My first English walk

 Karen and Andy are publishing a book on walks in Herefordshire and need to check the directions of a walk around Lingen village. After a lazy breakfast we drive to the start of the walk. The hedgerows are so tall and make the roads so narrow that you can't see ahead very far and need to be careful about oncoming traffic.  Sometimes we had to stop and back into a gate entrance to let other cars past. The village of Lingen is quite tiny with only a pub and church and a few houses clustered together. It is a shock to realise that many of these hamlets have such limited services but there is a school and shops in a larger town nearby. Herefordshire is primarily rural and in many ways offers great opportunities for a quiet almost secluded life. In Australian terms it isn't too far from major centres but people here think 12 miles is a long way to travel!

The walk is through public footpaths that go through woods, alongside streams, across meadows with sheep, past farms with sheep and pigs. It has some good climbs with wonderful views. 

The countryside is so neat and picturesque. The warm weather and rain has caused a surge in growth and the path is overgrown in many places. I struggle with my friend the blackberries and nettles that sting my arms, as well as thistles to prick and long grass to trip over. The lushness is such a contrast to Spain and home. The pasture is so rich and succulent. This benign countryside is full of plants trying to scratch and sting me. Not so benign at all. Despite these small trials it was a beautiful walk. Towards the end we passed through a farm where the farm dog was so friendly and then rushed up to the pig pens with us wanting to play with the pigs. It was quite funny watching her jump and lie flat and jump up when the pigs stood up.

Eventually after two and a half hours we return to the village and take refreshment at the pub. It was a good walk and it felt great to be out in nature again. 

When we returned home we got stuck into the raspberry picking and now black and red currants are ripening as well. Picking raspberries is a daily task during the season and there are so many that we are filling two large containers every day. For me it is luxury to have so many. They are delicious. Andy and Karen's home is very quaint with a rambling garden, a field for a few sheep and another field where they have planted a huge number of trees to start their own wood.

Logiston Herefordshire

Last night we had dinner in an  old  pub that has been made into an Indian restaurant.  The food was very good and they are trying so hard to make a success of the restaurant. Like in Australia many country villages are struggling to maintain their populations and consequently their services. The restaurant was in Wembley where Karen used to run a bookshop once. It is a charming village with many black and white houses (Elizabethan style?) and pretty stone houses with summer flowers.

I overslept and finally roused myself at 9:00 am. The weather has turned wet but Andy needs to deliver some books to a bookshop in Kington and Karen needs to do some shopping for a BBQ on Saturday so we head out and wind through many country lanes to get to town. They puill over for me to take some pictures and later I visit a couple of churches. Here the churches had bell towers separate from the churches which were used as refuges when the villages were invaded by outlaws or the Welsh. 

St. Mary's in Kington. This church has a ghost. The black dog of  Hergest which may have inspired the story,The Hounds of the Baskervilles.

Separate bell tower and refuge yet such a graceful building.

Kington had a castle to protect the border and was named Kimgton by Harold of 1066 and the invasion of England fame.

After we return home Karen and I pick raspberries from the garden and decide to plant out some peas before there is too much more rain. The vegetable garden is huge and everything is growing lushly. 

I ate as I picked. It is such a treat to get so many raspberries!

Karen shows me where the Logiston common is and a few paths for walking to the nearest town. 

English countryside at Herefordshire

Peter wants to visit his house on the river Wye to see what changes have taken place while he has been travelling and kindly offers to take me down to see it and meet up with Andy and Karen later at Logiston. I am going to visit with them for a week or so. Peter's holiday home is an old railway cottage that was on an obscure railway line and originally housed a family who were responsible for the opening and closing of the railway gates. It is set overlooking the Wye river which borders England and Wales. 

The view down the river from his front garden was tranquil. What a delight  to see 12 swans gliding  by directly opposite the house. They looked funny lying flat on the surface with their head under water.

Peter in his lounge room of the house.

