Octubre en Nerja

Hola Everyone,

Sunset near Nerja

The Nerja sign coming into town.

I was thinking that I haven't done much lately until I started jotting down notes while sitting by the sea.

So here it goes....

For one week in October La Fería (the fair) comes to town and the children have the whole week off from school. It reminded me of our little fair in Estevan, SK where I grew up. They had an opening ceremony which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think it was the high school band that played a few songs while a man sang in Spanish of course. He had a beautiful voice. In town they had hung lights across out the streets and a huge, fancy overhead set of lights at the entrance to La Fería. There were fireworks that scared the people crowded in the streets as I don't think the tourists were expecting them plus they were set off only 10 feet away from everyone. Something that sure wouldn't happen in Canada. But the fireworks were spectacular and went on for about a half an hour. When they were done the crowd went nuts with cheers and then all the lights were turned on and they were so pretty. As the gates were opened it seemed everyone, at once, made their way into the fairground which was located in the centre of town in one of their big car parks.

We wandered through the crowd and watched the kids enjoy the rides. They all seemed to be screaming or laughing. Like at any fair, there were many food stands: homemade french fries, cotton candy, nut cakes, and candy galore. They also had tents for sit down meals and many places to sit and enjoy a beer. We walked into one tent where there was flamenco dancing, but the music was so loud we only stayed for 2 dances.

The Spanish-style fair was really something to see but every ride, every tent and every make-shift pub had the music too loud. It was like going to a loud concert where your stomach vibrates. I am glad I experienced the fair for a few hours, but we ended up going to our favourite tapas bar.

Five friends of mine went to Ronda for the day last month and had a wonderful time together. We toured the town, gazed down into the gorge, saw the oldest bullring in Spain and for lunch, Basel cooked us a beautiful salmon meal in his caravan. Later on, a few us went shopping and we came accross some really good sales and then popped into a chocolate restaurante for a rest. The café con leches were to die for and Alistair treated us to a variety of cholocates. Oh my, they were the best I have ever had. The drive home seemed to take forever even though we talked the whole time. Then we played cards until a couple of us got car sick. Overall, it was a fun day with good friends.

Two of my friends and I went to the Luiz Santiago Art Exhibition at Plaza Ermita. It was fabulous. The artist's work was prints and paintings depicting the Spanish culture in a very funny way. We enjoyed the wine and nibblies while we walked around trying to decide which picture was our favourite. There was no way I could pick a favourite. They were going for about 200 euros, pricey for my pocketbook. I ended up buying a poster which had a smaller version of each of his pieces for 10 euros. I have it hanging in my livingroom and it makes me smile everyday.

I am back at Quorum Spanish school one night a week for private conversation with Antonio. It is going well. We basically sit and talk for an hour and a half about anything and everything. It shows me how much I still need and want to learn. I was going to enroll in the Residencia Class but there weren't enough students to fill a class of my level. As soon as they start up again, the school will be calling me. And then the classes are 2 afternoons a week, plus a lot cheaper. I still continue to study 2 hours of Spanish on my own each day. This week it is all about pronouns and prepositions, fun stuff.

One night a bunch of us were going to go dancing in Torrox but it had rained that day. When it rains here places either don't open or close down early. So no dancing, bummer. We ended up going to a pub called San María in the hills north of Torrox. A live flamenco band was playing and it was awesome as I could recognize some of the Spanish music that I have heard on the radio or my CDs. Every Monday they have an open mic night and I would love to go to that some day.

I don't remember if I mentioned in a previous blog (too lazy to look back) ahah, but I had taken 2 pictures of Lucy to an artist near the Balcón, Paco, and he sketched a picture of my Miss Lucy Lou. I was surprised at how large it was, but it turned out looking exactly like her. It was so similar to Lucy I got choked up in the shop when I was picking it up. I had it matted and framed right away and have it hung in the best spot in my home. Sorry Delilah, Lucy and I have a history together and our has just begun.

Pepe and Anny, my landlords were over for a bbq a few weeks ago and it was terrific. They speak only Spanish to me which I appreciate, more practice for me then. When the evening was over, the Spanish side of my brain was fried, but I loved every minute of it.

