windows live writer miracle

Thanks to Mick I can now write blogs off line, and even add photos. Am sitting in an english cafe that offers free wifi with bacon and eggs.   This will be brief as need a more conducive atmosphere, but attempting to add a photo of me in Spain.

me posing in the flat. note the flowers on the balcony, these are still blooming in the gardens round here

spain -the people

There are 2 spanish people who have influenced my impressions of my new environment so far. First is Esperanza – my flamenco teacher, I say ¨my¨ because she has apparantly applied her entire being to ensuring that I learn the steps of the Sevillana, in spite of there being 3 other pupils. Esperanza – whose name ironically means hope, is a formidable lady of uncertain age. She is tall , slim and graceful. Her black eyes flash fire at times, her arms snake about her body or catch the frills of her skirt, as she stamps and twirls effortlessly. ¨No Anna you must kiss one foot with the other, small steps, No Anna too big steps!What is your problem? Thankfully the erratic CD player stops at this point, and I appeal wordlessly to the others to resue me.

 Just ignore me I mutter, as near paralysis sets in. “But no Anna you are important¨clutching me and hugging me to her. Ägaïn! Basics, you ave forgot to kiss the foot. You are long time without kissing Anna?”

She is obviously after total humiliation. Still I have 2 new friends, Isabel and Toni, who invite me to sit with them at the ball, and join them on their next walk. The flamenco is only for fun after all.

The second person is my next door neighbour whom I´ll call La Senora. She is in her 70´s a voluble and lively widow who appeared at my door with a large plateful of ripe figs, and invited me in for a coffee.

 In contrast to the simplicity of my apartment, hers was like a palace. Fitted kitche, with washing machine! marble worktops, tiled floors and walls, new ceilings, archways, and a stsue, also heavy mahogany furniture in the salon, which was obviously never used. She relayed figures in large amounts of pesetas, she could not work in Euros, remember half crowns  40 milloin pesetas she would ask for this flat. Unlike my flat , all the rooms looked out accross the street. The kitchen had a second cutrain pinnedd accross it. ¨so that I can wander without clothes uou understand? To make a coffee. I could only be grateful that the senora was free to wander naked in her flat , away from the lascivious gaze of her neighbours.and wonder if it was only the climate that made spanish women in their 70.s fundamentally different from any english women of a similar age, that I know…….

We had coffee and biscuits, and we were joined by a neighbour. Both were curious to know what I would be doing at Christmas. The Senora has 3 children, to unmarried sons, who don.t eat properly if she doesn´´t go and cook for them,So the idea of me spending xmas possibly on my own was a bit odd to say the least.

The senora was in the enviable position of living in an apartment, which her sons and various carpenters and plumbers, had made perfect, but able to go for severaldays at a time tothe countryside, where her sons live, and resist their entraties to come and live with them. While continuing to cook and garden for them. Who is to say that family ties are stronger in general in Spain? There are residential homes here too. not all elderly mothers have unmarried sons, but I sense an acceptance of old age and of children, which feels to me to be different and inclusive, who knows!

Her coffee is very good and her animated chatter is improving my spanish by the minute

Spain continued

I am interested in how the english who live here create their lives, and so far have met some interesting people.  There is Brenda 63, who has qualifications in chinese medicine. She has lived here for 12 years and teaches relaxation through breathing, much preferred to not breathing! Wilma fron Scotland who runs a chair massage business, and EFT and is about to convert Spain to the stress relieving benefits. Perhaps Spain’s stress levels are catching up with the rest of Europe.

The english jazz, rock and blues band, who performed at the Altea festival at the weekend. Then there are the Compaians, a formidable group of 250 who gather weekly in Albir, to promote their social programme and enjoy each others company, and now there is me.

I must say I feel very pleased about what I have done, separating myself from the  comfort of home, and taking the car across Spain. setting up home in the spanish quarter of the town. It has a feeling of unreality at times, and several deja vue flash backs to when I lived in Tenerife 43 years ago.  The muse has left me . Hasta la proxima vez

Living in Spain

If I were reading someone’s account of moving to live abroad for a time, I would want more than a travelogue - the recounting of places that have no significance for me.

 So I am 15 days into my spanish adventure, sort of settled into the apartment, I wear my crocs to walk up the long corridor from the front door, can’t get used to cold tiled floors. The flat has taken a bit of adapting to after living in semidtached seclusion in my Shipley cul-de-sac!

The kitchen, bathroom and 2 bedrooms have little or no natural light , and are connected to the utility room which has sliding windows, leading to a tiled courtyard type drying area. Having no washing machine I tread the washing in the bath or scrub it in the washing trough, and hang it dripping on the line.The alternative being to hang it over the street where it dries much more quickly. Concentrating on the minuiae of washing is all part of my new zen way of living.

Making the place feel like home was important, putting my kitchen utensils in the drawers, and yes I did bring my steamer, and cast iron casserole dish and potato peeler.The terracotta tablecloth, and white lace one which cover the old plastic garden table, the bright orange geraniums on the balcony and the rich shiny indian cushions, have all become significant parts of my new home.

The journey here was long, but not too arduous. My D.I.L  Sadie, who said she would like to do the journey with me, was a great confidence builder, doing the drive on and off the ferry, and exerting a calming influence when the petrol stations had closed when we were running short

 She cast her homemaking eye over the bedrooms, and we made up beds, washed and mopped and changed things around, and then had a celebratory meal with champagne in a beach cafe.

 The day after Sadie left, Ann arrived, so I had no time to feel alone. except when trying to negotiate the centre of Benidorm to find the bus station. It is now imprinted on my mind forever. All visitors have been instructed to take day time flights, as the airport trip is still out of my comfort zone.

 The last fortnight with Ann has been a mixture of painting walls and cupboards, buying  plants, bead curtains, and other bits, seeing friends and exploring the area.

 I live in  the centre of Altea 3 blocks from the seafront, and behind me is the steeply rising enchanting old town, with narrow streets whitewashed houses and flowers, crowned by the beautiful blue domed church.

I am yards from the train, which is an impressive way to travel, through tunnels and round the edge of mountains to Denia in one direction, and Alicante in the other.

 We delighted in walking beside the sea to Albir, stopping for a paella in a huge outdoor retaurant where spanish families of 10 or more gather on Sundays. we braved Benidorm market one day in search of a rug, The mass of tourists is overwhelming. The english bars offering full english breakfast beer and football. We did not go again

I am interested in how the English live here and create their lives. I shall save that until later as the internet cafe will soon close.  Adios