Departure/Arrival

I am starting this blog on my second night here Avilés, Spain- so I will do my best to document.............

My flights weren't anything to speak of.
I left Louisville in the afternoon of Sunday, March 8th. I had a lengthy layover in Philadelphia which was lame. I had the worst airport food of my life at some rock'n'roll themed bar and spent the rest of my time responding to e-mails.
I didn't sleep much in the flight to Madrid. I watched one of my favorite episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" with no volume. Still enjoyed it.
I did have the BEST flight meal I ever had. The fella' came along with his cart and he said "You requested a special meal..."
And all heads turned to me.
I didn't recall any such request. I was confused. Everyone around me stared, anxiously awaiting what was either an I.V. or some sort of medicinal shake....
BUT...it was vegetarian. It was asparagus with rice, fresh fruit with a frost of coconut, and a decent wheat roll. Bravo!

So I spent that lengthy flight in a half-daze. I was very tired but unable to sleep. I did my best.
We landed in Madrid. I was on foreign soil.

I stood in line to get my passport stamped and was relieved/pleased to find that everybody was confused by the slip we were given to figure out. When it was my turnm the officer was very annoyed by my lack of understanding of this cryptic slip and was even more annoyed that I didn't speak Spanish. He grumbled as he remedied my idiocy. I couldn't help but chuckle and say "gracias"...which, I learned I was incorrectly as the Spaniards say the "s" sound with a lisp. Oh well.
I had a bit of time to find my flight to Oviedo but it wasn't easy; it was quite confusing, actually. I raced around, trying to decipher it all. I knew it was Terminal 2 and I was at 4. I boarded the shuttle and was taken VERY far away...and that scared me. I only had about half an hour at that point and I knew that I wouldn't be able to find the correct place if I got this one wrong. Well, it was the right terminal but it took me forever to figure out what gate, the auto check-in, etc. I got there. Somehow.

The flight from Madrid to Oviedo was different. Heh. There was a group of Spanish ladies who were having the time of their lives. They were all 35 or older but they were sooo loud and laughing so much. It was cracking me up. There was also a steady stream of cheesy, shopping mall-esque elevator jazz playing for the whole flight. Weird.
Landed.....and I explored what options I had/didn't have to get to Oviedo. The first few information agents I talked to didn't speak English. This was discouraging. I wasn't even confident enough to order a cup of coffee, let alone try and ask about how I get to Avilés. Even worse was the fact that the airport didn't have WiFi! I had no direct way of clarifying with MaryLiz the details of my arrival, stay, and such. Phew.
I sat for a long, long time...thinking that maybe my enthusiasm had not only been depleted but could have possibly landed me lost in a foreign land. I started to feel a bit of stress.
I made my way to another desk and found a girl that spoke English. I asked her if there was a bus that went to Avilés and she said there was and it would be another two hours. That was great news.

I ordered coffee. It was fantastic and only a bit embarrassing.

I waited by the bus and asked an older lady if it was, in fact, the correct bus that would take us to Avilés. She said it was and, turned out, she spoke English. (I believe she was actually German.) She quizzed me about where I was from, my destination, and, eventually, let on that she was a bit surprised that I was making the trip without any phone number or direct means of contact with MaryLiz. She warmed up to the situation when I told her that I wasn't all that worried about it and she clarified that people nowadays don't do much adventuring. I explained that that was very much a big part of why I was making the trip.
She was a very kind, kooky old lady. I always like them. She gave me a newspaper and said "It's outrageous. You'll love it."
She was right- it was some sort of gossip magazine from the UK, I think.

The bus trip to Avilés was gorgeous; stunning countryside. We weaved through rolling hills as I gawked at all of the old farmhouses, nestled in steep valleys that are currently glowing with Spring's bounties. I was filled with excitement and warmth for this place immediately.
The ocean snuck up on me! We turned a sharp turn and I saw rolling waves- and I thought "Those are some really chaotic rapids!", only to have the tail-end of said turn reveal that it was the ocean crashing onto the rocks! Wow. Amazing.

We arrived at the Avilés bus station and I said farewell to my crazy German friend. She wished me luck. I was going to need it.
I looked and looked for a place where I could get online...and couldn't find a damn one. I walked up and down the streets, the steep hills, pulling my luggage behind me, and had to for about three or four hours.

I went into one place that had an "English Spoken Here" sign on the window. The gentleman who ran the place, Joey, was very cool and we visited for a bit. I told him my situation but he said he knew and cared very little about the internet. He pointed me to some place that let you pay to conference online and such. He also told me was from Ohio and that he had lived in California and worked at a restaurant that Al Greene would frequent. Cool.
I went to the place Joey mentioned and we just could not understand each other. It was terrible.

So, more walking. Lots of walking. I was getting very tired and discouraged. I certainly didn't want to burden MaryLiz any more than I had- and she was likely concerned about my lack of contact by that point...
However, I was seeing a lot of things that were blowing my mind. The ancient buildings and street were and are so incredibly gorgeous. I love old churches, chapels, cathedrals, etc., and there are plenty. The shops, the people, the mood, and even the air here had such en electricity to it that I cannot begin to describe. It would seem that they move forward with a very warm and respectful rapport with the important things from the past; intertwined with history. Dig?
A beautiful place with beautiful people.

I walked by an older-style bar and saw the barkeep on a laptop. I decided to try my best and ask.
I learned that they say "wee-fee", of course. He gave me a password. I was saved. I ordered an Amstel and took a load off.
Of course, I didn't think to get a European electrical adapter so I was going to have to ration out my online time and make sure that I got ahold of MaryLiz. I was a little concerned about this but she was online when I signed on. I was so goddamn glad!!!
We figured out where I was and she was on her way with Guillo, one of many new and wonderful friends I was to meet here.
I downed three Amstels for next to nothing- it's SO cheap here. Unbelievable. I went into the basement bathroom that was as stunning, to me, as any church! It was so old and had such a peculiar layout.

As I sat back down I heard a knock at the window and it was MaryLiz. I was so glad to see her and so very thankful for her help in...well...everything to do with this trip.
She took me to meet Guillo, who was kind enough to drive.

He seemed to go directly to the boarding house that I am in right now. It was yet another delight for me: this old, old, building with a few rooms for rent for super cheap. The old lady that runs it is very sweet and speaks no English. My room is small but very charming with French doors, a huge window that looks out upon the street, a radiator that actually works, and on and on. The place is above a florist so there are always fresh flowers around the place.
I saw MaryLiz and Guillo off as they had prior engagements. I immediately prepared for a walk- this time with fresher clothes and without luggage in tow.