Monday, January 24, 2011

Nuestra Casa: Our Spanish Home Away From Home

The View from Our Balcony: Denia, Spain: As I sit sipping my coffee in my dining room while alternately viewing the Mediterranean and the Montgo mountain, I feel at once transported to another world, yet at home.

We will call Spain home for about three months. Things feel different when you have that kind of time as compared to the harried adrenaline rush of the typical vacation, jumping from hotel to hotel and back home in a week. Some of the joys we have experienced so far include:

• Strolling (el paseo) along the Mediterranean with all the locals on Sunday afternoon, a leisurely walk through town punctuated by a cafĂ©, cana (small beer) or tinto (red wine) on the sidewalk.

• Visiting the city market, not only to admire the local delicacies, but with the necessity of negotiating in elementary Spanish to stock our home.

• Wearing out our soles walking everywhere, happening across hidden spots while watching everyone go about daily life (being in a resort area during off season makes this time even more unique as tourists are few).

• Feeling excited to come home after a tour to Gibraltar, pining for “my” Montgo and sea view. Settling in, cooking a good meal and having time to soak in the journey, reading a book about Spanish history or watch a football game.

Observing, wandering, smelling and tasting...improving our language skills...feeling just a bit like a local, but with the sense of wonder that can wear off at home...an ideal way to travel.

This post has been entered in to the GrandTourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging contest. For more info. visit HomeAway Holiday-Rentals site.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks so much again for entering our January contest! The entries were all so good this month. At last - at long last - we've announced the winners of our January HomeAway Holiday-Rentals Grantourismo Travel Blogging competition. Details here: http://bit.ly/hYq2VB

    Thanks again for your entry. We're announcing the February contest details a bit later today - the final contest is going to be a very easy one! Please spread the word :)

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