Moros y Cristianos - Part 1: weekend at the beach

Although it is already more than a week ago, I would like to tell you about our "girls" weekend at the beach in a village close to Valencia. Thanks to the good organization of Jutta and Brittas car and GPS we arrived safely at our hostal. The last 3 km where quite an adventure as "casa Janine" is hidden in the mountains and only accesible over a small road that with each km got bumpier and narrower. But thanks to our great orientation talent we found it at the first intent (this disproves the theory that girls have no sense of orientation and can't read maps. The real beauty of the place that we called our home for this weekend was seen in the morning. Breakfast was served on a terrace with a wonderful view over the hills full with orange trees and the mediterrean sea. By the way, "casa Janine" is really recomendable, nice staff, clean rooms, great view, terrace with swimming pool and also cheap http://www.casa-janine.com/ . (No, I don't get paid to say this). After installing in our room we drove again down to the beach to have a drink at the beach. The perfect end of the day, relaxing at a chiringuito with a copa in your hand, feeling the sand below your feet and listening to the waves of the sea.

On saturday morning we went again to the beach of course. The one we liked best was the wildest and emptiest beach in Oliva Terranova. Most of the other visitors were probably also of other nationalities than Spanish, as the Spaniards rather prefer the beach were they can enjoy most body contact with their fellow beach visitors. After spending the whole day in the sun, or in my case rather in the shadow of the white and green sunshade, we had the pleasure to be spectators of the yearly "moros and Cristianos" parade. This is a celebration in memory of the reconquest of Spain from the moors in the 15th, 16th and 17th century. Different parades with amazing costumes are with different shows like belly dancing and fire-eaters take place.

Here are some picture so that you can get an idea.

Sociology

Hi again,

I have to admit that writing this blog is quite fun. I wouldn't have thought so as generally I am a very lazy writer. It probably has to do with it being public and that in the deepest of my soul I am little exhibitionist, only referring to showing my thoughts to the world of course :-)

Today Isma and me spend the day at the "pantano de San Juan" (a water reservoir at 60 km from Madrid). Besides from wanting to mention that I am tanned, at least I've lost my death-white colour, I am telling this as a kind of sociology case. When we arrived, it was still very early, at least for Spanish standard, and not many people have arrived yet. Nevertheless already the typical Spanish families had marked their territory below the trees in the shade with a table, chairs and a cooling box filled with "tortilla and bocadillos". All of this of course as close as possible to the parked car, if necessary the car is maneuvered as close to the lake to make it possible to jump from the hood into the water. Anyhow, me being a good German, I wanted of course find the best and most hidden beach possible. Isma being Spanish, preferred to stay close to the "chirrinquito". Guess who won! With my charme and of course nagging as much as possible, the choices were limited and we went in the search of the virgin beach. It took us maybe 10 minutes, but finally we've found it. Unfortunately it wasn't that virgin anymore but already violated with beer cans and other left rubbish, but after all we were alone. At least for an hour or so, after some time of quietness, only listening to the sweat sound of nature (birds and crickets) the Ucranian invasion arrived. It seams that they are like the Germans and don't mind a bit of a walk in search of tranquility. The only problem is, a big bunch of them children included are not the quiet company we were looking for. Never mind, living in Madrid, one just gets used of being always with people. It is practically impossible to find a place were you could be alone, day or night.
Well, as sleeping now wasn't possible anymore, we did what has to be done during an excursion into the nature, we went to a restaurant and had paella and a bottle of wine. I can tell you, with the stomach full and the wine going directly up to the head, you can sleep everywhere.

Tomorrow I will tell you about our girls weekend at the beach, with (photoshopped) pictures as promised.

Hasta luego!

My very first entry

Hi there,

This is the first time that I am writing a blog, so please be kind to me. I am a so called blog virgin.
Anyway, I was never much of a diary writer, especially after my cousin once read my diary entry when I was in the middle of my first love crisis. That`s when I've decided to give up sharing my deep feelings with some old book. It might be true that paper is patient but it can be very cruel.

So why have I decided to start writing, well, first of all in the electronic age it seems like a kind of must to share your opinion over the net. So I don't want to be the last to join. But the main reason behind this is that I finally will have something to share with you. Something more than the odd "went for a coffee with X" experience. I am going to start into a big adventure and I would like to let those participate that have come along my way during the last years and have given me their friendship. Huu, that really sounds "cursi", but I think you get what I mean.

Now you have to wonder "what could it be?" that I want to share with you. Well it is something that I always wanted to do and due to different reasons didn't manage to carry out until now. Those of you who know me better have probably heard that I have two themes in life that I am trying to be true which are "if you don't dare you cannot win" and "you always regret the things that you didn't do" I have now decideded that it has to be now that ..

I AM GOING TO TRAVEL THROUGH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

Maybe it is not sooo special, but for me it is a dream that I am going to fulfill. Thanks to the kindness of my bosses, I will take 4 months off from my job (kind of mini sabbatical) and will travel, as light as possible, through the Australian continent. I am already nervous, although I still have a bit more than a month to go. If anyone has suggestions or good insider tips, I know that some of you have already been to those places, I am very grateful for every little piece of advise you can offer me.

Well, now that it is out and the flight to Sydney is booked, there is no return.

That's all for now folks. I will keep you posted.

Kati