Week 2 Adventures

 Photo by Dr. Haus

 

La Finca

The tasks at la Finca de Felicidad continue with us finishing up the wall, cleaning out the water reservoir, and harvesting the crops.  The cleaning out of the water reservoir today was especially fun because there are a lot of frogs in the reservoir and I was able to "save" a bunch of them and release them.  It seems most will go right back to the reservoir but that is okay - playing with frogs is always a fun day.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

Climbing a Mountain

 Over the weekend, we decided to use one of our days off to climb one of the nearby mountains.  I have found since being in Spain that I do not have the steadiest feet (maybe because they are so big?) and that I do not scale this hilly, rocky land with the poise one would need.  Alas, I joined the others on the journey knowing it would be fun.

⛰️

I decided to take my time as much as possible because of my klutzy nature and that I didn't want to have a medical emergency in the middle of nowhere in the Andalusian mountains.  Let's just say I am always preparing for the worst and keep telling my fellow volunteers they are not allowed to have any medical emergencies because I am on vacation and am not dealing with human medical things.

🧗

As we climbed the mountain one of the other people mentioned how she and her sister were climbing a similar mountain terrain as this in Canada when there was a mud slide.  Her sister got swept down the mountain and thankfully her brother and brother-in-law heard her screaming and found her before the mud and rocks covered her.  She suffered a broken leg and a lot of bruising.  Not the story I want to hear as I am dreading falling down this cliff.

🗿

Thankfully, we made it to the top and got to see some beautiful views.  In retrospect it was well worth it - very glad we had no medical emergencies.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus
 

Estepona

 We took another trip this past weekend to Estepona for a long list of chores.  The highlight was that I was able to act as the translator for the trip because I am the only one at the farm who has some grasp of the Spanish language.  I was able to successfully communicate with the person working at the fish counter to get a Christmas Eve dinner salmon cleaned and filleted, get chicken feed ordered from the local feed mill, and communicate with the person we sell the mandarins to for money to buy vegetables.

🍊

I was also able to see the Rock of Gibraltar and Africa from the beach of Estepona.  Being able to put my feet into the Mediterranean Sea was an absolute highlight as well.  Another great trip into the city in the books.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by L.
 

Hiking

We have been ending each day with a hike as the sun leaves our farm around 3pm and it gets cold fast.  These hikes have taken us around the mountain where we have seen goats, people cycling (so many people cycle the main road up the mountain, freaking hardcore as the elevation gain is about 500 meters (1650 feet)), sheep, and neighbors.

🐑

On these hikes we get to enjoy the quiet of nature and see different types of trees, animals, and rock formations.  I personally like to bring a book along and sit in the sun reading.  The books that are available on the farm aren't the best but beggars can't be choosers and reading is still a great way to pass the time.

📚

Chao for now!

Losing 10-Years Off My Life: Christmas Edition

Photo by Dr. Haus

Christmas Eve in Spain

Feliz Navidad from Spain!  It is hard to believe but this year is quickly coming to an end and the midpoint of my time on the farm is rapidly approaching.  Yesterday was a great Christmas Eve celebration on the farm where I learned that most of Europe celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day.

🎄

For our Christmas Eve dinner we decided to have salmon, mashed potatoes, and a caprese salad.  I was in charge of the potatoes.  The potatoes came from our garden here on the farm and came out very good if I do say so myself (which I do).

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

The owner of the farm got us a nice Christmas basket filled with chocolates, wine, and other treats that we opened and enjoyed after Christmas Eve dinner.  We watched a few Christmas movies until 11:30pm because the other three people on the farm wanted to see a midnight mass in Spain.  I am not the type who would like to go to a church mass but when in Spain, right?

 

⛪

 

 We left the farm in the sketchy, manual farm car that the owner leaves for the volunteers on his farm.  We decided to drive to the close small village called Genalguacil instead of the bigger city called Estepona.  The drive was 20 minutes long and the town was lit up for Christmas and had some great decorations.

 

🕯️

As we arrived at the town we had to turn the car around because we made a wrong turn.  Now remember, we are in the mountains of Spain, which means cliffs.  As T was turning the car around we were backed up to a ledge, the car stalled, and started moving backwards towards the cliff edge.  Thankfully T got the car moving forward before we fell over the cliff but that was when I lost 5-years from my life (I was in the backseat with H).

 

💥

 

After arriving in the village we walked through the town's small streets hearing people celebrating in their homes.  There was a large amount of noise by the church and there was a lot of decorations outside the church.  A bunch of children were playing there and let us know that there is no midnight mass at that church (I was very happy about this).  We explored the neighborhood a bit, met a lost chihuahua, and went back to the car to drive home.

