¡Hola, everyone! So, the ability to post a blog entry from each location proved entirely too difficult (well, impossible, most of the time) mostly because Álvaro and I lacked our own computers. Posting to the blog meant hunting down an internet café, and when we bothered to do that, it was for more pressing matters, like finding accommodation. I am starting to synthesize all of my thoughts, experiences and images now, after becoming more settled here in Richmond. Thanks for your patience. Keep up with us and leave a comment if you wish!
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Our time in the city of Benidorm and adjacent towns of Polop and La Nucía on the Mediterranean coast of Spain was filled with perfect weather, more family, phenomenal tapas, and lots of dog hair. I fell in love with the people in this
laid-back coastal town while spending many wind-blown car rides with Álvaro`s uncle`s Jack Russell terrier, Dixie, scurrying over my lap.
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| From el patio de la abuela de Álvaro |
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| Beach life |
On the surface, within the sustainability sphere, Benidorm's policies don't seem to be as active as Madrid's, but if you take the time to get to know the locals, you quickly learn that
they take pride in (and highly respect) the
verdant abundance of their climate's flora. Every
porch is smothered in plants, many of which have culinary or medicinal
uses. The city's population (and the pressures that come with it) skyrocket during the summer months' tourist season, and I gathered that at that time the seafront is a sprawling tapestry of
neon lights and competing DJs that crawls with party-goers and go-go dancers. I'm sure the city welcomes the extra income but is less excited about the extra waste.
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| Antonio, Sarah, yo y Álvaro |
Being here at the tail end of the summer craziness gave us a revealing view of the local cultural undercurrents pulsing through the place. That's not to say rampant clubbing and beach-bar-hopping is just a part of tourist culture--- that couldn't be farther from the truth. Álvaro's tia Sarah (she's originally from Germany but grew up in Benidorm) and her boyfriend Antonio were more than happy to give us a splendid taste of the beachfront marcha. Our visit transcended this side of the area, however.
Natural beauty is everywhere here, and people really take advantage of its fruits. We spent one afternoon
harpoon-fishing and snorkeling the shallow reefs (and later hungrily gobbling the calamari and fish we caught!); we bared the cold, alpine
rapids at the Les Fonts waterfall hike and gorge just outside of
beautiful, tiny Polop; and we downed the creamy nut-based drink, horchata, that's a staple of the Alicante region and chased it with
a fresh spring that has
hydrated Polop residents for many years.
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| Les Fonts |
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| "Water of the town, of this town, continues to be drank for twenty years, and has a bitter sweetness, but is of true chemistry that is the truest lyric yet." - my (poor) translation of the quote by the Polop spring |
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| The streets of Polop |
