Sunday 19 July 2009

Holiday!

If we took a holiday
Took some time to celebrate
Just one day out of life
It would be, it would be so nice!
I have had a most relaxing week in a mountain top villa in the Sierra Nevada - some may say it's the traditional British summer escape, but it was truly lovely. All the wonderful sea views without having to face the crowds. There's something very calming about being so close to the sky - I think I am definitely a mountain (as opposed to sea) person. Whilst I was mildly excited by the sliver thin resurgence of the British Pound, it didn't really matter because the cost of food was so cheap. The Spanish wine that I buy in my local supermarket in London (Tesco for those that are interested) is 60% cheaper - I can infact buy the Reserva for less than I pay for the Crianza here. Between the wine, gazpacho and sea views, it's been a very liquid week!

On the Sunday, I went to a Spanish bar to watch the German Grand Prix and experienced something I never get in London - the warm embrace of fellow Fernando Alonso fans. All the warmer for its rarity. Apart from this one indulgence, I was pretty sure I would relish the isolation but I discovered I have one further addiciton. I am addicted to news. Every morning, no matter how hard I tried to distract myself, and much to the amusement of my addiction-free friends, I had to get to a newsagent and buy an English newspaper. The only newspaper that makes the daily journey to Spain is The Sun (this is the most widely circulated tabloid in the UK, read by the masses, often based on hypotheses, with dubious journalism quality but with a fair chunk of sarcasm and some genius headlines - incidently my brother works there). So, mostly I read about how swine flu is inflitrating the nation, how Jennifer Anniston has found herself another man and how Cheryl Cole is prettier than Dannii Minogue. There were little snippets that covered the Indonesia bombings which I could use to piece together the pictures on Spanish TV. What language barrier I say...

Thankfully, the heat has broken here as you all predicted. I have come back to a much milder climate complete with drizzly showers - everyone is still walking round dressed as though it is 10 degrees hotter though, which is probably adding to the swine flu statistics that The Sun continues to churn out. When I was young, I had a Korean nanny who swore on my many dead ancestors' lives that if you went to sleep with a fan on, you would not wake up in the morning. I used to think she was crazy, but I've never been able to go to sleep with the fan on. You may laugh, but this is serious folklore in Korea - like the Bogeyman, or throwing spilt salt over your shoulder, or not walking under ladders. It's known as fan death - read the wiki-link.

As an aside, an American won the British Open today at Turnberry. It was a day of despair and disappointment - firstly for Ross Fisher, the local lad, who managed a double par when he was 2 shots in the lead to rule himself out of play. However, the real tear-jerker was 59 year old Tom Watson, an old school hero, who had been leading the competition and threw it away on the final hole to lose to another American during the play off. Sport can be so cruel.

4 comments:

  1. There's actually a Spanish film about that! I think it was called "Al Sur de Granada", came out about 5-6 years ago? Took place a loooooong time ago, wasn't bad!

    I can't quite decide between the seas and the skies myself... I'm always missing the one or the others. I guess I'll just have to settle down in a place with both! ;o)

    Being where you were I hope you took advantage of the chance to visit Granada? It's only my favourite city in Spain! I think I've been 5 times... or is it 6? :p

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  2. Oh, I was so pulling for Tom Watson! I love the mountains, and if I could live wherever I wanted, I would probably have a mountain home, as long as I could get to the shore within a reasonable amount of time! So this is your excuse!? Holidays and Mountains!? If You were here I would have to spank you.....Hmm, maybe I should hold on to that thought! LMAO!!! Once again, it is nice to have you back!

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  3. In Ohio, we have a cold snap low '70s during the day and '50s at night. Very nice.

    .... I will take the ocean from a hillside view :-) Very nice.

    Your vacation sounds absolutely fabulous. I really want to get to Europe in the next couple of years. I plan to just drag my boys with me. OR... I could chaperone a pack of kids from work with the French teacher??? I need to suck up more to her this fall when I am back to work. She is always taking the kids to France. The Spanish teachers go to Mexico. I am not that interested in Mexico.

    AND BAD OTIN!!! VERY BAD!! I should send Michel's dogs over to snap at him. Let me know if you want me to sic the dogs on him.

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  4. Hit 40... Mexico is wonderful! I lived there for 9 years and often wish I'd never left! The people are great, very friendly and fun, and there's so much to see and do that a lifetime isn't enough! I have list a mile long of places I still want to get to! Just stay away from the tourist traps of Cancun etc and you'll be fine! Oh, and don't drink the water... :p

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