Decompression After the Festival

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Hello Reader.

On Monday morning, Dan and I woke up around two-thirty. After the week I had at work, I decided that I wouldn't even walk past New Orleans on my day off. We went to Mike's house to sit on our asses and accomplish nothing for the entire day. We rented The Island and made pasta. I think everyone enjoyed the time off... Fallas can really cut in to your lazy time.

Janine, Mike's friend/couchsurfer, left that night to go back up to northern Spain where she was studying Spanish. She was a super nice girl - one of those who would pick you up if you were hitch-hiking. Dan moved to the nest that night, where he would have a bed as opposed to my tile floor. He and Daniel Jove walked me home before returning to the hostel. I said a sad goodbye to Daniel as he would be leaving to go back to Barcelona the next morning.

On Tuesday, the gang that was still lingering after the festival (I think just Sean, Chris, and Dan - besides the usual circle of residents) went for sandwiches and then ice cream. We somehow lost Chris during the ice cream stage of the day... we're not sure how. We sat for a while in a plaza before deciding that we were lacking a board game and beer. We were on a mission.

We got some beer at a convenient store. For the board game we went to the hostel. While selecting trivial pursuit from the shelf, we met Dave from Canada. He seemed to be a nice guy and we were chatting with him as we would any stranger. Then Chrysa re-introduced him as a couchsurfer. We all smiled and shook hands again. I informed him that he would be spending the rest of the day with us. So with our new friend in one hand, and beer in the other... and, uh, a board game under-arm, we went to a nice patch of grass in Plaza de La Reina. Dan, Ali, and I won... somehow... I have a long record of losing at TP and still think that either Dan or Ali slipped in an extra pie piece while I wasn't looking. At one point during the game, a group of Malaysian tourists were walking by and started taking pictures of us. They would all run up and kneel by us and tell us to wave while their friends would take pictures. Being that it was as weird for us to have them do that as I suspect it was for them to see us playing and drinking in the park, we took pictures of them too. Pictures all around.

A 'quick' drink from New Orleans and we were off to Mike and Chrysa's house to watch Family Guy and Robots. I had 'seen' Robots before, but fell asleep during. Strangely enough, I almost had the same problem this go-round. I headed home and slept.

Fruit Salad Wednesday was epic this time. Though I was, of course, late again. Ali's parents came into town that week and she spent some time with them over the next few days... But she wouldn't dare miss a Fruit Salad Wednesday after the harassment that Harri got (and still gets) when she chose to go swimming instead one day.

That afternoon, Alice joined her parents on a walk through the city. Harri, Dave, Dan, Sue and I went for a walk through the Garden Turia until we arrived at the majestic City of Arts and Sciences. We stripped our shoes off and played frisbee for hours. Followed by lots of hand stands and tree climbing. Sue, having the distinct disadvantage of being a girl, was surprisingly good at frisbee... ninety percent of the time. Every-so-often she would manage to throw it in the complete opposite direction from where she was aiming... then follow the toss by a fit of laughter. A cuter idiosyncrasy couldn't be found.

On Thursday, we said goodbye to Dan. Another one bites the dust. But Dan has an open schedule and said that he might be back the following week after heading to Madrid (following Barcelona). We're still waiting for him. That evening, Harriet, Dave, and I walked around the old town. Exploring allies and plazas that we simply never had a reason to walk down. There were several art galleries that we walked into, and one of them was having an opening night - which meant free snacks and wine... I'm sure we didn't look out of place surrounded by art enthusiasts in fancy attire being half their age with our jeans and tee-shirts. We had a couple of light conversations and left after about fifteen minutes - or after getting our fill of (non-poisoned) empanadas and watercolor. As our walk went on, we found a number of open windows belonging to artists or furniture restorers, polite and interesting conversations ensued and a number of pictures were taken. We played frisbee in a hidden plaza and had a glass of wine in an old pub with a fireplace. I think it's always good to discover new parts of the city you live in... it's like finding a hidden track on your favorite cd.

Dave left the next day for Granada and being Friday, I went to work. I left work a little early and met Fadime and Gregory, our two French friends that had up and moved to Valencia to learn Spanish. They are really nice and a lot of fun. We met Mike, Ali, Sue, and Harri at a bar to play a quick game of pool before heading to dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Chinese restaurants in Spain are known for being cheap, as in seven Euro for a three course meal and dessert. The food was good, but the company was unbeatable. We played with the lazy Susan in the middle of the table and laughed at our French pronunciation of the word 'almond.'

I woke up late on Saturday... I guess it was my last night of catch-up following Las Fallas. I thankfully checked my mail before heading to work only to receive a letter from Jackie and Casey, a couple of friends from back home. They had e-mailed me a few weeks back to ask if they could stay at my place for a few days during their month-long trek through Europe. The e-mail informed me that they would be arriving the following day.

It was a late night at work followed by a couple of drinks with the usuals. My voice echoed through the streets while singing as loud as I could when I stolled home at one-in-the-morning. And I brushed my hair before I went to bed (so I look good in my dreams, mom always said).




Post Statement: Thanks for the patience on the blog. I know it's been a while. I've been deliriously busy the past month. I'm safe and having a great time. More updates to come soon.

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