God Jul från Vårgårda!

Happy Holidays from Sweden! I am loving my time here relaxing with my friend Magdalena’s family.  They have great food and eat all throughout the day.  Fika is between meals and is tea, coffee, cookies, sandwiches, sweets, saft, glögg etc…

Charlie Chaplin (aka Chappy the sweetest dog since my late dog Carmen) is ready for dessert.

Magdalena finishing our chocolates.

Swedish Christmas dinner served!

Edwin the mischievious.

Ciao Andalucia

Well I gave up on my debit card that I had been waiting for in the mail and think I have enough money to make it to Barcelona then fly to Sweden for Christmas.

Sevilla was nice with so many people on the street for Christmas and a lot of singing.  I loved my XV century renovated convent hostel on El Barrio de Santa Cruz.  I played the typical tourist here visiting Alcazar, going up the Catedral (all 34 ? some ramps horse friendly), snapping photos at Plaza de Espana, and of course my usual wondering.

Tarifa was amazing although a ghost town, exactly what I needed!  Also since I stayed a few extra days I really had one special day with poniente western wind and all of Playa de Los Lances to myself kite surfing.  There was literally no one else in the water, it was sunny and I wrapped up my kite that day DRY.

One of my favorite days with Poniente winds off Playa de Los Lances with Morocco in the background.

I have to say that was worth all the hassle with my lost bank cards.  I like it much better than surfing because you feel like you are flying for a long time.  It’s like snowboarding in the water!  It was cold these days but still beautiful and Moroccon landscapes. In fact for all my Ugandan friends on my kite board I’m only really good at edging right toward Africa not Spain! I plan to go again when I find a place in the United States but currently hold a level 3J with IKO international Kiteboarding Organization.  Thanks to my incredible standup Italiano instructor Daniele and KTS Kite Tarifa School www.ktstarifa.com. I’ll be back Tarifa.

Downside I only have four days for Barcelona! Say what! Yes I might cry and I probably won’t see a futbol game but this is traveling.  Although going to Sweden to see my dear friend Magda and her family is more important.

Tarifa, España

Playa Los Lances- Tarifa, España

 

Hi all! I am just checking in at Tarifa, España.  I was at my favorite cafe Bien Star here on the beach chatting with some new friends yesterday and was convinced to continue my blog some more even if it is just a few photos from time to time.  I wanted to keep this site somewhat professional but at times both my personal life and professional life are the same.  My personal life tends to involve learning new things, meeting new people, and absorbing new cultures.  In a way that is research- personal research no?  So there may be a lot of out of order entries from now on recapping travels (Portugal, Greece, Fuerteventura, London, Italy etc…) from the year and they may be intermittent considering my netbook broke a few weeks ago and I don´t often have internet access.  However, recording some of my experiences versus nothing I will appreciate much more in the future and for those of you that I miss and are always writing me “where are you?” can be somewhat informed. 

 

I arrived in Spain a few weeks ago starting in Malaga, Granada, Nerja, and now Tarifa.  Tarifa is a very chill town at the very tip of Europe between the Mediterranean (Costa del Sol) and Atlantic Ocean (Costa de la Luz).  For this very reason it is very windy and called La Ciudad del Viento with views of Morocco just 31 km away.  I am learning kitesurfing here and just after a few hours of lessons I am standing on my board but lacking momentum.  I love it and can´t wait for the wind to pick up this Saturday again!  I also went horseback riding, paddle boarding, and visited the oldest city in Europe, Cadiz just one hour away.  Cadiz was so wonderful and beautiful I will need another entry for the daytrip I took there.  I have about a week left here waiting on the wind to go kitesurfing each day after morning refresher classes in Español 9-.30-1:30pm at La Escuela Hispalense which is located right on the beach.  My apartment as well is just a stone´s throw away from the beach.  However, it is very cold here and a ´ghost town´in the winter.  An upside is that I get private classes in both Spanish and kiting but I wouldn´t mind returning one day in primavera o otoño with warmer weather and a bit more people. 

 

Now I am off to cook dinner y tomar vino y cervezas with some fellow students here!