Spain at last....

Simply put, I have arrived in Spain with a full heart and exhausted mind since arriving 34 hours ago (it is now 1:00 a.m. Thursday/September 13). The flight was smooth until we were locked in the plane for nearly an hour after landing in Atlanta….the approach tunnel wouldn’t move to unload us… Once we hit the ground running, we heard our names over the loud speaker, a man stood at the approach to the gate asking us if we were “Steele and Bettencourt” – We obviously looked a bit stressed…on the run. Then, we were at the gate and happy to hear they held the plane for us!

We had a 4 hour layover in Paris, where my friend (Chloe) met us over café au lait and pastries. I was surprised we left the concourse, went through customs and into the public area, unlike American airports. Later, I found Paris was much less lenient when it came to our bags. The agent went through everything with great care and I realized my fold-up fan looked like a large switchblade. I understood just enough French to realize I was on their list.. However, I passed and once on the plane again --- Delta does not charge for the first bag and we soon found the wine and two meals included at no charge. So, the next seven hours over the Atlantic were kind to us.

Glancing out the plane windows over Madrid, I saw the Atlantic Ocean and the coast with the waters rushing white waves across the sand. Then, the Madrid airport looked like a tiny game board and the mountains followed closely afterward. Tiny villages dotted the landscape as if someone rolled dice in little pockets of jewels. Farming communities, citrus trees, olive orchards and vineyards could be seen as we began to descend toward Malaga. Spain at last.

Our cousin wasn’t there to meet us at the airport and I was nervous but Steven wasn’t. We found our rental car and my brother had a map… So off to the first cousins we sped to Fresneda, a district in the province of Malaga. I met Paco, Encarna, Encarnacita, Natalia and Francisco --- my cousins to the Ruiz family who gathered me up like a long-lost friend. Steven’s Spanish and translations helped me enjoy the visit and I learned to taste fresh figs (higo) Encarna showed me the giant trees, pulled the fruit, peeled one and showed me how to eat it… reminding me of a time as a child that I enjoyed stomping them into the sidewalk much better than eating them. Here, they were ambrosia. She fed us salad filled with vegetables and mixed with something that looked like sour cream. She said it was “milk from mayonnaise” Huh… when my Spanish improved, maybe I will be able to figure that out… and get the recipe to share. Then, chicken, salad and fruit. Later, coffee and tea with plates of “postres” – cakes, cakes and more cakes.

Steven’s Spanish phone wasn’t charged, so we couldn’t call our missing cousin. So we drove to their country house in Puerto de la Torre only to find he’d never received the letter saying we were on our way…. So of course how could he meet us as the airport?? And that was where we were supposed to spend our first week.. They were lovely; it was 8 o’clock in the evening, we’d been awake about 28 hours and my eyelids were quickly becoming so heavy, I could barely keep them open more than a minute at a time. Pepa called her friend in the village and led us to a wonderful hotel/restaurant where the Hibiscus and Palms swayed above the wrought iron covered windows and doors… When I pulled out my bag, her friend refused to let me carry it up a bank of steps… and I was younger than she was. No matter how I argued, she lugged it upward so I grabbed the clip/strap and “helped” her. The room had 3 beds and was sparkling clean. The windows were covered with a metal shade so it was very dark in the room…. After our quick showers, we fell into such deep slumber; we both slept the clock around….. 14 hours!!! We ‘d stayed in bed because the room was so dark ----- both waiting for the sun to rise, not realizing it rose without us… Imagine our surprise: it was 1:30 p.m. Wednesday already~

My super duper idea of making my iPhone into a “hotspot” to deliver the internet to my computer didn’t work! So, no emails and no Skype was available. I was too tired before bed and now it was so important I let my family know we arrived safely! Nothing worked! So, at 2:00 p.m. (being the mathematician that I am NOT) I called home, thinking it was 11:00 a.m. Tuesday when in reality it was 5:00 a.m. Wednesday. Steven said add 3 hours to the time here and go back 12 hours.. Makes sense now ~

After checking out of our hotel, we sat down in the beautiful restaurant and ordered “café nube en tasa grande” – Coffee / cloud (just a little milk) in a large cup. (This cup was 2 x larger than an espresso cup) and was fabulous. The china was delicately painted with yellow loops entwined around burgundy ribbons and served with a quiet word and tiny bags of azucar (sugar). I loved it…. And I wanted the cup and saucer (a girl thing I guess?) No coffeemate here… but this café nube was exactly to my taste..

Our next stop was driving through Campanillas, the home of some of the other Ruiz familia – a small town with winding roads, lots of brightly painted ceramic signs and flowers everywhere. I took photos of a little boy sneaking around the edge of the gas station wall, looking around slyly before pulling the water hose off the water/air tank and hiding behind it while he slurped up a cold drink. Quite entertaining and he saw me, dropped the hose and waved gaily before running away.

Back to Pepa’s and Pepe’s house in the countryside, there were so many prickly pear cactus budding profusely. Encarna told me they used it to make….. more Spanish than I could understand. I thoroughly regret not studying my Spanish with consistency as she was an amazingly friendly woman who spoke to me in amazingly indecipherable Spanish and we were both frustrated when I didn’t understand her and she didn’t understand me. Cactus is pronounced CACTU here in Andalucia. The “s” is dropped so Cactu in Andalu…. Not cactus in Andalucia. I am learning bit by bit with my patient brother’s help and actually I am beginning to understand conversations in just 2 days! I want to stop saying, “No entiendo”…

Everyone wants to feed us and there are so many meals, my head spins.

1. (no name that we know of yet): Coffee and sweet pastries
2. Desayuno: around 10 a.m. is breakfast
3. Al Muerzo: lunch is at 2 p.m. punto (sharp)
4. Merienda: tapas (snacks) is about 5:30 or 6:00 p.m.
5. Cena: dinner is served around 9:00 p.m.
6. Visiting: with coffee and drinks until about 11:00 p.m. spending real people time

Now, we are up to date. It is Wednesday at 12:26 p.m. as I write this. The road is quiet around us – we are settled into Pepe’s and Pepa’s empty apartment (they are landlords) and we are planning our Thursday. Despite not having internet (yet) or Wi-Fi, we learned Pepa’s granddaughter has internet! So, I will post this very long missive and prepare shorter travel log with photos and description of the countryside and how each place I look makes me feel Spanish genes floating inside me..