Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination

Back in January I took a long weekend trip to Valencia with my friend Michelle. Blogging about this is bittersweet. The trip and the weather were amazing, but last week Michelle moved back to the United States. She was my closest friend here in Madrid and I already miss her a lot. You'd think after eight years in New York, one of the most transient cities in the world, I'd be used to people coming in and out of my life. But I'm not. I want my friends to be my friends forever and I don't think that feeling will ever change. Sometimes I sound like I'm still twelve years old. 

One reason the trip was so amazing was that the hostel we stayed at was across the street from the Central Market. The building is beautiful and the market is huge! There was so much fresh produce and every morning we got fruit for breakfast and a snack for later. 

 We also had horchata and fartons. Yes, there is a cold, milky beverage made from almonds, tiger nuts, or rice that is served with sweet bread called fartons. It was pretty delicious, but I still prefer chocolate con churros.

 After the market we walked around and headed toward the Museum of Arts & Siences.

 On our way we stumbled upon this awesome playground! And yes we did go down that slide. 

 Here is the Opera House. Unfortunately part of it was under construction so I didn't take a picture of the entire building. 

 I loved the architecture of the Opera House, Museum of Arts & Science, and the Aquarium. It stands in contrast to the rest of the city which makes it that much more striking. 

 While we were on our way to the aquarium, we noticed people standing around with cameras. Someone told us that George Clooney was filming a movie at the Museum. I was a little miffed rather than starstruck because part of the museum was closed. And there was scaffolding and green screens everywhere. Anyway, I think the jellyfish were my favorite at the aquarium. To me they're beautiful, weird, and terrifying at the same time.

 Michelle and I spent a lot of time taking silhouette pictures at the Museum of Arts & Science.

 Again, the architecture! I know, I'm nerding out Ted Mosby style.

 This was another favorite exhibit. Footage of planets and outer space are displayed on the wall, floor, and ceiling.

 And then I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in a while. 

 Then we headed back to the hostel for a bit before we went out to dinner. Of course we had Valencian paella, served with chicken and beans. Apparently paella originated in Valencia and is considered a regional dish by Spaniards. But, you can pretty much order paella in any city in Spain because tourists consider it a national dish.

 The next day Michelle and I grabbed a few snacks at the Central Market before we went to rent bikes.

 We rented bikes near the beach and spent the day exploring.

 Some of you may or may not know, but I take bike riding safety very seriously. It's probably because I had a concussion when riding a bike without a helmet when I was five. 

 We stopped here for lunch and tried a little bit of everything.

 I also definitely played Beyonce from my iPhone while we rode along the beach. 

 We rode back into the city for a while before we had to return our bikes.

 For dinner we went to Carousel, which was down the street from our hostel. The food was amazing, probably the best meal I had while in Valencia. 

 The next day we decided to go to Ubik Cafe near the train station before we headed back to Madrid.

 When we arrived, the place was empty, but soon the bookstore/cafe was jam packed! Everyone was there to enjoy a little Sunday afternoon jazz concert. I felt like we were in a movie. Everything was perfect and I kept telling Michelle, "I'm just so happy right now."

 When I left New York last August, two friends gave me letters that I saved to open when I felt really homesick. When I finally opened a letter from Kate, she included this poem:

Wild Geese 

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

     love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things. 

Mary Oliver

In the place where I am not

I know. It's March and I'm still writing about the holidays. I traveled almost every weekend during January and February (Valencia, Sierra Nevada, London, Venice!!) which took up my weekend blogging time. Did that sound like complaining? I'm not complaining, just making excuses.

So the last stop on my holiday adventure was Toulouse and Bordeaux, France. My friend, Audrey, is from Toulouse. I met her in Madrid while she worked at a graphic design internship. Back in December I wasn't sure where I wanted to go after New Years in Belgium and Audrey graciously invited me to come visit her and her parents in Salechan, a small village of 200 people in the Pyrenees Mountains. Audrey picked me up from the airport. We had lunch (quiche and salad) and walked around Toulouse for a bit before taking the train to Salechan. This is the view from Audrey's house.

