Eleven Months in Nerja

Pepe makes canes from branches that grow
from the bottom of trees. This is from his orange tree.
I got to chose one. It is so cool because it takes a while to train and grow.

Pepe behind one of their orange trees.
His profession was a gardener so we have a bit in common.


Pepe tending his muli-level garden.
These are are broad bean plants.


The orange tree I was able to pick from.


Mauricio, our Salsa dance instructor twirling me.


Salsa class
Alastair and Chantelle in the middle.
Alastair is my Scotish serrogate Dad here in Nerja.


Drinks after class


Friends in and out of Salsa Class
Dell, Andy and David (my other serrogate Dad)


Juliet, Toni (Andy's partner) and Mauricio


Dell, Gerry, Alistair and I
After our last class until January


This is a poster I bought at the Luiz Santiago's Art Exhibition.
I loved every one of his paintings. It makes me smile every day.


Side view of my flat.


My front door


View from my living room window.
I can see the Sea!


Across the street 2 men were harvesting olives by
picking and dropping the olives onto a huge net.


Mandarin tree where I was able to load up a bag for myself.


Picking the mandarins.


Anny, my landlord at the property they look after.


Delilah still cute as ever and dozy as
heck while she is sunning herself.



Delilah spends half her day people watching from the terrace.
Jill and Michele, Delilah's Canadian collar is in the washing machine ahah.


Zebra-dog, Delilah standing and possibly sleeping.

Hola Everyone,

Since my last entry, here are a few things that I have been up to.

I was back in private Spanish conversation classes with Antonio once a week. It is so much fun as we mostly just talk. He told me I don't need to work on my Grammar for a while, but only speak with what I know. We talk about what I have been up to, what experiences I have had during the past week; current news topics; my family and friends; the weather; and he informs me of any up coming events around town which always includes their Spanish traditions. The hour flies by because it is so much fun and he is a true teacher in my eyes, as he is very patient. So for 8 weeks we have covered many interesting topics. I am finished school for a while now, but will return eventually for more help.

One weekend Juliet, Delilah and I drove up to the campo in the mountains to visit our friends, Toni and Andy. I have mentioned them before and they are such lovely people with so many interesting stories. They build a beautiful house on the side of a mountain which they continue to work on all the time. I have offered to go to their place for a few days and help them paint outside walls which will happen in the new year sometime. Toni served us an awesome chili dinner and we sat around all night talking and then watched the X Factor on the tele. Juliet and I never watch t.v. so it was a real novelty to me to sit and veg-out for a few hours, all the while we are talking away. Delilah loved it at their place since she could run around the lemon and avocado trees the whole time. They have a swimming pool off their covered patio facing the most gorgeous valley, mountains on the other side and also the Med. Sea. So the next morning we had breakfast poolside and Juliet and I agreed that could life get any better at this moment. ahah It was heavenly, a really "get choked up" moment. We didn't want to over stay our welcome the next day (mind you I sure could have ahah) plus Juliet had to whip to Málaga airport later that morning.

Juliet's daughter, Laura, flew in from the UK to visit for a few days. One day, Juliet had the use of her friend's car, so the three of us and another friend of ours, Jeni, drove to Marbella. Marbella is along the west coast of Spain about 45 minutes away. Juliet took us gals to this muy grande shopping centre and we shopped until we almost dropped. It was fantastic as we all were able to find what we wanted at great prices (bonus). Jeni did half of her Christmas shopping and the 3 of us were into clothes. The clothes stores in Nerja are not very good. They are geared for tourists. The quality just isn't there and they are rather expensive. It was a nice girlie afternoon / evening.

November was my "Everyone dear to me is leaving me" month. Four friends left Nerja and it was a bit much for me.

My friend, Antonio (my restuarante homework helper friend) and I got together before he left for Cuba on a 2 week trip. He had invited me along and if I had my passport in my hot little hands it would have been a difficult decision, do I go, or do I stay ahah. I found it odd that people from beautiful southern Spain would go to a warm country to holiday. He was so excited as he hasn't travelled much plus they were going to an all-inclusive hotel in Havana with his amigos. We agreed that when he returned we would get together to talk Spanish and he said he would like a bit of help with his English. He has never taken formal English classes only what he has picked up working in restaurantes over the years.

June, my dear friend moved back to England the 3rd week in November. She and I went out on the town one afternoon and had such a good time, great talk and many laughs. I made a photo album for June to take home with her as to not forget Nerja and the places that she and I went together. The power was out for a bit at the printing place and so I wasn't able to give June her gift and will send it tomorrow. Oh, how I miss June though. I miss popping into her shop for good talks. I miss her belting out a few good songs for me. I miss hearing the local gossip from that part of town. I miss her advice, suggestions, her great listening ears, her hugs and mostly her funny English sense of humour. She was always cracking me up with her expressions in her special accent. I am calling her this weekend for a very long much needed gab session.

