View from a Hilltop -- or Two -- or...

To be in this part of Spain is to climb hills whether in car or on foot. Yesterday I thought: I feel like the mountain goat, compelled to scamper to the highest point -- not by my nature, though, but by my daughter. And whether in car or on foot, the nature of this sort of travel (guide book writing) involves a vast number of U-turns... or 10-point K-turns. The latter are executed in the car in streets too small for sensible vehicular traffic and involves me folding the side mirror in alot to help facilitate these K-turns.

But we turned the car in (only somewhat the worse for wear) back in Almeria on the coast and took the train to Granada where we are now either seen climbing a steep hill on foot or descending one and the cruelest words I can hear after many hours of this is Oh, sorry, we have to turn around and go back up that (particularly steep) hill... Wanna guess what I mean by "many"? One day we actually kept track and we were on our feet 10 hours... Mostly walking briskly though we do pause to press ourselves against walls so cars can get past -- and oh yes, we do pause for refreshment though usually at tapas bars where we stand also... And breakfast is usually a stand-up event too...

And, lo! A procession is proceding by at our corner as I write! Drums and brass and woodwinds, 100 strong... I'm actually going to miss this when -- or if -- it ever stops... We thought last night would be the end of it -- but, no. Our Easter is punctuated with these musical interludes -- and I'm sure one of the giant statues is being carried by, too -- but for me it's all about the music...

We had Easter Brunch with a lovely family from Alaska -- friends of a friend of Zora's... Crepes and quiche and fruit and bread, every bite perfectly delicious -- a homecooked meal Now Zora's having a rest and I've got unlimited E-mail time -- hooo hooo! But she's written about all our adventures in great detail so I refer you to her blog, linked to mine: rovinggastronome...

There are so many moments, so many impressions to share that my mind screeches to a halt when I try to choose. But the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mtns looming behind the Alhambra, the nearer mtns turning rosy like the Sandias at sunset, the lilacs and roses and wisteria blooming even as snow is predicted. The song of the robins (which are all black here -- the bird not its song) and the little owl that evenly as a metronome sounded all night long at one of our mountain stops. The arab baths, candle lit and mysterious if a bit sketchy. The silk market's winding narrow streets with stalls of bright fabrics and moroccan goods. Hearing Moroccan Arabic being spoken and being seized by a deep nostalgia for my time in Maroc -- or is it nostalgia for my youth? Clouds of frankincense that accompany the processions. The countless cafes and the conviviality of the people.

And now I think I'll go and have a bit of a rest, too -- read a bit. I brought the perfect book with me -- Possession by A.S.Byatt... It's long and rich and poetic and complex and I never want it to end. Yesterday I expressed regret to Z that I only have 200 pages left. No matter what time we get to bed, even if it's closer to morning than midnight, I read for awhile.

So -- I brought the perfect book and also packed the perfect clothes. Nothing superfluous. I'm comfortable -- even with no heat in many of the places we stay (including this apt), even in all this cold. Even walking up hill and down the endless hills in the occasional rain squall. It's all good.