Tuesday, October 30, 2007

I think she's gone blog crazy...

Well, I am getting pretty consistent with this whole blog thing, and I am actually really enjoying it as a medium for processing my adventures... I have had quite a few "requests" for pictures of Linares (where I live) and my piso and such... I am getting those to ya in this post...

I am gonna start big and work my way to the microscale.. I live in Spain. Spain is divided into "Autonomous Communities" similar to states in the US, but on a little larger scale. My Autonomous Community is Andalucia, in the South... Each Community is again divided into providences. My providence is Jaen. Jaen is one of the largest olive producing communities in the world. Olives are everywhere and in everything--ooh, kinda like God.. :) anyhow, wihtin the providence of Jaen, is a town called Linares. THIS is where I live. Spain, Andalucia, Jaen, Linares... glad we cleared that up! :)


Linares, Centro Commercial (the center of town, with all the shopping and such...) From about 1:00-5:00, this street is desolate because of Siesta, which they REALLY DO honor here, and then at about 8:00-10:00 after dinner (around 9:00 normally) it is bustling with everyone taking their evening social stroll about the town...

So... the other day, I went on a walk down Via Verde (The Green Way) which is maintained by something similar to the forestry service in USA... it is 8 km (about 5 miles) and it goes from Linares-Baeza ( a town between Linares and Baeza-how original) to Linares. Anyhow... Femke, Audrey, Alyssa and I all went together by bus to Linares-Baeza and spent the afternoon walkng back via Via Verde. It is so incedible because one minute you are walking through a town, and seriously about 10 minutes later, there is nothing but rolling hills of olive groves. It is beautiful, really. So, here are a few pics of the landscape just to kinda give you a glimpse of what I get to run through now...


A view at the start of our walk near the train station in Linares-Baeza


Just kinda pretty


Some baby olive trees.. Crazy, but I am beginning to see differences in the types of trees and the olives they produce! We actually tried some of them along the path--definitely not such a good idea because they still need a few more weeks.. luckily we had some pastries to alleviate the bitterness!


An abandoned building along the path... there were quite a few--they just leave them there... it is really a rich ,rustic view to see the antiquity along the path...


On one of my hikes on Via Verde--alone, at one of the abandoned buildings... no one ot take my picutre--this one's for Aubs :) I have no tripod here, so my camerea is balancing on a crumbling concrete wall... not the best picture, but it was absolutely neccessary for The Sis...

Also, towns here are kinda different. In the US, cities go into towns, which then merge to suburbs, and then ghetto and farmlands and such... In Spain, the city is a definite area. The street I run on, for exapmle... one side, houses and shops and city, the other, the edge of town--farmland, seriously.. When I was hiking, I saw a shepard walking his sheep on the other side of the road. Crazy, and amazing all together! The whole seeing the shepard with His sheep was really a neat experince to... God is referred to as our Good Shepard more than anyhting else in the Bible, and I had never even really seen their interaction... They are kinda dumb animals, which I thnk really says a lot f the spirit we shoulld maybe have in his care. But they followed Him. He walked towards the front of the herd, and just walked. Didn't really say much, they just stayed with him. At one point, a dog came up and started barking. The sheep were all scared and scattered. The shepard shooed the dog away and stood a bit up on the field and called less than a sentence in Spanish, and within a minute, all the sheep were back in His care, under His protection... This was just really neat for me to see--and it's not like I was on a farm or anything, so it was a COMPLETELY unexpected experience, but such an incredible blessing and gift... I learned a lot. I recommend you all go watch a shepard for an hour or so one day! I went back and looked at some of the verses and situations where God is referred to as Shepard, and there are so many layers there that I had not been able to see before... so cool...


The Shepard and His Flock

So, now, here is my piso... It is very "homie" feeling and my room is VERY cozy, probably mostly because it is the size of my bathroom in college, but all is good.. i really have come to love it...!


My Piso--up there, top left! Great view of the town with the olive fields behind it! Awesome sunsets, too...


Mi habitacionita (My little room)


Demaciado (too much) crizzap, but i'm sure you wouldn't expect any less than this from me, and I would certainly hate to dissappoint the masses! :)


Please, step into my office :)

Well, that's all the pictures this post is allowing me to attach, so more of the living room, kitchen (my favorite) and laundry room later! Love you all and thanks again for reading... *britt

8 comments:

  1. Dad & I were sitting at Sonic the other night eating grilled cheese--the same night you were in Nice, France--and we commented, "What's wrong with this picture?" I want YOUR life! Haha! I love all the pics and the story of the shephard and paralleling The Shephard and His flock. We are pretty dumb animals, too! Love sent from Texas to Spain via Adalucia, Jaen and Linares! Mom

    ReplyDelete
  2. i love your little piso and you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. you are precious.
    your piso is darling.
    your life is incredible.
    you are loved.

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks for the picture...it made my day! I miss you and I hope we get to talk soon...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh I love your little room. With the open window, breeze blowing in, living life to the fullest! I would love to take a trip and stay with you- I don't like you having a room without me. I hope everything thing is wonderful, we miss you so much here, and I think about you all the time. LOVE YOU, please post more pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. To clarify, Mayor Girod is actually Bethany Freede :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Britt,
    Once again, your mom & I have just finished our grilled cheese dinner (again) as you have just returned from Rome, Italy. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip, and I can't wait to hear all about it. I missed you on your birthday and love you always!
    Daddy

    ReplyDelete
  8. lovvvve you loober! i want to go running in spain! ps- steal some olives for me :) it looks they have PLENTY to spare!!

    ReplyDelete