The railway house is so charming. It is situated about 5 kms out of the town Hay-on-Wye which is just over the border in Wales. It is renown for its book shops and is a tourist destination. This is the town clock and the castle built to keep the Welsh at bay. There are a few ruined castles around here that had been built for this purpose.

It occurred to me that we are in Midsummer Murders territory. I have always joked with friends that these English country towns are dangerous places because of all the murders on this English TV program. As we were driving down numerous lanes with tall hedges on either side and very few signs, through little villages with black and white or stone houses it occurred to me how accurate the countryside has been portrayed on the show. 

To leave from Peter's place we have to cross a private bridge and pay a toll! It is only 80 pence and you only pay once a day but apparently the bridge toll goes back to medieval times and to change the law requires an act of parliament.

Eventually we arrived at Karen and Andy's place which is a typical English country cottage set amidst a sprawling garden, with a few sheep and two cats. It is so pretty. I feel so lucky to be having this country experience. 

London 22nd to 24 th June

Flying Easyjet to London was easy but we were delayed on the tarmac at Malaga for sometime due to a computer failure. The continual sawing like noise coming from the hydraulics sounded like they were cutting off the wheels! This was reminiscent of Andy, Karen and Peter's experience coming to Spain with Easyjet. A similar experience in which the pilot kept the passengers  well informed the whole time.  All was rectified without much delay in the end and we arrived close to the scheduled time. I had not been given an immigration card and so needed to compete one on the spot. With the Shengen visa issue on my mind I was greatly relieved to get a six month visa into the UK without any problem.

Peter Shackleton was waiting for me but our country pub lunch plan was abandoned due to the amount of traffic on the freeway and we ate at the airport instead after finding the terminal with restaurants.(Gatwick has a !North and South terminal joined by a shuttle train)

Home to Uxbridge where Peter lives. It is about an hour west of London City but well connected by bue and tube. Uxbridge was the last staging post to change horses for travellers coming into London in historic times(pre car!).  Peter and I go shopping for a few items on Monday and I get to see his 'patch' and meet some of his clients and colleagues. He has been missed by them all.

My impressions of England from the air and London is how green it is. The English devotion to trees and gardens maintains a leafy environment. It is a pleasant change although I am experiencing a sense of loss of familiarity too. I have adjusted to Spain so well it seemed odd to be inside at 8:00 pm instead of wandering the streets with everyone looking for just the right tapas and wine! 

Tuesday we went to the TATE Gallery on Southbank and braved the crowds surging around London and in the gallery. I saw some really impressive art and some that made me just go huh?! 

Picasso's Weeping Woman

The space is amazing at the gallery and it accommodated a huge number of visitors easily. They are much more casual than our galleries- people had small suitcases in tow and someone had a scooter!

The south bank is a lovely promenade with lots of lively activities and restaurants and green lawns to loll about on. After we had refuelled with coffee and snack we walked across the millennium bridge which apparently had to be closed soon after opening because it swayed too much. Now all fixed we crossed to St Paul's cathedral and caught the tube home. It was peak time so we were squashed in like a ham and cheese jaffle. The older tube trains don't have airconditioning so it was pretty warm. The weather is fantastic at the moment. Wimbledon is on and they must be thrilled.

I have an Oyster card for the bus and trains which is like our myki but much better because it works seamlessly and quickly! Prices are a shock after Spain but I am not having to spend too much so I am okay. Last night we settled down for a DVD after dinner but both of us were too tired. I am missing my siestas.

I was trying to get an extension to my Shengon visa so I could travel in Italy with Jan. My 90 days are running out and my passport has clearly stamped entry and exit dates. It is impossible to extend so we have changed our plans and will go to Croatia instead. I can visit there without any issue because although they are part of the EU, they are not signatories to the Shengen convention and Australians don't need a visa. I don't want to risk breaching visa and creating complications for later travel. Being a free spirit is rather more difficult than you think. I am learning a lot about travelling on this trip. Poor Jan is very disappointed about Italy and she has worked so hard to organise the dream trip while I have been having my dream trip already. 

