After weeks of preparations, reducing our belongings drastically (well, Ana's really) and a number of goodbye do's with many friends in the last few days, we are finally ready to get on the road. The fabulous Casita Verde team bid their Greenheart Travellers a warm farewell and shoo-ed us off into the horizon...
It has been a challenge to say goodbye to the island that has been our home for some years (Danny's for 4, Ana's for a whopping 8!), but we are ready to explore beyond its shores. As the boat leaves Ibiza harbour, we also start to let go of our attachments to it and get excited about the next months, when we aim to travel around Spain, visiting interesting spots and projects, perhaps through France (if our recently renewed but rather old Renault Express will take us that far) and on to England for some mid-summer gatherings.
Accompanied by Anita the dog, a collection of good books and our rather varied address books, as well as Danny's two guitars, we will all be sharing a small van and a whole load of adventures this summer!
Some have more comfy seats than others for this first stretch of the journey...
Arriving in Denia, we have decided to head for the natural park of the Albufera de Valencia, dreaming of a night under the stars by the lake, and a swim in the morning... However, we discover that the lake is in no way accessible by vehicle (probably a good thing) and that the rather over-built park has few good parking spots. Finally we find a perfect one, in a neat parking area at the end of a road, next to some dunes, with the sound of the crashing waves which we will dive into the morning... only to discover some very strange goings-on, with cars driving in and out of this out-of-the-way spot every couple of minutes! After a long while of non-stop ins and outs, Danny's stories about what they call in England 'dogging', and one of the drivers stopping to ask us whether we are "from the forum" (eek!), we decide this is way too dodgy to stick around... so pack everything up and leave. We find another spot, at the end of another road, right next to the sea, with nothing around... except cars that again start cruising in and out of this otherwise deserted spot. We realise that we are just half an hour out of Valencia city, and if anyone wants to do anything out of the ordinary, whether it's camping out or engaging in strange sexual behaviour, this is the place! We leave again, by now it's gone 2 am and we are knackered... so finally pull into a housing estate and park up in between apartment blocks, opposite some bins and a porta-loo - we are not precious at this point! Knowing the neighbours will be up for their morning café con leche in just a few hours, Danny still finds the strength to put up the curtains he had made - yes, Tara, it was the middle of the night and out came the velcro! All I had energy to do was crack up and immortalise this glorious moment...
Pondering on the crazy nature of modern cities, and wondering whether this rather strange night is the sign of things to come, we finally get to sleep in the bed Danny has made in the back of the Renault...
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1 comment:
Dear Ana and Danny, Hellooooo! and what a beautiful story! Thank you for doing all this work and sending somuch info. All is well here. Went to Luna's birthday do, at Cardamon Club, where er met lots of nice people.
There has been a nasty car accident on Sunday morning, involving the son of John Moon (Bambuddha). He is still in intensive care but improving. He had spinal injuries but the spinal cord is not severed. He will have a lot of recovering to do, but I and other buddhists are chenting for him, and people are swending their own "get well vibes", as requested by John, and the hospital say he now having an almost miraculous recovery. At first they said he'd be paralysed and more, but now it looks a lot more positive, though hard.
This has affected a lot of people, including me, as you can tell!
No other news to report, just now.
And Ana, thank you for your sms. You will always be attracting people who need understanding, kindness and encouragment: because of the way you are, they feel they will get these things from you. For the same reason, you will always make friends everywhere, as your stories tell!
So, lots of love from me to you both! Enjoy your trip and come back here, whenever you are ready. We'll wait for you! Much love from manu xxxx
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