Spain Trip 2011
Transcript of Spain Trip 2011
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Facebook Marina found out that his name is actually Salvador, but in any case, he passed by Malka and me as we rested
and we both gave eachother a look and she couldnt wait to get back to the house to tell Marina. By the timewe got
back she was sleeping so Malka woke her with the news. Later she wondered if she had been dreaming! Anyway, after
our nap Malka andI were STILL/AGAIN tired and all five of us went back to bed. Next thing we knew, it was 7:30 p.m.
Where did this day go???? We rushed to get our act together and were headed to the beach to be with my little
nephew, 3 year old Rafa, and my other nephew, 12 year old Cristobal, but they were already outside the kitchen door
washing sand off their feet. The kids, I and Anna sat outside for quite a while visiting and then we walked them back to
their car about 10 minutes away.
Back in the house the 3 Ms had a preliminary dinner before our walkto Pedregajo (the neighboring beach) where
we had a lite meal at a merendero ofpescado/dorada, ensaladamixta, papasfritas and boquerones con limn. To her
credit Marina ate both fish dishes.Prior to sitting down we bumped into Kiko, one of Pepes younger cousins (now 29
years old) who we probably havent seen in 26 years. Funny though how we can recognize each other. During an after
dinner stroll along the water;Pepe commented on how bad the economy is here as evidenced by the lack of people out
at night. I pointed out that, in fact, it was a week-night AND we were still in June. All previous trips here have been in
August which is the height of vacation time for Europeans. So, true, it was calmer on our night-time saunter, but it was
also noticeably and pleasantly cooler than past vacations.
Now Im sitting in bed with this tiny lap top. It is nice being able to journal directly onto Microsoft word and not
have to come home and type from my hand scribbles. Its after mid-night and although Im not too tired (havent I slept
enough??? PLUS its only 6 p.m. NY time) Im calling it quits for today.
Wednesday , June 29
Wow, I slept so well, soundly and comfortably with a cool breeze in the room! I awoke at 7:50 and it truly felt
like a new day. I didnt let the kids sleep too long but we did not have any plans. After breakfast we all walked up to the
main road to buy a sim card for a mobile phone that is being given to us for the interim. That didnt take too long and I
wanted to go into the center of Mlaga to go to the tourist office and enquire about a day trip to Granada. I was vetoed
but we did get bus tickets from the local tobacco store for when we do, eventually, go to town. Pepephoned his brother-in-law, Cristobal, (who works for a major bus company) regarding transportation to Granada and asked about
tickets/schedule/prices. Actually I asked, since Pepe didnt really get the full picture of what I had planned, and then we
later booked reservations for the Alhambra on line. After returning from our quick outing we put on bathing suits and
headed to the beach (about 100 yards from the front door). Who would have guessed that I would spend more time in
the water than Pepe, Marina and Marcus. Well, its no surprise that I spent more time than Marina, but considering I
dont care for sun, salt, sand, Malka kept me very entertained as we chatted and walked in the water (Jacobo hunting
along the way). We stayed outside for about 2 hours before coming home to shower and almorzar. Now the family is
all taking their siesta as I write this and Im getting a little drowsy too. To be continued later.
Okay, there went another two hours to sleeping! I dont know if it is still the jet lag, the time difference, being in
the sun or the accumulation of an exhausting school year, but boy have I been tired and catching up on shut-eye. When
Malka woke up she came to my room a little perturbed because her nose was red. Had she slept on it? No. oops, she
forgot to put sun screen on her face (she did do the rest of her body). As she moaned that she looked funny I realized
my stomach was a bit itchy and when I lifted my shirt I realized I had missed the entire area of my abdomen, minus one
spot that shone brightly white, amid a rather lobsterish pink. Ouch indeed.
I cant recall much of what we did in the latter part of the afternoon another walk with both girls this time,
again heading east on thepaseo and then stopping by the cemetery which was already closed being 8:00. Eventually
Pepe and Marcus joined us and we sat on a bench outside looking at the water and the bathers still reveling in the sand
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and surf. One thing Malka took note of, aside from the fact that some, not many, women bathe topless, is the fact that
little girls and boys swim butt naked. Little kids running in the all-together is quite cute with their little tushies, and in
the cases of the little boys their privates, flying around, but she noticed a boy about 8 or 9 doing the same and thought
he was rather old for such free behavior. Well, I guess he noticed her gawking because as we sat on the bench, he came
over and flashed her, opening up his towel and giving a big silly grin. He was carrying a toy machine gun which he tried
to position over his jangley bits (as she calls them). Malka was soooo embarrassed that if her face wasnt red already
from the sun, it certainly was red now!
We waited for Anna to arrive with Rafa. Marina for
some reason has suddenly taken a liking to little kids and
wanted to play/talk with her cousin. They arrived around 9:00
and we went back to the house to play. I hadnt bought Rafa a
gift other than the Tommy Hilfiger clothes his parents had
requested, but I did have the free toy from the Wendys meal
bought back at JFK. The kids had said, you cant give that
stupid free-be toy as a gift, well, lo and behold, what does a 3
year old know or care. Rafa loved it and it was a great
icebreaker.
After playing and
drawing with the
girls for about
hour, Fali came
in from his day
of work, and at 9:45 we all headed back west on the beach to the same
restaurant where we ate last night. I had already eaten and Malka is
realizing it is not the wisest of things to be eating at 10- 10:30, but Marina
again had the same fish as yesterday plus tried another new one as
well.Rafa had begun the evening very quiet and shy. Playing in the housewas an ice breaker, and during the meal he started to really open up like a
typical silly little boy and everything he said was caca and pee-pee. Glad to
see hes feeling more comfortable around the family, and especially the
girls who adore him for his cuteness. By the time we all got back to the
house and in bed, it was well past midnight. Not wise either since
tomorrow we need to wake up EARLY and head out with Martin for
Gibraltar. Whether we cross the border remains to be seen as we are not sure if a visa is needed or not (I Googled and
saw no. Martin said yes) so well see what Thursday brings!
Thursday, June 30
I knew that it would be a bad idea to stay up late when I had to get myself and the kids up early for a day trip
with Martin. I was up at 7:15 and the kids were up shortly thereafter, and by 8:40 we had met up with Martin a little
further down the beach in front of Casa Pedro (a very famous restaurant which now has closed after 80 years!) It was
great to be able to spend a day with Martin, a former colleague of mine from when I taught at the most shady of
language institutes, 112 International, back in 1983-84. Martin and I have kept in contact since then and have
occasionally seen each other, the last time being when he and Jos Antonio came to NY 5 years ago for their
honeymoon, but we really havent spent a full day together in way over 20 years! Reuniting was like never being apart!
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longer be British. Well I guess that wont happen any time soon as there are 6 families
of apes numbering over 200 animals. They were adorable (and probably the highlight
of the trip other than spending the day with a dear old friend!) Although weve read
(and heard from my parents friends first- hand account) about them attacking people,
as long as you dont touch them or take something away from them, you are safe! We
watched them climb the building and other tourists and then Douglas said hed take us
further up the mountain to where he better knew another family. We crammed back
in the van, drove a little further and now were higher up where the clouds were trulyrunning over our heads. The apes were all
over the van, the road and soon, us. One
jumped unprovoked right onto Marina. To
her credit she didnt freak at all. If you look at
my initial reaction, I wasnt quite so calm and collected. Marcus and Martin
did wonderfully with our furry friends but Malka needed to hold Martins hand
before allowing a primate to stand on her (or mess with her precious hair).
There was a little ape that had a bottle
of water that he tried to drink from and
we really felt bad when he accidentally
spilled it and looked so sad.
