Spanish Comfort for American Wounds (If you are happy about the election you can skip this week's post)

This has been a challenging week and the wounds caused by the election result are deep. Our hearts ache for the future of the U.S. and for our children as they look ahead with multiple concerns, and very little hope.  

I have thought back to 9/11 and the way I felt that day. From the moment I heard what had happened, I was stunned.  My foundation had been shaken and I was disoriented; how did this happen?  

But after 9/11 the world mourned with the U.S. and, for a brief period of time, it was as if the United States was truly united.  People looked at each other and recognized sameness; we were all Americans, and we had been attacked.

After waking up Wednesday morning and learning the news, I was stunned; my foundation was shaken and I was disoriented.  How did this happen?  

But this felt worse than 9/11; this was not something done to us, we had done this to ourselves. The world was not mourning with us, but instead they were shaking their heads wondering how this could have happened. And in the hours and days that have followed, rather than unity, we have watched as hateful incident after hateful incident has divided our country even more decisively. There is a collective angst that is agonizing. 

And here on the mountain in Southern Spain we feel a bit of something like "survivor guilt."  While we are relieved to have already made the move rather than being among those wishing or hoping to get out of a country run by Drumpf, we feel guilty that we are not close to our kids and friends to help work through this tragedy together. We make regular financial contributions to organizations that provide healthcare to women, and to environmental causes, etc., but we recognize the privilege that allows us to sit here and make on-line contributions, while others are "back home" on the streets and in neighborhoods making tangible contributions to the lives of those who are frightened and hurting.

And so this week we have accepted the kindness of our friends and neighbors; gifts of distraction and comfort.

On Tuesday, while the election was happening, our friends from Spanish Highs Mountain Guides took us on a magnificent hike in the Cumbres Verdes area of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park. It was a cool, crisp day and we hiked through forests and over rocky out-croppings and we savoured the views, and the air, and the company. The election seemed very far away.

Cumbres Verdes

Wednesday morning Manuel arrived soon after we read the election results.  He greeted us both with a big hug and when I burst into tears he shook his head and said that everyone in the village was also stunned by the news. For the next two days he came and worked, but treated us a bit like you treat someone who has just had a death in the family.  On Friday Manuel invited us to go hiking with him over the weekend.  We accepted this kind offer and Sunday morning he picked us up and drove us further up the mountain.  We hiked to the top of a 3090 meter (10,137 ft) peak.  The entire hike was beautiful and in the 6 hours that we were out, we did not see another human.  The peacefulness and beauty were just what we needed, and the effort demanded our attention and left us exhausted. 

On The Way Up

Magnificent Views

On the way back down Manuel led us to a hilltop that had a natural rock boundary and inside of the boulders there were numerous stone shelters that were built during the Spanish Civil War.  He told us of the gunfights that took place in the mountains where Nationalists were high in the Sierras firing their machine guns at the Republican resistance who used these shelters. It was a historic reminder that was powerful and especially poignant.

Spanish Civil War Shelter

Another Civil War Shelter

And finally we were blessed with a visit from a woman I met on the Camino. Lin and I met the first night and then ran into each other from time to time during the first 3 weeks that I walked.  We have stayed in touch during this past year and on Friday she came here for lunch.  Lin is from Canada, but she is on an extended trip to - to wherever she ends up! We convinced her to stay for a few days and it was truly a blessing to have another person here at home. We welcomed the chance to show her around the area and her gentle spirit helped to calm ours.

With Lin At The Old Mill

The beauty that surrounds us, and the kindness of so many is like a salve for raw wounds.  We are fortunate, and for that we are truly grateful.

Sunrise

Returning Home

I have missed writing these past couple of weeks and apparently I have at least two readers who look forward to my posts each week, so it is good to be back on the blog.

Our trip to Korea was spectacular.  We really had no expectations ahead of time - we hadn't done much research because we were focused on settling in to our life in Spain, and we had no information on our roles as parents-of-the-groom; more on that in a few paragraphs... 

