Looking back over the first two weeks of our adventure feels a little surreal. We are over 7600 kilometres from home. We have toured three cities in three different regions of Spain; Barcelona in Catalonia, Valencia in the Valencia Region and Sevilla in Andalusia. We have learned that there is as much difference in the regions of Spain as there is in the Regions of Canada. Catalonia is as different from Andalusia, as Newfoundland is from Alberta. Great people in all, but different foods, different customs and different political views. We are glad we moved around. We are ending our time here in a residential part of Seville – we went this morning to a neighbourhood cafe for breakfast and we were the only tourists. The owner/waiter brought us a tomato and ham sandwich on a crusty roll – the only thing that cafe serves besides cafe (with cream in the morning). Those sandwiches are delicious and have become the staple of our mornings. A young Italian man who has been working in Spain for four years sat beside us and asked us many questions about Canada and gave us lots of advise about Italy. Those are my favourite moments of travel.
The time we spent time in Tangiers was a weekend adventure. We got a taste of a new culture again, saw beautiful sites, a beautiful city and experienced foods and things that are very new and different to us. It was a weekend to remember for sure.
We have gone from walking around a couple of blocks a day at home to never walking under 8 kilometres and usually much more than that as well as climbing hundreds of stairs or hills most days. We have slept in many different beds and travelled on foot, bikes, buses, trains and planes. Our friends and family are asking if we are getting tired and ready to settle down. I can honestly say (other than missing family and friends – which is part of life when we aren’t together) we are loving this. We are doing this suitable to our age – we enjoy cafe in the morning and a big lunch about 2 or 3 and then fruit or a snack for supper. We have siestas most days and good nights sleep. We walk but when we are tired, we go home or take a bus or taxi. Because this is a two month adventure and not a 2 week vacation – we watch our expenses – but too be honest, we are finding it much cheaper to live here than in Yuma. We miss friends and socializing and wouldn’t choose to do this always but we are loving sharing it with each other and know that we will be back with friends and family soon. So to make a short story long, – no, we aren’t at all tired and ready to settle down yet.
We are leaving today for Tavira, Portugal. Portugal is the reason we started all this in the first place. We had read about the beautiful climate and wonderful people. It is the third safest country in the world and is on the ocean. Our time there will be spent touring but also just living. Bring on Portugal!!!