Life Is A Trip

Hello, I'm Kathy, the waterhobos' friend from Toronto. I recently returned from an excellent 25-day trip to Spain where I was reunited with my buenos amigos. When I arrived I was surprised to find out we wouldn't be sailing, as the boat had been docked at the marina for several months, and she was in need of a little maintenance. This turned out to be a good thing, because there was way too much to see and do on land.

Our time together began in Barcelona in mid-March. We had two days to explore this fascinating, historical city, with its incredible architecture, and all the narrow winding roads that beckoned us to come see what beautiful sights lay ahead. Not being a seasoned traveller, I had let the stories about pickpockets worry me, and was ready for the onslaught of thieves trying to take my valuables--but it was off-season for tourists, the streets were safe and peaceful, and the local people were nothing but friendly and kind.

We had a great first day on foot, as Branko blogged about, and our second day was a blast on rented bicycles. If only the streets of Toronto were as bike-friendly as these. The young guy who rented us the bikes told us his dream is to buy a boat and sail to Canada, with his girlfriend and child. I hope he sees it through!  A highlight of Barcelona is the Familia Sagrada, a stunning Gothic-style cathedral which was started in the late 1800s and is not scheduled for completion till 2026. A must-see for anyone visiting Barcelona.

Anyone who's reading this knows how much fun Maggie and Branko are. So even a day-long road trip down to the boat crammed into the back of a compact car was good fun. We saw many little white towns, as well as several caves, which captivated Branko's imagination. Maggie had our imaginations going too, with visions of Roman armies marching so many miles through many valleys and mountains, undeterred by the wild terrain. The landscape was very interesting, with terraced orchards tapering the mountains everywhere...very resourceful. We visited a couple of these peaceful, pretty towns, and always there were friendly locals and amazing scenery. Everywhere we went in the south of Spain, we would get free tapas with our beer. With two rounds of beer, and by sharing our tapas, we had many samplings of Spanish food at its best.

After a couple of days back at the boat, Branko's friend, Guy, joined us for four days, taking a break between business obligations in Germany. Guy is hilarious, and he greatly contributed to the fun-factor. The four of us did a road trip one sunny Sunday up in the mountains, which was fun but harrowing, with winding roads along steep cliffs (which Terri wrote about in her blog last October). We spent some time exploring the enchanting town of Ohanes, which lucky for us was quiet and un-touristy, with everything being closed down on Sundays.

Our friend from TO, Elsie, joined us for a week after visiting her dad in France. There was much beach-hopping and sight-seeing. Leaving Branko at the boat for two days for some peace and quiet, the three of us girls did a road trip to Granada, where we were invited to stay with Maggie's cousin, Bob. Bob is a really cool, laid-back guy, who's had a very interesting life as a war correspondent, author, professor of journalism in Hong Kong, and a musician. I'm sure he wondered what he'd gotten himself into, stuck with three giddy girls under his roof. His house was beautiful, with an interesting history of its own, and was filled with his cool collections from his travels, as well as his own artwork. When you sat on his third-floor terrace, you could look up at the Alhambra, Granada's famous fort that dates back to the 12th century. Elsie and I took a tour of the fort--1.5 million square feet of impressive grandness. One of our favorite areas was King George V's court, which was designed with acoustics in mind. One lady stood in the middle of the court and sang a beautiful rendition of God Bless America. The sound was pure magic, and everyone was riveted. Elsie, ever the ham, wanted to perform her signature Copa Cabana, but chickened out, despite my offer of $50. Granada is an old beauty, with lots of character and culture. We saw an impressive flamenco show, and Bob told us Granada is known for its many art and music festivals. There are lots of shops to browse in and many interesting items to buy from the Spanish and Moroccan artisans. A handy phrase is sola vera--just looking. As with Barcelona, I loved Granada and would go back in a heartbeat. Elsie's week flew by, but not before she was hailed as the Queen of Mexican Train Dominoes.

One of many highlights was a hike into the mountains with M&B's friends, Conchi and Lidia. We were a group of about twenty (with another group opting to run it!) When we got to the starting point, at the base of a pretty steep looking mountain--2,200' high--I looked up with knocking knees. I asked if we were climbing to the top, and Branko said he didn't think so. Good thing I believed him, because if I'd known we were going to the top, I might have chickened out and sat in the parking lot for three hours, missing out on a spectacular experience. I knew there were a couple of doctors on the hike, so I figured if I needed help, it would be nearby. At one resting point, I took a video of the view-- gorgeous steep mountains and deep valleys--and in the background you just hear a bunch of people saying "wow".

Afterwards there was a picnic, Spanish style, with a huge pot of paella and all the fixings, including the best tomatoes ever. Near the end of the afternoon, the grown-ups got in on the skipping action, even the men. The little girls were so cute, politely waiting their turn while all of these crazy adults hogged the skipping rope. Little Lourdes was the champion of the rope, with count of 75 skips! It was a perfect day, and like Branko said, it was an experience you would never have as a regular tourist. Conchi and Lidia and all their friends were great, and communicating with our language barrier was challenging but so much fun.

Almerimar is a nice marina town, with everything you need for a relaxing lifestyle. M&B have made lots of friends there, both local and seafaring. There's quiz night with the British folks on Wednesdays at a local pub; there was a music night at another bar, with a band of amateur musicians, including M&B's friend, Chileng, on guitar. People would randomly be offered the mike to sing, so it was kind of like karaoke, but with live music.

Maggie, Elsie and I partied hearty one night at a local nightclub, which started innocently enough. We strolled by this empty club around 10 pm, and stopped in for a drink because of the music. It turned out the DJ was just setting up and we'd have to wait till midnight till it started getting busy. We chuckled at this and said, yeah sorry, but we'll be in bed by then. But then we stayed for another drink, and so on...

Sometimes the best experiences pop up unexpectedly.

Another one was at an old folks' recreation centre, where they have a dance every Saturday evening, between six and nine pm. It sounds kind of funny...brightly lit room, chairs all around the walls, no drinking, kind of like high school, but, um, older. And it was so much fun! Couples showing off their well-practiced moves, cute old grandmas swaying to the music, and plenty of Spanish-style line-dancing. Maggie had all the moves that night, and when she group-danced with the little old grandmas, they just seemed to get younger and livelier. We were disappointed when it ended a half-hour early (at 8:30!) and we learned that while we, the 'younger folks', were heading back to the boat for a game of dominoes, several of these 'old folks' were beating a path to the next town for another dance. It was another example of something I got to experience outside the realm of a typical vacation.

Well, I wrote this with the intention of keeping it short, and believe it or not, this is my short version! Thank you for reading! Thanks to Spain! Thanks to my friends! See you next summer in Croatia, which I'm told is a beautiful country with a beautiful coastline. Perfect for sailing.

Kathy Kuchma