Frank Ocean & Olive Trees

In the backseat of a mid 2000s dark blue Audie sedan a hunch that the trip to Granada was going to be memorable arrived into my mind once heavy synths of a Frank Ocean track blended into the car's stereo speakers.

For some odd reason each time a song reminiscent of home comes into contact with my ears while traveling there sits an internal sensation that I was meant to be there, that it was good decision to visit that particular destination. As rows of olive trees lined in synconized fashion along the rolling soft green hills to both sides of the Bla Bla car the overall look of our surroundings gradually started taking a different form. We no longer were in the region of Murcia, this was now Andalucia. As we dissected through this part of southern Spain the colors of the trees shifted from light greens to yellows and oranges. 

Within minutes of bidding farewell to Thomas, our Bla Bla driver, Lucia and I quickly connected with our friend Paco. Paco is the son of Lola, our other roommate, and visiting him was an excuse for us to visit Granada. From the moment we transitioned from car passengers to street explorers the weekend entered a time warp and it's hard to believe that this post is being written on Monday because the previous three days have passed like flickers of an expiring light bulb.

After beers and a menu del día at a corner plaza eatery named Basil we proceeded to wander the streets of Granada in search of nothing in particular yet at the same time everything we could think of. The city itself sits at the base of a very expansive set of mountains also known as the Spanish Sierra Nevadas and a great point of reference is to simply head for a hill or go down one when having difficulty locating a major street. Transitioning from Greek colony to Roman metropolis to Visigoth stronghold to Islamic powerhouse  then ultimately a climactic Christian Spanish reconquest symbol, Granada is visibly a mixture of many historically rich cultures. The final reconquest of the city by the Spanish took place on the same year that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America.

A majority of the weekend was spent along the Darro River which intersects a major portion of the cities' white painted historical center. Between getting lost along the bohemian Calle Elvira in search of Hookah bars, taking in the wonders of Mirador's San Nicolas & San Cristobal, seeing tombs of Spanish royalty near Granada's Cathedral, dancing to Reggaeton at some unknown bar that served sugary Mojitos, relaxing on the lawn of Parque Federico Garcia Lorca, then a majestic tour of the infamous Alhambra, we managed to take in many flavors of the city. I would recommend Granada as an immediate place to visit for anyone traveling to Spain and feel very fortunate to have witnessed a handful of it's endless deck of experience cards. 

As I sit here within the quiet confines of Cafe De Ficciones back in Murcia I feel like I accidently left something behind in Granada. The bag I packed was pretty light and besides a couple pairs of socks, one pair of shoes, and my camera the idea of something forgotten seems a little unrealistic.

Thinking back maybe I dropped the unknown item in one of the cities' artist inspiring plazas. Then again it might have fallen out of my pocket while wandering through Alcaiceria, a winding corridor of Moroccan markets where "these" and "those" are sold in bushels. Maybe it could be frozen in wonder at the finest of textures along any given wall of Alhambra. Maybe it's sharing a moment of peace behind the protection of a round-shaped stone fountain along El Paseo de los Tristes. Then again it could have been left behind one of the soft crimson pillows of a teteria deep within the incline of an Arabic inspired neighborhood.

After thinking for a moment I realize that something was definitely left behind. It's the reason for my moving to Spain, for working as an English assistant, for continuing this prolonged life-quest to get lost then find the way all over again.

Its my curiosity.

Thinking one more time maybe it's not in Granada. I think it's in Madrid or possibly Valencia. I haven't been to either of those places yet.

The fast picking guitar riffs of "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson just introduced themselves to the atmosphere of Cafe de Ficciones. 

As I pack up my belongings and head for home there is definitely one thing I left behind in Granada.

My heart.

Until next time...

...These & Those..

Note: Written last night!

I find myself watching a dubbed Spanish documentary about science fiction movies with my roommate Lucia in the living room of our house in Murcia. As an unseen narrator sputters details regarding a film set in Mars the first sensation of cool breeze for the day enters the room via an open side door. Being almost 10pm this previously unknown stranger is a highly welcome guest.

After a little over three weeks living in the southern Spanish city of Murcia the sensation of actual breeze has become something to truly cherish. Despite seeing some rain within the first handful of days in Murcia the general climate for this region of the country is typically sunny and arid. On average the temperature each day has hovered around 85 degrees fahrenheit however people have warned that during the summer months there are consistent weeks of inferno-like heat ranging in the 100+ variety. This kind of heat also brings to the forefront a very simple yet extremely important natural phenomenon: the wonders of shade. I feel safe to say that after almost a month as an English assistant I still hardly know anything about Spain, it's vibrant history, the endless gastronomic adventures it offers, and it's wonderful culture. The one thing I absolutely DO know is where to find shade. This has been arguably the most important thing to learn, more so than bus routes, directions to pubs and locations to restaurants. Without capitalizing on shade it is hard to get by each day in Murcia.

Thanks to the presence of lingering warmth at all hours of the day Murcia is prime for those who enjoy spending afternoons or evenings in plazas or outdoor dining establishments. The people of this city love being outside and at all moments of the day is it hard not to find a allies, streets, and terraces filled with locals of all ages having a good time. For many people the day starts and ends in a plaza. Groups of elderly people can be seen replaying the events of their day alongside university students priming for a night on the town all on the same park bench. Musicians play flamenco guitars or soft accordion serenades reminiscent to Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" as couples go on slow strolls through winding dim lit stone passageways. A fun evening can easily consist of simply ordering a "caña" (beer) and a tapa while watching life unfold in refreshing relaxation. 

