Last post I reflected on why I travel. One of the most important reasons that I do is because of people. When I think of the people who I interacted with in Southern Spain, the word "hospitality" comes to mind. People were consistently warm and friendly. I felt welcome there and it was a feeling that makes me want to return. While I rarely took photos of people I interacted directly with (that changes the nature of the interaction), I did capture images that represented aspects of life there that I enjoyed.
The Southern Spain that I experienced had a more relaxed pace of life than I am normally used to. A two hour cafe visit was the norm, not the exception. Cafes were often full. (Note: It was pointed out to me that people in Southern Spain entertain friends and family in cafes and restaurants rather than in their homes. That means that you will often see intergenerational gatherings in those places rather than people of the same age group sitting or standing together.) Since my retirement, I've gravitated towards spending long periods of time in coffee houses and this aspect of Spain fit right into where I wanted to be. BTW-I arrived in Southern Spain the week after the no smoking in public buildings law" went into effect. This made my visits to tapas bars and cafes much more enjoyable from my own perspective.
At home I'm a person who enjoys bicycling. The pedicab I saw in a plaza in Malaga made me envious. I think it'd be cool to ride around town riding one, especially if there were bike lanes. I saw a lot of bicyclists there and cities were "bicycle-friendly". I wish more towns and cities in the USA joined this trend-a great way of traveling and ecologically good as well. That reminds me-in Seville I noticed racks of city-owned bikes that people could use and then leave at another public bike rack near their destination. I just read that Madison, Wisconsin will be trying something similar.
People in unusual settings. Unusual is a relative term. In the USA, most nuns do not wear habits. Many also do not wear veils and can't be easily identified as members of a religious order. I couldn't resist a quick glance with the camera when I saw the nuns in this photo set while they were going about their daily in the city of Ronda. For me, it was almost a trip back in time to the pre-1960's before the concept of a nun in blue jeans became a reality. I also couldn't resist the newspaper-clad performance artist who gestured for me to sit on the bench next to him after I had left a euro in his tip jar. Street performers brought back memories of a visit where I wandered the streets of San Francisco.
Last, but not least were the street musicians. I can't play a musical instrument, but I enjoy all forms of music-especially when it's live and spontaneous. The image in this set was taken in Seville on a sunny Sunday afternoon. As families wandered around the streets and parks after the main meal of the day, vocalists and guitarists added to their day.
These images all are representative of the "people part" of my visit, and one of the many reasons that I want to return someday soon.
Thank you for visiting,feel free to stop by again. In the meantime, may your travels be interesting and enjoyable.
Kerry
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