 

🐶

Things got weird as we were leaving the village because there was a donkey blocking our way out of the town.  I insisted it was Dominick the Christmas donkey.  We stopped the car for a bit because the donkey kept sniffing the car and letting T pet him through the driver's side window.  Finally, H got out of the car, the donkey followed her, we moved the car forward, and she ran into the passenger's seat so we could head on home.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

After getting past the donkey, we started the ride back to the farm where we were each singing Christmas songs from our respective countries.  I started singing the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer song where I was about to say "Yippee" when T slammed on the breaks and I saw something jump into the bushes next to me and I screamed.  I haven't screamed this loud in years!  That is when I lost the another 5-years off my life.

 

🤯

 

Everyone laughed and we continued on home.  I couldn't have been more happy returning to the farm and passing out into bed.  It was a crazy Christmas Eve in Spain, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

🫏

 

Happy holidays to everyone and enjoy the last week of 2023!

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Week 1 at La Finca de la Felicidad

Photo by Dr. Haus

The Farm

Today marks the end of my official first week on the farm!  This first week has been an adjustment in terms of jet lag but I am now finally on Spain time and farm time.  Living on a fruit farm with chickens and a veggie garden has been wonderful.  I have been eating a LOT of mandarins and enjoying the outdoors.

One of the big tasks we have been working on is fixing a rock wall that fell down on the property.  This task was made much easier because we are now three people on the farm.  We have been getting along very well and are a great at working together as a team.  The wall before we started is below:

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Most days we are waking up when the sun comes up which is around 8 AM.  I am typically waking up first at 7:30am and getting the gumption to hop out of bed in the cold.  The nights are getting cold, the temperature is getting down to the low 40s.  I start my day by getting dressed and ready then heading to feed the chickens and let them outside.  We then eat breakfast as a group and get started on the tasks for the day.

The wall after the end of the first day of working on it:

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Some of the tasks we have been working on are of course the wall, harvesting fruits/veggies from the garden, irrigating the fields, canning olives, gathering firewood, and all other tasks as they come up.  Some pictures from getting rid of termites to the indoor and outdoor kitchen are below:

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Around 2pm we get together for lunch at a table that overlooks the mountains and valleys.  This area is in the sunlight from about 11AM until 3PM.  Unfortunately, the sun comes from behind us and that is where our mountain sits as well.  This makes for great weather for a few hours each day, but after it starts to get cold.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

We don't tend to do too much work after lunch because we are usually eating lunch in the late afternoon.  After lunch, we typically get everything cleaned up and do our own thing for a little while.  I have been reading some books that are on the farm and going on hikes to other areas on the mountain.  This is nice after 3PM because the main hiking trail is across from the farm and has sunlight much later than where we are.  This is a great way to warm up before it gets into the cold night.

 

We end each night with a fire in the indoor kitchen area.  We cook dinner as a group and then play cards, talk, and watch some shows (we are currently watching Mind Hunter and LOVE it).  On to continuing the adventure!

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

 

The First Days

 

Photo by Dr. Haus - Canning Olives

 

The Adventure Begins

Hola from Spain!  I have been keeping busy since I arrived on the Finca de la Felicidad.  I have learned about the irrigation system on the farm, been rebuilding a rock wall, canning olives (see pic above), taking care of the chickens, and enjoying the people, the fruits, and nature.

🫒

Over this past weekend, we took a trip each day to a different town near the farm.  On Saturday, we went to the city of Estepona which is where I was picked up from the bus stop to get to the farm.  Estepona is a beautiful town on the Mediterranean Sea.  The rock of Gibraltar can be seen in the distance and on clear days you can see Africia beyond the rock.

🪨

I was surprised by the tourist vibes of this town.  There are a lot of British people who vacation here to get away from the UK winters which makes the town interesting because it is full of people from all over.  There are some fun aspects of it from a people-watching perspective.

 🏖️

The town seems to be most known for its narrow streets that are lined with flower pots of the same color (each street seems to have its own color theme).  On this day, we went for ice cream and wine (at 11am, what a life!), had a seafood lunch, and picked up the groceries we needed before heading back up to the farm.

🍨

Some of the picture highlights are below:

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Genalguacil

On Sunday we went to the closest small village to the farm which is called Genalguacil.  Once again, I was surprised to find that it was a tourist village.  The village is one of the "white villages" that leads to the city of Ronda.  The villages sit within the mountains and all the buildings are white in color.

☀️

The town was full of artistic works and art studios.  Again, I was surprised to find so much art in such a small village in Spain.  This town had a lot of small, winding streets and many hotels for the size of the town.  There is a museum in town that I hope we can check out another weekend (if we go back to the village that is).  

 🌴

We had tea overlooking the mountains and our waitress was a German woman which again, surprised me.  It seems there are a lot of tourists and non-Spanish people in the towns and villages around this farm.  Afterwards, we went to a restaurant for a delicious lunch.

🍵

At the end of the lunch, I spent some time speaking in Spanish with the waiter and cook.  It was great getting to practice my Spanish and when I asked them how my speaking was they both said it was very good and that they could understand everything I was saying.  I surprised myself by understanding most of what they were saying.  My reading and writing skills are better in Spanish but thus far on this trip I am feeling more confident in my listening and speaking abilities.  I am excited to keep developing those skills!