The visit with the apes ended and we headed to the highest point of ourjourney to the Siege Tunnels which contain 60 km of caves dug through the rock
that only measures 5 km long. These date back to the 1700s and we spent about
20 minutes inside. Looking out of the holes carved in the face of the
mountainwe could barely see, under the mist, the runway of the airport which
we actually crossed in order to enter this territory.
Douglas drove us back to our point of
origin and instructed us how to walk to Main
Street and where to eat if we wanted the
traditional English fare of fish and chips at a
place frequented by the locals. The walk was
rather long (as the restaurant was at the far end
of the mostly pedestrian street) and we stopped
by a very old cemetery dating from the early
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1800s where the soldiers from the battle of Trafalgar were laid to rest. We finally found Roys and sat outside in the
shade and enjoyed a really nice lunch. Martin ordered a medium sized fish and chips, Marina and I each had a small and
all three portions were immense! (The
other two kids ordered chicken nuggets and
chips rather American). I scarfed down
my entire meal and it was yummy good.
Meal complete, we had to walk the
length of the road back to the car park and
headed out of Gibraltar. A cloud still
engulfed the top of the rock but as we
waited on the customs line I managed to
get a commemorative photo. Martin kept
us very entertained on the drive home,
telling us endless stories of escapades
hes had over the years living in Spain.
He also drove us by the campsite where
he HOPES (fingers crossed) hell be
employed in the not-to-distant-future.
Marcus, Malka and Martin (wow
another M to the mix!) wanted to stop
at a beach to swim since we had our
bathing costumes in the boot of his
car. Marina and I nixed the idea and
Marina told Martin she wanted to go to
his house instead. And so we did. He
lives in a lovely urbanization in a small
two bedroom flat with a beautiful back
yard and patio. I had been tired on the
way home, but with a cup of instant
caffeinated coffee and a sit-down in the shade and I was feeling pretty much back to normal. Next thing I knew, Martin
had slipped into his bathing suit and was headed to the pool and quickly thereafter followed Marcus, Malka and myself.
That was totally refreshing. We stayed in the water until the pool closed at 7:00 and then waited in the house for Jos
Antonio to return from his hair salon so at least wed get to see each other for a few minutes.
It was now time to head back to El Palo and when we got in the car it was completely dead. The battery had
worn down since Martin left the lights on (okay-it was kind of my fault but not worth writing about). Now, being a
manual drive car, I never knew that if you just let it run down a hill and you can start it that way so with all of us in the
car thats what he did. Only, it started, and then it stopped and by this time he somehow made a turn and was now
heading UP the hill. I thought, oh great, now what, but he figured he can roll down BACKWARDS. The kids and I all bailed
out and waited on the curb as he went backwards down the hilly street. A little while later he was WALKING back up
with our bags in his hands. I felt SO BAD! Malka even felt worse and said afterwards we should buy poor Martin a car!
We got some jumper cables and a nice neighbor to help and eventually we were on the highway home. It wasnt too
late by the time we got home, but it wasnt too early either, so knowing that tomorrow would be another LONG tourist
day the kids were in bed before 11:00, hopefully with lots of happy thoughts of a very fun day.
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Friday, July 1
Again I set the alarm for about 7:00 and by 7:30 had the rest of the clan up. Todays excursion was to Granada,
a trip which entailed a bus into town, a walk to the bus terminal and a coach bus to Granada. Cristobal had already
purchased our tickets for us for the 10:00 bus, so we left the house about 8:30 giving ourselves ample time to catch it.
The only thing was we werent quite sure where the terminal was and ended up taking the long walk around.
The bus pulled out at exactly 10:00 and, amazingly, exactly an hour and a half later we reached our destination.
I thought it would be a longer drive. By the time we got onto the street we could feel the day heating up. Not a good
thing when we had hours ahead of us to play happy tourist (or, some of the time, not so happy). We found the local
bus that took us to the Cathedral (from where we would later take another bus to the Alhambra). But first, we had to go
INTO the cathedral because Marina thought that Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand were buried there! So we each paid
an entrance fee of 3.50 Euros and entered an okay cathedral. It was commissioned in 1521 by Carlos V and completed
in 1714. It was really just okay (how many cathedrals have we seen world wide-were a bit jaded already) and it was
disappointing to find that the Catholic Kings were NOT buried there but rather NEXT DOOR in the Capilla Real(why
didnt I read my tour information ahead of time?!) So, we turned the corner and were accosted by a gypsy woman who
pressed rosemary into my hand and was telling me my fortune or something (Im pregnant, I want to get pregnant, I
dont know what! but a big fat NO on both of those counts). Of course she wanted money and got none! Pepe and
Marcus decided to get something to drink rather than to pay an additional 3.5 Euros to see the royal tombs so at that
point we went our separate ways.
The royal couple originally planned to be buried in Toledo, but Isabella changed her mind when the pair
conquered Granada in 1492. When she died in 1504,her body was first laid to rest in the Convent of San Francisco.
Work began on the Royal Chapel in 1506 and was completed 15 years later. In 1521 her body was moved to a simple
lead coffin in the crypt of the new building,where it was joined by that of her husband, Ferdinand, and later her
unfortunate daughter, Juana la Loca and son-in-law, Felipe el Hermoso. There is all a small coffin that contains the
remains of Prince Felipe of Asturias, a grandson of the Catholic Monarchs who died as a baby. Whilethecrypt
containingthe five lead coffins is simple, it is topped by elaborate marble tombs showing Ferdinand and Isabella lying
sided by side. Now, we had entered the chapel with a mission didnt much matter that there was a beautifulaltarpiece made up of 34 carved panels. Marina wanted to see the tombs! Now, no photography was allowed in the
chapel but then again, no photography was allowed in the cathedral and people were snapping away so naughty me,
I caught an image of both the caskets in the crypt AND the ornate tombs upstairs.
We exited feeling very satisfied with ourselves and now had to find the men who were NOT standing where we
thought they might be. The gypsy lady (same one) came at me again but I wiggled my way away. The guys were at a
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nice bar and were happily refreshed, but now Malka was getting hungry so we needed to find somewhere agreeable to
go. A simple McDonalds would have sufficed but none was around. There was a Kebab King on one side of the street,
and a nicely decorated Middle Eastern restaurant on the other, so we opted for the pretty one. This is where the happy
tourist label became disassociated with some of us. Personally, I thought the restaurant was really nice and pretty and
authentic. We sat upstairs (it had a/c, thank G-d) which was adorned with draperies, mirrors, stools, low tables, low
sofas very Middle Eastern. Music was playing in the background and that quickly grated on Marcus nerves and shortly
thereafter, on Pepes. Pepe said the place was
a gimmick and I pointed out that the foodwas Halal and we were near the Arab quarter
so maybe not! The menu was very good and
inexpensive so I ordered a falafel, Marina a
lamb gyro, Pepe falafel platter with humus and
the other two had burgers. Okay, so the
service was slow okay, it was VERY slow and
maybe we were freaking a bit because we DID
have timed tickets to the Palace of the Nasrids
at the Alhambra for 3:30. But I thought the
food was very good AND the place had thecleanest bathroom Ive seen here at a
restaurant probably ever! It turned out Malka
was totally creeped-out from the get-go having
seen hookahs being smoked downstairs and
reading about the different hookah infusions
one could order from the menu. Plus she said a
young couple was making out on one of the sofas and Marcus thought the teens at the next table/sofas who were
clearly enjoying a nice meal and convo were high!
Meal complete we now had to catch the bus up, up, up the windy, extremely narrow, cobbled streets to theAlhambra. By this time I dont know HOW hot it was, but Im guessing in the shade it was at least 95 degrees and,
believe me, we spent a lot of time OUT of the shade.