Anny and Pepe are retired and I feel they have taken me under their wings. They are always asking if I need anything, bring me my mail everyday, share everything they have in their garden or off their fruit trees or just ask how I am doing. Anny asked if I wanted some pots and holders to go around my patio railing. I would never turn an offer for a plant pot, so I said sure. A few days later she took me to this huge greenhouse in Torrox and I was in plant heaven. They grow such different plants than I am used to. I recognized only a few that are grown in Canada. So together, Anny and I loaded up a cart of plants that are all flowering and will continue to flower through the winter months. This place also had thousands of plants pots of every size, shape and most were painted in Spanish designs. I held back and only bought myself one 'beauty of a pot' for my palm tree. I have potted and hung my new plants and they look lovely without obstructing my view of the sea.

Listen up folks! I have just finished a book called "Shadow of the Wind", by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It is a must read! It is based in Barcelona with a little bit of romance and a lot of mystery. The first few chapters are not that great, but keep reading. The ending is the best ending I have read in a long while. Right now I am reading a book titled "Mutants Message Down Under" by Marlo Morgan. A story of a woman, while walking through the Outbacks of Australia with a tribe of Aboriginals, she is learning to trust and have faith in her own inner knowledge and guidance. Sounds heavy-duty but it really isn't because she is rather funny. Thank you Patsy for recommending me this book. Any book suggestions, please send them my way. I have finally gotten over the fact that I don't need to feel guilty about reading English anymore. haha I devote enough time to my Spanish and enjoy English now and again.

The middle of Octubre went on a 6 hour hike starting at Maro (next little town over) up and around a fairly big mountain. It was only a wee bit difficult at times, so I thoroughly enjoyed it. The day started out chilly, so we were decked out in long pants and sweaters. By the afternoon we were in the sea swimming. It was a little eerie at first as we didn't see another soul on the mountain or at the beach. The dogs had a hay-day, running ahead leading the way. Delilah was pooped right out and walked beside me most of the trek back to the parking lot.

That leads me to the love of my life, Delilah. She has become one very special dog with her sunny, cuddly personality. She enjoys long runs and walks on any beach or any place we happen to go to. She is a good car traveller and stays put wherever I plunk her in a vehicle now (not at first mind you). I tried to remember everything in my dog trainining days with Lucy and one thing I could not accomplish was keeping Delilah from sneaking off the patio and climbing down the hill to a busy intersection. I kept having visions of Delilah having an encounter with a vehicle like Lucy did. So Pepe, Anny and I hung a thin netting a foot up from the bottom railing so now I can breathe easier, knowing my little one is safe as can be.

So now I have trees, shrubs, plant pots to look after on my side of this huge house. You all know how much I miss gardening. We did the fall clean up in my yard and while we were trimming one tree, we came across a camelion. The little gaffer almost got his legs snipped off with my pruners, that was how well he was hidden. He was about 8 inches long and the exact colour of the leaves. They are the most interesting repiles. Their eyes are big; looks like they are frowning; their skin is leathery with beautiful markings; their paws are tiny with skinny curled fingers; and they move at an extremely slow pace. We gently placed my new pet camelion into a different tree so we could finish the trimming and I haven't seen the little guy since. I look everyday, but he is either so camaflouged or he has travelled to greener pastures, darn he was cute.

Fall in Nerja is so beautiful and very similar to their spring. It has rained 3 or 4 days in the last 6 weeks. We still have loads of plants flowering. The sea was warm enough to swim in until the beginning of November for most people (Oct. for me). The days are noticably shorter, sunrise at 8 am and sunsets are at about 7 pm. We have had 2 wicked, one day storms as far as the Spanish are concerned. They were like a very windy rainy day similar to what the Fraser Valley has during the winter. It was still warm enough in the sea, so of course, we played along the shore in the huge waves. The biggest waves I have seen so far. Delilah was a little freaked out and after she was done playing on the beach she sat and shivered staring at me like I was a lunatic. Two days I will never forget.

The temperature hovers around 15 during the night and once the sun comes up it shoots between 18 and 25 degrees. I have been reading about the Andalucia area where I live, on the Costa de Sol and what I don't find out on my own, Anny and Pepe fill me in. The weather patterns, look for where the clouds are forming, which direction the waves are coming towards the beach and so on. I think I should have been a news weather person. It is all so fascinating. Pepe has lived here his whole life, so he knows a thing or two about southern Spain. He is the lowest talker I have met, so I really have to listen and I must have a blank look once in a while because then he will say, comprendas?, meaning do you understand and then he tries to explain again. He doesn't know it, but he is teaching me to listen more closely and pick out key words.

