Our friend, Rebekah, took us to Palencia yesterday to pick up our brand new Spanish ID cards. We are now officially residents of Spain. This gives us the right to live here and spend our US money as freely as we want. I had thought that the residency card would be for a longer term than one year, but we will need to renew at the end of 2009 if we want to stay here more permanently. We will also need, at some point, to get our residence changed to Sahagún, since we applied for Moritinos in the province of Palencia and it looks like we have found very comfortable lodging here in Sahagún, which is in the province of León.
I am feeling very much at home here now. My language is not improving by leaps and bounds and we are working day and night on Elyn’s new book, but I feel quite at home when I walk out on the streets and do our shopping. We even visited a “big box” store, Carrifour, in Palencia yesterday—almost like being in the US. Well, no US “big box” in the US has jamon ibirico and a fish department with eels and other delights. It is all very interesting and new for us here, even though we did live in Spain for a year back in the late 1990s.
A big part of our comfort here is the presence of American/British friends, Rebekah and Paddy. Also the Luna/Tovar family, which has been friends with Elyn since the 1980s have made our transition to Spanish life very easy and enjoyable. We also have American friends living north of us in the province of Asturias. They have invited us up to visit them one weekend while we are here this time. I haven’t seen much of Asturias, which is on the northern sea coast of Spain. I’m looking forward to a train trip over the Picos de Europa (the mountain range just to the north of us) and getting to know Asturias
All in all, we like it here and will probably be here most of the time for a few years. Santa Fe will remain our US home and we may purchase another house there when we sell our current home, but I anticipate spending the majority of our time in Europe for the near future. There are many places I want to visit that are easy travelling distance from Sahagún, so we can be the nomads we like to be for this time.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Now the Work Begins
We have had a real celebration in Washington, DC and now it is time for us all to get to work. The size of the task is beyond my imagination. There was a cartoon in El Pais (the newspaper of record here in Spain) yesterday that shows Obama giving his speech on TV and a group of gangsters (read corporate crooks, the "defense" industry, the "health care" cartels, etc. etc.) laughing their collective eyes out. These forces are larger than our government and they are international. How can our law makers and the Obama administration deal with these forces to make the changes that will save our way of life? It will take collective action on the part of a large percentage of the citizens of this country to even begin to make a dent in the forces that confront us.
This is NOT the time to be a Democrat or a Republican. This division has been used for many years to divide and conquer us. It is time to be citizens, with all the responsibilities that that implies. I'm not going to favor everything that Obama does. He has already taken actions that show he is not a secure lefty, even though he signs his name that way. I'm going to have to grit my teeth many times, but the issues are so large that we must support him so long as his general direction is toward honesty, transparency, and support of the citizens of the US and the world. We just want a reasonable way of life, security in our homes, a decent education for our kids, and reasonable care when we are ill. We must become a country devoted to the rule of law again. We need to repudiate the policies of those who have trashed our Constitution.
This week I am proud to be an American. When we go into local shops here in Spain they often congratulate us for electing Obama. They smile at us much more than in the past. We are viewed as fellow human beings, not the enemy. There is a reservoir of good will for Americans that has not been evident in recent years. They understand that we are really all in this together and we all succeed or fail together. They appear ready to give us another chance to do things right. Now it is up to us not to miss this chance. The eyes of the world are on us.
As I sit here in this little bar I am being greeted with a smile by the numerous old men who spend their days here. They come in and have a coffee or a beer and play cards and talk. They greet us warmly and say "until tomorrow" when we leave. It is good to call the US my home again.
This is NOT the time to be a Democrat or a Republican. This division has been used for many years to divide and conquer us. It is time to be citizens, with all the responsibilities that that implies. I'm not going to favor everything that Obama does. He has already taken actions that show he is not a secure lefty, even though he signs his name that way. I'm going to have to grit my teeth many times, but the issues are so large that we must support him so long as his general direction is toward honesty, transparency, and support of the citizens of the US and the world. We just want a reasonable way of life, security in our homes, a decent education for our kids, and reasonable care when we are ill. We must become a country devoted to the rule of law again. We need to repudiate the policies of those who have trashed our Constitution.