 As soon as I arrived, Audrey's parents were hosting the guests staying at their Bed & Breakfast. There was a fire blazing and a table overflowing with tapas and wine. Both of Audrey's parents are from Spain, but grew up in France. So all the food we ate was a mixture of Spanish and French cuisine. Needless to say, the food was impeccable. 

 This is where I stayed for the 3 days I was in Salechan. Every morning there was coffee, juice, bread, and jam waiting for me at the kitchen table. 

 One day it was raining, so Audrey and I sat by the fire, drinking tea, eating truffles, and reading books. As my mom always says when we go to the beach, I wish I could bottle up that moment of being so cozy and relaxed. 

 That night we went to have dinner with Audrey's friends from high school. She told me about her friendships, and we talked about how people can be exactly the same yet different. 

 For dinner we cooked meat, cheese, and veggies on a grill called a raclette. 

The next day we went to Marie Cecile's house for lunch. Marie is a family friend of Audrey's and she also owns a Bed & Breakfast. 

 We talked about Airbnb, French cuisine,  renovating houses, and church. Marie made pumpkin soup with crème fraîche and fish eggs.

 Followed by grilled goose pate. And for dessert, of course, coffee and chocolate mousse crepes.

 My last night in Salechan, we went to see the movie The Lunchbox. Audrey had to translate most of the movie for me. Audrey and her family were the kindest and most gracious people I have ever met. They made me feel so welcomed and comfortable and provided me with everything I could possibly need before I even thought to ask. 

The next day I headed to St. Andre de Cubzac just outside of Bordeaux, to stay with Audrey's grandmother, Armonia, for a few days. Audrey packed me a lunch for the train ride and her Aunt picked me up from the station. I stayed with Armonia for 3 days. Armonia grew up in Salamanca, Spain and also lived in Barcelona. She moved to France in 1958.  I practiced Spanish with Armonia, but sometimes she would switch to French which made for some interesting conversations. Again, I ate the most delicious food with Armonia. One night we talked at the kitchen table while dinner was in the oven. We were so engrossed in the conversation, about Franco, learning a new language, and losing those you love, that we didn't realize the lasagna was burning until the smoke detector went off! There were plumes of smoke coming out of the oven. We opened every window and door and burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

The next day I went into the city. Bordeaux is about a twenty minute train ride from where Armonia lives. The weather was perfect for wandering around and exploring. Below is the Opera House.

There's a river that runs through the city. I walked across the bridge, ate macaroons, drank Bordeaux wine,  and went to a museum.

 I took the train back to St. Andre de Cubzac and couldn't remember how to get back to Armonia's house. I asked several people for help, but they only spoke French. I finally found a map of the city and was able to get directions by pointing to where I needed to go. 

The next day, Armonia and I went on a walk around the city. She told me this was the route her and her husband took everyday as long as the weather was nice. She's lived here for forty years.

 When we returned to her house, we had cheese and wine. Armonia told me there are precisely 589 different types of cheese in France. While I was at Armonia's house, I didn't have wifi and I had run out of minutes on my phone. I was completely cut off from the outside world, and I liked it. 

I liked it so much in fact that when I returned to Madrid, I started thinking that next year I might want to teach in a small pueblo in Spain. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything and I didn't worry about keeping up with social media. Although I ended up deciding to reapply to teach in Madrid, I realized (again) that I need to occasionally remove myself from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's only in those quite, peaceful environments that I'm really able to cut through all the diversions and distractions to clearly see what matters. And I don't need to be so afraid of this feeling, what Charles Baudelaire described as, "Il me semble que je serais toujours bien la ou je ne suis pas. In other words, "It seems to me that I will always be happy in the place where I am not." 


What I've been listening to:

Body Music by Alunageorge

Voices by Phantogram

Post Tropical by James Vincent McMarrow