Liz/Florence in limbo

So? I am in Australia but as an expat. What a different experience this is!
So it is winding into  a winding up and a winding down.....
Confused?
Me too.
After having been away for a year, it is great to see beautiful Hobart... and this is a special place to be.
The beauty of being an expat is that you can see a place with new eyes.....
So, this is just a literal interlude as I wrap up for winter ......
Before I bring Florence out of the desert again.

Florence places herself on hold......

Words fail me! This is thus a memorable occasion! I am returning to , firstly, an oven ...... then I will be  placed in the freezer, with a note to be defrosted in August.
It is a strange space to be in after a year in Kuwait......
A month in Spain......
Then a few weeks will be spent in Oz...
It has been a total blast
The sheer freedom of space and time is seductive and creates a yearning for more of the same... and all I have is my backpack which I am unable to stuff anything more into because I have to carry it- I have disposed of various items along the way and found other desirable items to replace them with!
So, folks, there will be a brief interlude with the tales, and Florence will head back to the desert tomorrow afternoon where she will remain for a time whilst I journey home.
and, hey..... Spain is amazing......

A soft touch of soul food for Florence

Enraptured by this place- the pace is slower than the other places I have been and it is so much less crowded .
I have seen more gardens and cool oasis’s than have ever entered my life before....
One, in the palace of Viana , was a garden of contemplation , with huge shading orange trees shielding the whole area.... it was so easy to sit, and contemplate life and it’s meaning- sorry , but no answers yet !
So I now sit outside , nursing a glass of white wine..... after a day of absolute wandering.
The influence of the Moors can be seen everywhere..... and the use of water as an aesthetic is always soothing.
I guess the weekend hasn’t hit yet and maybe all will go mad then.
Obviously my trick of avoiding new bffs is working because I have been left to wander, flashing the gold ring!
It is such a place here that I do not believe any kind of souvenir can capture the feeling...... so I have no idea what I would take back with me except for the feelings ...
the sun is divine and I dread returning to Australia in the dead of winter..... to fade into a white pallor!
There is only so much sight seeing that can be done though and I am feeling like moving on ASAP.... to some place as yet undecided.... maybe on Sunday as I want one more day of oasis feeding.... good for the soul.
I went into a church this morning and was the only one.... unusual! Don’t mind a church or two.
There is a massive Roman bridge across the River- see the photos on FB
So I am now going to give my full attention to my wine and then food... did I say food? Yesterday I ate apple, garlic , almond and raisin cold soup, followed by fried white bait. Today I ate red pepper salad, followed my marinated pomfret...... accompanied by a wine and a delicious guitarist..... or delicious wine and a guitarist!,,,

The Fickleness of new Friends and Florence’s Broken Heart

We Australians tend to drag our words out a bit.... keep the syllables long.. so Córdoba is not cor do ba..... it is cordo ba.... I have learnt a lot today.
I had a little conversation with a new bff in the park.... funny where you find your bff’s . Mine seem to arrive from weird directions.... that said, he was holding a fascinating conversation with me, in Spanish, while I lay sunning myself in the divine Spanish sun. I felt he was concerned for my delicate complexion and the impact of the solar rays. I was most impressed and knew immediately that this was a true bff.
Ok
He then, obviously concerned that I would not be in the solar for too long , inquired about my acccommodation, I think. Casually I waved my hands around the place indicating the proximity of my abode.
The conversation took a strange turn.....
“ marita ou sola?”
Sometimes I forget that my sheer magnetism is not what draws new bff’s..
Understanding dawned....
With a quick flick of the ring finger... I indicated my marital status...
Marita, says I ......
my new bff was no more...
No staying power I thought to myself.... where’s the spine in these fellas?
Aside from a friendship failure, I love this place... can one city hold so many fountains?
Looking forward to begin the exploring tomorrow but in the meantime there is a gin with my name on it at the restaurant around the corner and I must go to claim it....

Flamenco Florence ...... maybe?

Love it! The. colours, the old buildings.... the lack of people although there are still quite a few but not the huge thousands in Madrid.
Besides roaming streets, getting lost, drinking wine and eating tapas, I sat in gardens, roamed along the river.... and I did spend a dollar or three.....
I was exposed to the sheer luxury of silk Spanish shawls..... long fringes and beautiful colors..... so I ask you, what was I to do? Could I reject the delights on offer, walk away.... look aside? Nope, I could not. I gave into my sense of hedonism and am now the very proud owner of a beautiful red shawl..... all the better to practice a bit of flamenco with.
Speaking of flamenco ..... because I have not done enough yet...... I just happened to discover the Museum of flamenco  and spent several hours drifting ...... floating into another world of history, story and and e position of the cultural evolution of flamenco.... I am in awe.

And I am afraid that is it for tonight as it is time to eat
Spanish people do not dine at children’s hour and this late stuff means I can now stay up very late..... after nine!,,,,,,,