🇪🇸

Some pictures from Genalguacil:

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

F***ing Off to Spain

 Spain via Trains, Planes, and Buses

The Trip

It is hard to believe but I am FINALLY embarking on my first trip to Europe.  This trip has been 20 years in the making.  My dream was to go to Spain and hopefully visit some other European countries in the process if possible.

🇪🇸

After saving for YEARS for this trip, having a 3-week trip to Spain during the summer of 2020 cancelled (thanks Ms. Rona), and (im)patiently waiting, I am now making it happen.  This will be a long trip (almost 6 weeks) and I could not be more excited!

🛫

For most of the trip I will be WWOOFing in southern Spain and I will round out the last 12 days of the trip visiting four cities in southern Spain and taking a 3-day layover in Lisbon on my way back.  It still doesn't feel real (even though I am sitting at my gate listening to a recorded voice telling me to check my bag for firearms before I go through security, only in America 🙄).

👩‍🌾

Getting to the Airport

My trip to the airport is not bad at all, I am lucky that I live within walking distance from the train that will take me to the airport.  I simply switch from the regular train to the Air Tram and BAM, I am in the airport.

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

The train ride was uneventful and I spent the entire time filled with excitement for finally living out my travel dream.  While sitting at my gate, I can't help but to wonder, why do they recommend getting to the airport 3 hours before an international flight?  I got through security in all of 4 minutes time but let's be honest, I much prefer being too early than too late and will continue arriving at airports early for this entire trip (plus from here on out I will need to go through customs).

 

🚉

 

Well, at this point I don't have too much to say besides estoy MUY entusiasmada y no puedo esperar a estar en España.  Chao!

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

Short Layover in Lisbon

Well, what I suspected to be an uneventful trip to my layover in Lisbon turned into an interesting affair.  Shortly after everyone boarded the plane someone was taken off the plane by four people, one of which looked like they had an air marshal badge.  I didn't think too much of it until the four people came back on the plane to remove another person.

✈️

This was very odd but I was like, well, let's roll with it.  We aren't really sure why those two people were removed from the flight - the flight attendants said they were not told either.  After the second individual was removed the flight attendants needed to go through every item in the overhead bin space to make sure it was accounted for by someone on the plane.  Thankfully this didn't take too long, but it did mean we left the USA late (more on that later).

☁️

The most exciting thing I learned on the flight was that free wine comes with the dinner on my flight!  For plane food and plane wine I was a happy camper (can't say no to something I didn't have to make).  As usual I didn't sleep much on the plane ride to Lisbon but they gave us a snack before we landed which was also quite nice.

🍷

Now comes the drama (which wasn't really that dramatic).  When we arrived in Lisbon we departed the train onto the tarmac onto a bus to get back to the airport.  I was cutting it VERY close for my flight and was hoping they would let me go through the fast customs line.  For some reason the person sorting people said my flight wasn't boarding yet (which was not true) but I rolled with it and went into the long line.  I ran to my gate and was the last person to arrive at the gate to get on the bus to my plane (whew).

 

Photo of the stairs to the plane taken by Dr. Haus

 

Málaga

Now I am sitting outside the Málaga airport in a T-shirt (I know, so exciting, but it is fair to say I am the only one in a T-shirt, everyone else is bundled.  Yay for growing up in a cold place).  I can report that I had my two first conversations in Spanish (both asking for directions).  I was nervous but successfully (in my mind) asked for said directions.  The first person responded in Spanish (yay) and the second in English so I guess the security guard was like, naw, she's English speaking, I am not doing this.

❓

I can also report that just like the United States Málaga is full of pigeons looking for food - some experiences are clearly universal.  I also learned that Málaga is famous for its golf courses (who knew?) and see a LOT of people with golf clubs.  The more you know!  

 

Photo flying into Málaga taken by Dr. Haus

 

The next step of my journey will be a bus ride to Estepona, Spain and then I will be picked up by the WWOOFERs to head into the mountains and the farm.  I cannot wait to get there, I am so tired but also extremely excited to get this adventure rolling!

 

Photo of my T-Rex friend waiting for the bus to Estepona by Dr. Haus

 

Estepona

It is now two days after my arrival to the farm and I need to update you all about the trip from the airport to the farm!  The bus ride from the airport to Estepona was uneventful minus the wonderful view of the Mediterranean Sea during the bus ride.  At this point, I was starting to crash from the travel, lack of sleep, and jet lag.

😴

I was met at the bus station by one of the other people who is working on the farm and we headed up the mountain.  This person mentioned that the ride up and down the mountain makes everyone feel motion sickness.  I didn't think it would be that bad but alas, I yacked in the car.  Great first impression for the other person on the farm, lol.

🤮

The farm is in the mountains and it is completely beautiful - I will post some of the pictures from the first few days below:

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus of the surrounding mountains

 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus of the sun setting on the farm

 
 

 

Photo by Dr. Haus of the nightly fire