Spain - Hola!

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Killing time has never been so rewarding!
This Estonian passport of mine is finally within my grasp and Im not sure if I want to strangle the bureaucrats for taking their sweet arse time producing it, or thank them for giving me so much time on my hands, with which Ive had no choice but to travel.
If I had a dollar for everytime Ive answered "I dont know" when asked about where Im going next and when Im going to go home, Id now have as much money as the professional soccer player and his wife who have opened up their house to me in Bilbao in the north of Spain.
The poor bugger's team lost to Atletico Madrid tonight, but I had a nice time with all of the footballers wives!
Here and in Pamplona, where I was last weekend with a Spanish friend and her family, Ive learned a lot about Basque people, the countrys politics, its football and amazing food (theres nothing like it). Ive also observed their preference for mullet haircuts. Eat your heart out, Minto!
After a week in Madrid, where I made the obligatory excursions to a bullfight and a flamenco show, and was reunited for a few days with cousin Jac and her boyfriend Mike, I joined 25 Anglos to help 25 Spaniards improve their English.
The program was Pueblo Ingles and the setting was a gorgeous little village - famous for its jamon (ham - a Spanish staple) - on the Camino de Santiago de Compostella, La Alberca.
There were 50 of us, isolated from civilisation for 7 days to talk to talk and talk and talk. The Spaniards spoke more than 100 hours of English that week and there was no shortage of red wine or parties and the end of a long day. We agreed the program was not dissimilar to Big Brother, just minus the scandals. There was gossip aplenty though and a love triangle here and there. My Spanish circle of friends was formed here. What a quality circle and the experiences and people it has led to since.
The following week was in Valencia with a beautiful Nepali girl who lived so near to my house in Nepal, but whom I never met. She married a Spanish man and the couple kindly took me in for a week in their beachside apartment. The assimilation of cultures was fascinating. I ate the traditional Nepali dish of Dahl Baht and spoke Nepali again, both for the first time since leaving Nepal four months ago.
My week in Valencia included a visit to a small town known as Bunol, host of the annual tomato throwing festival, La Tomatina. I emerged from the tomato pulp with my threads still intact, unlike some unlucky (or stupid) girls who had every thread on their top half ripped off by ravenous Spanish men.
A week in Barcelona followed that. What an amazing city, memorable times and friends made.
From here, the rough plan is to spend 2 weeks in the north of Spain then head south, where Ill sign up for a Spanish language course.
Then, Estonian cousin Erki comes back into the picture when, In mid-October, I think Im going to jump on his tour bus again for a week in Jordan.
I last saw him just before Spain on a tour of Portugal. A very cool country and a very cool cousin ... or uncle ... or uncles cousin. We havent quite worked that one out, the family tree is extensive!
So, on September 22, Ill be gone a year. It has to have been the most phenomenal year of my life and everytime I reflect on it, a huge smile spreads across my face, because Ive seen, participated in, experienced, tasted and learned some top shit and met top people.
Excuse me while I have a quiet moment to myself ... sniff.
I love you and miss you.
Rebecca/Clarky xo

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