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April 24, 2017
Granada - Dia Dieciocho (Lunes)
Another lazy day! Dani left for Vienna with Tara and Nico went to school. Charles went for coffee and then took some towels and stuff to the laundromat. They have a washing machine - but it isn't large enough for a big wash, and the towels end up pretty stiff hanging in the sun. I did a small load and sat outside and read. I'm on my third book here -- reading The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I had read The Shadow of the Wind long ago and Dani had this second novel, a rather Gothic tale which centers around a writer and the magic of books. .
Sitting outside on the patio is such a fascinating experience. I've already said something about the sounds -- mostly I love the church bells ringing. Yesterday they rang more often because it was Sunday. They are so lovely and a good reminder to stop for a minute and ponder the world. The other thing that fascinates me about sitting outside, enclosed within high whitewashed walls, is that people can't see you. I often sit on my front porch at home and greet the few people, mostly neighbors, who amble by.
Here it is like Grand Central Station. I sometimes have to stand up and peer over the wall just to see what all the commotion is about. Today, within a fairly short time, the parade began. Here are the people who passed by: a) a group of college age students laughing and goofing off, b) several mothers speaking sweetly to children, c) about 30 tourists that were chatting loudly in different languages about the sights, d) several small clusters of Spaniards speaking very quickly and excitedly about something beyond my understanding, e) a few people who appeared to be either having an argument or just angry about something, f) a group (classroom?) of teens, and e) several barking dogs. Charles says that their little corner lot is an alternative route through the Albaicin and not even as busy as the main routes. Since the walls are stone and the pathways so narrow, all sound reverberates off the hard surfaces. The loudest people are those who are pulling wheeled suitcases over the cobblestones. Every day you can hear the worst racket and then you know someone is moving in or out. You can also hear everything that is said. Of course, you have to know Spanish very well to understand. The late afternoon sounds include the children playing soccer in the narrow streets. We can always tell where Nico is by the sound of the soccer game.
One other interesting thing about this house is that it is owned by the artist, Ricardo Bellido Cebellos, and the walls are full of his paintings and sketches. He came by yesterday to drop off a new toaster and we visited. He says he is not painting any longer but now is doing restoration work. He showed me some of the projects on his phone. I think his art (some of which is probably from his student days) is what makes the house so unique and lovely.
That was the day -- Dani has the computer that hooks up to the television, so we've had to stop our nightly ritual of watching either Blue Planet or Planet Earth. It has been an enjoyable family activity.
Posted by Marilyn at April 24, 2017 12:39 PM