Reconciliation and rediscovery

The summer of 2004 saw me head back to Spain for an indefinite period of time. My goal was to decide where to head next, with my preference being for somewhere on the other side of the world. My experience in Paris had left me drained, weary and demoralized by the abject selfishness, greed, rampant individualism, physical and moral violence so omnipresent in that society. I felt completely fed up with life in modern Europe. Initially I just lay back and relaxed, basking in the sun’s healing rays. After living in the centre of one of Europe’s largest metropolis I found myself feeling insecure about being alone in a big house at night in a fairly isolated spot. I guess it was just another example of the strangely insipid paranoia that urban life instils in us. After a few weeks I began to long for something to do at night, for some company. My Spanish had gone badly rusty making initial contacts with the locals trying. Fortunately I persevered.

By the autumn of 2004 I was exploring the Granada province just like I would have any other holiday destination. I realized the area had evolved a lot and was determined to rid myself of any prejudices I held from the past. I have always loved mountainous regions and when I rediscovered the Alpujarras and Sierra Nevada I was in awe of their raw, dry beauty. I discovered a new sensitivity for evocative Moorish architecture and aesthetics. Days spent lazing on the beach at Cantarrijan with a good book brought back my inner peace and enthusiasm. I also returned to an invigorating outdoor life walking, swimming and living under the sun as nature intended. One day while watching the bright sun glistening on the crystalline waves, it suddenly dawned on me that there was no need for me to run off to the other side of the world since the relaxed and peaceful outdoor life I was seeking could be found right here. From that moment on I decided to stay in Spain and give things a go. I still find it ironic that so many people migrate here with preconceptions of settling in the sun whilst I came here with no aspirations at all and have ended up living their dream in a radically different way. I just let things happen spontaneously in their own time with no particular expectations. I soon discovered that this laid back approach to life was shared by the majority of the locals.

It is now autumn 2008 and almost four years to the day since I decided to look no further for my own little corner of paradise. My original instincts were right; below the veneer of tranquil and sunny Andalucia I discovered a myriad of incredible possibilities, thousands of amazing journeys and enticing adventures, many weird and wonderful things that have kept me constantly amused and intrigued. For the first time ever I do not feel permanent wanderlust, nor the desire to explore other countries, perhaps at most the occasional urge to head up to Madrid or Barcelona. Instead I find myself perfectly content to roam around Andalucia, simply happy to live in the spontaneous and jovial manner of its inhabitants. The other day whilst driving down from Madrid I entered Andalucia at Despeñaperros. It was amazing how the landscape and vibe instantly changed and felt familiar, warm and welcoming. I saluted the road sign excitedly, cheered and felt happy to be back where I belong.

The journey to this point has not been especially fraught with difficulties. I have frequently seen people suffering as they try their best to integrate here and admittedly it is not an easy task. I am lucky that I have always loved learning languages and recovering and improving my Spanish was a simple process for me. I did nothing more than try and live like any Spaniard and through total immersion I was soon conversing proficiently. Coming here alone and having previously lived in several different cultures helped me adapt, as did the times I spent here as a teenager that gave me a greater appreciation of the culture than I ever suspected. The linguistic aspect was aided by people’s attitude; every time I spoke to someone they always smiled, pleasantly surprised at meeting a “guiri “(slang for foreigners, principally Northern European ones) who actually attempted to speak their language. The contrast to France, where people would mock the slightest mistake, no matter how well you converse, was radical. Four years on and my Spanish is now fluent and I can even write decently. Language is the key to integration in any society, not just for the communication factor, but also because every language evokes the soul, sensibility, society and culture of those that speak it. It saddens me at times to see the English speaking enclaves that exist along the coasts, principally because were it not for the language barrier a lot of those people would actually discover a society they would like, that opens its arms to people from other places and with which they share a lot more values than they believe.

Being able to speak and read Spanish progressively opened up a whole new world of intriguing discoveries: newspapers, books, radio, conversations with everyone and anyone. I also started exploring more and more areas of the region ably aided by the locals I had met along the way who were always proud for me to discover their favourite haunts. I was amazed at how many wonderful places I kept being taken to and the many fun times I enjoyed. Firstly I got to know Granada, then Almeria, Cadiz, Malaga, Seville and innumerable villages and sierras in between. Gradually I began to understand the way of life, the attitude and philosophy that personify the regional character. At times it has been difficult as instinctively we are all afraid of that which is unknown or misunderstood. It was a trying process coming to grasp with concepts such as family, Semana Santa and certain quirky Catholic attitudes. However once you understand the people and culture you start to appreciate the real motivations that lie behind such manifestations and discover that they contain unexpected charms and attractions. I like to call this cultural relativity; not judging a culture by your own but accepting it the way it is and trying to understand in its own right. It is not an easy attitude to adopt, but the rewards make it well worth it.

This brief description hopefully gives a rough idea of the path that led me to writing these words. Now I can instead concentrate on what I am far more interested in, trying to capture the soul and essence of this wonderful place. During my ongoing adventure of discovering Spain and Andalucia I have learned a surprising amount from the inhabitants about myself and about life. When I first arrived I mistakenly believed myself to be more modern and omniscient than the locals. With time I have discovered that they value the simple and important things in life far more than I ever did. Everything here can be explained by a certain state of mind, a peculiar attitude towards life that may initially seem very foreign and distant but which also contains a great deal of humanity, joy and wisdom. It can manifest itself in innumerable ways from fiestas to festivals, from art to arguments. Andalucia has a very distinct and unique spirit that has survived centuries of changes, migrations and global events without losing its soul and authenticity. People here feel no need to make a big thing of it; they are simply content to enjoy life on a day-to-day basis following the natural rhythms of the harsh climate that defines so much of the regional character.

My period of rediscovering Andalucia has allowed me to find that which I found to be missing in the other areas of Europe I have lived in: passion, soul, community, spontaneity, authenticity and a unique identity that has a lot more substance than superficial lifestyles built on media manipulation and marketing strategies. At times living here produces the sensation of inhabiting the last bastion of Europe resisting cultural and social conformity through sterile globalization. It’s hardly a surprise when you consider that for millennia this region has been the frontier between Europe and other cultures. The people here have seen it all before and what may initially seem a conservative and sceptical approach to change is actually a profound confidence and pride in the value of their own culture. Andalucia takes what it likes from modernity without ever losing its own particular traditions and spirit. As someone who came here as an outsider it is a constant source of pleasure to feel how people consider you one of their own once you adopt their attitude to life. That is the beauty of living in a land where immigration has been a constant factor since the dawn of humanity and where society has maintained certain fundamental values despite radical changes in the world we live in.