10. July 17 – August 3, 2011

Sunday July 17, 2011    on the bus to Sevilla

Freddie and I are on the bus from Palmar. Freddie will get off in Jerez and I will go all the way to Sevilla.

We had a wonderful visit to Palmar this time. Of course, everyone was glad to see us and we felt very welcomed. Hector was our host and we slept in the bedroom he reserves for his kids. 

The people making the travel documentary whom we were there to meet, ended up coming in very late and going straight to bed. The day before they had attended a festival in Toledo, near Madrid.  While there, the tires on both their van and their motorcycle had been slashed. They had been able to have the van repaired before they left for Palmar (at least 8-10 hours south of Toledo) but they hadn’t realized that the motorcycle had suffered the same slashed tire fate, until it was too late to fix it. They were able to secure the motorcycle to the van so they could transport it but still had to find a place to replace the very specific motorcycle tires. 

When they called me about it, I suggested that they call Hector, as he knew shops in the Cadiz area. Sevilla would have had one, but they were passing through at the wrong time of day and it would have been awful and cost a lot of time to get lost in hot Sevilla during siesta time when everything is closed! Sevilla is a very difficult city to navigate, with its many one-way streets and it terrible traffic. It would not have been a good option, especially considering their allotted time. 

They ended up finishing taking care of the motorcycle on Saturday morning in Cadiz. Then they drove to Palmar to meet us. Our original 1 PM meeting time had been moved up to 5 PM. They had also scheduled some gyrocopter flights with Norbert so they were on a tight schedule. Sunday was already scheduled in Sevilla, so they had just one day in Palmar. How they regretted that when they finally got there and realized how wonderful and relaxing Palmar can be. For them it was a tease. I guess, that can be part of working, which they were.

They missed the sunset on the Lazotea by minutes, because they had to set up Jo’s tent on the beach while the daylight held. The script is about Jo’s travels through Europe on her motorcycle, sleeping wherever she finds space outdoors. They call it “wild camping.” 

Jo and crew finally did the interview with Freddie and me by candlelight on the Lazotea. They used the true story, that Freddie and I were friends of Jo’s parents and that she was meeting us for the first time in Palmar. In fact, we met Jo’s mother and stepfather several years ago in Greece, in a resort in the town of Elounda, where a former famous leper colony was located on an island in sight of Elounda. Jo’s mother had given me an historical novel to read about it when we were there. Meeting them had made our trip more fun and more meaningful. And Jo told us that they had said the same thing about us.

During the interview, Jo asked Freddie and I to tell the story of how we met. She was interested in our Flamenco and its relationship in our lives. 

She was supposed to interview Hector and maybe Karim too, but they ran out of time. They also felt that they had enough now for a good story. Everyone on the Lazotea treated us like celebrities. The documentary should air in Europe in November, but as of yet it will not be shown in the US, unless they can sell the series to someone else for the US distribution. But right now, it is the European Travel Channel who owns it and will air it in Europe. 

We had asked them to highlight the fact that Palmar’s pristine ocean and hills are in danger because of the hotels that are planned to be built on the beach. We want to help sway public opinion to stop this and preserve the treasure of Palmar. This was supposed to be brought out in the interviews, but I don’t think it was. I had thought that Hector would handle that part, but he never got his chance. So Jo promised that she would write something about it and put it on the website of the documentary. 

Tuesday July 19, 2011    Sevilla

My time yesterday and today has been spent on the group we have formed to help fund rehabilitation therapy for Angelita Vargas. We have phone calls and emails and a meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. There are snafus with the bank account we are trying to open; Spain has antiquated in-person bank laws juxtaposed with modern Internet laws. Doing anything here is like moving through mud. 

Yesterday I had a class with Lakshmi, shopped, practiced for a while and worked on this group. Later, because Angel was not running the water in his newly built fountain so that he was breeding mosquitoes that were biting me, I set up the mosquito tent that Freddie had used in Palmar. It has metal stays and fits over the bed. Our old mosquito net is set up over Rina and Akahne’s bed. Freddie set that up when he was here recuperating from his burns, when Akahne was almost being eaten alive by the mosquitoes. Normally the mosquitoes don’t bite me, but this week, since I have been back from Palmar, they have been awful. Rina helped me set up the tent and now I too am protected. 

I also booked a hostel in Lebrija for this Friday, so that Freddie and I will have to place to sleep after we go to the Caracolá, an important Flamenco festival, in Lebrija. Our friends will stay up all night because the trains and buses do not run as late as the show goes and the partying afterwards, and our friends don’t want to rent a room for only a few hours. This is hardcore Flamenco here in Spain. 

I checked the train schedules on the internet, so I could decide which train to take to Lebrija. I will go from Sevilla and arrive at the hostel in time to get settled in. Freddie will come up from Jerez with Pablo, David and Clara, whenever they get there. 

Unlike last year, which we missed, most of the performers this year are not that exciting, except for Pepe Torres. He is why I am going. I have not seen him dance yet this year. He is one of the best young, authentic Flamenco dancers in Spain and I always enjoy him. 

