This is our fourth Halloween outside the USA. It is a day we particularly miss home. We had some wonderful Halloween memories as our neighborhood did Halloween with gusto. This year we are spending Halloween in Andalucía where Dia de los Muertos is a federal holiday.
It has been over a month since my last postcard, that is hard to believe. But I have posted several postcards to my blog from spring (Oxford for a Stint and autumn 2019 (Is the Kite) from our other trips house sitting in Oxford for the same family. And also house sits in Andalucía for a different family, also spring( housesitting in Andalucía and Hola from Andalucía and Still Humming Along) and fall of 2019 (Life in Andalucía and Jimena de la Frontera) . It is surreal to be back in the swing of things. It was odd looking at these old posts and all our plans. Most of which were canceled due to the Pandemic. We were due to house sit at both these houses two different times in 2020. But here
While we take in the Oxfordshire countryside and our thatched barn and beautiful gardens, we are constantly buzzed by little airplanes. Like gnats. We finally looked into what was going on. Turns out Stephen Speilberg and Tom Hanks are making a WWII movie nearby. It is their WWII planes that seem to be spying on us. So our current endeavor is to hit every nearby pub in hopes of spying them or some actors we recognize. If we hit pay dirt, you can bet you will hear about it. Update: we did not.
Our travel to our next destination took us into Gibraltar. My favorite airport, the plane curves around that rock and lands next to it. The main road crosses the runway and must be closed when the plans land. Then we travel on highway 405 which goes through the little neighboring village of Los Angeles. This trip on the 405 through LA always makes me chuckle.
Jimena de la Frontera
We are now in Jimena de la Frontera to care for lurchers, Indy and Inca, horses, chickens and cats. Inca and Indy gave us a very excited welcome. Normally timid, these two jumped all over us. This was a nice change from the lukewarm welcome we got from our own dogs after 3.5 years. There is something about this place that really appeals to us, and we got a warm calm feeling upon arrival. It is probably the best view we have ever experienced and that is saying something, we have experienced some epic views. This one is not of the sea, or any water at all. It is of a medieval castle atop a hill, and white village below. Castle lit at night means the view is 24 hours. Facing west, the sun sets over the castle; a sight worth setting a watch for.
We arrived to sunshine but rain on the horizon. Watching the forecast is mandatory here, the terrain is steep and gets slippery with the smallest amount of precipitation. The horses can hurt themselves and need to be moved. Without rain, this area is kindling wood dry and prone to fires like southern California. They just had a big one that lasted several weeks; sounds like home.
Friday we took advantage of a dry river and canyoned the dry bed, practicing bouldering in some places. A few turtles were clinging to the small ponds left in the deep spots. After the current storm, the river will be a whole different place.
Onward Plans
Our travel plans for the next three or four months are convoluted to say the least. First this 7 week house sit is divided into three (because the homeowners plans are as convoluted as ours).
Weekend in the Algarve
Homeowners are stopping over on their way between UK and Morocco, or UK and Hong Kong. They will be here for three days. So we are taking the opportunity to travel to southern Portugal for a look. We need to find a place to live in Portugal and having a look at the place would be a great opportunity.
Detour, maybe to Morocco
We run out of Schengen visa days before they want to come back. So to solve this, they are coming home for 9 days (they picked the time) and we will leave the EU.
Currently we have two plans half baked.
- We would like to take the ferry to Morocco and spend 9 days there in 3 separate cities. Hotel reservations made. But right now, Morocco government has closed the ferry from Spain. We are hopeful it starts back up before we want to go.
- Back up plan: we have flights booked to the UK. No hotels though (there should be plenty of those).
- Third plan, we have wanted to get certified as yacht skippers for a long time. There is a school in Gibraltar and it has a course starting exactly when we need it. Sounds like a blast, 5 days at sea learning the ropes. Only problem, if the boat moors in a Spanish port, we are going to be in trouble. We are trying to find out.
- Fourth option: Go to Gibraltar for nine days.
Back to the States to obtain European Residency
Then come Dec 27 when the homeowners arrive home, we need to exit the EU that very day, no grace at all. Where we are going, we have not decided. Originally we were planning a long trip to South Africa. We plan to do several safaris. Ironically, this is the same plan we had, and abandoned in December of 2019 when we got the opportunity to go to Australia and led to us being in NZ when covid broke out. Someday, we will get to S. Africa for this long indulgence. It would have been a good time right now, before the crowds of travelers return.
We are committed to our residency goal in Portugal. The more we find out about the process, the more convoluted it gets. We must apply from the USA, the wait to get an answer may be 60 to 90 days, and during that time we will be without passport. So now we think we should go home to get this sorted. So that is the current plan. We may do some travel around the USA during the time we are waiting to regain our passports hopefully stamped with a residency visa for Portugal. Then we can say sayonara to this pesky Schengen limitation. We will have a lot to tell you about the process of obtaining Portuguese residence. It will fill several postcards I am afraid. We will save this for latter.
Halloween Around the World
Let’s talk Halloween. Halloween as we celebrate in the USA is an all American tradition that really has not caught on in other places. There are however, some similar celebrations. Here in Spain, and also in Portugal, it is Dia de los Muerte (actually Oct 31 to 2 Nov). Unusual for Latin culture, the tradition actually begun in Mexico by Toltec or Aztec peoples and was incorporated into the catholic culture of Spain and Portugal. Unlike Halloween, it is a national holiday, so no one works. There is no trick or treating however. Instead people visit the graves of departed loved ones, leave flowers and clean up the graves. There is a traditional cookie of marzipan stuffed with a sweetened egg yolk made to resemble bones.
Spain Festivals
The four regions of Spain are autonomous back to their roots, so not surprisingly, traditions vary. In Galicia (northern Spain) and Portugal, people roast chestnuts. Often outside around bonfires.
Catalonia has another cookie rolled in pine nuts.
In Jerez, near where we are at the moment, people dress up animals at the market and make effigies of famous people out of vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Bonfire Night
Speaking of bonfires and effigies, in the UK, and New Zealand we found, they celebrate Guy Fawkes night November 5th. This is a fun one in my opinion. The holiday celebrates the foiling of the plot by Guy Fawkes to assassinate the king. He was hung, drawn and quartered; this was 1606. The day is also called bonfire night. Huge piles of timber, sometimes stories tall, are erected with an effigy of Guy Fawkes on top. The pile is lit on fire to much fanfare. Nowadays the effigies depict famous, or infamous, people. We have seen more than a few Trumps. Usually this celebration is fair like, with fireworks and carnival rides and food trucks.
Further east in Germany, Austria , Martin Luther’s birthday is celebrated on November 10th or 11th. In rural areas it is celebrated by kids going door to door singing and begging for food or gifts. It is near to the time peasants were laid off for the winter with no income in store for the winter.
Add up all these traditions and you get something akin to trick or treating.