Winter in Spain

Everyone thought we were going to South America (specifically Brazil)–so did we. Due to a last minute gut feeling, we are now in ¡España!

València is a city along the east coast of Spain hugging the Mediterranean Sea, known as the birthplace of the lovely, hearty and communal dish: paella. Spaniards love their wine, beer, fútbol and jamón. Similar to a “city/state,” over 2 million people surround our Airbnb apartment in the metropolitan area.

The journey here was not as smooth as we’re accustomed to. Grounded, the AirBerlin flight from New York City to Berlin (TXL) was delayed 5 hours—causing us to miss our connecting flights to Spain. These 5 hours were not spent in the comforts of the JFK terminal; they were spent regrettably inside the German plane. The pilot would come across the intercom in German and Michael and I would watch the reactions of the other passengers. It doesn’t matter what language you speak—anger, impatience and frustration look the same on every human’s face. Take note, when the pilot says 45 minutes, he means 2 hours, 25 minutes, about an hour, and so on.

There are incentives of a 5-hour delay in the plane, at the gate nonetheless. This includes free alcoholic beverages (helps with sleeping), a great conversation with 2 Austrians, and First-Class tickets on the new connecting flight to Barcelona (perfect atmosphere for flying over the Swiss Alps).

We’ve been in Spain for just two weeks with our friends, Chais and Shawna, and we’ve stumbled upon some of the greatest memories. From joining the protest in the plaza outside our front door (see mikenyff.com’s video and photos from the event), to crashing the birthday party in the apartment above us—discussing GP Moto, age, Spanish-English translations, oh and of course—dancing. Shawna and I have run around the city centre, we’ve drank beers outside of the Central Mercado–listening to music and chatting.

We’ve walked the side streets, and have cheered with the locals during the Barcelona-Madrid fútbol match last Wednesday night. We’re working as usual and cooking up a storm at home.

Skype is still my lifeline to my family, and I could not feel more loved when my niece and nephew Skype me out of the blue, to show me their circus performance they randomly created on a Sunday morning.

In summary, our location has changed but our daily doings have not. We’re just refining our Spanish and laughing at the bidet.

 
We may not have a permanent home, but it feels like home, being back on the road.

-C