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Tin and I left for Zahara by bus yesterday from Cadiz for a repast on the beach with friends but judging by the way our friends relax, I’d say it was more of a fun in the sun till you drop sort of trip.

Along the way, we saw the fields of sunflowers, the bulls grazing on the golden grass of Andalusia, the windmills that forever remind me of Cervantes despite their steel grey color and modern design that resemble nothing Don Quixote would have ever seen.

We stayed with a friend in her town home with her dog Pancho and her son Gonzalo there in the village and were treated to meals after meals of delicious Spanish food and wine, beach (where Pablo, Alberto, Louis, Rafa, Juan and Manolo played NONSTOP with Tin), walks, and talks – all more fun than fun should be. We came home late last night, Tin wearing eye make up, weary, and both happy to crawl into our beds. A repast, well no, but a good time had by all.

We, who live in New Orleans, make fun of our politicians as ongoing dinner conversation and entertainment, and lately with the way our congress, senate and presidential candidates have behaved, we have a full course meal of conversation and jokes. But really I must say that nothing tops what happened here in Spain the other day during a presentation of tough new austerity measures at the Spanish parliament where specifically unemployment benefits were cut to the bone (unemployment in Spain is 24%) while the conservative Pipa clapped, politician, Andrea Fabra stood up and yelled “FUCK THEM ALL” to an uproarious yee ha from the group.

She is the daughter of a notorious politician Carlos Fabra, who is known for his surprising lottery luck and for the promotion of the construction of an airport where there has yet to be any airplanes taking off.

In Zahara de los Atunes, which mostly draws the rich, the local working people are shaking in their fishing boots – “We’re the next Greece,” they keep saying as the restaurants and hotels remain full of summer tourists.

But I think before Spain topples like Greece there just might be a revolution. I’d say Spain is headed more towards a Spanish Spring than a collapse if you could only get them out of the plazas, bars, and streets long enough to notice that they are indeed, being fucked, royally.

Do you know a friend in Spain is selling an apartment at a loss just to get out of it and yet when her buyers approached the bank for a loan, instead of helping her buy it, they offered her all of their properties that they have foreclosed on instead.

Que tonteria. Which means, WTF? here in Spain.

I always had wandering my blood – a wandering Jew that I inherited from my father’s almost gypsy blood. Don’t know if it is because he was born to Sephardic parents from Turkey who gave birth to him Cuba and then he came to the U.S. or what. Inherited or not, I got it.

I wanted to live in Spain where my ancestors hailed from, then I wanted to live in Istanbul where my grandparents were born, but I never could get my sea legs unless I was in New Orleans – now having New Orleans as home base but Spain as my second home feels about as right as right can be.

Today, Tatjana is off with her students inland and Tin and I are headed to Zahara de los Atunes to see friends and to be on the beach. The coast is the only place to find yourself, that is if you are looking. Cadiz is a little chilly for the beach for me, although that doesn’t stop any of the people here from being on the beach. Not even Tin who will go into the water no matter what the temp is.

I keep having all these hair dreams, where I have tons of it, and yet keep waking up to the same bare head. Meanwhile, I can’t complain because Cadiz and learning how to chill is what the doctor ordered. My only struggle here has been finding me time and we hired a gal here, Africa, who will take Tin for two hours each day to give me some me time. Now to make sure that I don’t use that time to do, but only to be.

I’ve learned that you have to set up a routine even for being because if not there is always something to do – there is laundry in Spain, there is cooking and shopping in Spain, there are always similar demands that compete with simply enjoying, being, and not doing.

On Saturday, our friends arrive from Croatia and will be with us for two weeks; we’re looking forward to their arrival and yet I’m already a little apprehensive about me time, so I told Africa to come every day next week to ensure that there is no equivocation – me time or bust.

You’d think that sun, sea, and Spain would be enough to figure out these things, but I found myself in a pickle the other day – once more there was someone/something that came up that interfered with my just walking out the door, alone, to take my walk and sit in a park and be. My life coach told me to sit with this anger, just sit with it, and not lock it away. And she told me to write, write about what it feels like when your needs aren’t met. Well the anger isn’t directed towards someone/something, it’s all towards me for not figuring out how to take care of myself – I was back in the bedroom trying to figure out how to get my me time in while Tin was blowing his horn loudly and Tatjana was lounging on the sofa – I knew they were not letting anything disturb their time to be, so why was I?

So I figured out that I have to figure this out – one step at a time – I need to meditate, I need to purge my mind of all of the ramblings, I need to let go to go on. So dear reader, I am whittling away at the calcified self and trying to get out of the trick bag I put myself in, and find new tricks.

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.
Ray Bradbury

And now to pack…and take in the healing waters of Andalusia in the comfortable embrace of summer friends.