Our shipment from the U.S. finally arrived three days before we flew to Seoul. The delivery men were clearly annoyed by the drive up the mountain, but even they gasped when they stepped out of the van and turned towards the view.  As we started to unpack and unwrap the various crates and boxes we were surprised numerous times by the contents. We had forgotten some of what we had shipped and little things brought great delight.  But we also wondered where we would put everything as three months of living with only the basics had become a comfortable, and clutter-free norm.  

The shipment arrives four months after leaving our garage in Oregon!

Saturday we drove to Madrid, a 5-6 hour trip, and we stayed in a hotel near the airport.  Sunday we flew to Munich, then to Seoul, where we got a train to a second airport and flew on to Jeju island.  By the time we arrived, 24 hours after leaving Madrid, we were stiff and exhausted.  Minhye's family greeted us when we got to the resort and we learned that we should be ready for dinner in 45 minutes.  We quickly showered and dressed and then were taken to a raw-fish restaurant.  We walked into the dining room and realized that we would be sitting on the floor for the meal.  That hadn't occurred to me when I put on my dress for dinner, and given how stiff we were from the plane it seemed like a cruel trick, but we managed to tuck our legs under the low table and we enjoyed an amazing meal of numerous fish options.

Delicious raw fish

We were pleasantly surprised by each experience in Korea.  The landscape and weather reminded us of Oregon, the people were gentle and friendly and everything was noticeably clean.  In Seoul, a city of 10 million people, there is no trash, no graffiti and even the subway restrooms were spotless and well supplied.  Minhye's family were kind and gracious hosts.  They don't speak English but there were many smiles and bows and even a few hugs throughout the visit.

Sunset on Jeju

Touring one of the palaces in Seoul

View over Seoul

The wedding was on Friday afternoon.  We arrived at the Korea House, a venue that hosts traditional Korean weddings.  We learned that most Koreans now have Western-style weddings with white gowns and receptions, but when a Korean marries a Westerner, they frequently have a traditional Korean ceremony. Sam and I were given white gloves to wear and we were each pinned with an orchid.  We stood near Minhye's parents and greeted guests as they arrived.  Minhye's mother wore traditional hanbok - a lovely, colorful outfit. After awhile our corsages were removed and a second orchid was pinned on us and then we were told to go sit for the ceremony.  Kristen's husband, Mike, learned the day before that he would be in the wedding - he was to wear traditional clothing and he led Tom into the ceremony and also carried the wooden goose that was presented to Minhye's mother.  

Minhye and Tom

Mike and Kristen

The ceremony began with entertainers spinning plates and performing acrobatic feats and then Tom and Minhye entered.  Minhye had her arms held high with a drape that covered her face for the entire ceremony and two women led her around because she couldn't see.  Tom bowed numerous times, head all the way to the ground and we were amazed that he knew what to do and when to do it because there had not been a rehearsal.  It was all very lovely.  Following the ceremony we went to a tea room where the two sets of parents performed several traditional rituals.  Sam and I were given handfuls of chestnuts and dates and, when instructed, we threw them onto a cloth stretched between Tom and Minhye; the three dates that stayed on the cloth predict that there will be three sons for the couple.

With Minhye's parents and the bride and groom

Sunday morning we said good-bye to Kristen and Mike and then Tom and Minhye met us at the airport to bid us farewell.  We flew to Frankfurt, then to Madrid and spent another night at the hotel there before driving home on Monday.  

We wondered if we would feel like we were back home when we got to Spain, or would it feel as if this has all been a long vacation but now we really should be returning to Oregon. In Madrid everything felt comfortably familiar and we have made the drive between Madrid and Granada enough times now that we recognize many landmarks along the way.  We stopped in Lanjaron for a drink and tapas at our friend Junami's shop and, although he was closing up, he said that for us he would stay open.  Another friend, Felipe, was there and they both greeted us with warm enthusiasm.  We felt very welcomed.  As we drove up the mountain we were excited to be home.  A couple miles before our place we pass a goat farm and the goats were coming back in from their day grazing.  We turned off the car and waited for the entire herd to make their way off the hill, across the road and into their pen. It was clearly milking time and many of the does struggled to accommodate their full udders as they walked.  