This week I am proud to be an American. When we go into local shops here in Spain they often congratulate us for electing Obama. They smile at us much more than in the past. We are viewed as fellow human beings, not the enemy. There is a reservoir of good will for Americans that has not been evident in recent years. They understand that we are really all in this together and we all succeed or fail together. They appear ready to give us another chance to do things right. Now it is up to us not to miss this chance. The eyes of the world are on us.
As I sit here in this little bar I am being greeted with a smile by the numerous old men who spend their days here. They come in and have a coffee or a beer and play cards and talk. They greet us warmly and say "until tomorrow" when we leave. It is good to call the US my home again.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Surprise!
Elyn and I were sitting in our apartment here in Sahagún and talking about how good life is here. There was a buzz at the front door and an American voice asked for us. We buzzed her in and who should be there but our good friends Jim and Renate Fernandez from the US. Jim was Elyn's major professor at Princeton many years ago and we have become good friends over the years. They have a place on the north coast of Spain and they were driving through to it, choosing to stop in Sahagún to see if they could find us. Of course, that was easy, since we are the only Amerianos in town!
We had a nice hour visit and they went on their ways. We will travel up to visit them there before we return to the US in mid February.
Life is Good!
We had a nice hour visit and they went on their ways. We will travel up to visit them there before we return to the US in mid February.
Life is Good!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Satisfying Saturday
We awoke to a cold and rainy morning here in Sahagún. I’m reflecting on a near perfect day yesterday. First, there was the Saturday market, not up to summer standards, but extensive nevertheless. We looked at the produce, bought some wonderful cheeses, and Elyn got herself a warm wrap to take the winter chill off. Then we met Rebekah, Paddy, and the two young (26-year-old) Americans they have visiting them. Adam is a fine guitarist and Marta is a singer. We were treated to a short concert late in the evening after a lovely dinner at the Peaceable Kingdom (Rebekah and Paddy’s home in Moratinos) of which, more later.
We spent time having coffee in R. and P.’s favorite bar as we got to know Adam and Marta. Such delightful young people! They give me hope for the future when I see intelligence, wit, drive, and optimism in the next generation. Perhaps we will muddle through to a better world after all. Or maybe I’m just basking in the promise that a new administration in Washington brings. I know that “happily ever after” is just for the fairy tales, but it's good to think that we will have some new, fresh minds at the helm.
Rebekah has dreams of a concert series here in Sahagún and Adam and Marta may be the leading attractions for the first concert. To put her plan in motion, she needs the permission of the mayor to use the local auditorium. Enter Paca, the matriarch of our “family” here in Sahagún. Paca and her family go back many generations here and she knows everybody and doesn’t miss much that goes on. She has “enchufe” as they say here. She is “plugged in” and has pull with all the local authorities. We met Paca at the Liberia Luna and introduced her to the two Americans. Paca took over from there and became the instant center of attention, with a flood of stories, jokes, and dramatic gestures. She took us up to her apartment for refreshments and much talk. Pace will be 82 in February and she is a force to behold. She will go with Rebekah and Adam to meet the mayor on Monday, which will probably seal the deal on using the local facilities for R.’s planned concerts.
After a short rest, Rebekah picked us up to go to the Peaceable. This was the first time we have seen the place in the daytime, so we were given the grand tour. (If you haven’t done so already, you should visit Rebekah’s blog at http://moratinoslife.blogspot.com/ to see the place and what they have accomplished there.) They have quite a spread, with a walled farm yard at the back, a bodega (wine cellar) dug into an adjacent hill, and many rooms, stables, and storage areas, with a delightful central court yard. They have done a lot of work to renovate this place. It is built from the usual adobe over a brick foundation that goes back to Moorish times. There was much serious conversation covering the Gaza fiasco, the downed plane in the Hudson River, Jewish history and genealogy, and the wonders of technology (we took our MacBook Air with us and joined Paddy, who was surfing the net using their Wi-Fi connection). What a strange and wonderful world we live in. They have wireless internet in this ancient Spanish villa.