We first met Pepe, the grandson of the great Flamenco singer from Moron, Joselero, when David Jones Serva brought Pepe with Miguel Funi to perform in a concert at our house in 1998, before Freddie and I went to Spain together, and before we were married. Pepe was a promising young dancer then, in the pure Flamenco style. And while he was good then, we have seen Pepe grow and mature over the years to become the fine dancer he is today. So I am looking forward to seeing Pepe dance in Lebrija on Friday.

Today I felt lazy and unmotivated, so instead of practicing as I had planned, or visiting the 6-day class that Concha just started to teach in the Plaza Pelicano, I did Internet stuff, hand-washed clothes, journeyed, and had a class with Lakshmi. Then I felt motivated and practiced, before doing more Angelita business. This business needs to be done and I am here for now. And I know how to do it. So I do. Rina is also a great help; she is efficient and knowledgeable; I am not alone in this. Ligia and her mother Philippa came over and we talked on the phone with both Jill and Francesca. Then I worked some more with the group emails. I had planned to write earlier, but that did not happen. So it is happening now, just before I get ready for bed.

My class with Lakshmi today was good, although I still felt depressed when I got there. Of course I felt great after dancing and I did well in class. (I think that yesterday’s practice helped a lot). I am solidifying the Soleá and the Tango I learned from Angelita. I still have to review and relearn the Bulerías I learned from Angelita at the beginning of this trip. At one point I thought I knew it well, but now there are many parts I can’t remember. I have practiced the Bulerías I learned from Pilar and I think I will be able to use some great parts of it soon. Tomorrow, in addition to my class with Lakshmi, we have a group class with Juan at 9 PM. He plays guitar and sings and we dance. It is always fun. Maybe some of my new steps will spontaneously come forth when I dance. I hope so.

Rina cooked another fantastic meal tonight with the pork that I had bought yesterday. I feel so lucky. And Akahne did the dishes. 

I was thinking today about this year’s trip. It has been extremely difficult. But that too is part of life and is certainly part of Flamenco. If everything were great, I wouldn’t have the dimensions of emotion that this trip forces upon me. So for that I am grateful. 

Monday August 1, 2011   Sevilla 

We have been to Lebrija for the Caracolá (Flamenco festival), Jerez, and Ronda and back. Now we have three more days here in Sevilla. Angelita is improving, but I have been spending a lot of time as one of the core group of organizers working on getting her her rehabilitation therapy and trying to raise money for this. 

I continue classes with Lakshmi. My classes with Pilar La Faorona ended and I have used this break for some mini vacations. Now we are packing and I don’t like it. 

Freddie spent some wonderful time in Jerez with David, Clara, Nandi and Paul (Pablo) and I joined him in Jerez for a few days after we all met up in Lebrija. Freddie came back to Sevilla with me and then we took a romantic trip to Ronda. 

Before I went to Lebrija, I visited Angelita at home. She lives in a mainly Gypsy “slum” barrio which is supposed to be dangerous, but it didn’t feel dangerous to me. When I got off the metro I called Angelita’s friend and caretaker, Mari, as planned and then Angelita’s son came to meet me. It was just a short walk to the house. The son is visiting from Japan where he has a wife and daughter. He returned to Japan at the end of July. 

Right now Freddie and Akahne (Rina’s daughter) have made up a song on the guitar and Akahne is playing it and they are both singing it. Freddie made Pilipino adobo for the dinner that will be served soon (probably around 11 PM) and now Rina is making mushroom stuffed with freshly ground hamburger. Time has slipped by. Three months does not seem enough.

I am slowly packing up our Sevilla household, but I keep thinking, “I may need this again before I leave,” etc. But I put more and more things into the plastic storage boxes with little wheels that I bought last year. This year, I have decided to leave more things with the house and so to store less. But we still have a lot. 

I went to visit Angelita yesterday with Philippa and Ligia. Freddie didn’t feel up to it so he stayed home and slept. 

The three of us took a bus to the metro and then took the metro to Angelita’s.  This hot, baron complex, with its small block-like houses, feels like a community. Families and their relatives live here. When we left, we saw many people whom I had met at the hospital when I had visited Angelita there. They were all loving and very friendly. Then Angelita’s sister Elena came out of her house and we chatted some more. She is beautiful, and looks a lot like a younger Angelita. 

It took us about half an hour to leave after we walked out of Angelita’s door. I love the community feel. People sit in chairs and chat outside their houses on the stone and cement pavement between the lines of little square apartment-like houses. Angelita’s house used to be her mother’s. 

Angelita welcomed us warmly. She was still in her bed, having just finished her siesta. She is constantly improving. Her speech is getting better and she can move her right formerly paralyzed leg. She loves her physical therapy, but we have not been able to raise enough money yet to pay for it. Francesca, her niece, feels that she has to ask the clinic to decrease Angelita’s hours because we don’t have enough money. That is so sad. I was hoping that her many fans would come through with money in addition to their kind words that they post on the Facebook page I created for her. 