Okay, a little about the Alhambra before writing about our experience there: In 1238, the first Nasrid king, Ibn
el-Ahmar began building the complex which has three main parts: The Alcazaba, the Palacio Nazaries, and the
Generalife. The courtyard, patios and halls are a maze of Moorish arches, columns, rooms and gardens, complete with
ornate stucco carvings, cursive epigraphy which quotes the Koran and Arabic poems, colorfulgeometric ceramic tiles,
carved wood, fountains, and reflecting pools of water. Water is used throughout to enhance light, enlarge spaces and
provide soft background sounds (if you can focus on them over the din of the tourists).
We arrived at the entrance at around 2:45 and, as I mentioned, we had a timed ticket to enter the Nasrid Royal
Palace at 3:30, one of those, use it or lose it tickets. It was a bit of a hike (20 minutes) from the entrance to the palace
so we quickly walked through some gardens to get to the line to enter the Palace. The sun was beating down and it was
unbearably hot (there was no protection for the line) so we ducked into the Palace of Carlos V which was built in 1524.
This building is an example of Spanish Renaissance architecture and features a perfectly square exterior but a circular
interior courtyard. There was not much to see there. After climbing a long and sturdy flight of steps we came upon the
airconditioned entrance to the fine arts museum. Since it required ANOTHER entrance fee and we didnt have much
time we went back down to sit on the cool stone landing. By 3:25 the line we needed to be on was rather long but we
got on it regardless. Considering our entrance was scheduled for 3:30, we didnt get into the palace until closer to 4:00.
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The NasridPalace is divided into three sections
which we made our way through with a million other
sweaty tourists, taking pictures, marveling at the beauty,
catching the occasional breeze from an open window. We
spent over a half an hour inside and then came out and
rested for a while in the shade of Carlos Vs hulking
structure. Thank G-d for the water bottles that we continuously nursed and refilled. We were all dripping sweat. Next
we went to the Alcazaba, which is one of the oldest parts of the complex and the military area. Again, if youve seen
oneAlcazaba (fort) in Spain, you can almost say youve seen them all, and we have seen others (a nice one right in
Malaga), so Marcus and Malka opted to stay outside in the shade. After climbing the first of many watch towers, Pepe
also bailed out on me and Marina, and we also quickly decided that we were not going to do any more climbing (its
really hot up top these towers and the views are all the same) so we wound our way towards the exit, resting a bit in the
Jardin de los Adarves, the wall-walk garden, and gasp taking our shoes off and putting them in a fountain OH
WHAT A RELIEF!
We met up with our gang and after a stop at the
restrooms to cover ourselves in water (which evaporated
literally in a minute) we head toward the Generalife quite
a ways away. We stopped next at the Partal, anotherlovely garden area that includes the Palace of Yusef III
and the Paseo de las Torres. It was at this point that I
really looked at the site map and saw how far away the
Generalife was. By this time it was nearing 6:00 and we
were all pretty much spent (this last part of the walk was
up hill, and the sun wasnt letting up.) We had already
been there for 3 hours. The estimated time to see, more
or less, the entire complex is three hours. I guess no one
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We caught the number 11 bus back to El Palo with no problem and were finally home around 10:00. A pretty
long outing of 13 hours, sweltering sun/heat, and historic sights indeed! I was feeling grungy beyond grungy and was
the first to claim the shower. I can say for certainty tomorrow we are going NO PLACE further thanthe beach out
front!
Saturday, July 2
As I promised the kids, after two days of early rising, heavy heat and schlepping I did NOT wake them up or
expect them to get out of bed in the morning. As for myself, I was up at 7:30 to finish typing yesterdays journal and
organize some 140 photos.
Pepe and I had to pay a condolence call to his Aunt Angeles so we left the house at about 10:00. Before leaving I
just informed the kids where wed be and gave them the option to get up or not. We walked to Angeles house which
isnt all that far away but is up a steep hill and at this early time of the day the sun was already strong and stinging.
All things considered, she had just lost her husband 2 weeks ago after 5 years of sickness and the last 5 months
really bad, Angeles looked well and as usual didnt stop talking. Before we knew it, it was about 11:00 and we excused
ourselves to go back home. The kids were still in bed and once prodded moved along slowly. It was noon before Marina
and I made it to the beach. (Pepe, Marcus and Malka got there a little before.) Rafa was there but only briefly which is a
shame because the kids really like playing with him. By 2:00 we were pretty crispy and went back to the house. Cristi
and Curro had arrived from their home in Alicante, about 5 hours away, and with them, Ana (who just came from work
to get Rafa) and the other cousins, there were about 13-14 people in the house (in an area that is smaller than our den
and with seating for about 8.)
I showered with the girls because even though we rinsed off at the beach, between the salt, sand, and a thick
layer of suntan lotion, my skin was simply crawling.Then we ate lunch. The kids are feeling overwhelmed by the tight
quarters, the basic lack of room to roam and freedom to just do what they want (although there is nothing really for
them to do), the heat and the fact that at certain times of the day one really cant even be in the street for the heat, and
for the fact that they cant really communicate. Dont blame me for that any more please! So, what do kids do when
they are bored?... they start fighting! Oh yeah- what a joy. With no place to sit and just relax peacefully downstairs, we
all ended up falling asleep again by 4:00. Next thing we knew, it was 6:30 and we had done nothing all day!
The girls were really at each other and Malka (who at times is actually crying that she wants to go home) took a
walk with Pepe heading one direction on the beach, and Marina and I headed the other way. Marcus stayed home to
read if nothing else, at least the boy is reading this vacation! Good thing his book has over 1000 pages! By the time
we got back to the beach in front of the house, Pepe, Malka, Marcus, Cristi&Curro were out front ready to sit down at
one of the merenderos (beach front restaurants). We took a big table and waited from Cristobal & theprimosto come
back from their house to join us for a late dinner. By the time they got there it was after 10:00 and so we had another
late meal.
My three kids had really long faces (after insulting eachother and just being out of sorts for the day) so at 11:00 I
took them back to the house where Marcus and Malka promptly fell asleep and Marina stayed up helping me with this
laptop until midnight. Another day done fingers crossed tomorrow will be better.
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Sunday, July 3, 2011
Pepe and I both woke up pretty early without an alarm clock and a little later Malka and Marcus joined us
downstairs. Actually, I dont think they awoke on their own, but rather had the family marching through their rooms to
get all the beach gear together because
today, finally, we were going to set up the
tent/canopy to protect the extended
family from the sun.
We all got to the beach at a
decent hour, probably around 10:30
except for Marina because I decided to let
her keep her own schedule after I made
sure she had breakfast. She made it down
at noon. The weather was very different
than the other days, very windy, even a bit
cold and there were great waves for the
kids to enjoy. However, by 1:00 the wind
really picked up, the lifeguard had pulled
two people from the water (one taken
away in an ambulance) and it no longer
was very appealing to be outside with the
sand kicking up although it was a great day
to get a tan since you couldnt feel the sun. (An aside added later: I think I must have gotten sun poisoning or something
because the back of both upper arms are blotching, a bit swollen and hot!) I headed back to the house with the kids and
Cristobal came running behind to get abuelo because while disassembling the tent it began to take flight.
There were again 14 of us for a paella lunch and a table was set up outside in the little callejn(alleyway) next to
the house. I sat outside withthe kids as it was much more
pleasant than being in the
house. After lunch, Malka
wanted to take another of
her walks. Good for her, she
doesnt want to nap every
day, so we began to walk
along the beach. The sand
was really blowing so we
headed up to the main road.