I am greatly relieved about our change of plans and we will now do three weeks in Croatia and a few of my last allowable days(5) in Italy before I fly to Madrid and onto Australia. I will be more settled in Herefordshire so will have some time to do the research and plans along with Jan this time.

Victoria and Albert entrance chandelier.

Victoria and Albert Garden. My arms aren't long enough for good selfies!

Wednesday we start slow and then visit the Victoria and Albert Museum to see so e of the fashion collection and other areas of interest. The Middle Eastern collection was very interesting and I learned a lot-mostly how ignorant I am about this part of the world. After visiting Spain and seeing the influences of the Islamic period I have a keener appreciation of its art and craft.

Back to Uxbridge and Peter has invited me to visit his Mencap Wednesday night club. This is a social club for the intellectually disabled that Peter works with and raises money through his walking and other projects. He does a bus run to pick up several participants to take them and we are running late. They are all curious about me but more interested in their friends. I get to see quite a bit more of Uxbridge during the pick up and drop of ride. It is a pretty, leafy area with a fair bit of open space not unlike a Warrandyte without gumtrees in that it does seem village like.

Home by eleven and I am tired. The late night Skype sessions are catching up on me.

Malaga 21st June

Caught the bus to Malaga but it was by the scenic route, via a lot of little towns! It was a pretty drive through lots of olive groves and orange trees. The hotel is close to the station so I won't take a taxi tomorrow. The hotel Zeus is a small place but the staff are very friendly and helpful. My room is a single bed with no view but it is cheap and has its own bathroom. It isn't far from the centre of town either so I walked the  tourist trail seeing all the main sites such as the Alcazar, roman amphitheatre, Picasso's home, the lighthouse.

 I managed to do some shopping too and got shoes to go with the dress for the wedding. A nice black scrappy shoe with a mid heel. Everyone in Spain is wearing massive platforms. They are dramatic and gorgeous but not so practical for my purpose. 

I had a delicious seafood salad for lunch. Light and tasty and just right for the hot weather. It is interesting to see so many flowering trees and shrubs that we grow in Queensland.

Les Miserables is playing here, just opened and lots of people were hurrying to the show. I wondered if it was a gala night because everyone was dressed in evening clothes. They stand out because most people look like they are dressed for the beach.

The centre of the city is setting up all these altars with different icons for the festive conclusion to the Holy Week of Corpus Christi. 

Tonight I can hear a band playing next to the canal. I saw them rehearsing earlier today. I have the window open so it is pretty clear.  The music isn't bad.

I can't say I am impressed with Malaga as a beach town. I think Surfers Paradise has far more attractive architecture.

The old part of town has charm but the rest is very average. I expect it is a result of a building boom during the seventies and eighties maybe.

I decide to retire to my room earlyish tonight. I have been up late every night and I am tired. It seems odd to be actually leaving Spain at last.

Adventure no 3 starts tomorrow! UK here I come.

Granada 20th June

.

I slept in quite late and decided then to skip cordoba after all. I felt tired so I spent the day wandering around Granada and discovering a whole lot of interesting places. There are narrow lanes of shops like in a middle eastern souk, and lots of lovely shoe shops. 

The less normal shops(not touristy) were closed after siesta because it was a celebration week for Corpus Christi. I visited a palace that had been a Muslim school back in the the time of the Muslim rule and it was the only one in Muslim Spain. It has the original colours still on its walls and ceilings which the Alhambra doesn't have any more.  

It also has an amazing wooden ceiling that was built in the 16 th century without nails. It is like a jigsaw puzzle. The building later became the town hall and now is used for lectures for the university of Granada. I wandered into the uni precinct where there are many historic buildings, such as a hospital with green and white tiles on the tower and roof, elaborate dados around the wall and an impressive courtyard. It is being restored so its past glory is only hinted at but it must have been magnificent once. Next door I stumbled on the St John Hospital where the patients were being entertained by a flamenco guitarist and a nurse and another dancer doing Flamenco in the courtyard. Everyone was so happy and clapping in time.  

I stumbled on a photographer who did some passport photos for me which will be handy for my visa application for Italy. 

