A MEDITERRENEAN VIEW

I found a place! I moved into an aparment in Garrucha with one of the teachers from the school. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like waking up with a view of the Mediterranean Sea, it’s spectacular. I keep expecting it to be a projection screen that, at any moment, will roll up to reveal concrete and Wal-Mart. Yet the scene I find myself in is completely real; the palm trees move in the wind, the waves make noise as they slap the shore, ships glide without aid of pullies or wheels, and the sun has most definitely left its mark; therefore, I deduce that it is not a dream.
Yesterday I stuffed myself with paella. One of the teachers and her husband took Joana (the other English teacher and I) to Gabo de Gata where we met up with the director of our program and her family. Gabo de Gata is best known for its nature reserves and immense views. I saw flamingos with their stilt like legs and loopy necks, and a white mountain of salt contrasted against the brown sierras and blue sky.
The day before we went to the near by village of Mojacar; perched on a hillside, it’s almost entirely made up of white buildings. The guide book describes it as, “A teared wedding cake cascading down the hill.” It was picturesque in the way that aged white buildings are when contrasted with fuchsia flowers, blue tile, and palm trees. Joana described it as giving off a “creepy” vibe. I myself wouldn’t call it ‘creepy’ as much as ‘nostalgic.’ It possessed the quality of a place where time stands still; yet the surplus of tourist shops devoted to capturing that essence some how negated it. I did learn an interesting tid-bit though, apparently Walt Disney was born in Mojacar and then adopted by and American couple; leave it up to Spaniards to take credit for that one.