Tonight will be a fairly calm evening because tomorrow Lucia and I will take a Bla Bla car to Granada and will spend two days visiting the son of our other roommate Lola. Just in case no one has heard of Bla Bla you are not alone. I had never heard of it either until arriving in Spain. Bla Bla is a ride-sharing service similar to Lyft, Sidecar, or Uber however instead of traveling within cities it is used as a means of going from one city to another. It's by far the cheapest way to travel in Spain and also maybe the most interesting. 

Granada, a city of roughly 250,000 inhabitants, is located about 1.5 hours southwest of Murcia and is famous for its bountiful tapas community, rich Moorish heritage, natural landscapes thanks to its close proximity to the Spanish Sierras, and arguably the country's most famous citadel in Alhambra. Once in the city we plan on hanging out with Paco, Lola's son who is studying there, and wander like its becoming a trend. 

The return from Granada on Sunday will keep alive a three weekend streak of managing to explore neighboring cities outside of Murcia. Last week two friends from the teaching program, Lieven from Belgium and Susie from Los Angeles, and I took a short bus trip in order to spend a Sunday in Cartagena. Between meeting two Couchsurfers for tours around the beautiful Teatro Romano and seafood at Santa Lucia's the day was fantastic. The weekend before that Lieven and I visited Alicante to walk around the coastal cities sun scorched beaches and see El Castillo de Santa Barbara. Both cities are located along the Mediterranean Sea and boast picturesque views of endless water horizens. The region of Murcia is highly underrated and is a great place to visit especially if you know people who live there (hint hint hint!!).

More updates are coming soon about Granada but until then I hope that who ever reads this is having a nice Friday!

Sorry for the very wordy update and thank you for checking out this blog! You look really delightful right now :)

                          Cheers ;)

Murciano

Today is Monday and currently I am enjoying the calmness of what been a very relaxing afternoon in Murcia. Its been nearly two weeks since updating this blog and for that I sincerely apologize. As I sit at the reigns of the keyboard in front of me a great deal of events have taken place since arriving in southern Spain on September 30th. It's hard to fully describe everything that has happened since stepping foot on a plane destined for here but I'm going to try and give whoever decides to read this a summary :)

At this very moment I have completed my first week as working as an Auxiliar de Conversación, also known as an English language assistant.  This program hires people primarily from the USA, England, and parts of the French speaking world to work in various elementary schools, high schools, and language schools throughout Spain with an intention of helping teachers provide students with a more complete immersion into English or French.

Also at this exact moment in time I find myself within the confines of what is now officially a permanent residence. After landing in Madrid from New York a plane was immediately boarded for Alicante from there an ALSA bus delivered me to the center of Murcia, my future home for the next eight months. Walking from the station, large backpack slung over my shoulders, I managed to find through a fray of nicely dressed locals The Cathedral Hostel  backpackers which was conveniently located in the heart of the cities' historical district. 

Within minutes of setting down my backpack in the cramped two bunk-bed dormitory style room I met two people who would ultimately play a huge role in my experience here in Murcia. Pierre a 28 year old from France and his friend Lola, a middle aged woman who hails from Murcia, entered the room within minutes of my arrival. After speaking broken Spanish with them for a few minutes Lola invited me to her house because she happened to be looking to rent an extra piso (room) out to someone. The three of us took her car to the neighborhood Vistalegre about three minutes away and after sharing a beer and introducing ourselves better, I decided to become her newest tenant. Within two hours of living in Murcia I had established a place to stay and I feel very fortunate to be here. Besides Lola and me there is another girl from Madrid named Lucia who is studying in Murcia for a Masters Degree. It's great for practicing Spanish and the house comes with bicycles, plenty of personal space, a large patio, plus a very relaxed atmosphere. The choice to move here was by complete intuition and so far its been well worth it.

In addition to finding a place I now currently have a BBVA bank account, a library card, a Spanish phone number, a Tranvia (public transit) pass, and in three weeks I will be receiving a student ID card. With the Huela (ID card) I will be able to stay in Spain for as long as am employed as a language assistant which is nice. 

Murcia is a very hot southern Spain city that stays pretty free of tourism but is within close proximity to some of the countries' more beautiful Mediterranean scenery. Despite being extremely warm at all moments of the day men never a seen wearing shorts or sandals. People love to eat outside, congregate in plazas, and go share tapas while savoring chilled Estrella beers. The overall population here is fairly young thanks to two large universities and overall locals a very inviting. After two weeks of living here I have been encountered by random people asking me directions to places I've never heard of so it seems like something must be working.

Officially after two weeks I feel safe to say that besides having the right to vote I am a semi Spanish citizen and thanks to a grueling 12 hour work week can be considered a productive member of European society. (I think)

As an Auxiliar de Conversación I have been placed in a village called El Esparragal and am working four days a week assisting six different English teachers within two elementary schools in various bilingual subjects. As stated before I work a total of 12 hours a week and have three day weekends which provides plenty of flexibility for traveling to other parts of Spain. In each hour of work I have been placed with students ranging from 6 years old up to 12 years old and so far the experience has been pretty interesting. I will provide more details later :)

This is all for now but more updates will be coming soon! If anyone who reads this wants to get in touch here is my Whatsapp: +014153021802! 

P.S. To anyone who reads this I strongly encourage you to come visit :)