Working to Play

I now understand why Spain has always captivated so many travelers, writers, songwriters, and athletes alike. The weather has been nothing but immaculate since our arrival. 65 degrees and sunny by day, 40's and crispy star-filled skies by night. Aside from a few (very) cold days on the bike in Italy, I am beginning to think we have successfully sidestepped winter altogether... A new idea for a Midwestern boy accustomed to months of bravely bundling through the thick of it each year.

The landscape reminds me of a mixture of Southern California, Utah, and Colorado (based on my limited exposure to places around the globe). The rocky hills, full of caves, sharp spires, and sheer cliffs hold a vegetation like the desert. It never rains! Yet from nearly any high point you are struck by the open aqua blueness of the Mediterrenean. Sweet contrast that seems only appropriate in sun-drenched Costa Blanca. One crop that flourishes here, and a delicious treat of taste, smell, and sight, are the almond trees blossoming on every hillside terrace. Row after row of white-pink petals soften the parched, brown soil all around.

We have incorporated the local almonds into every snack of the day, along with the other tasty Spanish treats; figs, dates, oranges, jamon (cured ham that rivals Italian prosciutto), chorizo (spanish sausage cured with peppers and herbs), and cafe solo which is espresso just slightly bigger than Italian espresso, moving us a little closer back to American coffee.

Living at a climber's ranch full of English outdoors people has not exposed us to as much local culture as we were used to on the road, but we are learning just as much. I have learned much about the UK and the cultures of the different regions from London and Oxford to Scotland to Northern Ireland and Wales. I really want to visit more of the UK someday, especially to check out the mountaineering and climbing scene. I have had the privilege to get out climbing with groups of folks from the Orange House, all with far more experience on rock than I. I am definitely holding my own and loving pulling on rock again, but the climbing routes here are longer and more complex than many in Iowa. My new climbing friends still enjoy hearing about the Midwestern crags that we romp on in Iowa!

Remember your first stage fright experience? I was reminded of the feeling this weekend while I successfully killed the engine of a rental stick-shift Fiat 500, at a red light, during rush hour...5 times in a row. Honking, hollering, the whole bit. I had driven stick before in the USA, but never in hilly Spanish cities where the streets are half as wide and every street is a one way. What a trial by fire! By the end of the weekend, I had become fluid in my clutch-control, and whipping through roundabouts and navigating the backstreets and country roads of Spain was a blast! It turns out that renting a car is cheaper than even taking a bus in most cases, perfect for finding freedom and mobility on a budget. Ashley and I took advantage of the widened horizon for the weekend and road-tripped daily to climbing crags, windy mountain roads, hiking trails in national parks, and Saturday outdoor markets which resembled an episode of American Pickers on full display. You name it, somebody's selling it... Old, new, local, foreign, cheap, valuable. Fun to shuffle through the throngs of people and smell frying churros (memories of funnel cakes at the fair), but our favorites were the huge expanses of wilderness where you could hear nothing but the wind.

One hike took us to the top of Puig Campana, the second highest point in the region at almost 5000 ft. In just under three hours we summited from almost a sea-level start, hard work! The visual effect from the peak was incredible, comparable to the feeling on top of a 14'er in the Rockies (peak of 14,000 ft or higher). In the 360 degree panorama was 80 miles of coastline on which the sea looked fake, like a painting with water colors. Inland was more layers of hills, mountains, and rocky outcrops, funneling into valleys of vineyards and almond orchards. The descent is always equally testing, as you must focus on every single foot placement to avoid a rolled ankle, or worse, a slip n slide on loose scree down the mountain. We rewarded ourselves for completing a "black route" trail in 5 1/2 hrs (just like ski slopes, green=easiest, blue=media, black=expert) with tapas and happy hour at the local tap in Finestrat.

I am tramming into Alicante once per week to tutor a 14 year old caballero named Nestor. We hang out and speak English, mostly dribbling the soccer ball back and forth in the park. He is sharp as a tack, and understands everything I say in English. His own speech is improving everyday, and I'm sure he will be fluent within a few years with or without my help. But I enjoy learning from him just as much, so the benefit is mutual for sure. The hourly rate helps pay for date night and the tram to and fro. Great find! A majority of Spanish parents are looking for English speakers to be conversation buddies with their children, and willing to pay by the hour. It's cool that we can find odds and ends even while traveling.

Another beautiful sunny day has passed, new bushwhack running trails have been discovered, the climbers are returning from the crags, and I smell food from the outdoor communal kitchen... Likely the famous chef Chris Moore whipping up a Mediterrenean standard for us. Props to the hand that feeds, he will be missed upon his departure.

Live well, and whenever possible, think big about making dreams become reality. Tis all in the hands of the dreamer to make his journey progress.

Thanks and love,
CM