Being a Sunday there wasnt
a single shop open, but we
walked around that area for
a bit before coming back
down to the beach and sat
on a bench for about 45 minutes or so. It was a good thing Cristi heard us at the door because we didnt have our key.
Everyone else in the house was asleep and she assumed we were upstairs too.
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I took Malka up to the roof of the house to hang laundry since a line was strung at my request. I recalled how
years ago the family (and I) used to eat meals upstairs, hang out upstairs, sunbathe upstairs it seemed such a shame
that the area was now unused. Of course, me being me, I decided to look under all the tarps at what was hidden
beneath and I came across two nice cushioned reclining beach chairs. I untied them and Malka and I chilled for a while.
Everyone was STILL sleeping so we decided to go out AGAIN. Curro stirred on the sofa as he heard us descend the stairs,
and asked if we wanted to sit down. He was a bit surprised that we said we were going out walking again.
It was still incredibly and dangerously wavy and dont know why anyone would be in the water with only one
lifeguard to cover a huge area. He sure was busy today, because no sooner had we come outside we saw him dive into
the water to save a young lady! We continued our walk but this time walking along the shoreline with our feet sinking
into the cool wet sand. Malka was looking for poopy, some mangy stray dog we saw the other day (his name isnt
really poopy, but Malka gave him that name.) For some reason she really likes the dog???? We had fun looking at all the
little kids enjoying their beach outing. Malka wanted to adopt one adorable black toddler (sorry, cant call him African
American if we are in Spain) who was excitedly and nakedly chasing the birds, and another toddler who almost looked
Irish (he wasnt) who already seemed a master soccer player. Malka really likes being out and taking in the surroundings
and the people. We were sitting on a bench when all of a sudden it began to rain! RAIN in July! Imagine that. It only
lasted 10 minutes but that was when we headed back to the house. By this time everyone was awake and pretty
surprised how many walks Malka and I have been taking. Whats the option?
Its now 9:00 and I fed the kids up on the roof/terrace. I think this will be our new hangout while we are in
Mlaga. Pepe is making himself some dinner now and will bring it upstairs as well, and then well all take a stroll along
the beach, heading west to Pedregalejo, to people-watch. Oops..battery running out now. Guess Ill sign off for today
and recharge the laptop. Hasta maana.
Monday, July 4
By the time we got home from our evening stroll last
night I wasnt feeling too well. I think that between the wind
and humidity, or from the amount of time Malka and I satinhaling smoke in front of the open fire pits where they cook
the fish, my chest was feeling tight and bronchitis-like. Plus it
was nippy and windy during our walk. I had hoped to get to
bed early, but since the sun sets at 10:00, its NEVER early by
the time we turn in.
I woke up feeling better to a brilliant, cooler (at least
in the morning) dry day. For the first time the sky was the
beautiful blue that I recall from past years living and visiting
here (up until now its been soooooooooooo hazy!) Pepe and
I decided we would go into the center of Mlaga. How can we
come all the way here without taking in the beautiful old city?
We woke the kids up, fed them, but there was NO WAY they
wanted to go for a walk. Their excuse beenthere done
that. While it is true that theyve seen Mlaga many times
over the years, the city is being redone so nicely and there is
always something different, if not new, to see, that I thought
they should come. In the end we let them stay home lest they ruin OUR outing.
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We took the bus to the near end ofel Paseo de Parque and walked through the tunnel that was cut through the
mountains (obliterating the once-gypsy quarters). This path took us to la Plaza de la Merced(now under total
reconstruction/renovation) where Picasso was born. We made our way through the small winding streets of the old
part of town and came upon the site where they are now building el Centro Sefardiand a synagogue. I think Mlaga
realized (a little late, since they destroyed what was probably the Jewish quarter quite a few years back to make the new
Picasso Museum) that Jews make up a large percentage of tourists and all other major Spanish cities have some Jewish
history and attractions.
We stopped for a coffee at Dunkin Coffee and then continued to take in the lovely architecture and weather. It
really is a shame the kids didnt come next Sunday, even though the stores will be shut, I hope to get them up early to
spend a few hours down town.
We got back to El Palo around 12:30 and were
told the kids had JUST gotten up. Actually, I think
Marcus spent the morning reading. And they were
hungry. Even though it wasnt la hora del almuerzo I
fed them a la horaamericana! After lunch we chatted
with Alejandro about college plans, his idea to learn to
drive this summer and Jacobo el Lobo who, it turns
out, he knows. We also sat outside and played with
Rafa and took some nice family photos! Its now 5:00
and Marina and I are sitting outside the front door
appreciating the shade and cool breeze. The cousins
have all gone home and the rest of the family, aside from
maybe Marcus and Malka, are taking their siestas.
A little later Ill need to pack our suitcase for
Barcelona (the kids and I will be leaving the house at about
7 a.m. YIKES!) and then I will take the girls to El Palos
center to window shop (or shop if there is anything they
really want). Things are really nice and calm now and I think
we all (myself included) have finally adapted to the way
things are here. Vacation is about over. Tomorrow
another adventure begins as we explore new territory!
Tuesday, July 5
It just goes to show that if we have to get up early
we are perfectly able to do so! I set the alarm for a bit
before 6:00 and popped out of bed when I heard that peep-
peep. I dont know why I even set it so early considering we
werent going to leave until 7:00. The kids were up and
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dressed, ready is debatable, at that hour, and by 6:30 we were in Curros car headed to the airport. Its a good thing
we gave ourselves that cushion of time as there was an accident on the highway and we were basically at a standstill for
a half hour. Nevertheless, we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare, checked in and then waited. As it turned
out, our flight to Barcelona was delayed and we didnt take off until 10:10, an hour and ten minutes late.
Audrey was waiting for us as we came out from baggage claim and we made our way to her car. The trip to her
house was about 20 minutes, filled with lots of catching up with lots more catching up to follow since its been years
since weve seen each other.
She andher family, husband Josep, 16 year old son
David and 20 year old son Marc who is currently in El
Salvador, live in a very nice residential neighborhood on the
top floor, tico, of an old ( maybe 100 years) building. It has
a huge heavy wrought iron front door and two caged-in
elevators that go up through the middle of the stair well.
The kids really had fun open the cage to get in and out. The
strangest of things amuses them. We were greeted at the
front door by a very attractive David in his very sexy
European briefs. Great first impression for the girls big
smile! I kind of knew, from Audreys past description, that
her dwelling was big, but I really wasnt expecting what we
entered. Its kind of a la old mid-size NYC Central Park West
apartments; HIGH ceilings (a good 3-4 taller than ours back
home), a long L-shaped hallway off of which are 4 bedrooms,
2 bathrooms, a dressing room, an ironing room, a little book
alcove, a terrace with double doors that they keep open all
the time, an eat-in kitchen and at the end, a living room/
dining room with marble fireplace and a far wall full of vast
windows. There are two interior air shafts that flood the hall
and inside bedrooms with light and breeze as well as many exterior windows with old fashioned heavy wood shutters.
The weather is cry and breezy and although each room has a/c, it is plenty comfortable without it!
We settled in well and sat around for a while with Josep telling his never-ending stories, poems and dichos and
serenading us with song and guitar. We then went for a walk in the neighborhood, through the market where we picked
up salmon for dinner and assorted other foods and then we walked to whatJosep refers to as the Al Qaida
neighborhood full of Pakistanis and other such immigrants. He wanted to go to his friends bakery even though it was
already 3:00 and the shop closes at 2:00. As luck would have it, we bumped into the baker on the street and went
inside, what a lovely sweet smell, to pick up some desserts, talk and get a tour of the baking area. On the way back
home, Josep pointed out another system of public transportation; a bank of bicycles from which one can pick up a bike
(there is a 15 euro annual fee) to drive from one point to another and then be dropped off at another rack. If used for
up to hour there is no additional cost and considering there are 100 kilometers of bike lanes throughout the city and
bike centers all around, it is a great/green commuting option.
