{"id":11,"date":"2007-11-17T19:20:35","date_gmt":"2007-11-17T18:20:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/blog\/?p=11"},"modified":"2007-11-17T20:31:03","modified_gmt":"2007-11-17T19:31:03","slug":"week-8-october-10-to-october-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/?p=11","title":{"rendered":"Week 8 — October 10 to October 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week 8 — Bargaining<\/font> <\/font>October 10, 2007<\/u>.\u00a0 When you think of Spain, in the characature, you think of a place where payoffs are easy and it’s more or less third world where rules don’t apply.\u00a0 This is inaccurate.\u00a0 First, the place is fairly wealthy overall and there are plenty of middle-class folks around in addition to rich and poor.\u00a0 Second, the idea of payoffs, at least so far, is not something that has presented itself.\u00a0 As for rules, they apply but don’t seem widely enforced.\u00a0 The one problem is that the rules or laws are enforced very subjectively.\u00a0 Some friends of ours had their visa denied very capriciously and when they asked why, the reason was essentially “because”.\u00a0 I guess there are no rules.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

After finishing another day in my retarded class (where I’ve voluntarily put myself, much like someone checking in voluntarily to the Betty Ford clinic), it’s an near total waste of my time now.\u00a0 Ninety percent of the time is spent listening to others make mistakes, one of which is a 60 plus year old American woman who speaks the same level of Spanish and has the same accent as Anne’s mother, i.e. None and American, respectively.\u00a0 I don’t know what to do next week because I don’t want to give up, so I’ll probably go for private lessons.<\/font><\/p>\n

September 11, 2007<\/font><\/span><\/u>.\u00a0 <\/span>Tomorrow is a holiday, which apparently occur every two weeks, so no school (same fee though).\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s my last week at language school, probably.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m sorry to go because it was fun in terms of the people.\u00a0 <\/span>The learning part was not so good, at least for me.\u00a0 <\/span>Maybe I should study \u2013 I know that would help.\u00a0 <\/span>So I\u2019ll try some private lessons.<\/font>\u00a0 <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/font>\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/span>Then lunch with Dan and Amy, which wasn\u2019t planned but happened when we saw them and the waitress told the couple in the next table to move over.\u00a0 <\/span>That was nice (well, not for them).\u00a0 <\/span><\/o:p><\/font><\/span>\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/span>Then off for a run with Kevin H., who is taking a year off after leaving Microsoft.\u00a0 <\/span>Like almost all the Americans here, we\u2019re on sabbatical, whatever that is.\u00a0 <\/span>Unfortunately for me, he\u2019s a practiced runner getting ready for the Athens Marathon and of course we ended up pushing the pace, probably to faster than 8\/min\/mile for an hour twenty minutes plus with hills and fast flats.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Anywho, when I recover after a week-end of massages, hot baths and physical therapy, we might do it again.\u00a0 <\/span>Just kidding, but we are off to Girona tomorrow to see what gives up there.\u00a0 I\u2019m bringing my bike since it\u2019s famous for its riding.\u00a0 <\/span>As for Girona, I know there are some baths, but they date from Roman times so I don’t know if they still operate.\u00a0 Girona is supposed to be very historic and we’re staying in the country to get a change of pace from city life.<\/o:p><\/font><\/span>\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