Last weekend Juliet and I had a girl's trip to Toni and Andy's house up in the campo (country) situated on the side of a hill facing a valley with a view of the sea. They are an interesting nice couple. It was a relaxing overnighter. Lots of catching up, laughing, tinto de veranos, many stars out that night, and not a peep of sound during the night. The next morning we sat poolside and had our breakfast facing the sun and sea. Juliet had to get back as her daughter, Laura, from the Uk was coming for a few days to hang out with her Momma. How lucky Juliet is to have her family only a short flight away. Can you tell how much I miss my Sweet Sarah?

Things I have learned, experience and love about Nerja:

• Having glasses adjusted in Nerja can be a test of one's patience. I usually have to go back 3 times before they fix me up. I finally found an optometrist that knows what he is doing ahah.
• On hikes this time of year, you don't need to take anything but water along as there are tons of avocadoes, mangoes and bananas just waiting to be picked. The avocadoes are huge in the countryside and ripen within a day.
• I tried kaki, a fruit that looks like a pesimmon, has the texture of a tomatoe and the sweetness of a melon. I have enjoyed huge pomegrantes off of Pepe's trees. I tasted Saint's Skin, a type of finger food dessert that is authentic in Spain as they are only made 2 weeks prior to All Saint's Day.
• All Saint's Day is where the folks of Spain buy loads of fresh flowers and visit their deceased ones at the local cemetery. The caskets are not buried in land, but stacked on top of one another. Anyone can visit the cemetery anytime, so I will do that one day soon.
  
• To rent a movie in Nerja you need a 50 euro deposit or own your own home, funny rules hey? I was finally able to watch Sex in the City and it was fabulous girls, but you probably have all seen it by now. I am so out of the movieand t.v. loop since I only get Spanish, German, French, and 2 International English news channels.
  
• Jellyfish stings last half a day and it is true that if you urinate on the skin the burning goes away. It is common knowledge here. And by the way, there was no peeing on anyone at the beach ahah.
  
• There is no such thing as a Canadian Money Order available in Nerja. They have every other country, but not good ol' Canada.
• Children return to school the middle of Septiembre. They have 3 months off as it is too warm to sit in the classroom. University starts the middle of Octubre.
  
• Nerja is thinning out with tourists every day and will start to reappear in the spring I am told. It is quiet around town at night. I rather enjoy being able to walk and not have to dodge the tourists browsing in all the shops.
  
• I can easily pick the tourists out by what they are wearing, shorts and t-shirts while the locals are dressed in pants and a light jackets or sweater. (me included, in the evenings)
  
• You need no appointments for pets at the Vets. I love that. Delilah has 2 vets in the same office, but she prefers José. The other one had to take her blood for her Passport and she was not impressed.
• I was discussing with Earla (my Sista) how much I love Telus (phone company in BC) and would love to kiss the whole darn company. If it wasn't for them and their cheap deals to call to Spain day or night, I think I would have be back in Canada a long time ago.
  

What I absolutely love about my life in Spain is how I treasure the solitude on the beach. (Playa Burriana) Delilah and I head to the there every single day, early in the morning for a walk, run, and play.This is where I do all my thinking; healing; have a good cry if I miss my family and friends; look forward to all my company coming; watch the fishermen bring in their daily catch; practice rolling my r's outloud; try to keep Delilah from chasing the beach cats; wonder what Spanish person I will talk to next; plan my day; feel appreciative for every experience I have so far; try to figure out my future, and feel excited about what is around the corner for me. I have learned to dream and feel that I am stepping out of my boxes everyday (a few to go yet ahah).

I will have been here 11 months this week and I can not believe I am able to live, love and experience this new town, country, people and language. At times this has not been the easiest thing, moving here. All I know it was the right thing. How fortunate am I? ................ EXTREMELY !

Foxy and Delilah

Foxy and Delilah snuggling up together.
Okay, well Delilah is snuggled ahah


View from my new flat

Trip to Ronda, Spain
Juliet, Jeni, Delilah and I

The girls in front of the Famous Bullring

Check out the cactus growing on the side of the Balcon.

View from the bridge.

Spanish landscape, so pretty

Maro Hike

Nerja is above my head

Delilah and I in front of a look out tower
and the town of Maro to my right

At the top of one mountain

I am not a pip-squeak, I just look like one.

What I thought this was going to be my new pet....
a Camelion