Altogether, it was a satisfying and enjoyable evening, punctuated with a luscious dinner that Rebekah served. There was pollo de corral (chicken from the farm yard), bread stuffing, and cauliflower, followed by goat cheese from the market and sweets that we brought from our favorite bakery in Sahagún. (Sometime I’ll write a piece about the shops and stores we regularly visit here.)
Then Adam played several pieces for us, some from the standard guitar literature, some pieces that he has unearthed here in Spain, and even some new works that have been written for him. He and Marta are living in Madrid, where he is studying contemporary Spanish guitar literature on a Fulbright Fellowship. He plans to produce a CD of the new literature he is discovering and bringing about. Describing musical performance in words is an art that escapes me, but I can say that the innovations in guitar performance that Andre Segovia brought about have borne fruit in a dramatic way in Adam’s performance. One hears the guitar, not as a single instrument, but a complete orchestra in his playing. It was truly the dessert and topper for a delightful day. Life is so good here!
We spent time having coffee in R. and P.’s favorite bar as we got to know Adam and Marta. Such delightful young people! They give me hope for the future when I see intelligence, wit, drive, and optimism in the next generation. Perhaps we will muddle through to a better world after all. Or maybe I’m just basking in the promise that a new administration in Washington brings. I know that “happily ever after” is just for the fairy tales, but it's good to think that we will have some new, fresh minds at the helm.
Rebekah has dreams of a concert series here in Sahagún and Adam and Marta may be the leading attractions for the first concert. To put her plan in motion, she needs the permission of the mayor to use the local auditorium. Enter Paca, the matriarch of our “family” here in Sahagún. Paca and her family go back many generations here and she knows everybody and doesn’t miss much that goes on. She has “enchufe” as they say here. She is “plugged in” and has pull with all the local authorities. We met Paca at the Liberia Luna and introduced her to the two Americans. Paca took over from there and became the instant center of attention, with a flood of stories, jokes, and dramatic gestures. She took us up to her apartment for refreshments and much talk. Pace will be 82 in February and she is a force to behold. She will go with Rebekah and Adam to meet the mayor on Monday, which will probably seal the deal on using the local facilities for R.’s planned concerts.
After a short rest, Rebekah picked us up to go to the Peaceable. This was the first time we have seen the place in the daytime, so we were given the grand tour. (If you haven’t done so already, you should visit Rebekah’s blog at http://moratinoslife.blogspot.com/ to see the place and what they have accomplished there.) They have quite a spread, with a walled farm yard at the back, a bodega (wine cellar) dug into an adjacent hill, and many rooms, stables, and storage areas, with a delightful central court yard. They have done a lot of work to renovate this place. It is built from the usual adobe over a brick foundation that goes back to Moorish times. There was much serious conversation covering the Gaza fiasco, the downed plane in the Hudson River, Jewish history and genealogy, and the wonders of technology (we took our MacBook Air with us and joined Paddy, who was surfing the net using their Wi-Fi connection). What a strange and wonderful world we live in. They have wireless internet in this ancient Spanish villa.
Altogether, it was a satisfying and enjoyable evening, punctuated with a luscious dinner that Rebekah served. There was pollo de corral (chicken from the farm yard), bread stuffing, and cauliflower, followed by goat cheese from the market and sweets that we brought from our favorite bakery in Sahagún. (Sometime I’ll write a piece about the shops and stores we regularly visit here.)
Then Adam played several pieces for us, some from the standard guitar literature, some pieces that he has unearthed here in Spain, and even some new works that have been written for him. He and Marta are living in Madrid, where he is studying contemporary Spanish guitar literature on a Fulbright Fellowship. He plans to produce a CD of the new literature he is discovering and bringing about. Describing musical performance in words is an art that escapes me, but I can say that the innovations in guitar performance that Andre Segovia brought about have borne fruit in a dramatic way in Adam’s performance. One hears the guitar, not as a single instrument, but a complete orchestra in his playing. It was truly the dessert and topper for a delightful day. Life is so good here!
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