When we drove down the driveway we felt almost giddy.  There was no question that this is our home now and there isn't another place we would have preferred to be.  The weather is changing and by Monday temperatures will drop below freezing overnight.  We needed to run the generator for the first time today to charge the solar batteries following two days of clouds, and we will soon light the wood stove for the first time.  The election is next week and I know that I say this every four years, but this really has been the longest and craziest election process yet.  We are so thankful for our peaceful home far away from the madding crowds.

I love our view

Back to hiking

Home sweet home!

Odds and ends and a ruin or two

The weeks are passing quickly. It may be because we are waiting for our shipment from the U.S. and each week we marvel that it still has not arrived. Or perhaps it is because we leave a week from today for a trip to Korea and have been mindful of all the things we want to get done before that trip.  

Regardless, time really does fly when you are having fun!

Happy Sam

This week we had two rainy days. Rain is something that always brought a wave of depression for me when we lived in Oregon; I knew that once it started, it would not stop for nearly nine months. But here in La Alpujarra, rain is welcome after many months of sunshine. And so we rejoiced with the locals, and honestly, I loved it.  It smelled like "home," and it was cozy in our little cortijo with the rain falling outside, and the next day when we were enveloped by the clouds that resisted leaving.

The view over the edge of our property on Thursday

When the clouds did lift we had the most wonderful view of the snow covered mountains. I have always loved snow and I could look at this view for hours without tiring. In fact, I spent several hours waiting for the clouds to lift because I knew what was waiting for me.

A view that will never get old

We had a day in Granada and an evening with friends new and old.  A British man was here for a trek with our friends who run Spanish Highs Mountain Guides; we had met him in February when he was here for a winter climb and he was surprised to hear that we had moved here since we hadn't mentioned that to him in February - we explained that, in February we had not planned to move here!

And we have taken some lovely hikes.  One of the things about hiking here is that we constantly discover ruins scattered about the hillsides.  The house we live in was one of these ruins before it was restored several years ago.  And each ruin has an Era, or threshing circle - a feature that I find especially charming about this part of Spain.

An Era from times past

Ruined window

Approaching a ruin on one of our hikes

I want to know about the woman who cooked with this oven

Pantry shelves

View from a ruin

Sometimes the ruin is a car!

And sometimes we find interesting bugs on our hikes.  Today on the way home we spotted this Wolf spider on the road.  I thought it was just a fuzzy spider but when we got home I shared the photo on the Wildlife in Southern Spain Facebook site and discovered that the "fuzz" is actually baby spiders, hundreds of babies!

Female Wolf spider with a back full of babies

We leave for Korea next Saturday so I probably won't blog for a week or two. Thanks for following and I'll be back in November.

Walking (Wo)Man Walks

As James Taylor sings...

"Well the leaves have come to turning
And the Goose has gone to fly,
And bridges are for burning,
So don't you let that yearning pass you by.
Walking man, walking man walks."

If you live long enough you can think of a lyric for most any situation.

We have mostly oak trees and their leaves don't really turn, except to brown, but the poplars are a nice yellow. And while there are no Geese, the Bee Eaters have flown to Africa for the winter.

Autumn has arrived here in Las Alpujarras. When you live in a brown landscape the transition from summer to autumn is more subtle than in New England, where James Taylor writes his songs. 

New England leaves of autumn

Nevertheless, the season is changing and if you look closely the evidence is there.

The sun doesn't pop over the mountain until nearly 9 o'clock in the morning, and it is dark now soon after 8pm. We are reaching for our fleece in the mornings and evenings, even though we are still wearing shorts and t-shirts during the day. It isn't as hot as it was in August and September, so we are doing a bit more hiking. 

Yesterday we went high in the hills above us and enjoyed several hours without seeing another human. We did see a fox running through the pine trees, and that was magical. Today we walked out our road for a bit and saw views that we miss from the car. Sam took his clippers and trimmed the briars that scrape the car as we drive in and out. I took my camera and tried to capture signs of autumn.