We came back to the house. TRYING the pastries basically turned into FINISHING them, so light and delicious.
David then left to go to is moto lesson and Lucky, their West Highland Terrier, needed a wee walk. Leaving Marina and
Marcus behind, Audrey, Josep, Malka and I went out AGAIN for another long walk. It took a while as Lucky is slow and
when Malka attempted to take the leash he dug his little paws into the sidewalk and wouldnt even move so that added
to our time. I give Malka lots of credit for going much further than expected.
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Back at the house, Josep proudly showed off some of his unique art collection, each painting having an
interesting story and hidden symbolism. The house is full of eclectic art that he has picked up from his world-wide
travels. When it came time for David to return from his lesson, it was now Marcus turn to go for a walk. He was later
rewarded by playing video games with David for the rest of the night and going to bed at midnight after the rest of us
were all tucked in.
Wednesday, July 6
We got up easily enough. I set the alarm for 8 and had planned to be out and about by 9:30, but Josep laid out a
lovely breakfast and before we knew it, it was 10:00 (Audrey was teaching her first student of the day on the terrace).
After catching the #24 bus from the stop down the street, we arrived at the Plaa de Catalunya to pick up the Barcelona
Bus Turstic which would take us to the citys major sites. The line in front of the bus was crazy long so we went across
the street and downstairs to the tourist info center to get the tickets. Although that line was short, it was slow so
realizing we could actually get the tickets at a little kiosk by the bus stop we went back upstairs. That was a waste of 20
minutes. We bought the 2-day ticket and boarded a Red Route bus. Now, MAYBE I had told Marcus that wed be done
sightseeing by 2:00 (or maybe that was a white lie) but in any case, by the time we began our tour, it was probably close
to 11:00! If all we did was sit on the bus, that would last until 1:00, but we DIDNT just sit, we got off many times along
the 23 stop route.
The first place we got off was at Casa Batil, a colorful and
bizarre Gaud building that was built between 1904-1906. It is on a
block referred to as the Manzana de la Discordia because of the
extreme discord or contrast between Gauds bright and bazaar
structure and that of fellow Modernista architects Domenech I
Montaner and PuigiCadafalch. Many people were snapping photos
of the building(s), many also entering for a steep fee. We were
among the first group and then boarded the bus again to stop #2.
This was GaudsCasa Mil, also known as La Pedrera the stone
quarry. The tour book says that when the curving stone faade wasunveiled in 1910, the neighbors werent very happy with the look. I
quite agree and didnt appreciate the aesthetic. When I asked
Audrey last night what her favorite tourist sight is she named this
buildings. Barcelona truly has something for everyone! Again, the
entrance line was long and the price high. Back on the bus and
away
we
went.
All along this part of the route, the architecture,building facades, adornments and rooftops were
beautiful. We didnt get off the bus again until we
reached PlaadEspanya (where I had walked yesterday
afternoon.) This a very pretty traffic circle with an
impressive statue in the middle, an imposing art museum
way to the back in one direction and a refurbished Plaza
de toros (bull ring) that now houses a brilliant shopping
mall. We took the escalators all the way up to the roof for
a vista of the city. We could see the spires ofLa
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walked to the Monument o Colom, the 60-meter tall monument that marks the spot where Columbus stepped back
onto Spanish soil in 1493. Now Marcus was REALLY carrying on and tired. We stayed on the bus all through Port Veil,
Port Olimpic, past the zoo and to the BarriGtic(the Gothic quarters) where the Cathedral is. By this time ALL the kids
were DYING. They sat on some steps below the cathedral (built between 1298 & 1450 with neo-gothic faade added in
1892) eating the magdelenasthat we bought earlier on while I went to inquire about entrance fees. They were rather
costly BUT Malkasshort shorts and Marinas exposed
shoulders precluded us from entering. Nobody complained
about that. While they rested, I walked around the squarelooking at an antique market and some street performers.
Then we headed on our way home WALKING! I figured that
it made more sense to walk than to take the hop-on/off bus
back to our original starting point of the morning and then
having to find the public bus back home. The walk took us
through the tiny allies ofthe Gothic Quarter, the Jewish
Quarter (which I dont think now contains anything Jewish)
across Las Ramblas to the heart of the Arab/Pakistani/Indian
neighborhood until the recognizable structure of theMercat
de St. Antonicame into view. Then we knew one more blockwould deliver us to C/. Manso 52!
Right outside the apt. building, the clothing
market that was being set up early this morning was
now packing up. Marcus wanted some European
underwear(slips) so we stopped to shop. The lady
told me hed be a size M. I thought hed be L. We
bought one of each and it turned out I was right.
Well try to exchange and buy more on Friday, next
market day. By the time we entered the apartmentit was 7:00! What a long day. Immediately Josep
came up with the idea that we should do night-time
snorkeling at a beach some 20 minutes away. He
and David (and Marc too) are scuba/snorkeling
enthusiasts/experts. The photos from their 18 day
Bali trip were amazing. But we declined the invitation (anyone who knows me knows I wouldnt snorkel anyway AND we
had already been out and about for9 hours!) We opted to decompress, have dinner with Audrey, write my journal, do
Bat Mitzvah practice and go to bed (not too early in the end). Its a good thing we skipped the swim they got in at 2
a.m.! Crazy Catalans!
Thursday, July 7
Its 4:00 p.m. and I can say that today has been a much easier day for us (especially Marcus) regarding touring.
Having acclimated ourselves to Spanish time (its only been over a week!) we are all having a better time of getting up
and out. We were all dressed and fed by 9:00 and out the door hour later. Today would be the blue route but we
took the metro to La SagradaFamilia figuring that would be quicker than taking public transport to the tour bus to this
MAJOR attraction. The subway station, just down the block from the apartment, was spotlessly clean as was the train.
Within five minutes we were in front of this architectural masterpiece before 10:00. We stood facing the main entrance
down below at street level.
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A bit about this Gaud landmark: Construction began in
1882 and is still underway as in evidenced by the scaffolding, cranes
and workmen with hardhats. On the Nativity faade where we first
stopped, Gaud illustrates the genealogy of Christ, the constellations
in Bethlehems Christmas sky, the crowning of the Virgin, a cypress
(Christmas tree) the evergreen symbol of eternity pointing to
heaven; white
doves the soulsseeking eternity.
To the right are
scenes form
Jesus youth and
to the left,
among other
depictions; the
flight of the Holy
Family into Egypt,
Joseph with hiscarpenters tools,
the marriage of
Joseph & Mary. All of this is carved and resembles wind eroded
stone, stalactites, stalagmites or other organic shapes. We couldnt
see so well from our vantage point so we decided to find our way to
get inside the gate, and, I decided, to go inside the church as well,
regardless of the cost. It turns out that to get inside the gate to see
the outside, one has to pay the admission fee anyway. So we walked around
to the back of the building where the ticket booth was and there we saw it
a line that went around two blocks! So much for that idea. We crossed the
street to find the shade and from there looked up at the Passion Faade on
the southwestern side while reading up on the sculptor, Josep Maria
Subirachs, who was chosen, in 1986, to execute Guads plans. Gaud died in
1926 after being hit by a trolley car.
The contrast in style between the old and the new is enormous as
Subirachs style is angular and geometric unlike the organic feel of Gaud.
Each scene on this side depicted the Passion of Christ very well. Marcus
appreciated the modern, while the women in the family preferred the old.
