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Your January looks a lot better than the one I'm experiencing. We've had snow almost every day as well as single digit temperatures. Monday the temp is predicted to be -11 F not including the wind chill. A few weeks ago, when the polar vortex first made its way south, I measured the temp at - 15 F.
Hi and thanks. The landscape around here is not specially pretty. The Huelva province has places which are much more spectacular. But its ok. It serves my need. To get out once or twice a day and walk the dogs seing something grow. That relieves my mind. But remember that from 1/6 - 1/10 basically nothing grows and it can be a bit boring and very hot. Ideally, (that means money ) I would live and work in Andalucia 8 month a year, going somewhere for a week or 2 in winter where there´s snow, and then live 4 month north of Spain (dont know where right now)
It´s because of me recalling a documentary on Jamón Ibérico de Bellota* with great rural images and the pigs roaming the woods. Looked like quite relaxed places.
Ruphus
PS: The pound of ham at 100 bucks >phew!<
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Summer I clearly prefer to stay north of the Pyrinees. Could be France, Scandinavia or Ireland. Something cooler and greener. The north of the Huelva province is called "sierra de Huelva" or "sierra de Aracena y picos de Aroche" Its very beautifull, quiet and authentical and IMHO maybe the perttiest region in Andalucia. Its one big nacional park.
And Cantabria. Yes lovely places. Very green, very different. Absolutely recommendable. I just need to get away from the Iberian Peninsula sometimes. Kind of empty the chip and start up again. If not, I might end up being spanish and i dont want that to happen. I need to know that I can escape if I want to and that there is a world outside the Iberian peninsula.
I showed this thread to a young man yesterday, in order to picture to him what me and my dogs are so badly longing for. From there we came to local environmental conditions and the estranged mentality that causes those.
Dialogue
He: "The ditches along our quarters streets are being heavily flooded currently". Me: "That is because the reservoirs dam is fragile. They release to avoid its breaking." He: "Yes. But they could give the water back to the river instead of wasting it this way." After seconds of silence ... "The residents however welcome the drying out of the river. They even request it to stay dry." Me: "Why?" He: "They say the water would attrackt animals, and they don´t want animals around their houses". Me: "What animals?" He: "Things like say lizards or chameleons". Me: "Huh?" He: "Yep. They just don´t want animals around". Me: "Such attitude still these days while wildlife going extinct. ... You poor guy don´t have seen a living tiger before they disappear from earth. You wouldn´t believe what a majestic, impressive appearance they ..." He: "I don´t have seen anything at all. The only species I have seen so far are squirrels." -
There used to be a time when people considered natural landscapes untaimed, whereas planned and sealed places appeared fashionable. Such view and worse even still exists with cultures who consider it sophisticated to distance themselves from anything natural.
Over here for instance ( in opposite of standards you know) standalone houses go for less than cramped buildings. Dense development just appears more urban and lofty.
And children are deliberately being raised in apartments as tres chique way of life. They have no experience with creatures and correspondingly lack of developingn empathetic skills. If they come across some poor animal, first thing they´ll spontaneously long for will be stones, sticks or wires.
And parents may be right by their side watching their cute little ogres in action.
Pardon me for the ugly pointer. Did not want to open an extra thread.
No, not at all. I just want to remember that there is a world outside with different values and different ways of living. A big problem in Spain is that a huge amount of people have absolutely no idea of how life is being lived north of the Iberian peninsula. They can be VERY ignorant.
Spain is a wonderful country for tourists and pensionados. Very nice to travel trough and stay on camping sites or if you have some money in the Paradores....but to live in and have to earn your money in the country, and be depending from the rules, laws, the goverment, it is another story.
Also one thing that looks always strainge to me as a nothern european guy, that if you know a bit about the figures of unenployment and the "state" Spain is in, you always see people with "normal" jobs eat out. They take their breakfast in a bar, if a woman have a little shop, and some girlfrend come in the shop they go lunch on a terras and close the shop for a while......still whole families eating out. I always get the feeling that people in Spain live the day as if it is their last day on earth, nothing wrong with that I think, but I think if they would not do that, they could save some moneyfor bad times.....
Spain is wonderfull if you are undepended from it.
Nice pics and thoughtful words from you, Anders.....
It always sounds a bit like "homesick". I am a part german and a part netherland, live now since many years in switzerland. For sure there is more than a bit trueth in the words: "There is no paradise on earth".......
I understand, but I´m not really homesick because I cant see myself in Denmark right now. After 12 years in Spain, Denmark is way to square for me and I would never have the chance to survive doing something that I like. And people never eat out casually.