Pamplona

So, here's the story about Pamplona.


When I graduated from Marblehead High, Class of '69, I was directionless and had pretty crappy grades. The guidance counselor told me my only choice was to go to a junior college somewhere to try to get the grades acceptable for a 4 year college down the road, but really, why bother when I would probably just get married anyway? It was bleak. Since I had received great training in typing and shorthand from Mrs. Homan at MHS, I ended up working as a Kelly Girl (a temp agency from back in the day -- do they still exist?) and as a waitress (the "worst waitress in the whole world" according to the chef). After a year of this nonsense, my father found out about a course for foreigners offered at the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. I was a naive 18 year old who thought it would be "fun." I had had two years of Spanish, getting an A the first year and a D the second. Imagine how much Spanish I spoke. Basically, nada.

I spent the first semester in a dorm run by Mexican nuns with a 10 PM curfew. I remember trying to register for class and being asked to bring in 4 ID photos and I burst into tears! Where and how was I supposed to get those?? I cried myself to sleep for the first two months -- it was so hard to be in a foreign country where I couldn't do ANYTHING most American college kids were doing!!

One of the things people do a lot in Spain is barhop. When I'd go out with a group of kids, I'd order Coke because I didn't know anything about the little shot-glasses of wine the Spanish kids drank. After several of these outings, one of the guys took me aside and got me to understand that my ordering Cokes was killing them -- the Coke cost about a dollar and the little wines cost only five cents!! Who knew?

Of course the 10 PM curfew was killing me. One afternoon I noticed a door with a key in it, so later that night another girl and I snuck out. This wasn't easy, because the dorm was about 2 miles from town, surrounded by nothing but tilled fields of mud. We managed to find my friend's boyfriend, who promptly drove us back to the dorm! The next morning we were asked to move out. So there I was, 18 and never having looked for an apartment, trying to find one by speaking ridiculous broken Spanish!

Fast forward a couple of years. I became so fluent in Spanish that, when people on the street stopped me to ask directions, they would note a slight lilt to my speech and ask me if I were Basque! I lived for 5 years under the dictator Generalisimo Francisco Franco, and then another 4 years as that beautiful country found its way to social democracy.

More stories to follow, as they come to me.

Change

Writing down everything you eat is good. (You bite it-you write it, you drink it-you ink it). Lost 3.5 in the first week. Maybe all the chorizo, chocolate, croissants, butter, and everything else delicious isn't what a relatively inactive 57 year old woman should be eating. Ya think? This blog will NOT become a dieter's journal -- those are excruciating. But I will mention my progress from time to time.

I did burn a few calories my last time kayaking with my friend B. It was so warm, sunny, and placid that I was just thinking how much fun it would be to take the scull out, when within moments we were in the midst of a good old fashioned nor'easter! At least, that's what it felt like; the wind picked up so fiercely that the waves were breaking over our bows and we were getting soaked! Of course the wind was going against us, and no matter how hard we paddled, it felt like we would never reach shore. What had taken us about 5 minutes to do when we first went out, took us about 45 minutes to get back in. Wow. Growing up, I always knew the Atlantic could turn on a dime, but a little lake like Chatfield Reservoir? The other times the lake has gotten rough on me, there was a build-up of clouds and other warnings. This time, from glassy water to little ripples on the surface to white caps took less than two minutes. All still under a Colorado blue sky and bright sun. Live and learn. That was Thursday. Today, Sunday, we are looking at 8 inches of wet snow.

Europe 2009 final week

Because I go back to Spain so often, I never seem to take photos anymore. This is the view of Greenland we got on the flight home. Funny to be flying over Greenland.

Spain is my home away from home. When I was 18 I went to college there, and although I didn't finish at that time, I remained in Pamplona for 9 years. One of the things I find most important is to nurture friendships, so I still to this day have great friends who feed me and house me when I go back. There is something terribly important to me about being with people who knew me when I was young and adventurous, long hair streaming, hitch-hiking to Morocco or Germany on a whim. Those friends are such a joy to be around, because in my mind we are all still in our twenties. Just because our faces don't match, doesn't mean we aren't the same "kids" we always were! I love to see how smart and successful they are, and that they have wonderful and good lives. We are all so very very lucky.