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Since we opted not to wait hours to enter, we
got on the bus at this point and headed to ParkGell
in upper Barcelona. This is Gauds Art Nouveau
urban garden (now a municipal park) that was named
for his patron the CountEusebioGell, and was
intended as a garden suburb. The project failed
because the bourgeoisie of Barcelona were happier
living closer to the town. The park (one of my favoritethings in city) is a gorgeous example of Art Nouveau;
gingerbread gate houses, colorful mosaic work,
whimsical creatures, serpentine benches overlook
flower filled gardens, man-made caves of interlocking
stone. We had a really nice time there, strolling,
sitting and appreciating. There were street vendors
(all illegal) with their waresspread out on the dusty
ground on sheets. I was going to buy some things
from them when all of a sudden, in one swoop, they
grabbed their goods and scurried away like micefleeing a cat. Although I didnt see them, I guess the police had arrived.
On the way out of the park I wanted a quick photo in front of, and with, the patchwork tiled lizard that guards
the park. I handed the camera to Malka, threw myself into the frame so to speak. With so many tourists waiting for a
similar picture I needed to be aggressive. Not as aggressive though as the fat, old, over-jolly andover-exuberant Saudi
who came next to me for the photo shoot. His friends were all screaming and took a picture of me and him with their
cell phone. Malka looked totally disgusted but luckily got a solo shot of me. The men were yelling some foreign word
which Im sure meant kiss but I managed my way away. A bit later I saw him in front of another fountain with another
woman. I hope she was his wife!
We walked back down the steep hill that we hadschlepped
up and hour earlier and got the bus to our next stop, Palau Reial
and Pavellons Gell. The first is a royal palace built in 1924 for the
king, Alfonso XIII. It now houses two museums. We had no
intentions on visiting either of them. What we did want
to see was the estate of Gauds patron. We walked
through the very nice palace gardens to get to the
second site to find it was closed! It seems it is only
open for a one hour English tour ONCE a week! That
wasnt mentioned in any guidebook or map. Sigh So
we looked at Gaudsiron gate in the form of a dragon
and walked back to the bus.
This time all of us, minus Marina, opted to sit
downstairs in the a/c rather than up top where, while
the breeze was pleasant, our legs were singeing from
the sun. We passed the Futbol Club Barcelona which
we know we wouldnt stop at. Surprisingly to me, it
was THE MOST POPULAR stop! Did I haveany idea that
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Barcelona has THE BEST soccer team? Obviously not. But the line to get onto the bus from that stop, and the stampede
of the people to get off showed me that there are some serious soccer fans in Europe!
We got off the but at the stop ofel MuseudArtConemporani de Barcelona and el Centre de
CulturaContemporania de Barcelona which I knew was a short walk from the apartment. It is really nice to feel so
comfortable in a large city and actually be able to make my/our way home by foot from various locations. Having the
old market as a landmark a block away is very helpful. We ate lunch before going home and arrived there shortly before
3:00.
Originally Audrey and I were thinking to go to a museum in the afternoon with Marina, but while she had a
dentist appointment at 4:30, David, Marcus Malka & I took a walk around the block to the dog grooming shop, MAI
FRIENDS, of Davids cousin. David gave Lucky a bath (Malka didnt want to do that part because she didnt make an ass
of herself and get all wet-her words!) and M&M helped dry him with hair driers (Lucky, not David!) He looks much
better now. We then walked to a supermarket to get
some snacks and passed by Davids Avi(grandpa) who
was sitting in front of his buildings door. We stopped
to say hello. Back at home, as we opened the door to
enter the apartment, we were greeted by Audrey, Josep andthe recently awakened Marina (she likes her naps) who were
about to set out to look for us.
We all came back in, sat and chatted and made plans
to go out again tonight. That never happened because I was
too tired in the end. Marcus took a short walk with David
and his friend while I attempted to write my journal but failed
as I always found myself distracted. We had a casual meal on the terrace, talked about the running of the bulls for San
Fermn in Pamplona and then Josep took out the guitar and began to sing (really nice voice and great spirit). I learned a
song that I think Ill use and incorporate with a new PowerPoint for school, and by the end, many of us were singing and
our crazy host was dancing around with a red glass bull!
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Its now 11:50 and Im overdue for bed. I told
myself Id quit writing by 11:30. Im trying to keep to a
more American vs. Spanish time schedule. Tomorrows
plans; 8:00 a.m. get up and watch the running of the bulls
on TV, go to the neighborhood market and then see what
the day brings and who will go where. Sigh, itll be our las
day (for now) in Barcelona, but with so much left to see, I
hope we come back. Bona Nit.
Friday, July 8
By the time I got to the living room and turned on
the TV it was 8:03 a.m. and the days running of the bulls
was nearly over (to be repeated via re-runs on the news
throughout the day). The casualties: one cornuda, an
Australian got gored, and a few tramplings. I let the kids
sleep until 9:00 (lazy morning, lucky children) and while
they breakfasted in the living room Josep put on a LP of
Sardanas, the typical folk music of Catalua. Now, unlike so many Andalusians who seem to innately know how to
dance the Sevillanas, the typical dance of that region,
Josep really doesnt know the steps of the Sardana
but he certainly had fun pretending to know and to
dance in his fashion with me, with Marina but hardly
with Malka who quickly pulled away in
embarrassment!
After breakfast the kids and I made a
compromise and abbreviated the mornings outing
by taking public transportation to our destinationwhich was, in effect, a long walk unto itself, Las
Ramblas. But first we went back to the clothing
street market to see if we could exchange the size M
slip that we bought two days ago, and buy Marcus
some more. The woman at the stall remembered us
and had no issue with taking back the briefs. More of
an issue was what would Marcus buy; He liked plain
and boring, Malka, who likes to dress her brother,
wanted sexy, and I liked the cute and comical. I think in the end Marcus won. I suppose thats only right. A young man
SHOULD be able to choose his own underwear! A quick stop at the estanco, the tobacco shop, to get another bonobus,
public transportation card, and we were on our way.
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width. Thank you very much Mr. Fodor for your tour book information! Keep in mind this was all created by a mere
stonemason and not a major architect or engineer. The church was impressive for its size and symmetry, but it was hot
and humid inside, not what Id expect from such a vast space.
We continued walking around the neighborhood and the Gothic area as well,
and went to the Jewish quarter/gettoor Call(from the Hebrew word for community). I
had thought there was nothing to see there, but actually there are the remains of
Europes OLDEST synagogue. When we walked this area the other day, I wouldnt
have even known it existed; its
that tiny and hidden. Going
through a petite door and down a
few steps, we entered the first of
two very small rooms. We paid
the suggested donation and a
lovely young lady told us the history of this synagogue, which, until
recently had been used as a storeroom. The faade of the
synagogue is oriented towards Jerusalem. Originally constructed in
the 3rd century, it was rediscovered only 20 years ago. There is a
document showing when the church gave permission for the
synagogue to raise the height of the roof, I think in the 1300s (a
synagogue always had to be shorter than the churches.)The walls
dating back to the third century are visible. The second room is
actually where the mens section would have been. The
womans section is now part of a bar next door. This space had, for
years, been used as a residence of a Jewish (Marrano- forced
convert) family in the textile dying business. But they were
eventually forced to flee.Now, the synagogue, in addition to being
a tourist destination, can also be used for Bar Mitzvahs andweddings. There is an arc and a Torah that was donated by an
American family as well as
other donated/antique judaica.
I told Malka it would be really
cool if she could recite part of
her Haftarah or Torah portion
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there. It was just the four of us in the room. To be able to say she did that in what could be the remains of Europes
oldest place of Jewish worship should have seemed important, but she didnt see the significance of it, much to my (and
Audreys dismay). Kids!!!!
