Feelings of the Day: Being ridiculously busy, when on vacation, means you’re not really on vacation. Sitting in a pool or lounge chair, for a week or two, is not my idea of a vacation either. I like to be somewhere in the area between busy, with bouts of relaxation, and ridiculously busy. To use a car analogy, using 3rd gear and sometimes 2nd and 4th. For these four days on my own I would drop that down to mostly 2nd gear and I was totally ok with that. It meant I could catch up on my travel diary, send emails/FB posts from it, and read some more.
Full Day’s Events: Today my friends were going on a three-day biking excursion. Being a big boy, I was more than capable. Except with the Spanish language, of course, but I wasn’t going to give any lectures or book readings so knowing the bare basics and having an app to stumble through the rest would be perfectly fine.
First up was trying out the electric bikes from the Almazan town gym. For only five euros, I can rent a decent e-bike from 9am to 7pm. The website to reserve and payment was fairly easy. Helmets and a lock are also included in the bike rental. When I got there, myself and the custodian used each of our phones to complete the transaction. However, because it is holy week, the gym was shutting down at 2pm and I had to return the bike by then. Not a problem.
After biking to the Lupa, a large grocery store, and bringing my haul back to my accommodations, I tried biking on a trail my friends recommended. After a half hour out and another half hour back I was happy with the bike and knew that someday I could stand owning one.
Returning the bike, I started walking in the nearby area for a couple of errands. First up was a requirement for local protein on two of the three nights I would be alone. Theodore’s, a fantastic local butcher, was closed. I had researched local food establishments before coming to Europe so I went to the next nearby butcher, which was also closed. Out of five local butchers only the Halal place was open, so I purchased some nice-looking lamb chops with our common language of French.
After heading to my last stop at the Dia, a moderately sized grocery store known for good vegetables, I walked back so I could have a late lunch. As I rounded the corner, to the street I was staying, I noticed that the wooden barrier to the left side of the Merchant’s Gate was open! I was told by my friends that on weekends and holidays this barrier would be opened, so folks could climb to the top of the Merchant’s gate, to view the surrounding landscape and town of Almazan. My shopping bags were not heavy so I made the climb. The views were definitely impressive. Enjoying the view, entirely to myself, I looked at the notable structures around town and the puzzle piece undulation of the tiled rooftops.
Returning home, I made lunch, wrote the next daily transmission of my trip, then relaxed and read. In the early evening, I cooked artichokes in the oven, made vegetable stew on the stove, and lightly fried a thin lamb chop. The wine I chose, to drink over the next several days, was pleasant and went well with my food.
I couldn’t rest for long so, after reading a little, I went to the town’s Plaza Mayor, to be there for 9pm. Tonight was another event for holy week: The Procession of Silence. During it, the Brotherhood of the Holy Burial carried the image of Christ crucified from one of the town’s churches and through the streets to the Plaza Mayor.
There, the Brotherhood and officials gave thoughts and remembrances before asking for a time of silence and reflection. Afterwards, the Brotherhood carried on through the streets, with the image, to a different church. Like last night, it was a privilege to see this cultural event that has been going on for generations. Returning home, I read some more and went to bed with a fire in the stove. 7km and 39 flights walked and ~20 km distance biked.
No comments:
Post a Comment