There are lots of book shops in Granada I have noticed and I found one selling English books. I succumbed to a memoir called Driving over lemons about a couple who moved to a farm in Andalucia near Granada to start a new life. I'd heard about it before and after walking through so many little towns I was curious about how they had found the life.

I visited a gallery showing work by José Guerrero. He was born here and made a successful career in New York and was part of the New York Art  Movement and contemporary of Jackson Pollock.  I finally got to the cathedral, St Jeronimo and then also went into the church opposite my pension which is a beautiful, elaborate baroque style inside. 

I ended up at PlayGranada to use the wifi. I managed to update the blog and send some emails etc. I read a bit and then ventured out for dinner at about 9:00 pm. I found a little noodle place and had that for dinner for a change. It was a very generous serving which would have done for two. I had seen all these women and girls dressed in flamenco style costumes throughout the day and after dinner I found a concert happening in one of the squares. It must have been the local flamenco school and this was its annual concert. The performers were mostly chidren and I had to giggle. They were all quite good but they were still funny. One young girl was chewing gum throughout. Some of the others were so serious. But you can see how they learn the hand movements and the hip moves.there was a huge crowd watching ( all the mums and dads and aunts of course but general public too). I was impressed to see some of the grandmothers up performing alsoIt was nearly midnight again when I left and the concert was still going strong.

I am off to Malaga tomorrow and quite looking forward to it now.

Granada 19th June

Karen and I meet at 7:00 and walk up to the front gate of the Alhambra. It is a good walk up a lot of stairs but I am still fit and it is no problem. We get a little lost heading for a building that turns out to be a hotel so we take to the main road and feel alarmed to see there are others already there but we are not far along in the queue. It is 7.20 am and the gates don't open till 8:30! Karen goes for coffe and produces an apple. I have a bottle of water only and no breakfast so coffee will be welcome. I chat to a young woman behind me, Alicia  from New York and soon we are both lamenting the need to book ahead for so many things these days when we would like to be more spontaneous.
By the time we get to buy our tickets we are a threesome and so we all go in together. 

,

Karin on the left and Alicia on the right.

Me in all my sartorial splendour. I am turning into a Maggie Smith look alike.

This is the most beautiful place. The gardens are exquisite and the palace breathtakingly beautiful. The history here is so rich and colourful. I could imagine beautiful women wafting around in silk and mint tea taken in the salons and gardens.

The summer palace and garden

The palace and it's interiors

We are all impressed. I am starving now so we interrupt our sightseeing to eat something. 

Alicia has to check in with her office in New York so she departs and Karin and I continue exploring. I have taken so many photos! Karin and I head off for lunch eventually, now she is starving.  We are both tired so make plans for a 7:30 meeting and dinner. I need to print my boarding pass for  the flight to London and check an account so I return to the tourist office of Play Granada earlier. This is who we did the tour with and they offer free wi if that is strong and works consistently. After some anguished moments I eventually get the Ticket and realise I need to move to Malaga on Saturday because there are no buses leaving early enough for me to catch a flight. I hurriedly book a room at the Zeus Hotel Iin Malaga.  Lesson number 100(? By now) when you make flight bookings make sure all your connections exist first. The downside of being on the move and intermittent wifi is the lack of solid time to do these things.
Eventually after wonderful help from the young staff we are all sorted, Karin too had some queries.
We decide to explore some of the side streets for a suitable tapas place and happen upon Alicia sitting by herself. We join her and have a wonderful, funny, talkfest. It is funny how you can meet some people and there is an instant comfortable rapport regardless of age and you can spend a week with others and never get that chemistry.  We have exchanged emails and I will keep contact. We had such interesting conversations ranging from Germany and WWII to modern women and relationships, politics and travel.

We are surprised by the number of hippies/alternatives living in Granada. The street near us is full of music and clapping while we have our tapas. There are women and children and dogs and men riding bikes down the stairs. It is after twelve before we leave and the streets are teaming. Many are dressed in traditional costumes from the Corpus Christi parade and party. I like Granada and I am glad I stayed more than one day.
 

