I could not have imagined fully what lay ahead when I took my caravan and jumped into the deep end.
There were moments of deep sadness; places to visit alone for the first time; emotional challenges to face; being a one minus in a world of two plus.
Then there was the truly unexpected kindnesses of strangers; the people who reached out and hugged me; the unrelenting sunshine but above all, the blog that kept me connected to the two most wonderful women in my life.
On my 660 km drive to Madrid, I stopped for a short break and some lunch. The 43.5 degrees in my caravan drove me to seek shelter in the air-con of the car. I left Adora at a campsite about 25 km from Carol’s house in Las Rozas. Cesar senior looked remarkably well. Patti and Cesar junior were there too while Maria was in the North.
In Carol’s words, it was the hottest she had experienced in 52 years living in Madrid. The garden was 47 degrees in the shade and we could not cook in the kitchen because of the heat. All of us were suffering headaches and feeling off. We went out at 9:30 pm to restaurants for dinner and had to sit inside, as even then it was 38.
Carol has only one room air-conditioned and we hid there for the 4 days. Still, it gave us the time for long chats and I was made feel very welcome.
What an adventure. Certainly no regrets and I feel I benefited in many ways from having the courage and support to make this journey.
But could I do this for a year? xxx