Things DO get better....

Thursday, June 17, 2010 Rota, Spain

Just when you think that things couldn't possibly get worse..... sometimes they get better. That seems to be happening around here.

Little by little, I have been coming to the conclusion that I should stay here in Spain. I love the people and their way of life. It is inexpensive to live here - a beer costs $1.20 to $1.50 and sometimes comes with a tapa. The people do not have crazy political ideas. And there is a lot of fun to be had, both with flamenco and just being with people.

So, I have been putting down roots. I got a permanent cell phone contact that now gives me internet all the time, wherever I am. Then I bought my own car and insurance. This has been wonderful.

This is a 2005 Opel Meriva with a 1.3 turbo diesel engine.  It is zippy and gets 56 MPG on the road and in the 40's in town.  It is quiet, big inside, and all around delightful.  Why can't we have cars like this in the US?

The next thing has been to try to find a more permanent home.  My piso (apartment) is a summer rental and I have to vacate it at the end of June so the summer people can move in.  Rota becomes a zoo in summer because the people in Sevilla all want to live at the beach during the heat.  So everything is crowded and there is no place to park.  So I decided to live away from Rota for the summer.  But where?

Well, as luck would have it, I made some friends in a little town in Cordoba province - a town called Iznájar.  If you've never heard of it, don't feel bad.  Neither had I.  But I went to visit there and had a chance to play and sing in a benefit for some kids who needed medical care.  So on my first day, I got introduced to the whole town.  My performance went well and I have been asked to come back for a paying gig in July.  Imagine!  This little town is on a peninsula projecting out into a big lake.  Here it is from a distance:

Walking in the old part of town can get pretty steep, but this place is really scenic.  The surrounding country is all olive groves for miles and miles.

The community is a mixture of Spaniards and a surprisingly large English Ex-pat group.  But these are not the kind of Brits that one finds on the Costa del Sol, sitting by the pool, or playing golf.  No, these folks speak Spanish and love the the Spanish way of life.  They are a more adventurous group than the coastal Brits.  And they like to hear flamenco.  Well, OK...

There is not as much interest in flamenco from the local Spaniards, but there are flamenco peñas in many surrounding towns and I have already met some singing gypsy families that look promising.  It is a new venue for me and like Rota, not overpopulated with flamenco students from abroad.  Here is a panoramic view of the town from part way up it's hill.  Double-click on the image to make it bigger.

It was serendipity that I met someone who introduced me to this town - but often wonderful opportunities come out of chance events if one is willing to pursue them.

I'll continue to stay related to my friends in Rota and come back for fiestas and special events.  In fact, Negro Agujetas and I are going back to Vejer to compete in a singing contest this Saturday.  We'll see what happens in the fall.  I have the same phone numbers and emails.