The Tide Turns (Vueltas de la marea)

 

 Ebb and flow. Mostly ebb. “No Spain, No Gain” has been at low tide; very low.                                 With rooms to paint before I go, walls to wash, refrigerators to clean, shelves to paper, cupboards to scour, floors to carpet, belongings to pack and renters to find, I have had neither the time nor the energy to nurture my travel dream. The fact is, it’s been starving. The to-do list before launch date feels endless and has left me feeling less than enthusiastic about my fast-approaching pilgrimage. Until friends came to the rescue!  In one recent weekend,  Laurie, who midwifed this dream of mine, and her unstoppable, kind, handyman husband, Martin, knocked out fully half of my project list. The tide has turned! And I will forever be grateful to both of them for their generous friendship over the years. Laurie gets the spare bedroom in my flat above the Mediterranean for as long as she likes in January! 

So, in an effort to REVIVE THE DREAM, here are my favorite destination photos, starting with a jogger on the beach in Benidorm. This is the exact beach I plan to run on every morning. (I hope my abs look as good as hers! Dream on, Melanie.Who cares, Melanie?)  Apparently, there are morning beach exercises, open and free to all:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuwebaUYl9U

They look a little tame, but maybe a place to unwind after my run. Or perhaps I can sit on the bench and practice my Spanish with someone.  Hola! Me llamo Melanie. Soy de Alaska.  Puedo hablar con usted para practicar mi Espanol?

 

Here’s the Wednesday farmer’s market featuring, Valencia oranges! Benidorm is just 158 km (just under 100 miles) south of Valencia, the 3^rd largest city in Spain (after Madrid and Barcelona), situated in what’s known as “The Garden of Spain;” the land of orange and olive groves, big red wines and paella.  Si, por favor!

Do you know what Biblioplaya means? Beach library!

Newspapapers and books in many different languages. Es bueno!  I think I could while away several contented hours here, don’t you??

 

And finally, a pretty little sidewalk café that I intend to make a frequent haunt of.                                Me gusta el pescado fresco.   (I like fresh fish.)

Yes, indeed, the tide has turned.

“Dadme el silencio, el agua, la esperanza.” ~Pablo Neruda                                                                 (Give me silence, water, hope.)

 “Vuelta a España” means “return to Spain”.  OK technically it’s the name of Spain’s version of the Tour de France; hence the bicycle. But for my purposes it translates as: I’M GOING BACK TO SPAIN! To live! For 4 months! Alone! In a fifth-floor flat a block from the beach! With a balcony! On the Mediterranean!  Yes, I’m terribly excited. And terribly terrified. 

A year ago, the dream was born on a sidewalk in Salem, Oregon: I was sipping (OK guzzling) Rioja (note that my bicycling bullfighter has a bottle on the back of his bike) and savoring some epicurean tapas. My soul-sister Laurie and I were at Andaluz Restaurant & Tapas Bar, sitting outside at a little, European-style, wrought-iron café table.

It was sunset, and one of those magical nights when anything can happen. And after 2 or so glasses of good wine, anything can pop into your head. And you’re inevitably going to entertain it! I was intoxicated by more than just the wine; the flavors of Andalusia, birthplace of both flamenco and bullfighting, were cavorting around on my palate and in my brain. Suddenly and without warning, I remembered that I have an uncle, a dear uncle, a British uncle who owns a vacation flat in southwest Spain.  “I wonder if he’d let me use it…” (WHY, in my 62 years of life, HAD THIS THOUGHT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME BEFORE???)  “I wonder how much rent he’d charge me…” Laurie vowed to come visit me and just like that, the thing took shape. I e-mailed my favorite Uncle Gerry as soon as I got back to Fairbanks. His reply? “It would please us for you to use it.  And no question of any rent. It would do it good to be lived in. It is hardly used these days. It’s a good flat. I refurbished it a few years ago. Completely rutted and rebuilt, so new kitchen, bathroom, etc."

It would please you?? No, no, you’ve got that wrong. IT WOULD PLEASE ME!! (Understatement of the year)

 --- The Mediterranean was just a few meters behind me when I took this photo, 12 yrs ago while visiting Spain. My Uncle Gerry’s flat is above the two blue & white sun shades; top floor.  I’ve never actually been in it.  (More on that later) 

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 Here’s the view from the street, alongside the flat. I suspect the view will be slightly better from the 5^th floor...

 

 And here’s a birds-eye of “my” beach; the one I plan to run on every  morning:
 

I know, it’s a tough assignment. But somebody’s got to do it. And besides -- no Spain, no gain!