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:
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?
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.)