Granada 18 th June

I got to the airport with heaps of time to spare and then tried to check in and get a luggage tag. After three abortive attempts I realise there is English available and I get it sorted! The bag drop still wasnt open so I went looking for breakfast. It is a pain dragging the bag around. Good old McDonald's always open and a reasonable choice of yoghurt and cereal and coffee. Finally dropped the bag and I was pleased to find it iwas only 17 kg though it seems more when you are dragging it around.

I have to go through security twice! First the IPad must come out which I have never had to do before and then when I go through again I set off the beeper and get a full pat down. I have to take off boots here too. Barajas Madrid airport is huge. They have times listed on the signs to the gates, like 8 mins! The plane is half empty so it is a very comfy trip. At Malaga airport I meet an American from Kansas who has been reading the Phryne Fisher stories and she was thrilled to hear there was a TV series available.

I head off to find the bus to Granada and need to wait an hour but I don't mind as I am now well into the Game of Thrones book 3 Part 1.

The bus is really comfy. The ticket includes a bottle of water and two small snacks as well as earphones for the audio screen. I take my seat and when we get to Malaga a guy comes up and says I am in his seat. I can't find my ticket so I move and hope like hell no one else asks me to move. Only some seats seem to be allocated( pre-booked perhaps). All goes well and the trip is quite interesting. The country is drying off even though there are still patches of snow on the Sierra Navada mountains in the background.  When I get to Granada the information desk staff telll me that the Alhambra is booked out and I will have to get there really early to queue. She is a great sales person and I sign up for a discounted walking tour at 6:00 pm as well. I hope I can get in as that is my main objective in coming to Granada. I get  to the Pension and it is very close to the city.  Once settled I head off to the tour meeting point. 

While at the meeting point I meet  a German girl Karen and we set off for our tour with a small group and a gorgeous German, English, Spanish speaking guide called Hamas. He is very informative and we covered the old city Abayzin and the Sacramonte. I am intrigued to discover there is a large hippy community living in the caves above the Albayzin.

Looking to the Alhambra from St Nicolas viewpoint.

Some Senaglese drummers on the hippy hill.

Karen and I go for dinner after the tour and we really hit it off. She is great company. Karen has been told that we need to be at the Alhambra gate at 7:30 in order to get in as the numbers are controlled to 7,000 per day! It is the most visited monument in Spain. We feel that if we go together we won't sleep in because we know someone is waiting. We are both tired because she was up at 5:00 to fly from  Munich and I was up at about the same time after a restless night. It is still nearly midnight by the time we get home. These Spanish nights get away from you.

Madrid last day

I arranged to meet Laurie and Richard later today so we could all get some jobs done in the morning. When you are socialising and sightseeing every day there seems to be no time for organising. I also suffer with intermittent wifi and that means that it usually fails at a critical point in the transaction, it took me five hours to book a flight to Malaga/Granada and I wasn't sure it had worked. I am also a bit perturbed about needing a visa for Italy as I will have used most of the 90 days visa free period. I rang the Australian embassy to clarify and leaving the Continent and returning doesn't reset it apparently within the same six months. I didn't intend to stay longer originally. Being a free spirit isn't that easy these days!

Laurie has heard about this new art gallery in an old Tobacco factory so we decide that we will go there as the Sophia de rey is closed and only free  after 7:00 pm. We find  the factory in a very multicultural area of Madrid. I am continually surprised how many Chinese live in Spain but you don't see many on the main streets except for tourists.

The tobacco factory has an extremely interesting but challenging display of different media by the same artist. The exhibition is meant to be experienced as a whole so there is music and sounds and also we are in semi darkness with light only on the exhibits which is sufficient to light our way around. I have been reading too many crime novels because it seems like a great place for a murder. Especially when we seem to be the only people there and then other people mysteriously appear at different exhibits.The catalogue is a whole magazine and we try to decipher the artist's intention from snippets we read. At least we have some good conversations. The introduction seems almost unintelligible to us. We are artistic plebs!

