Llamar a los Angeles

It's been two days since we returned from Spain. Such an ordinary, simple statement for a breathtaking, joy filled perfection of a vacation. I find myself smiling absent mindedly as images of our days in Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Segovia come to mind. And best yet, (for us) is that New England put spring on hold for two weeks and my garden is in full bloom; lilacs, columbine, iris and peony in flower or full fat bud…

This vacation was ten years in the making. Cancelled once and nearly cancelled again as tragedy struck our family six weeks before the trip. However, the lesson in the tragedy seemed to be 'live while you are alive' and so we did. We boarded the plane to Madrid under the arc of a full rainbow. I swear that rainbow followed us through every step of the trip. I've vowed to write a paragraph or two about the trip until I've captured the images and moments that still make me teary when I think about them. The trip was such perfection that I found myself feeling as though an angel (or angels) were watching over us. Yes, we were in Spain. Yes, I was raised Catholic… but I have not held to those beliefs in some time.

In Segovia I discovered a pendant called 'Llamadores de Angeles.' They are round balls with small bells in them, perhaps of Celtic origin. (So they can co-exist nicely with the Sila Na Gigs discovered on our trip to Ireland ten years ago). The legend has it that if you ring the bell, you will call the angel you need at that moment. (If you are ever in Segovia, Kukul on Marques del Arco had a lovely selection.) I love the sound and the concept. A friend of mine who believes in angels much more than I do once said that an angel is any creature who comes to your aid when you need it most. So, here's to the angels of our trip to Spain; to the pilots and air attendants, to the hotel staff who helped with my Spanish and filled in with English when they could, to the lovely and surely restaurant staff; to the man who made the most divine deserts in honor of my birthday, to the honest taxi driver who reminded us not to leave our camera, the shop attendant who held my wallet when I left it behind, to Paco the Barber of Seville, and to Incense and Peppermint (otherwise known as my better half) for joining and enjoying the adventure. More to come….