The core group of us includes me, Rina, Francesca and Helen (who lives in England with her new husband Jairo, a wonderful Gypsy Flamenco dancer originally from Moron). We have known his mother Carmen since 1999. Some of the others in the group are gone on vacation or are just not as active as we are. My time here in Sevilla has definitely been changed, by working on this project. But how could I not do it, after going through stroke rehab with Freddie for so many years and witnessing his amazing recovery. We want that for Angelita too. To see Angelita’s Blog, go to: The Blog for Angelita

Tuesday August 2, 2011

Last night after work, Lakshmi came to visit and to eat some of Freddie’s fantastic adobo. Everyone was raving about it so much that I had to try some, even though it had a lot of soy in it and I am highly allergic to soy. Immediately my stomach puffed out and a little later the gas came. My allergy to soy is still there, whether I am in denial or not.

Lakshmi told us that she had just found out that she made the finalists of a very important Flamenco concurso (competition) in Spain. On August 12 she will be among the dancers competing for the first prize. Lakshmi is working very hard for this. She also, finally, has some amazing musicians to back her up. She has two excellent and exciting guitarists and three singers who also do great palmas. Freddie and I stopped by today to watch a little bit of the rehearsal and I know that the performance will be excellent. Lakshmi is more and more dynamic. She is continually improving her already wonderful dancing. And now she is having a lot of fun with it and that makes it even better. The enjoyment of all the artists interacting with each other shows and the artistic level, even in a rehearsal, is raised and is exciting. I know that this show will be outstanding. They are doing a little part of the show at the museum the day we leave. But we leave at 7 AM and the show is at night. Rina and Akahne will get to see it, because they leave a day after we do. 

Angel our landlord went to the beach near Granada with his family for a month. Juan del Gastor and Lucy are also at the beach near Granada with Lucy’s family. We have said goodbye. Jill is leaving for the US before we are, but she will not be around our part of the States. Francesca’s husband Toshi is leaving for Japan tomorrow. Everyone seems to be leaving. That happens here in August. 

And we are leaving on Friday. We have two more days to finish packing, but we are making good progress. We had planned to visit Angelita tomorrow morning, but her rehab appointments will keep her busy all day, so we will have to visit her after 7 PM or on Thursday, which seems too close to our departure date to count on. 

Some money is finally starting to come into the Angelita Rehab account since the paypal button went up today. I feel like the things we had set out to do are in place. We have a bank account to send money to, we have physical therapy set up and started with the private clinic now working with the hospital connected with social security so the treatments can be complementary and not duplicative. Of course we need to keep the money flowing so the treatments can continue, but we have “moved a lot of mud” and we have accomplished the preliminary goals.

And the same goes for my dancing. I have Angelita’s three choreographies memorized, although they of course need a lot of work during the year. There is so much I have to make better. I also have Pilar’s Bulerías to work on. I will continue daily classes with Lakshmi through Thursday, when I will pack my shoes and skirt after class and zip the suitcase closed. 

We will definitely miss Rina and Akahne. Both Freddie and I have so much enjoyed sharing the apartment with them and deepening our friendship with them. We plan to room together next year too.

So this 2011 Spain trip is almost completed. 

Wednesday August 3, 2011

Last night after dinner (around midnght), Akahne and I walked the few minutes to calle Feria to take out the recycling. We were talking about the difference between chores here in Spain and at home in the US. She was telling me how she would always appreciate clothes dryers after having to walk up the three flights of stairs here to hang the laundry on the roof. 

I realized that I had never thought of it as “the three flights of stairs”. But it is. I see it as walking up to where Angel’s new fountain is, going up a few more steps and through his door, walking up the stairs to his kitchen, and then going through the dining area and the little room to the very steep flight of stairs to the roof. It is only this last staircase that sometimes makes me tired. I always hold on to the rail because it is so steep. Then I am up to the semi-covered rooftop area. 

Angel had a wonderful garden there again this year, but he stopped watering it and let it die. So now there are planter boxes with dry, dead vegetables speaking of the hot summer.

The clothesline extends over the stairs, and because I am short. I have to take my glasses off my chest where they hang from their beaded necklace, so they don’t get squashed against the railing when I lean way over to use the farthest lines. But I find hanging laundry relaxing and for me it is just a part of Spain. 

Akahne said she now appreciates dishwashers too, after hand washing the dishes here all summer. I remember when I moved back to civilization after living on a commune in the mountains in my twenties. I too appreciated washing machines and dryers and dishwashers after we moved to the city. I still do appreciate these things, but I have now grown more accepting of not having them when I am in Spain. Here I just relax into the Spanish rhythm and way of doing things, until I get frustrated by the inefficient way the banks work, or the things that take so long to get done. And yet, although I am impatient with the long wait when the vendors at the Mercado chat with their friends who come to buy their produce, I also love the community feel and the friendliness of it all. For me, Spain is a wonderful series of contradictions. 

Link to blog and Facebook Angelita page. http://angelitavargaslagitanilla.blogspot.com/

SPAIN CHRONICLES 2011

May 10-25 Writings
May 18 Writings
May 19-22 Writings
May 23-29 Writings
June 5-10 Writings
June 11-16 Writings
June 18-19 Writings
June 21-26 Writings
June 27 – July 9 Writings
July 17 – August 3 Writings
August 5-6 Writings