I wrote\u00a0a few lines\u00a0on Girona for Spanish class:<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/span>\u00a0<\/font>Informacion para visitar Girona<\/o:p><\/font><\/span><\/u>\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/span>Hay dos partidos de Girona: el viejo and el nuevo (viejo pero no esta viejo como<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> el viejo partido).\u00a0 <\/span>El viejo Gerona<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> es un des los m\u00e1s viejos cuidades en Espa\u00f1a. Lo tiene un barrio con stylos de architectura differente.\u00a0 <\/span>Hay un Rambla al lado de rio con tiendas y restaurantes y edificios interesantes.\u00a0 <\/span><\/o:p><\/font><\/span>\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/span>El calle Via Forca estuv\u00f3 el camino que punta a\u00a0Roma.\u00a0 En <\/span>El Barrio Call vivi\u00f3 los jud\u00edos, pero ellos partieron el a\u00f1o 1492.\u00a0 <\/span>Hay un Museau Judios all\u00ed dond\u00e9 podemos apprender esta historia.\u00a0 <\/span>Tambien el catedral tiene muchos differentes stylos architecturas: Barroco, G\u00f3tico, Rom\u00e1mico y n\u00e9oclassico. Es en el mismo sitio donde son los ba\u00f1os \u00e1rabe.\u00a0 <\/span><\/o:p><\/font><\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/o:p><\/span>Un restaurante possiblemente intereste is Boira, cerca del Rio<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. El ensalada de lechuga y Jamon, con almondes, y frutas como<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> fresas y naranjos es muy bien.\u00a0 <\/span>Si tenemos tiempo, podemos visitar el Costa Brava<\/st1:place> con muchas cuidades m\u00e1s bellas en el mundo.\u00a0 <\/span><\/o:p><\/font><\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Esperamos que nos tienen bastante tiempo para vamos a visitar El Museau Salvador Dal\u00ed en Figueres.<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

September 12, 2007<\/u>.\u00a0 <\/span>We are on Spanish time, it appears.\u00a0 <\/span>We meant to leave relatively early to go to Girona but given the time required to rent a car at the train station (I got the car upgraded for free, and in Spanish), and our new late hours, we were on the road with everyone else in the crack-of-noon club.\u00a0 <\/span>Also, I rented a crazy Citroen and of course, nothing is even close to what I\u2019m used to so it took 20 minutes just to start the car.\u00a0 <\/span>In any case, as a result of our late start an hour drive turned into a two-hour drive.\u00a0 <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

We got to Girona, which I wrote about already (see yesterday) and walked around on the town wall, which must be about a kilometer long (hey, I\u2019m talking in kilometers, I\u2019m so Euro).\u00a0 <\/span>After walking around and looking at the buildings, trying to find evidence of the Jewish quarter or Lance Armstrong, we took off to find our hotel in the country.\u00a0 All week-end photos are here to avoid page clutter.<\/a> <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

We arrived at the Moli del Mig Hotel and it was great.\u00a0 <\/span>The receptionist\/bell person\/Internet Support helper\/room service order taker\/concierge was a super helpful doe-eyed tri-lingual English receptionist in painfully high heels, which probably helped aerate the grass.\u00a0 <\/span>Everything we expected and more.\u00a0 <\/span>Located out of the way but convenient to everything, it was a flour mill or some such from the 1800s and then was converted into a hotel and restaurant beautifully.\u00a0 <\/span>We were sneaking Rocket in, so that made it a bit awkward, but the room was fantastic \u2013 super quiet, new, interesting and beautiful.\u00a0 <\/span>It turns out that this area and the Costa Brava<\/st1:place> in general has a huge network of walking, mountain biking, hiking trails that are mapped, marked and very well done.\u00a0 The property is in the midst of tons of apple orchards, so its free eats for all.\u00a0 <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

September 13, 2007<\/u>.\u00a0 <\/span>Remember Peter Mayle.\u00a0 <\/span>He was the guy who wrote \u201cA Year in Provance.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>It was a book about his adventures when he moved to Provence<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> with a bag of money and wrote about how cute and charming it all was.\u00a0 <\/span>You know, he needed an electrician to fix a lamp or something, it took two weeks to find someone, and then the guy took another six weeks to fix the lamp.\u00a0 <\/span>All at a cost that was ten times the cost of a new lamp.\u00a0 <\/span>Kind of like Aspen<\/st1:city><\/st1:place>, but without the malicious intent.\u00a0 <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

Anyhow, if someone were to write that book today, all they have to do is live in one of the towns or generally in the area we saw today.\u00a0 <\/span>Although the Catalans are definitely more efficient, the area is incredibly charming, quaint and the people are very nice and want to please.\u00a0 They don’t like to speak Spanish and the real Catalans, like some hotel guests we befriended, don’t speak it very well.<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