After this stop we continued in the small streets looking in shops, passing the Mammoth Museum (who would
go there?), the Museum of the History of Catalua, the Picasso Museum and theDal Museum. An extremely cultural
city indeed!!!! We walked back to the Plaa de Catalunyaand from there took the bus home.
The house was empty. David had gone out with friends and it
turned out the Josep took Marcus for avery long walk, to the Gothic
quarter as well, and through the red light district, to get a fresh fruit
juice and some exercise.
Prior to our having made definitive plans to come
to Barcelona, Josep had purchased four tickets to see the
opening nights performance of A Streetcar Named
Desire. As much as I would have liked to go, I knew it
would be impractical as we have a VERY early morning
ahead. Audrey didnt want to leave us home alone on our
last
night here, so Josep took David and another couple. Before they
left we ate a nice dinner, again outside, with David running in at
9:00 when the play starts at 9:30. Cutting things that close
would make me nuts! What was even nuttier though, was, #1,
Josepteaching the kids how to make zucchini/potato soup with
his very unique and funny instructional methods does he do
that when he teaches his university classes as well?, and
#2,Joseps lesson on how to drink from thepurrn, a drinking
vessel where the water flows in a stream gracefully into the
mouth. It seems effortless enough when Josep and David drink
this way. You cant even see them swallowing. Out on the
terrace the demonstration began with the what not to do as
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he poured water into his eyes, all over his head and face, leaving his clothing dripping and puddles on the floor. Poor
Audrey, she must have been mortified by her husbands behavior, but Ive known Josep for 20 years + so its all good! I
gamely gave it a try and except for one little dip I did very well. Marina surprised me by also trying and but for asingledrop on her shirt she did beautifully. Malka got the mouthful, but spit it all out as she started hysterically laughing
She tends to do that a lot, laugh, not spit! Marcus, being Marcus, wouldnt even try!
David and Josep left for the show (we later, tomorrow, found out they came home at midnight missing the
entire second act as it was so late) Audrey, the kids and I enjoyed a quiet evening, packing, e-mailing, Facebooking (a
rare occurrence for us in Spain this trip) and getting to bed at a decent hour (11:00 for the kids). I had a 15 minute
private talk with Audrey, the first time all vacation that we were alone together, and then I was asleep by 11:30.
Saturday, July 9
4:30 in the morning! 4:30!!!! What an ungodly
hour to wake up but what is the option when there is a
6:50 flight to catch? By 4:50 everyone was dressed and
ready. Marina wasnt feeling too well: a little warm,
stressed, sleep deprived and a bit out of sorts! AT 5:15
the taxi called the house and Josep accompanied us
down to the street to let us out of the building in case
the door was locked from inside. Only, he couldnt
open the door! Panic!... okay, not real panic but an
uneasiness because I dont think there is another exit.
He started taking the door apart, about to remove the
HUGE glass storm window from the decorative iron
frame, and pulling some other thing off from the top,
and then he realized, he was PUSHING the door instead of PULLING! Oops.. I hope he put it back together again before
the crazy mafia neighbor finds out! Malkasinterpretation of these moments was that Josep was so sad to see us leave
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and wanted to keep us longer. While Im sure that was not the case, I think(hope)they enjoyed our company as much as
we enjoyed theirs and our stay in Barcelona.
The taxi ride at this time in the morning was quick and
uneventful. Surprisingly, the lines at the airport were very long, but
Marina managed to figure out how to get the boarding passes from the
machine and afterwards there was no queue for us at all. We sped
through security although Marina needed to be frisked (after they asked
my permission) even though all she had on were a tank top, sandals and
tiny short shorts! By 6:30 we were on the plane and by 7:10 in the air.
We lucked out. The three kids sat together but I got a row of 3 seats to
myself. Notice, I didnt write that I lucked out, I said we. I moved
Marina to my row and that way we all had more room. Marina always
manages to sleep during flights, so this one was no different. Marcus
nodded off as well. Malka and I, not a chance! We landed in Mlaga
around 8:30 and Curro was there to pick us up.
Now, between some point A and another point B there was a
WWIII with the girls. It really was the STUPIDEST of things, but escalated
to the point of lasting until 1:00 a.m.! Girls being girls have silly crushes
(or something) on boys. Okay normal enough. David was very good
looking - normal enough. Marina snuck in multiple (and sneak attack)
dibs on David. I guess that means hes mine. Malka didnt like that.
Then they started insulting each other. Believe me, I wouldnt even
consider the comments insults. Then to add fuel to the fire, Curro told
Malka she was too young for a 16 year old so by default David was
Marinas. Malka took great offense and held a grudge against her uncle
the rest of the day (and beyond).
By the time we arrived in El Palo it was time to separate the kids. Pepe took Marina for a walk in one direction
and I took Marcus and Malka on a walk to the supermarket. By the time we got back, Marina as asleep under an
umbrella on the beach. The other kids and I put on our bathing suits as well and nearly froze as the water was so cold.
Malka and I have enjoyed daily walks (as long as we are in El Palo) back and forth along the waters edge. So we kept
our pattern.
From noon until 2:00 we were outside and then we came in to eat. Actually, Pepe had set up a small table
outside the frontdoor as Marcus had expressed a desire to eat in the fresh air and not be so closed in in the tiny living
room/dining room elbow to elbow on the sofa. That was not to be and we found ourselves again crowded, 10 of us
because little Rafa was there too, around the table with the forever-on TV in the background. Malkas mood seemed tofester and get worse as she said Curro again insulted her. When lunch was completed I needed to sleep. I dont know
why Marina did too considering she slept on the plane and already napped on the beach, but she wanted alone time
with me. Malka again became upset but I dont recall much more than the fact I fell asleep and woke up at 6:40. What
a waste of a day! I hate sleeping it away. Granted we were tired from the early rise and all, but this was crazy.
Pepe and I decided to take the kids into Mlaga center to walk around and tapear(eat small plates of food) but
Tita Angeles called and invited us for an ice cream first. She wanted to make sure she had the opportunity to see the
kids before we left on Monday. We met her up the block at theHeladeria Santa GemawherePepe and I each had a little
cup of turrn, Malka chocolate and the others nada, nothing. In spite of her situation (Juans death) Angeles seems to
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who she is, I asked her if she wanted a photo with him. Of course she said yes, and he said yes, and he took her behind
the bar for a good shot. Pepe and the others were 1/2 way down the block waiting for us with the what
the.expression on their faces. The bars and restaurants were packed at the city full of families and friends enjoying a
cool, crisp evening. We probably would have stayed later were it not for the fact that it was nearing 11:00 and thats
when the last bus leaves for El Palo.
We got back to the house about 11:20 and there sat Mam and Pap, Pepes folks, looking as depressed and
forlorn as they have since we got here nearly two weeks ago, and surely for the entire last 9-10 months (more on that at
the end of my journal). With barely a word said, the five of us made our way upstairs. I went to have some private time
with Marina at her request and that turned into a melt-down for her. I finally left the two girls to work out their issues
and to help Marina calm herself, at 1:00. A very long, difficult day.
Sunday July 10
Today has been the perfect experience and one
I wish we would have had every day here in Mlaga. I
woke up at 8:45 and got Marcus and Malka up a little
later. Okay, really Marcus had already been awoken by
the traffic through his room but enough of that! Nocomplaints today thats the goal! I never woke
Marina up but left her to sleep. Malka and I decided to
go back into town to have breakfast. The men didnt
want to come. We were in town by 10:00. The city
was still very much asleep. A few cafes were open for
business, a few tourist shops open for tourists. It
actually looked like the Picasso museum was open
(surprising for a Sunday, especially early morning) and
the clip-clop of the horse drawn carriages could be
heard on the recently hosed down and glistening stonestreets. We went from one point of the city to another,
through streets we had been on last night to ones
Malka had never seen, past many people begging for
money in front of open church doors from which the
sound of the Sunday Mass could be heard. We stopped
at Dunkin Coffee for our meal and then were back on
the bus by 11:10.
