The 21st century is Merely a Rumour

Alright. This whole global wi-fi thing? Doesn't exist. At least, not for me. Not in Valencia. I walked around Valencia searching high and low for wifi ("wee fee") hotspots for two hours before finally calling a truce. I even did something I never, EVER do. Yes, I went into a McDonald's. Wonders never cease. Yes, I was that desperate. As it turns out, my server doesn't play well with others, so although I was getting free wi-fi, my computer turned it's nose up at it. But enough about Valencia and it's tech woes. I've now moved onto MADRID.

I arrived early yesterday evening via train. By the way, you can't take the train directly from Valencia Norde to Madrid. Nope. You've got to take a bus to another train station. The bus I was to take didn't arrive until 12:40 in the afternoon. So I had two hours to kill with my 26 pound rucksack. Since my previously jail broken iPhone was mysteriously now not jail broken, I hunted around for someone to break it for me again. I had it on good authourity (the nice lady at the Orange store) that there was a place in Chinatown, rig next to the station, who would untether it for me. Well, I found the place. She eyed it suspiciously then let me know that she didn't do version 4.1. My phone and I had been summarily dismissed.

Once I arrived in Madrid, I had no way of contacting my hostess. Luckily, I found an Internet shop near the station. No wi-fi or Internet in the station, and if you ask about it, you get your head handed to you. Too tired to navigate the metro since I've managed to pick up a sore throat and a small cough by now, I caved and took a taxi. My hostess immediately points out the obvious, like so many others, "You are so tall!" yes. Yes, I am. I no longer take offense. She's a little spitfire of about 5'2". She then said in lower tones, "We have a problem. Come with me." I didn't like the sound of that. We proceeded to climb the four flights of narrow stairs. A rat infestation perhaps? Death in the family? No. The landlord just found out she'd been hosting people in her flat on and off for the last 3 weeks and he was none too pleased about it. She'd been evicted. She felt dreadful. I felt dreadful for her. She already had an old friend with her to keep her spirits up. I suggested we all go out, have a bit of wine and talk about options. Will share with you what happened in my next installment. I've got a screenplay to write.

Honestly. Who doesn't like the feel of silk against their skin?

Taking into account there may be a time when I end up in less than ideal conditions, or feel the need for that one extra layer, I went to eBay and invested $10 plus shipping in a silk liner bag, which I affectionately refer to as my Body Bag. Folded within its own matching carrier sack, it measures all of 7"x7" and scarcely takes up any room at all.

Being a musician, I have a natural propensity for buying everything in black--black shoes, black dresses, black trousers, blouses and sweaters. It's an cccupational hazard. Imagine my surprise when this rather pleasant teal sack appeared in this itty bitty package from Vietnam. Delightful. It should be quite easy to find in the dark recesses of my rucksack. Unlike my black Eagle Creek medium sized zip envelope which currently holds three long sleeved tee shirts and two sweaters. Keeps everything tidy--which oddly enough doesn't bare any resemblance to the rest of my life.

Now, on to pack the rest of the essentials. Leaving in 4 days.

Got my plane ticket...

and a rucksack! Not just any old run of the mill rucksack, mind you. Oh no, that would never do. I found a very cool vintage Swiss Military rucksack. Now the real challenge begins. Packing only the barest of essentials. According to KLM, in terms of carry on baggage, you are allowed 1 bag measuring 55 x 25 x 35 cm (21.5 x 10 x 13.5 inch) (l x w x h), while the weight may not exceed 12 kg (26 lbs). My rucksack measures a whopping 21x15x8. I'm sure it can be squeezed to fit somehow.

Being my mother's daughter and being a product of the 60's, I always imagined travel to be a somewhat glamorous affair. Lovely steamer trunks stuffed with all things silk, satin and taffeta. After all, you can't sit at the Captain's table wearing just any old thing, right? The world of tents, backpacks and sharing bath facilities down the hall was something completely foreign to me. I'm a bit more practical now, although I'm still none too thrilled with the idea of having to share a bathroom. I'm planning to pack the lightest I've ever packed before, while still maintaining some sense of style. Cosmetics will be pared down to a minimum. 1 pair of dress shoes, 1 pair of boots. If you know me, you'll know this is a really big deal. I'm taking my packing queues from this guy:

One of my biggest concerns is that I pack the right clothing for the right climate. Layers and quick-dry clothes will be my friends. "The olive-growing, continental expanses of Jaén, Córdoba and Sevilla tend to receive 500-700mm of rain a year. As the Atlantic‘s rain-laden clouds move east they lose much of their moisture, ending in the badlands of Almeria. In particular, Cabo de Gata with barely 150mm of rain a year is the driest corner in the Peninsula (and probably in Europe). Much of Andalusia enjoys in excess of 300 days of sun a year." I'm looking at an average daytime temperature of 17º to 20º (mid 60s F) during the month of November.

The point of this blog (my very first by the way, so please be gentle) is to share my upcoming six-week-long roadtrip to Andalusia (southern Spain) and Morocco, in order to finish a screenplay I began two years ago. I became frustrated with it and put it on a shelf for awhile. But I've since taken it down, dusted it off and decided that I have far too many things half finished, sitting on shelves gathering dust. In case you don't recognise it, this is me throwing down the gauntlet.

You'll hear from me again in October, before I get on the plane. Wish me luck, darlings!
<script type="text/javascript">

  var _gaq = _gaq || [];
  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-26443178-1']);
  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

  (function() {
    var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
    ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
    var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
  })();

</script>