Greece and Spain

I have to say..and I’m sure I’ve said it before, I could never get through the Peace Corps without my really good friends; Both in the USA and in Bulgaria. Often, I get messages from you all, and when I do, it really makes my day!
So, the past couple months have absolutely flown by and I’m sure the next two will also. So, you ask..what have I been up to lately? Oh..too many things to write, but here is a quick, okay maybe not so quick, synopsis:
Halloween party for the kiddies, turned into a real disaster, but I survived to leave that evening for Greece, with the teachers of one of the schools here, and from there I went to the coast of Spain to visit my brother and his girlfriend.
These two trips were so amazing. Very different history to view in each place.
I really want to go back and spend more time exploring Kavala, Greece. There is a huge Byzantine fortress rises above the city, I think this fortress goes all the way back to 7 B.C. It was a little chilly the day we were there, but still a beautiful sight. And the island of Thassos. The water was so clear, and the island had many historical sights we go to see. But, I liked the clear water of the Aegean Sea. We went to where they produce olive oil. It all still seems so manual. After seeing how it is produced, I can understand why Extra Virgin olive oil costs so much more than the other olive oil..and think that I will never by the other again..and, part of the trip that made it so great, were the people I was with. I really got an inside look at the differences between Americans going on a trip like this and Bulgarians. I rather liked hanging out with all of them. Trying different rakia’s, chatting over dinner, and learning about the teachers. It was a great trip!
And then, the coast of Spain..it was amazing. I couldn’t believe we had such warm weather every single day. We went to Valencia, Alicante, and other small towns along the coast, and then I spent my last day in Barcelona. I absolutely adored the outdoor cafe’s in Valencia. There were so many, up and down the old area on the old streets. I soon learned that one of the hams that Spain is well-known for does not sit well in my stomach. It could be that the server explained that that cream cheesy taste we thought we tasted, was actually fat..yeah, better not to have asked. But..to make up for that, the next day it was soooo warm outside. The beach had lots of sunbathers, and Rick (my brother) and I actually went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. It was beautiful. I would have to say my favorite city to visit was Alicante..just because I saw people outside running and biking on some great paths along the Sea. And a really close second was Barcelona. There was so much to explore there..
Oh..and that mouse in my apartment, who knows. My landlord thought that it died, because my apartment smells pretty bad. So, they continued to interrupt my lunch and tear my kitchen apart, only to find no mouse. I tried to explain that the apartment has smelled since I moved in. I still haven’t seen that darn mouse. I’m kinda hoping it has moved out of my apartment.
As far as work..well, there is a reason I don’t write about it here :) But, there are lots of potential projects to work on, and we will leave it at that. I will say that it keeps me busy every single day. I am teaching English to adults in a nearby village, and will start teaching two groups of kids next week.
So, I did post more pictures, but it wouldn’t really make sense to look at them, since (as my dad pointed out :) I haven’t labelled them yet, so it’s hard to tell what’s what.