Still alive

Lately I haven't been in the mood for posting... much! But here's an update. Granada life is hot, quiet and intense. I share my flat with three other girls, two of which are also staying for a long period of time. We spend many hours at the kitchen table chatting and laughing. It's still very hot here and the heat is stifling. There's not much that can be done in one day.

The last two weeks I had flamenco technique and learned a caracoles choreography with Estefanía Martinez. She has the patience of an angel. Dance classes are fun and we work hard. The only problem is that we have a great range of different levels in our intermediate class. It's hard for the teacher to give everyone the appropriate attention. Somehow Estafanía managed it - she was great.

This week I am dancing tangos with Pilar Fajardo. I have to be careful because my lower back has been inflamed of late. It's a result of the bad blocking I had on the day before I left for Spain, nearly two months ago. One tiny wrong movement can cause the inflammation to flare up again. I've been seeing an osteopath though and that has helped me very much. I will need to get a better bed though... my current mattress is the main suspect for the recent back pain!

Granada... the city is the same than it was 8 years ago. And yet, many things are different. People seem more tired and less motivated. It's very difficult to find good flamenco throughout town. We usually go to the Chien Andalou Bar and afterwards on to the Bulería Bar, which belongs to the Habichuela family. But there are almost no street musicians. I hear of no great dancers in town. Our teachers, excellent as they are, break their backs working in the tourist tablaos throughout the town. I want to start looking for more flamenco! There is so much to learn...

Last week was beautiful. My best friend came to visit from Switzerland. We checked out the tapas restaurants and rated all gazpachos and salmorejos. We ate at the delicious Mirador de Morayma. We saw Eva Yerbabuena's flamenco show in the Generalife (the gardens of the Alhambra). We visited the entire Alhambra. The Nasrid Palaces truly take my breath away. We then went and relaxed in the sumptuous Arab baths, also called hammam. Afterwards we savoured Morrocan peppermint tea in the quiet of a tetería to round off the evening. A little holiday in a holiday!

Back to my routine of sleeping till ten, cleaning up my room and going to dance today.