When I got to Madrid, I had to spend one night in a pension because my friends were out of town and I was seeing them on my way home. The pension I found was right next to Atocha train station, because I was catching a 7:30 AM train to Pamplona. Oh man, this pension was a riot! Of course it was in the old section of Madrid (well, it's ALL old over there, but you know what I mean), cobblestone streets, lots of bars and restaurants and street activity, the pension up one floor. My suitcase was huge (for me), but I got it up the flight, registered, and was shown to my room. The door to my room was so narrow that both my suitcase and I had to turn sideways to get in! It couldn't have been more than six feet square, with a bed crammed between two walls, a miniature shower and ridiculously tiny sink. The toilet was down the hall. This room cost me $55, and all I could picture was the fairly nice Holiday Inn room I could get in Denver for $49.95. The doll-sized TV was perched atop the armoire (oh yes, an armoire AND a nightstand were crammed in there!) It was hilarious.

A week in Pamplona followed, where I was treated like a queen as always. I got to see several old friends, ate all my favorite foods (including bleu cream cheese, locally made chorizo, and the best chocolate in the world). The food of northern Spain is so delicious, and I try to replicate it but can never get it just right. Tapas have become elaborate mini-meals, and are irresistible. I spent most of the time walking around my neighborhood, which is the oldest part of Pamplona and where the bulls run every July. Pamplona's old town is being renovated beautifully, with all the facades of the ancient buildings getting fresh faces and new, safe balconies for bull-watching. The Cathedral, too, is getting a facelift and all the bells are being refurbished, so there was a bell concert on the last day they were there before being removed. I lived no farther than 500 yards from that Cathedral for 7 of my 9 years there, so as I listened to those bells I felt as though I was truly home again. Next time I go to Pamplona, they will be back inside a beautifully restored Cathedral. I can't wait!

Colorado days

The past four days have been incredibly beautiful, with temps in the 70s and sunshine streaming in our windows. Three days ago I kayaked with my dear friend B -- it had been over a month since we'd been out together, and was a lovely time. The next day I went out with my sister -- so nice to have all the time in the world to drift around in the sunshine and chat. We didn't get a whole lot of exercise but sure had a great time. Then yesterday I actually took the scull out! The water was like glass, but pretty cold so I did not want to fall in! I pretty much hugged the shore, in case I'd forgotten everything I'd ever learned and flipped the crazy thing, but I did fine. It is always so hard for me to make the decision as to when to get off that boat -- usually my fanny is sore from sitting on that hard seat, so of course I have put "shell seat cushion" on my Christmas list this year! But I always know that this may be the last time on that boat for many months, and every time I put it back on my car and back into the garage, it is with regret! The most beautiful sight yesterday was a large vee of pelicans, still quite low to the water but over our heads, flying silently south. The swish of the air under their wings is a lovely sound.

I have started a competitive weight loss program, and am pretty psyched. Weight loss, dieting, watching what I eat -- ugh! But now that it is Littleton's Biggest Loser, I'm right there! I don't remember having such a competitive spirit when I was a kid, but boy it sure is there now! Off to play some tennis and to kick butt!

Europe Trip continued...

These are pictures of Norwich, England, and the beach cabanas are in Cromer, where our timeshare was located. We got to Cromer in the evening and walked from the train station to our timeshare, because google had said it was only a mile. But what a mile! After a steady uphill climb just about forEVer, we got to the driveway of the Cromer Country Club and found ourselves staring straight up a nasty, switchbacking gravel drive. We were exhausted from a full day of travel from Munich, and that driveway was just about the death of me.
But the town was gorgeous and after a good night's sleep, we were able to fully enjoy every minute.

