The joys of getting lost

Jet lag having finally been almost recovered from, and my fellow flamencos not arrived in town yet (500 or so descend from all over the world in just a few days), I've been having the most delicious time getting to know the town and people of Jerez. I pop my lap-top, camera and iPod in my backpack (yes really I do!) and hit the streets. I drink too much wine...eat too many fishy things... stand at bars with gruff-looking men and order cafe con leche... and then go taking pictures.
I am completely unable to communicate other than sign language and pictures...the few words of Spanish I know leave my head the second they are needed.
I'm finding the braver and less self-concious I become , the kinder, and more generous people are.

I communicate with the store when I catch some wireless... (news letter to get out..the stock is being unpacked)

I got lost - as, like most medieval towns, the core is a labyrinth of narrow twisted streets, some connecting, but many not. This makes it more fun because if you get lost, you just keep walking until you end up somewhere you recognize. You can always ask someone, and they will wave their arms this way, and that way, deretche this, esquerte, that... don't go here...around there... And you end up lost anyway.
For me with directional dyslexia among other things , it's even more of a challenge.

Meanwhile, while lost, you discover things. Like markets in the Bario Santa Maria which sell conchal shells, asparagus, fish, shrimp, and herbs.

I've been completely spoiled living and working in one of the world's most famous urban markets (Granville Island in Vancouver) so it took me a couple of days of not being able to find good food in certain super marcados, and appreciate getting up early enough to hit the fresh produce stalls set up in the squares on certain days. My hotel room now has bags of tomatoes, peas, beans, and oranges piled beside bunches of rosemary and thyme. The tapas that is the local fare in the bars here is delicious, but not what you want to eat every day if you want to eat healthy.

There are stores that you wouldn't have known were there last night, or yesterday, as they were shuttered up and invisible. As a 7-day-a-week retailer, I am wondering HOW THE HECK DOES ANYBODY MAKE ANY MONEY WITH THESE HOURS?

While buying herbs today, I met Jose, Salvador, Luis, and Migel. We had fun listening to Chicuelo (a flamenco guitarist) on my iPod, and I took pictures of them. Jose danced for the shot (he was moved to do so, when he heard I was here to learn with Maria Jose Franco).



Jose and Salvador.

Click here for an audio file of me meeting Miguel, Jose, Luis and Migel! (A 500k WAV file.)

Later that evening I spent wonderful time with Pepe, Anna and friends when I had tapas at Pepe's bar near the big church by the guitar school. Everyone was practicing - you could see them in the hall through the open doors waiting to see the master teacher Manuel Lozano "El Carbonero".

Anna and Pepe sang, and I showed them all my friends on my laptop... showed videos of shows... showed
pictures of my flamenco sisters and brothers... of my store as a café (this they thought was great, but it took a while for me to explain). They took cards to look at the website and promised to email. (those that have access) we are so spoiled in Canada - we take all that stuff for granted -for SURE.

I'm going to bring Monica back here when she arrives back from Gibraltar. Right now, I'm going to get one last wandering day in before classes start. Adios amigos!!