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Andalusia or Andalucía?

The autonomous region of Andalusia (Andalucía in Spanish) is in the southern part of Spain. It spans from Atlantic coast in the west to the sheltered coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the east and from Málaga's Costa del Sol to the borders of Castilla – La Mancha the famous flat lands and Don Quixote windmill country.  With an average of 300 plus days of sunshine a year the coastal area is an all year round destination. Not so in the inland provinces of Cordoba, Jaen and Sevilla which ha ve baking hot summers that can reach +40c and cold winters which can be 0c or less overnight. The Mezquita, Córdoba Andalusia is divided into eight provinces, each with a provincial city of the same name. Some of them are far more famous than others: Almería , Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla. The three land-locked provinces are Córdoba, Jaé n and Sevilla, the rest are coastal. Each province and city is full of culture, history, traditions, fabulous monuments and cre...
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Barcelona Grew on Me

Being a country girl Barcelona hit me from the start. The airport's huge, the taxi ride almost manic. My hotel in the heart of La Rambla noisy and the writhing mass of people from my hotel balcony almost made me turn tail and head home to my land of olive groves – Jaen in Andalucia.
Olives Groves, Sierra Sur de Jaen
Home Views, Sierra Sur de  Jaen
Wondering how could I retreat and write in this metropolitan jungle and hubbub I made my way to the lounge to begin the course. That first writing course session with a Norwegian living in Paris, two Americans, one Canadian and an English women living Spain (me) began. 

Exploring La Rambla later felt even more uncomfortable than meeting the girl writers. So many people, everywhere. I clung to my handbag and ever watchful dodged and sidestepped the vibrant, international multitude, constantly.


Between writing sessions, city-walks and Guadi visits we wrote and talked and shared lives. In the evenings we explored and dined and wined. By the end of day two I'd mellowed. The busy-ness enveloped me, no longer overwhelming. Our writers group grew in confidence and daring, sharing lives so far apart but the same. Feelings, emotions and experiences don't change with continents. Fear doesn't go in a day. City dwelling is not for me, but Barcelona grew on me. It encouraged and inspired me and my writing. It's creativity and vibrancy touched my soul. After four nights I was in love. It wasn't enough, pounding those pavements, being awed by those architectural monuments or wooed by flamenco it was the whole, the mass, the city on a beach its gastronomy, I'll be back for more.


Go to Barcelona and fall in love with life. Discover the tourist parts and the narrow Jewish quarter, learn about its history, long and bloody. Day and night there's a pulse that never sleeps. I left changed. My last morning I woke up to noise and people, sharing and caring. The morning after I rose to silence and nature, home. Yet with a yearning for the bustle.

 Read other posts about my Barcelona experience

 A Writers' Retreat
Barcelona trip  

 Barcelona Flamenco  Show on my Luxury Spain Travel blog.
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