The North Sea looks just like the North Atlantic, and so many of the towns in the area were familiar names from Massachusetts -- Ipswich, Boston, Essex. It was finally chilly and cold, the weather I had expected all along.
One day we took the bus into Norwich (the cobblestone street scene above). Michael got off a few miles outside of town in order to visit the aviation museum, and the bus driver and I chatted all the way into Norwich. He was an old white-haired gent, and has travelled all over the US. He was heading to Disney World with his grandkids in a couple weeks. People are always so surprising! I told him it was illegal in the US for passengers to stand and chat with the driver, and that the last time I'd done that I'd ended up dating the driver for a year! He laughed and said 37 years ago he met his wife when he drove her to work every day on his bus!
Another day we took a little boatride thru The Broads, which is the canal-laden area inland near Norwich. The houses along the waterways were gorgeous, and most had thatched roofs. We saw an otter, a kingfisher and several black swans.
Then there was the Coasthopper -- a bus that goes through all the little coastal towns from Cromer to King's Lynn. We had a great time stopping at little beach towns for shopping and lunch. I didn't chat with the driver this time, but we had fun talking to other passengers. Lots and lots of hikers and birders -- all "pensioners" - retirees who can ride the buses in England for free. What a great idea!

I'm Back!

Did I mention I have a terrible memory? We just spent a month in Europe. When I went to open my blog to write as we travelled, I forgot my password and was left blog-mute! Of course I keep a hand-written journal, but it's not the same as writing for others.

A week in Paris; one-bedroom condo in the Bastille neighborhood. Our windows overlooked the weekly market at Richard Lenoir, where we sampled fabulous cheeses, olives and fruit. The weather in September was so much warmer than expected, and stayed sunny for almost our entire trip. The Eiffel Tower continues to dazzle, and for two of those warm, starry evenings we picnicked on the lawns in front of it. We are not big spenders when we travel, preferring to eat humbly about half the time. We did find a lovely little restaurant in the Marais (the only one whose name I did not record in my journal!) where I had a beautiful lasagna and Michael had steak tartare. Daughter Maggie met us in Paris and spent several days with us before heading for the Camino de Santiago in Spain. My childhood friend Liz lives just in the shadow of the ET, so we had a built-in expert to give us helpful hints and to introduce us to cheeses and pates that we otherwise never would have tasted. One evening she cooked a gorgeous and elaborate dinner for us. Her tiny balcony had space for two tiny chairs and a table, so Michael and Maggie, who'd never been to Liz's apartment, got to enjoy the view and all the delicious food while Liz and I sat nearby. (When I stayed with Liz two years ago, I breakfasted every day on that gorgeous little balcony!)

Next came a week in the tiny town of Schliersee, in the Bavarian Alps. (I am not yet up to speed at this blogging thing, and can't get my photos to appear at the appropriate paragraphs as I write, darn it!) Schliersee, and its surroundings, looks like something out of a Disney production; I half expected to be dressed in the mornings by little bluebirds and mice, or to get a wake up call from Mickey himself! Green rolling hills full of cows with their bells ringing, colorfully painted houses with impatiens and geraniums tumbling out of window boxes. We have an American friend, married to a German, who lives a couple of valleys to the west of Schliersee. He toured us around Munich and then later in the week invited us to their house for dinner. So so lucky to have local friends -- it changes the way we see places considerably. A gondola ride up to the top of the Wendelstein gave us a panoramic view of the Alps all the way to Italy. (Lunch at the top was two hot dogs and fries, came to $21.00!) Road trip to Salzburg, taking all the little back roads in order to see as much of the countryside as possible, joined by a lovely lady from Massachusetts we met at the condo.

Of course I looked up rowing in Schliersee, and found a rowing club in Tergensee, about a 45 minute drive from Schliersee. Their boathouse was full of lustrous old wooden singles, but the most interesting thing was that they had an agreement with the gondola companies in Venice (about 2 hours away), and were able to train gondola pilots on a gorgeous black gondola they were taking out as we arrived.