So I took a chance and applied to be a volunteer with Diverbo ( http://www.diverbo.com ) or Pueblo Ingles as it's also known. My application was accepted and I flew to Madrid on Feb 19th. On the 20th there was an orientation for all the volunteers and then on the 21st we met the students. It was a diverse group of both Spaniards and volunteers ranging in age from 22 to 76. There were 43 of us including the 3 Diverbo staff members. What a wonderful experience! The accommodations were at a 4 star resort near the village of La Alberca, about a half hour from Salamanca. Our days consisted of one to one conversations for an hour, practice conference calls, practice one to one telephone calls, two to two discussions, presentations, and theatre. It was a really great way for the Spaniards to practice their conversation skills without the pressure of their work. Spanish was forbidden and most of the participants really stuck to the rule. Knowing how exhausting it is to try to speak another language I had great admiration for their efforts. The meals were delicious and I loved that water and wine was free but if you wanted anything else you had to pay. It was a really fun experience and I hope to do another one sometime. I would highly recommend it.
I spent the weekend after the course in Madrid and then flew back to Geneva on the 3rd of March. I took a week in Montmin getting myself sorted and then I took another chance.
I left my comfortable room with my good friends and headed south. I arrived in Port Vendres late in the day on March 15th. I was so excited to be back here. But then all of a sudden I felt so very alone. I dropped my bags in the apartment I rented and went for a walk. That's all it took, that and a big deep breath and the next adventure began.
Sunday is market day in Collioure, the village just 3 km up the road. It was a super windy day but warm and sunny. A beautiful day to sit with a coffee and watch people - the early season sun worshippers, the old man who went for a swim (I bet he does it every day), the kids chasing the sea gulls. It felt good. I had a late lunch at one of the seaside restaurants and then walked back to Port Vendres this time with the wind at my back. My focus for the next week was to make some contacts to find a cheaper place to live. I had a reality check when I realized that was going to be a challenge especially for July and August. It didn't take long to make some good contacts and I found a studio to rent for the month of April and then a different one for May and June. Unless something comes up I will go travelling for the summer - I have lots of offers to visit friends and family and maybe I will do some housesitting.
It has been easy to meet people here. The woman who owns the first studio that I am renting invited me to lunch with a couple of her friends and that turned into a weekly arrangement with one of the women for a conversation exchange. She offered to help me with my French and I help her with her English. I hope this will lead to other contacts as well. There is a yoga and qi gong course in town that I need to phone to find out some information. (I hate trying to speak French on the phone though and I've been procrastinating). I've been dropping subtle hints about volunteer work or working under the table so we'll see if anything comes out of that.
Every now and then I wonder what I'm doing here. The idea of the hostel on a pilgrimage route is still in my mind but I love so much being by the sea. The other thing that weighs on my mind is the fact that I have a lot less money in euros than I do in Canadian dollars. If I want to stay I have to find a way to earn money. However, even when these little doubts creep into my head I know that if I am open, a solution will present itself.
Tomorrow I am off to my meditation retreat in Spain. A whole week of simply being - nowhere to go, nothing to do.