Using the car, we went first to Peratallada, then to Palau<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> sator, then Pals and then to the beach at sa Riera.\u00a0 <\/span>The first three were very old, incredibly well preserved, with super cute restaurants set into the stone walls and castle parts.\u00a0 <\/span>Lots of really old stuff.\u00a0 <\/span>It was like a movie set, but real, and with some anacronistic electrical lines added.\u00a0 <\/span>The last town was the beach town, in a cove, not crowded.\u00a0 <\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

That\u2019s the difference between these towns and Provence<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>.\u00a0 <\/span>It was only after Peter Mayle published \u201cA Year in Provence<\/st1:place><\/st1:state>\u201d that it got touristy and overcrowded.\u00a0 <\/span>Our sense is that we are here in off season and in summer the place is basically a traffic jam.\u00a0 <\/span>In any case, it sure beats the pants off other Europe<\/st1:place> beaches we\u2019ve seen, especially Positano.\u00a0 <\/span>The Costa Brava (\u201cWild<\/st1:placename> Coast<\/st1:placetype><\/st1:place>\u201d) is pretty amazing and it\u2019s not all ruined yet by English package tours and overbuilding, although some parts are not worth the visit.<\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

After spending a few hours walking over ancient ruins, and checking out the beach, I took the car and Anne took the boys.\u00a0 <\/span>I drove over to Banyoles so I could bike to Olot, about a 35 minute drive and a 30 kilometer bike ride (each way).\u00a0 <\/span>I rode it in about 2:15 minutes; it is one of the rides that Lance Armstrong used for training so I thought I\u2019d check it out.\u00a0 <\/span>It was similar to Castle Creek but a bit longer, beautiful, lower altitude, steeper hills, rolling terrain, between larger towns, on narrower roads with some fabulous downhill turns \u2013 okay different.\u00a0 <\/span>Anne and the boys used the pool (super cold and not heated) and the ping pong table.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

September 14, 2007<\/u>.\u00a0 We drove to the beach after checking out from the hotel and found a nice one, after finding some not so nice ones.\u00a0 The nice one was called Sant Marti d’Empuries and is just north of L’Escala.\u00a0 South of L’Escala is where all the “camping” (read Dutch people with trailers) is located and is not a great place.\u00a0 In any case, Sant Marti is next to an Archeological <\/span>site\/museum and is nice with a boardwalk that probably goes for miles.\u00a0 Then, an\u00a0uneventful drive back to Barcelona that went very quickly (other than trying to find food) now that we’ve figured out that it’s easy to outsmart the Spanish drivers, just drive at between 2 and 4 in the afternoon when they are lunching, especially on Sunday.\u00a0 We saw some more of the coast and it’s varied between tacky and full of camp sites to beautiful and wild.\u00a0 One interesting note here, on the way back we saw three girls sitting on chairs on the side of the road dressed like they were at the beach trying to attract attention — I guess it was a full-service road — strange to see here in Spain on the secondary roads.<\/font><\/p>\n

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October 15, 2007<\/u>.\u00a0 <\/span>I returned the rental car this morning and it was such a hassle, next time I won\u2019t bother \u201csaving the time\u201d and will just rent at the airport.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s a lot faster and easier.\u00a0 <\/span>Today I spent the time finally (I hope) getting the Aspen<\/st1:place> house leased.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s a LOT less than when we started (thinking we could get $20,000\/month and advised that we were correct by realtors), but it will help pay some bills.<\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/font><\/o:p><\/p>\n

October 16, 2007<\/u>.\u00a0 <\/span>Went to my first private Spanish \u201cgetting to know you\u201d meeting and it seems to be fine.\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s actually cheaper than the school!\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m looking forward to learning and hopefully this teacher will motivate me.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll miss the social aspect of the school\u2013the crazy and fun teenagers, their endless smiles, the all-consuming laughter, the smoking breaks, the drinking and late-night parties \u2013 all that.\u00a0 <\/span>In their place, I\u2019ll have a hopefully not too boring profesora that will possibly help me speak Spinach \u2013 a goal I have.<\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Week 8 — Bargaining October 10, 2007.\u00a0 When you think of Spain, in the characature, you think of a place where payoffs are easy and it’s more or less third world where rules don’t apply.\u00a0 This is inaccurate.\u00a0 First, the place is fairly wealthy overall and there are plenty of middle-class folks around in addition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uhlfelder.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}