Hanging out with the Alberca group has been a good chance to get to know people better but I have also found it challenging for me. I am quie happy on my own these days and trying to find time to do the blog, emails, bookings has been rather difficult. 

We finish up with our last drink at a fabulous place Laurie recommends. Richard and  I stay for an early dinner which we share as the portions are so large, yet very reasonable. Actually rather cheap. The place was very Andalucian with tiles and murals and generally a wonderful atmosphere. 

I get to know Richard better. He is going to do another LaAlberca on Friday. He is retired and doesn't seem to know quite what to do with himself so he is having some interesting adventures like house sitting in Jaen for six weeks and early next year, in Italy as well. He also will be out of his 90 day visa but is going to risk staying, as the Spanish wouldn't extend his visa. 

I finish the day with a visit to El Cortes Engles to get my tax  free documents organised for claiming when I leave Spain. It is worth €50 which is a very good meal!

I had to print my boarding pass yet and I hit a snag which the young receptionist very graciously helped me resolve. After much hair pulling on his part he eventually got it printed. Many cheap flights only have online check-ins and you need to have access to a printer or maybe download to your IPhone, but not all airports  have readers! I continue to learn new things all the time. I am anxious to not oversleep as I am catching a 7:40 am flight from the airport but I don't get to sleep till after 12:00.

Madrid and Toledo

I have been catching up with some of the Diverbo people which has given me company when exploring. I met Richard ( from New York, retired) to explore the Pop Art exhibition at the Thyssen gallery. It was really interesting and well put together. There were several works by Andy Warhols, Roy Lichenstein, Peter Blake and Tom Wesselmann to name a few. We then went into the permanent collection to see a range of art from every century. This is one of the largest private collections so it is comprehensive. In the end I lost Richard and despite waiting an hour for him to appear I went back to my hotel. I then met Sandra and Catherine for dinner and Richard turned up and joined us. We tried to get into this fancy modern tapas bar but we had hit peak time so ended up in a little pop up restaurant in one of the plazas. 

Next day Sandra and I met Laurie and we explored this amazing, huge Flea market. The crush was unbelievable so I was hanging on to my purse tightly. I did buy some lovely fans and a rather fun sundress. Sandra and I split from Laurie and headed for El Cortes Engles, a department store like Myer. They have a system where you can claim your tax back if you are a foreigner, I signed up for that and went looking for a dress to wear to the wedding in Kent. Eventually I bought the first thing that caught my eye but not before I had tried on so many outfits. Now I need shoes but that is a nice problem. Sandra and I meet again in the gourmet terrace for wine and tapas. It is unbelievably busy. This is Sunday evening and the place is packed. I buy a snack for tea and head back to my hotel. This shopping is exhausting. 

I need to organise a flight or train to Malaga but that turns out to be fraught. The internet is down and I can't do the research or bookings. Budget hotels leave a bit to be desired sometimes.  I skype Tim and Mum. It was good to talk with Mum but the connection was not good which was frustrating. Technology is great when it works!

Monday I went to Toledo with Laurie and Richard. We met at the Plaza de Sol and caught the Metro ( I was glad of their knowledge about using the metro after my last attempt) to the bus station and all went smoothly so we arrived in Toledo about 12:00 and began to explore. It is a charming town with the usual winding streets. Toledo is famous for the evidence of three cultures who lived in harmony, 

Jews, Christians and Muslims for a long time. The synagogues have been changed into churches now and it has an amazing gothic Cathedral, and two Mosques that have also been converted. 

This was the mosque converted to a church.

We got lost pretty quickly but it didn't matter. The other two walked a bit slow for me so I had to keep checking I hadn't lost them. We saw all these chains on the church and went into this shop to ask about them. The shopkeeper/artisan told us the links are for remembering. Like leaving tokens at the alter of your favourite saint. He showed us how he beat the gold thread into the steel base of jewellery, plates etc. 

 This is the artist making the gold plates. It takes about 10 days to finish this sized plate.it is a steel base then fired so the gold sets in the patterns.