High in the hills above our house

From the high hills

The sun is coming up later each morning

Sam trimming the briars along the road

Thistles have turned from purple to brown

The blackberries are drying up

If you look hard you can find a bit of fall color in the leaves

The rose hips have ripened

Thistles

A Poplar leaf

Chestnuts are almost ready to fall

The pomegranates are getting larger

The baby geckos have grown large enough to climb

The olives have turned from green to purple

And figs have ripened

And at the Cami Hardware store in Orgiva, the fans and pool supplies have been replaced with wood stoves - all the signs are there. Winter is coming.

"Good fences make good neighbours."

Mending Wall

Related Poem Content Details

BY ROBERT FROST

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:

I have come after them and made repair

Where they have left not one stone on a stone,

But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,

To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,

No one has seen them made or heard them made,

But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;

And on a day we meet to walk the line

And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.

To each the boulders that have fallen to each.

And some are loaves and some so nearly balls

We have to use a spell to make them balance:

"Stay where you are until our backs are turned!"

We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of out-door game,

One on a side. It comes to little more:

There where it is we do not need the wall:

He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across

And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours."

Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder

If I could put a notion in his head:

"Why do they make good neighbours? Isn't it

Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offence.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,

That wants it down." I could say "Elves" to him,

But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather

He said it for himself. I see him there

Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top

In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me,

Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father's saying,

And he likes having thought of it so well

He says again, "Good fences make good neighbours."

Look closely for the lizard on one of our walls, built by Manuel

   

   This poem has floated through my mind over and over during the past few weeks.  You see, we have a good neighbor who makes good fences, or walls.  But the mind is an odd thing.

   Manuel has lived on the mountain for about 15 years.  He and his wife, who he met when she was 14 and he was 20 live in a nearby cortijo with their black lab, "Blues."  Manuel is learning how to play the blues guitar, and therefore the name. As one of our British neighbors told me, "none of us could survive up here without Manuel's help."  He does odds and ends of jobs for various neighbors and we learned that wall building is a specialty of his.  

  Our property had many lovely walls when we arrived, but in making it our own, we wanted to add some.  We met Manuel first at a social gathering and Sam mentioned that he had a few things he could use help with.   A couple weeks went by and then one evening about 7 pm Manuel showed up and started working - it was August and the days were quite hot, so evening was best for this type of work.  He has been coming 5 days a week ever since.  

  He arrives promptly at 8:00 and leaves by about 2:00, but he only ever charges for 5 hours.  Blues comes along and occasionally wanders inside to see what I'm up to, but mostly he is a faithful companion at Manuel's side. Each day we prepare a cooler for him with a bottle of water and two beers, and I fix him coffee each morning - black with one sugar. 

  If you know Sam, you know that he rarely hires anyone to do anything because there is little chance that it will be done as well as Sam could do it himself.  This is not the case with Manuel.  Sam has been amazed to meet someone who works as hard as he does, and we have not had anything but total satisfaction with his work.  He is definitely skilled with walls, and also with steps, and we are proud to live with the results of his work. Frequently Sam is outside working on a project as well; one day Manuel walked over and squeezed his arm commenting on how strong Sam is; he clearly respects Sam's work ethic as much as Sam respects Manuel's.  

The lower wall was already here but we have had Manuel add the upper wall

Stairs, also by Manuel

   In other news, we finally got our car back, on Wednesday, so only a few days later than anticipated.  We learned a great deal during the 8 days we didn't have a car.  We are now confident using the bus system between here and Granada, we have learned our way around Granada by walking all over, and we have hiked home from the bus on two different routes up the mountain.  But it is good to have a car again.

   And today we took a gorgeous hike.  We drove further up the mountain for 15 km and then parked and hiked uphill for 90 minutes.  We ended at about 8800 feet, or 2700 meter elevation and ate our lunch looking at the view. At one point I realized that we could see our property way below!

High on the hill, in the center of the photo, is a point; that's where we hiked to.

And this is looking back down from our lunch spot.  It is too hard to describe, but our property is on the edge way down below.

360 degree view from our hike