Everyone, except my in-laws,was already on the beach,
but before going there ourselves, we first hung thelaundry on the roof/terrace and changed into our
bathing suits. Just like the old days, the toldo was set
up with a table, numerous chairs and LOTS of family
present: Tita Angeles, TitaJuani, TitaPaqui, Tito
Revi,Fali, Ana, Rafa,Juanis grandkids Martina and
Pablo, and later Maria (one of Pepes cousins, Juanis
daughter) and her husband Pablo joined us as well.
Marina was reading when she wasnt napping, Marcus
was sulking when not reading, Malka and I walked back
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and forth and back and forth (as per our routine) along the shore looking at the people on the sand and at the end
points, the sea life on the jetty rocks.
A larger table was set up and around 2:30,
Pepe and Fali returned from where they bought
lunch. In two shifts (thats how many people we
were) we ate gaspacho, rotisserie chicken and fries.
Unfortunately, Curro and Cristi werent with us
because they chose to stay in the house so as not to
leave Pepesparents alone. It is even more
unfortunate that the latter two wouldnt even
consider coming to join us. Cristobal and his boys
spent this part of the day down the beach with his
family, but we were able to see them briefly and
hope to see them later this evening. After
completing lunch, Malka and I took one more lap
to burn off some of what we had eaten. We are
now on the roof (probably have been for nearly two
hours, Im not wearing my watch) chilling,
writing and in the case of the girls, resting
AGAIN! In a little while Ill check to see if
Pepe has awakened from his siesta and
we will begin the joy (not) of packing.
No relation to Pepe!
Fali and Rafa
Paqui, Angeles, Revi, Martina, Maria, Juani, Pablo
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Ana and Fali
All smiles today!
I dont know why packing takes so long, especially when we didnt even bring so much clothing (although its
always too much when washing machines are available). Actually,why did Pepe bring THREE pairs of jeans, twodress
pants and only one pair of shorts to a place that is over ninety degrees daily? After packing and everyone was showered
(that is very time consuming with so many people in the house) we went out to dinner with Cristi, Curro, Cristobal and
kids. We ate outside of a local Italian restaurant. Marina ordered all by herself AND had a nice conversation, in Spanish
of course, with Cristi. Whats the saying; better late than never. We then went around the corner to have an ice
cream. It was 11:15
by the time we
headed home. Malka
was feeling bad
because she again ate
at such a late hour
and was going to
sleep on a full
stomach and because
it was, according toher, a shame that the
waiter had to be
serving ice cream at
such an hour.
Apparently she had
another little crush
thing going. She
wouldnt have felt
bad had he been
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ugly! Tonight was the first real chance I had to talk to my younger nephew Cristobal, as we sat together over diner, and
the second opportunity to speak with Alejandro. I told them both to try to check in with us once in a while on Facebook.
Then we said our good-byes.
Monday, July 11
The alarm sounded at 6:10. Time to collect the final items to be
packed away and to slowly get the kids ready as well.Falishowed up
around 7:45 with Rafa fast asleep on his shoulder. After thegirls gavehim
kisses on his soft baby cheeks and I took one last photo (next time we see
him hell be a much bigger boy), wesaid our good-byes to Pepes parents
and piled into two cars to go to the airport.
No problem getting there at all. We decided to saran-wrap the
previously crushed suitcase so it now resembles a huge green sandwich.
The check-in process was ridiculous. They separated us into 3 groups; me
and Pepe, Marcus and Malka and then Marina, and asked us all the
security questions, whiles others too our passports away from us. Notvery
efficient for 5 people to work with one family. Then we passed to thecounter to check the luggage and to get our boarding passes. We were informed the flight was overbooked and given
the option to take FIVE $1000 Delta vouchers,
round trip transport to a beach front hotel, a
one night stay at the hotel plus food vouchers
and be put on tomorrows flight! Why then
am I now sitting on our NY bound Delta flight
163 as scheduled?!?! If I would have been
travelling alone with the kids I would have
jumped at the opportunity and used those
vouchers for our next European trip, but Pepewanted to come home! Oh well.
We still had two hours untilour flight
home. We sat for a caf con leche, Pepe took
a walk to the duty free shop to buy his wine,
and I went to see if there was anything worth
wile to spend our euros on. There was not.
Marina then had one of her anxiety attacks (I
am writing this at her request so shell
remember????) It is not that she hasnt flownincident-free 3 times in the past 15 days! We
just took off a few minutes ago; 11:10 a.m.
for a flight that is to last 7 hours 42 minutes.
I was hoping to use the laptop to type this
journal, I havent done so since going to Barcelona, but alas, the battery is run down. Marina is already asleep on my
shoulder and it looks like this will be a long flight.
Vacation impressions: It would be nice if when people ask How was your trip to Spain I could just answer,
great! But, where holidays should be happy, uplifting experiences, unfortunately that was not totally the case over
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the last two weeks. The girls and I have been accustomed, from our British trips, to sightseeing vacations;always doing,
doing, doing. So any day in the past two weeks that included such activities, even in the heat of Granada, provided
enlightenment, distraction and amusement. Not being a swimmer or great lover of sand and sun, hanging out on the
beach doesnt really appeal to me and Marina too much. Malka enjoys frolicking in the water with Marcus when the
opportunity existed and there WERE some pleasant relax moments on the beach, especially yesterday. The kids and I
really enjoyed seeing my old (and nutty) friends with whom I share history and recounted stories. They found that very
entertaining. The sad part of the trip was the fact that they couldnt do the same with our family, especially their
abuelos (grandparents).
Since Isas death in September, they have sunk into a depression from which I dont think they (especiallyPepes
mom) will emerge. She seems to have converted herself into one of those old ladies in luto (mourning), wearing black
every day and not (or hardly) leaving the house. There was not one day during our stay that they took a walk with us,
ate out with us or sat on the beach with us. Neither was there much conversation in the house. Okay, so the kids dont
speak Spanish (we heard that over and over.) Marina actually is able to speak very well and if someone would have
spoken to her she would have engaged in conversation. But no one asked about their school, hobbies, plans, anything!
It was a sad and strange experience. I know it bothered Pepe although he chose not to discuss it much. What can he do
with his frustration? And he felt even worse when we (me and kids) were uncomfortable or unhappy. The whole
thing left me feeling a bit empty. Of course we all miss Isa and it is strange not seeing her, but what I saw of my in-laws
was basally hollow shells, very sad indeed.
Since the mood in the house was overwhelmingly somber, the kids, when not on the beach or out on tourist
excursions, stayed isolated upstairs; Marina doing a lot of napping, Marcus reading an entire 1000 page book, and Malka
sticking by my side. I feel badly that they felt the need to do so, that my in-laws seem incapable of helping
themselves,and that Pepe was uncomfortablebeingin the middle of these confused emotions.
But, there are plenty of good memories to recall, way over 300 (mine alone) photos to look at and organize into
a slide show, and even now on the airplane, the cute boy in seat 37C (Benjamin Nicholas, 7/21/96 from Connecticut
wearing a pink shirt) that Marina and Malka are giggling about as well as our efficient cabin staff consisting of Glenn (a
handsome Vigus/Hidasi look alike), Luis (very Jose Antonio-esque) and Ricardo (a cross between Alexis Mateo and amatador with a little
pony tail). Thank G-d
the kids can make
their own amusement