It was fascinating. I remembered Sandra had said how unique the work was and so I succumbed to a beautiful pair of earrings. The town had celebrated a saint on Sunday and was getting ready to celebrate Corpus Christi this coming weekend. The houses and buildings had banners hanging from windows and they were decorating the streets with wreaths of green vegetation and flowers. It takes four days to put up and four days to take down. The place looked so festive.Each night there are music concerts and of course on Friday a party. It is Spain after all!

I had tried to book a flight to Malaga this morning for Wednesday but I put my Spanish phone number and that caused a hitch.  Finally when I get home I find an email confirming the booking but with a tentative return. I am positive I only booked one way. I will sort it out at the airport. I will need to fly or train it from Malaga eventually.

Diverbo day 5

Lots of tired people after the party Monday night. Most of Tuesday was about taking it slowly. We had a walk into the village of Alberca and a guided tour of the town. It was very interesting to hear the history and some of the customs such as ringing a bell at the corner of the town every night to protect from the spirits of the deceased who are not in heaven, the custom of the pig being slaughtered annually, and why there is an ossuary outside the church.  The town was under rule of the French for some time and the buildings reflect those influences. On one door lintel there were marks to indicate the inquisition was in the house  and excavations revealed human bones in the walls. Later we went to a bodega for wine and Jamon tasting. Some of us had a chance to drink wine from the Bota, leather wine bottle. I decided I would try it this time as I had been too nervous of spilling it all over myself last time it had been offered. I managed to drink for a count of 12 without spilling any. I didn't want to be greedy!

Angel demonstrating how to drink from the Bota.

http://0.tqn.com/d/gospain/1/0/a/4/-/-/mini-bota.JPG

We lunched in town on suckling pig which was super delicious. Sweet succulent meat and crunchy skin. The local jewellery is unique because they use a button design that s found only on the local folk costumes and limited to the region. I bought earrings in the design as a souvenir.

After siesta we were back on the program talking and viewing presentations. To get our energy up we had to present some little skits based on fairy tales or movies. It was so much fun. Our team did a mimed version of Cinderella. I played the role of an ugly sister. Some of the others did the Pied  Piper. We had a dress up box to supplement our imagination.Then we had a speed charades game. By the end of these activities we were all energised and ready for the serious work.The evening was a quiet dinner and off to bed to catch up on sleep.

It was a lovely change of pace. The party was fantastic fun but ran very late and it really brought the group together and shook of the nerves. The next day was recovery but still talking with Spaniards so not a day off but a more relaxed pace. From this day everyone was really comfortable and the langue acquisition really moved up a notch for all the Spaniards.

Diverbo day 4

Another day of walking and talking, student presentations and group discussions. The day was warm and sunny with a cool breeze. The mountain range across the valley still has snowy patches which makes it look very pretty. Yesterday I had a free hour extra to siesta and it felt quite strange  not to be talking. I actually felt like I was missing out! At siesta I decided to remain in the bar so I could catch up on the blog and emails. We are such slaves to communication. 

There was a party last night with lots of dancing. The Spanish men are good dancers and some really salsa and cha cha and do lots of fancy swings. It was great to watch everyone have so much fun. The music was across all eras so everyone got involved. I danced alnight and actually got asked to dance too.  I think my stamina for dancing alright from 10 pm till 2:30 with barely a sit down surprised a few people. The program director Marco loves to dance and is very supple and dances with the girls as well as solo. The dancing finished at 3 am.

Lauren and I retuned to the villa and then talked till 4:00 pm! We still all have to be up at the usual time.

Diverbo day 2

We are all more comfortable with each other and starting to get to know everyone's names. Today it is the same schedule but with some group discussions and two and two discussions. Everyone has a lot of fun.  We are all keen on walking and talking so several people end up sunburnt despite the cool breeze.

 We have a presentation from Jimmy about his stay in Austria which he delivers with the aplomb of a stand up comic. He is a very entertaining young man.  We are all eating well, too well but I am trying to eat less and light.  We all tend to walk and talk so I hope that balances out the delicious food.

