badajoz life so far

so yes. back to Portugal and Mercedes. Badajoz is really close to the Portuguese border, literally about 10 minutes drive out of town and you are welcomed into Portugal by a road sign, just as if you were entering Hampshire in England or something. crazy. and it's funny how it looks different almost immediately. prettier i have to say. white buildings with red rooves and small towns atop green hills with castles at the top, like Elvas which we drove around.

We, being a very random selection... i had had lunch at the house of a Columbian family after church and after a massive meal another of their guests, a middle-aged Spanish taxi driver offered to take their 11 year old son, Sebastien, Tim (an english guy staying the weekend at their house) and me on a drive to the countryside. I don't think any of us really understood why, but there we go! So we went in his car (which later, after he had let me and Tim try driving it, i found out was a classic mercedes) to his parents farmhouse in the countryside, where nestling in their garage was another classic old car (citreon something?) which we he then "took for a spin" - taking us all round Badajoz and then to Portugal and back, explaining some of the history and geography as we went! The random afternoon was finished by him driving from school to school in attempts to vote in the national elections. I'm not sure he ever managed. The Socialist party won again.

But anyways it was great to see more of Badajoz and it's surroundings, and very kind of Daniel to take us!

So what else have i done since i've been here?

Well i've been reading up in preparation to start an 8000 dissertation/essay (ah!) which i'm writing instead of studying at uni in sevilla. still deciding the exact topic... will let u know more specifically when i know! I've been to watch the children's choir (made up of children from several churches in Badajoz) sing in one of the 'plazas', i've played games with the youth group, drank coffee on my balcony in the sun, walked around and explored Badajoz, babysat, cooked and hung out with people. all good :o)

it's been so nice to feel welcomed and be remembered by people i've met on previous trips here. It's so crazy, 2 years ago when i came here for a week i'd never guess i'd be living here, actually sleeping in the same room, and building on the friendships that began back then. but God knows. so it's ok!