they weren't too keen on spending much time at the Plaza Mayor, and we spent our time bouncing around from the area that you pass through from one stage to the next, and the smaller stage.

This stage was set with a nice-sized church at the back of it, which provided a perfect space for more people to fill, and man, was the area full! The festival was great, but I do think that it's size has outgrown the space they have for it. It would be better suited if it was held in a larger area, so people can access it and move around more. We got to a "there's no turning back" point, and once we were planted and in the stage area, we weren't going to move, or leave. I got a bit claustrophobic at times, and had to return my attention to the splendor of musical performance before me in order to not be bothered by the walkway my body had become (but hey, this is expected at festivals now-a-days anyways). We only actually saw two performances while we were there, but they were so memorable that I've been passing out the artists' names to everyone I can since we got back.

The church at the back-end of the stage in Plaza San Jorge. 

Before going, I did a bit of reading and research on WOMAD, and one of the things I read was that the plazas would be so full, people would be climbing up on windows in order to see the stages. Even knowing this ahead of time, I was still surprised to see people climbing the heights and sitting on the iron works of the windows. Although, if I wasn't such a whimp with heights, I would have done the same, as it provided the best seat in the house!

The first artist we saw was Julian Maeso of Spain. His musical style hits on many levels, and if you're at all interested in blues, rock, folk, country, soul, and Bob Dylan, you'll be sure to enjoy Julian Maeso. His sounds are quite unique coming from a Spanish recording artist, but they sure are lovely. I kept finding myself with my eyes closed, swaying back-and-forth, with only the most beautiful kinds of thoughts filling my head. He and his band put on an amazing show, and were sure to keep the energy up. There were slamming guitar and drum solos, as well as those moments that make you drift off to a land full of puffy clouds and rainbows. Julian himself is quite impressive, as he can play a variety of instruments, and all of them well. 

The next group that we saw hail from Australia and go by the name the Barons of Tang. This group is the product of the squatter scene in Melbourne, and it only took a moment for me to become entranced by their sound. It is a gnarly combination of rockabilly, gypsy, metal, tango, and instrumental goodness, and will leave you feeling exhausted, but oh so happy. I couldn't believe the energy level, random shouts, screams, barks, howls, and/or chants that were blasting at me from the stage when they were on, let alone the rapid shifts and switches from a more mellow, soft sound, to BAM, we have hit punk station and we're going hard! I can still feel my jaw drop to the ground when I think about how the drummer was just smashing it out the entire time, or the surprise I felt when she then stepped up to the mic and let out a beautiful voice. I kept waiting for them to slow down, tire out, and let up, but it did not the whole time they played. They were really something else. No matter your music taste, you've gotta respect their skills and what they're doing!

Overall, WOMAD was a great experience, and one I intend to have again next year. The overcrowded-ness of it cannot keep me away, which makes it easy to understand why so many people go, in spite of this less-than-enjoyable fact. The city was quite alive that weekend, with workshops, markets, drum circles, and performances, and that kind of aliveness is something I think we all seek in life.

If you're ever in Andalucia in May, be sure to check out Caceres (if you're ever in Andalucia in general, I recommend taking the trip out for a day/night) for WOMAD Festival!