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June 5th 2007

Published: June 5th 2007

We are back in Roquetas de Mar, on the Southeastern coast of Spain. We left Sevilla on Sunday with Stella, Stefan and our Argentine landlord waving goodbye. It is about a 4 hour drive past Granada and up over a mountain pass that is 1,300 meters (about a mile) high. There is still a fair amount of snow in the Sierra. The east side of the mountains are very dry, and as you descend towards Almeria they become even drier and rockier. (Apparently a number of spaghetti westerns were filmed in that area in the 1940s.)

We were able to move into the same apartment that we rented at the very beginning of our trip. (We are all about balance and symmetry). And now, I am sitting on our patio with a 20 degree view of the ocean. The beach, unfortunately, is not good for swimming right now. There is a mound of seaweed and other organic debris just above the waterline, and the first 10 feet of water is brown and chunky. The beach slopes off quickly, too, so the water gets deep fast. I suppose that once you get out past the surf line the swimming would be fine, but the thought of jellyfish (medusas in Spanish) and sharks keeps me close to shore.

Some initial reflections on our month in Sevilla: I did not fall in love with the city, but did enjoy living there quite a bit. It was the right size for our purpose, but the wrong temperament. Except for the ice cream across the street, the food was just average, but the beer and white wine both tasted fabulous on hot days. There are some great parks, and I particularly loved running in Maria Louisa Park; the riverfront, on the other hand, was a disappointment because it was dirty and under-developed. It needs more green space.

It was great fun just strolling around the various parts of the city. One of the highlight of the month was lunch with Santiago Enrique, two Mexicans who have kids at the same school our kids attended. We made great friends in Stella and Stefan, and got to know Maleni and some of her friends, especially Yolanda. The language school played a very important role in our lives, especially the Thursday evening football for the boys and me.. Environmentally we did well on energy use (no car or dryer and short showers) but did not recycle because there is not a system in place to do so. I read some good books, most notably Delilo’s “Underworld”, but not as many as I had hoped. I spent a good amount of time each day reading El Pais; perhaps I should have read more fiction, although reading in Spanish has to help my language skills.

With only two weeks left, has the sabbatical met my expectations? Mostly, it has met or exceeded them. I have lots of time to read and think, even if the depth of my thinking was not what I hoped it would be and the great American novel remains unwritten! The 3-month duration seems about right; I am starting to get a little restless and will be ready to return to practicing law with its demands and sense of purpose. I’ve been able to run, walk and practice yoga regularly, and I have lost weight, despite drinking way too much wine, mostly from walking more, not eating as much, and skipping the fruit smoothies I make every day at home.

From a family perspective, the kids have certainly received the education that we hoped. They have not learned as much Spanish as I expected, but they have a good foundation and understand quite a bit. They love to order for themselves at restaurants. They have seen lots of things they would never see in the States and are now more sophisticated and mature. Our relationships have deepened, and the boys have learned how to play together better. They have had to deal with adversity and homesickness and learn how not to quit. As Angie has pointed out, they will never read the news or view the world in the same way.

As for my relationship with Angie: Mind your own business! Suffice to say we’ve had lots of good time together!

I am looking forward to getting home mostly for the kids’ sake, but I am also ready for more routine and predictability. I don’t want to have to pack a suitcase or travel with a family again any time soon. I won’t miss trying to find the right restaurant, Angie asking the waiter about his favorites (which never amount to much) or waiting for everyone else to get ready to go. I miss our extended family, my friends from work, book club and neighbors. I can’t wait to head up to the cabin and swim in the St. Croix. But mostly I miss Calhoun the wonder dog!

But first, we have a week here in Roquetas. The kids and Angie each have two hours a day of language school. The rest of the time will be spent on the beach, by the pool, hunting for garnets at the dormant volcano, and taking a trip to the wilds of Cabo de Gato. And maybe some windsurfing. On Sunday, we’ll drive up to Valencia for a couple of days and perhaps a view of the America’s Cup sailing race. Then on Tuesday we fly to Venice for the highly-anticipated reunion with the Taiclets and a week in Italy. We still have lots of exciting things to do, so stay tuned for more updates.

Angie has read and approved the content of this blog, but she is chastising me for not having pictures to post. We do have some good new ones; I'll try to get them up later today or (more likely) tomorrow. Hasta luego!!!

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