We took a little drive into the mountains Monday with Judyshannonstreetwhat (click here if you still haven't met) simply to enjoy the scenery and stop for lunch in the town of Coín (Co-EEN) less than an hour northwest. We arrived just in time for siesta, so we immediately stopped for lunch before strolling the deserted streets of a very small part of this non-touristy town.
Highlight
A 12-year-old with a skateboard whistled at us as we pulled out of the parking garage beneath Plaza Mercado. He followed the whistle with, "Guay coche [cool car]."
Some sights today. Tomorrow, lunch! (Click to embiggerize the photos.)
You may not realize this, but you can count on me for bible quotes. This one, Matthew 7:24-27.
"... And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rains fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew..."
Don't ask me what 7:24-27 means(and, please, don't tell me either)but I came across someone the other day who didn't heed Matthew's advice.
As for me, I think a house on the sand is charming — no matter how long it lasts.
After reaching the heights of the Moorish District of Frigiliana on Monday (see yesterday's post), we came upon an artist's studio. Above the door was a sign that read "Acuarelas" (Watercolors). The works displayed outside were so intriguing that we decided to go in for a closer look. (Click the images for the color enlargements.)
KLAUS HINKEL.
We were greeted by a charming man who turned out to be the artist, Klaus Hinkel (check out his website here). Klaus has had his studio in Frigiliana for 20 years. During our entire visit, I kept thinking how much My Mother The Watercolorist Dowager Duchess would have loved Klaus and his work. This was a day I would have enjoyed sharing with her.
San Geraldo and I very quickly fell in love with a large, framed, fine-art giclee print. Klaus painted the original during one of many trips to Morocco. The original painting now hangs in Boston, Massachusetts, where San Geraldo and I first met.
Judyshannonstreetwhat chose three small, unframed Frigiliana street scenes.
When Judy wondered aloud how she would get a large framed painting home to Seattle, Klaus said, "Oh, it rolls."
We all looked perplexed and imagined attaching wheels to the bottom of the frame.
Judy followed with, "And then what, it would just fit under my seat on the plane?"
Klaus laughed and said, "I mean, I take it out of the frame and it rolls [up] in a cardboard tube."
"PACIENCIA" (PATIENCE). 75 X 63 CM (30 X 25 INCHES). PROUDLY DISPLAYED IN OUR LIVING ROOM.
Klaus and I initially began to converse in Spanish and he asked where I was from. When I told him I was American, he was surprised. I've been told at times I speak Spanish with an Italian accent. But Klaus, originally from Germany, told me he thought I was either Swedish or German. Ach du lieber and Swedish meatballs! Swedish or German? Italian and Spanish are at least both Romance languages!
These are called "panqueques" in Spanish. Or, as I pronounce it, Flappen Jacken Hooten...
Many non-Spaniards pronounce the name incorrectly.
I told Judyshannonstreetwhat to say "Frigid-lee-AH-nah" and then make the "g" softly gutteral and drop the "d." She had an hour in the car to practice on our drive to "Frigiliana," the Pueblo Blanco (White Village) we visited Monday.
This is one of the most beautiful of the White Villages of Southern Spain — so-called because they are constructed of white-stucco and not, as some have wondered, because only white people are allowed to live in them.
As a matter of fact, Frigiliana prides itself on its enlightenment and respect for diversity. The central plaza is called "Plaza de las Tres Culturas" (Plaza of the Three Cultures) and includes symbols of the three major religions, the Star of David, the Christian Cross, and the Crescent of Islam. Every year in late August, Frigiliana hosts the "Festival of the Three Cultures."
Beyond that welcome, the village is historic and breathtaking. San Geraldo led the way up through the winding streets of the old Moorish-Mudejar district. Every so often, we'd lose sight of him only to see him peek back around a corner in glee waiting for us to see what was next. We climbed and climbed to the very top of the city, discovering magic all along the way.
(Click the images to see the magic for yourself.)
ALMOST BACK DOWN TO THE PLAZA DE LAS TRES CULTURAS
BEFORE HEADING OFF INTO THE SUNSET.
This New Year's Eve was one of the most joyous and memorable we've had. Tynan and Elena (and the kids, Alexander and Paula) hosted us at their house, along with their dear old friend Jim.
Elena, from Bilbao, cooked her traditional fish soup, the only fish soup I have ever liked. It's unbelievably good. Elena also served an excellent meat/potato pie (because Tynan was having a craving). And there was a feast of tapas before dinner.
Elena was working in the kitchen when we arrived and greeted us in an elegant (not) Fuengirola-style (definitely) outfit.
Tynan had a beautiful fire burning in the fireplace — on the TV screen. He briefly changed it to Darth Vader's funeral pyre, which apparently burns for five hours. But we only lasted five minutes before begging him to change it back.
After dinner, and before the countdown to midnight and the traditional consuming of 12 grapes to bring good luck in the New Year, San Geraldo led us in a rousing rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas."
We then turned off the "fireplace" to join in the television countdown. One of the presenters created quite a stir with her bizarre get-up. She was all over the newspapers on New Year's Day — after being all over on New Year's Eve. It would have worked much better had her co-presenter worn something similar (well, maybe not). (Click the pictures to see them in all their glory.)
WE MADE THE SAME FACE.
PAULA DOESN'T KNOW I MANAGED TO GET A PICTURE. (DON'T TELL.)
I SUCCESSFULLY DOWNED ALL 12 GRAPES.
JUDY NEEDED SMALLER GRAPES (OR A BIGGER MOUTH).
AND THERE'S SAN GERALDO AND HIS HEAVENLY GLOW. (REALLY THE GOLDEN GLOW OF THE FIVE RINGS.)
Since I accidentally deleted my video of our final verse (dammit), here's another non-traditional rendition of the song.
We had a brilliant New Year's Eve with friends that would make anyone grateful. More on all that is still to come in a day or two. Here are some photos from Thursday night lights and dinner in Málaga. We hoped to catch the holiday light show at 9:00. We waited among the crowd until 9:20 and it still hadn't begun. So we left to catch our 9:30 dinner reservation at El Meson de Cervantes.
MY EXQUISITELY DELICIOUS MOJITO.
MY TWO EXQUISITELY DELICIOUS MOJITOS. (THE ONE AT LEFT BEGAN AS SAN GERALDO'S EXQUISITELY DELICIOUS MOJITO.)
SECRETO IBERICO (PORK), BAKED PUMPKIN, AND PINEAPPLE MARMALADE;
CARILLADA (PORK) IN A CHOCOLATE SAUCE;
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH RED BERRIES;
WARM APPLE TART.
The first time I saw San Geraldo (in 1981) was in Boston on a Sunday afternoon at a bar called Chaps. He was standing across the room from me and I could swear he was levitating and surrounded by a heavenly light.
The reality:
The grandson of kings was standing on a platform. Behind him were the pinball machines. Their electric lights provided the glow. I prefer my initial version better.
Most people who know San Geraldo say I'm the saint. Whether that's true or not (and if you lived with San Geraldo for a minute, you would say it's true) he really does make the world glow brighter.
THE CROWD AWAITS THE LIGHT SHOW.
STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD,
SAN GERALDO AND JUDYSHANNONSTREETWHAT.
Many non-Spaniards pronounce the name incorrectly.
This New Year's Eve was one of the most joyous and memorable we've had. Tynan and Elena (and the kids, Alexander and Paula) hosted us at their house, along with their dear old friend Jim.