Basel, another of my awesome friends from Nerja, flew back to Munich for 2 to 3 months to make some serious money. He will be back in the new year sometime and continue his Caravan Inn business. It turns out to open a proper business there are a ton of loop holes one has to jump through and it all costs mega bucks to do that, hence going back to Germany. We had a few good long talks before he left and we just know we will always keep in touch. Since Basel has been gone, we've texted and called quite a few times. He complains how cold and yucky the weather is there and I brag about how nice it is in Nerja ahah. We jam a lot in each conversation, but mostly we just like to hear each other's voices (accents ahah).

Then the last week Joe, my Belfast barman friend, from the Blue Med returned home to be with his family for the holidays. He will decide if he wants to stay there to save money and eventually travel or possibly return to Nerja. Anne and Stewart have kept his job waiting for him. I secretly hope he saves and travels to the places he has mentioned to me. He is Sarah's age and if he can do it now, why not. I hope he doesn't wait until he is 46 yrs old like me ahah. Joe was my "tell everything about my relationships" guy, and he did the same with me. The last shift he worked a whole bunch of people met him at the bar and everyone had a good time teasing him. I gave him heck for leaving me ahah.

These interesting people I will never forget. The will always be a part of my Spain Adventure in one way or another. I realized one day that I have never felt what it was really like for a friend to leave me and go on to live somewhere else. Well it sucks, but I then thought how it must have really felt for my family and my good friends to say goodbye to me. Losing Basel and June (who were as dear to me as family) in the same week must have been like Earla and Sarah saying goodbye to me, or similar. Anyways I had a few rough days where I didn't want to even see my other friends. I moped around, stuck close to my flat and eventually I got out of this "I miss my friends" phase. I have to say, going to and walking along side the Mediterranean has helped me get out of my stuff pretty quick because just looking at it makes me smile every single darn time. How can one person be so unhappy in front of something so darn gorgeous? ahah

The last week in November was surprising for me. Once I got a grip on my friends not being here anymore, I ended up meeting 3 new people (who in my mind I call them "my replacements") who want to get together with me and speak Spanish. Dean and Monica and I hooked up through Antonio, my profesor at the school. The 3 of us met one night after class and we talked for 3 hours in Spanish and the last hour we slowly switched to English (always seems to happen like this ahah). Dean is from the UK and Monice was born and raised in Venice. They have lived here for 3 years and love it as much as I do.

Then there was a man, Miguel who I met a few times to talk with and enjoy tapas. Also at the end of Nov. Antonio returned from Cuba and he and I have gone out 3 times so far and only speak Spanish. I can see a subtle improvement so that sure makes me happy. Both Miguel and Antonio says my grammar is good, but why isn't my speaking ahahah. I said I need to practice every day with friends or a Spanish boyfriend for it to improve ahahah. It is a standing joke that the best way to learn Spanish, you need a Spanish boyfriend ahah. But we are only friends, that is the deal. I also know now that playing with little kids who speak Spanish is awesome. Anne and Stewart's daughter, Neve (6 yrs. old) and I have gone to the beach to play with Delilah. Here is this little girl (cute as a button) who has the strongest Liverpool, England accent and when she speaks Spanish she sounds like she was born here. The first time I heard Neve talk to Delilah in Spanish I couldn't believe it. So now she helps me with some of my words and pronounciation. It is all so much fun.

I am so sorry family and friends if I go on and on about this language thing and all that it involves but I don't want to forget how I actually did it when I go on to my next language ahah.

Mail from home is so special. I can get home fast enough to see what was sent. I don't stop to chit chat with a single person especially when I receive a parcel. My Sister, Earla definitely the writer in the family, sends me a letter, card or postcard every few days I think and man, I love those Earla and appreciate every single one. In early Nov. Earla had sent me two very full boxes which included some of my cozy clothes and other goodies I had asked her for from home. I am such a local now and am very climatized. I find it chilly at night so I need to go out with a coat, scarf and pants on now. Thank you Earla for you gathering my stuff and your notes were something else! But I know how to repay you, free lodging at Casa Leigh-Ann's for 2 or 3 weeks in April tee hee.

One day, I received a notice in the mail that there was a parcel for me. It was from my sweet Sarah. It was a large box with red love heart stickers all over it. So there I was, trudging through town trying to carry the darn thing without my arms falling off. Delilah decided not to walk nice that day while I had a few shopping bags in my other arm. I have my mother's stubborness in me, so of course I wouldn't dream of calling a taxi. The whole way home though, I was so excited and happy to receive a care package I didn't care that my arms were going numb ahah. Sarah, bless her huge heart, sure knows her Momma. She had put in about 40 different items that either made me laugh, cry, or say "awe". And every item Sarah had written on a bright pink heart shaped sticky note which would either got me laughing or crying all over again. I was an emotional mess as I slowly unpacked Sarah's parcel. Thank you my Sweet Daughter.