Today is another round of people with whom I haven't yet had one to ones or Anglos with whom  I have yet to spend time.

Some of the personalities are rather idiosyncratic to say the least but we are all getting along well.

This evening we had the quiemado experience which was huge fun. It is a drink made with aroja liqueur and spices like gluewein then flamed for some time till a lot of the alcohol is  burnt off. The  drink is accompanied by an incantation by three witches, (Ann, Marge and  Kitty) which was hilarious. 

The ritual for making the Quimado

The three withes making the spell

We have also been warned to prepare a song, that represents our country. Arrgh! There are only three Aussies and Suzanne is not one to stay up after the dinner which was already late for her. That leaves Capri and I to sing. Oh well you can't go wrong with Waltzing Matilda and we manged a good rendition. The Americans sing Yankee Doodle Dandy and there are about ten of them. The Canadians sing the silver geese(?)with actions which was very funny and then the English did Look on the bright side from Life of Brian. We all sang along with the chorus.  The two Kiwis do the Maori love song very well with all the hand actions. Capri is an Indian/Aussie so she also contributed an Indian dance and song,  Furley did a Jamaican, Bob Marley, Don't worry 

and The Spanish did a rendition of something I didn't recognise. Sara Z did the Peruvian national anthem. We were all having a great time and after  Jez the MC and Marco the program planner completed their songs we adjourned to the bar for dancing and more refreshments. I called it quits at 1:00 pm.

Diverbo day 1

We meet at the bus outside the office and board the bus with our Spanish participants. Some of the Spanish are coming by car so we are not all paired off. I get to know Joss a Michelin chef who now works as a culinary judge and restaurant critic. He is Dutch but has lived in the States for many years and is a veteran English volunteer. He finds the program great fun and has attended several. I also get to know Catherine a retired Lawyer from Vancouver.

Avila and medieval wall

We pass through Avila, a really cold place and a town with one of the most complete medieval walls around the city in Spain.

The hotel and cottage accommodation.
We arrive at La Alberca and the hotel. It is very attractive. We are assigned our room mates and in my case both Spanish and Anglo. I am sharing with Lauren from Houston Texas and she is lovely but jet lagged and she has just arrived from a very stressful period at home.  Her mother has just passed away and her son has just graduated and is going away east to college.  She is very tired and this program was a way to keep her busy and distracted. This I understand. We get along really well.
Our Spanish roommate in the attic has not arrived but eventually turns up quite late after drivingfrom Gallicia.  she is Marge.  There are fifty two participants and we get introduced to the way the week will go, some icebreakers then it is  right into one on one conversations.  Talking is something I do very naturally( as my friends and colleagues know!)  so  this is easy and we have an interesting time moving from person to person every hour with a ten minutes break in between. Our throats are dry after a time but everyone is in high spirits.  We have  a delicious lunch and then more talking and later dinner.  I am trying to eat light and small so I don't put on all the weight I have lost. Instead of sitting and talking we decide to walk and talk. That is good  and stops us from getting tired.
The weather is colder than everyone expected so they are all struggling with their clothes choices and some only have thongs. I am in my jeans and walking boots, probably all week!
It is a full day and everyone is tired by the end of the day. The Spanish particularly because they have  been struggling with the language.  Generally they have a good competence so if I want to do the Spanish equivalent I will need to improve considerably. Volunteers get a €400 discount.

The village 

Paul from Massachusetts

Then next day we  have some group activities and during siesta Paul from Massachussetts and I head into town which is about 2kms away. It is a very quaint and medieval  and is quite a tourist attraction apparently.  We have talked so much that we are a bit confused about the return track. Eventually we find a track that leads us through the bush and eventually back to  the hotel, just in time for our next sessions! We have theartre which is histerical. Pedro is a tall Spanish and is a great comediian and the women and Jimmy dressed as a woman are excellent. Everyone is so confidant! We have a great time.

There are presentations from the Spanish and also two Anglos. It is a good day.