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Marbella

June 15

Today is our last day together, which feels really sad. We had a late morning and then headed down to Marbella for lunch and a wee look around.  Somehow we managed to show up in the middle of some kind of political event/history thingy. As we ate there were speakers and some Conquistadors marching about on horses. It definitely added to the experience, but we really had no idea what they were talking about, so I cannot really add much about that, except that it was cool, and authentic in a weird Renaissance festival kind of way.  


Included in this event was some praying by the fountain and shrine to St. James. There were also lovely flower pots, so I tried to capture both.





I am almost positive that if we had more time we would have spent a healthy day of shopping and nosing about in this little town. Sadly, Geoff and Helen had to head back to the cars to get ready for their flights.






Helen’s dress looks perfect in this shot.




I have included photos of the conquistadors and of us being silly. It is so lovely to have friends you can be authentically silly with. 


Did I mention we crashed a wedding? Yes, we did. Well, mostly Nic crashed a wedding. The rest of us stood aside and tried not to impose. It was a little complicated because the conquistadors also crashed the wedding and we were really following them trying to sort out what they were doing. The next thing we knew the conquistadors had gone and there we were at a wedding. 


They seem like a lovely couple.



The church was lovely too.


And then I found a rubber ducky store and thought Jamie would love this. 


We walked down to the beach to see the waves before sending Geoff and Helen off. We also saw some fish on the BBQ.


Along the beachfront were many folks selling goods at a discount. I snapped a shot of this because I was struck by the fact that everyone selling is a young, African man. In the states we hear a lot about the immigration situation at home, and sometimes bits and pieces from Europe. But I think it is important to look at it and try my best to really see. It is not my country, or my corner of the world, but I think it is worth noting and wondering about. I’m putting a pin in this to revisit later.


The Sisterhood.





And then the family royalty.





And lest you thought I had overlooked the conquistadors, here they are in the glory for you.


Geoff and Helen zoomed off to the airport, while Nic, Paddy, Catroina and I ambled about for a bit more before taking Nic to the Golden Mile to look at cars and yachts. We then went to the CarreFour. Personally, I love to go to grocery stores in other countries. I have a special spot in my heart for the CarreFour due to my time in France. At the time, I thought it was the best grocery story I had ever seen. It is still pretty cool, but it does feel a tiny bit like Walmart, which made me sad.  That is pretty much the last thing I would like to export about American culture. Yet, here we are in the Garden Center of the CarreFour.

We are winding down now by the pool, resting under the sunshade with the lingering Spanish sun shining down while the winds from the Sahara blow across the sea and dry my laundry on the porch. The guys are watching football, Catroina is reading her book. My rose is crisp and cold. The olives are delicious. As these moments fade, I want to remember.

I want to remember how happy Nic is. These people are his home. I want to remember how graciously they have taken me into the fold. I want to remember Helen and her way of setting Nic straight, “So then, you’re an idiot.” And pretty much everything she said all week: “It’s pick on Helen day again, is it?” In her perfect accent. I want to remember Geoff and his songs and our game. His gentle teasing reminds me of my older brothers. I want to remember the long talks the guys had, and the even longer talks the girls had as we ran in the morning hours. I want to remember Uncle Paddy and all the ways he sorts us all out. The way he organized and almost got us places on time. I want to remember Catroina’s eyebrows as she managed the guys. Her frosty look when they got out of line, her beautiful vulnerability. I want to remember every laugh, every joke, every single meal we shared. This friendship is beautiful, and I am so incredibly grateful to have had this week. Until Next time.

And here are all the pictures shared with me that I didn’t quite get before previous posts
















Thank you for these beautiful days.









 

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