To copy a headline from a friend’s food blog – here is the Grand Market in Cadiz today (and every day):

We are staying on Benjumeda Street, which is in the center of Cadiz and flanking us on all sides are plazas. San Antonio is a breath away, Fragella a few blocks, Mina down the street, and Mentidero is down the block. We strolled over to Plaza Mentidero yesterday for a goodbye lunch with Alejandro who left by train early evening. This plaza has more of a working class feel than most of the other ones – Mina is so beautiful with its lush trees and foliage but there does seem to be a little catering of tourist at the restaurants that surround it. Tatjana and I had met at the Cathedral Plaza earlier where most tourists are, and then walked to meet the boys (Alejandro and Tin) at Mina where Tin quickly picked up with the boys playing soccer. The boys were too big and playing too hard, and the restaurants too pricey for our tastes.

So we headed to Mentidero – which translates as the place to gossip. There is a lovely fountain in the middle bubbling over with water, less tourists and a nice bakery where I have been getting our bread. There is also a tattoo and piercing shop in the corner (shades of home).

While we were ordering, a tuna band strode into the plaza and caught Tin’s attention. Alejandro was curious as to what they were doing because tunas usually are for weddings or events, but I told him that i had seen not only tunas in town last year, but also the fake semana santa processions that poke fun at the tradition.

Tin took his flute and headed over to the tunas with Tatjana to play with them and what would they begin with but Guantanamera – a Cuban song (not Puerto Rican as Tin continues to think since he mostly hears the Puerto Rican gals playing it when they come to New Orleans). So he was in music heaven.

Then we settled in to eat the fish of the day, a tortilla española, gazpacho and of course, a tinto de verano (red wine with lemon soda).

Notice the fish – typical of this type that bites its tail – that’s how they serve it. All in all, a good time was had and we cheered to summer in Spain and good friends (and good food)!

So before we left New Orleans, my friend Lara Lester gave me a massage for free – not just any massage mind you but a deep in the hip joint get it all loosey goosey type of massage that is still being felt so many miles away. She also gave me some head decorations and a tip to wear my party panties whenever possible.

But wait there’s more – she also gave me (us) mustaches just in case we get bored. Tin and I tried them out before leaving and when we were on the train from Madrid to Cadiz, he took up with a bunch of girls and once passed the nano second of shyness began asking them if they too wanted to wear mustaches like he and his mommy. They had NO IDEA what he was talking about and I was trying to take a cat nap but couldn’t help but giggle to myself as he waxed eloquently about how much fun wearing mustaches can be.

Today, since I had time to do laundry, look at some things online, and basically gather my wits while Tin is at the beach with Alejandro (totally making A look hotter than he already is), I was able to find my ornaments and match my outfit for the day. Thanks Lara for being the best of the best and for being part of my love fest with the world.

On the topic of riches, it’s amazing to me that the more I move away from the life I had known, the more the life that opens up is filled with abundance. Take for instance, the fact that going away from our four legged family members has always been such an issue – trying to find that right person who will care for your pets the way you do, who doesn’t cost more than what you are paying for your room and board away. We lucked out big time when Ed crossed our paths – he is minding the ranch and the animals while we’re gone and yesterday took Loca for a much needed bike-run – finally Loca must be thinking, someone who thinks like I do!

Today he sent a greeting to Tin from Loca and Heidi:

I don’t even remember now how Anne Flournoy’s Louise Logs came across my radar, but how happy I was to meet Louise and Anne when it happened. Then through Anne came Mudd and I knew instantly that Mudd and I would collaborate one day. Little did I know it would be her and Tin.

Mudd’s on an adventure to find her creative spark (along the way creating like crazy) and in a turn of events decided instead of drawing to use her voice and so she created her first installment of Mudd In Your Face.

Her voice captured Tin and he wanted to hear MUDD over and over again, so we sent Mudd a video message and she responded in kind with a special installment just for Tin.

This morning, it was hard to get Tin out the door for boy’s day at the beach as he just wanted MORE MUDD.

Who could blame him?

One of the things I love most about Waldorf and its philosophy is reinforcing the need for simplicity in the lives of children. And the utmost importance of rituals and rites of passage. Every day when they have their lunch at the nursery, they light a candle and similarly, we have tried to make a ritual of lighting a candle around bedtime to create a ritual around the wonderful time of going to sleep. We made a decision at the beginning to make bedtime a no nonsense affair – you go to bed – there is not much to discuss, but there is wonder that surrounds that time when we stop and tuck in for the nightly ritual of resting our minds and bodies.

I saw this in a boutique here in Cadiz and bought it for when we return home – it will be Tin’s going to bed candle in his room. Of course, he blows it out before we tuck in.