Grey days

There have been a few grey days, both literally and figuratively. I hasten to add, not dark grey, just a bit murky. A bit like a typical Scottish autumn day, but I might be taking analogies a bit far. 

The weather has been grey, wet and just a bit boring for the last couple of days, nowhere sparkles in quite the same way on a day of drifting drizzle. The Spanish has been a bit of a struggle as well, I keep feeling as if I will never understand that swirl of language and colour that is Spanish spoken by Spaniards. I must remember not to compare myself to other students, that's unfair on them and I. There was an arrangement to meet someone, it didn't happen through no fault of anyone and I had an unexpected evening alone - not a problem when expected ( I enjoy a meander on my own at my own pace) but I struggled hungry through crowds of joyous Spanish, searching to find a place to eat with a free seat, let alone a table. 

Then today I had a lovely meal with Sanne, a Danish lady who has walked the Camino, in that most un-Spanish of cuisines, a vegan restuarant. Veganism is unheard-of by, and incomprehensible to, the vast majority of Spaniards ! And to most Australians I reckon ;-) apple gazpacho, Vietnamese rice paper rolls, meat(less)balls with oats and lentils in a vegetable sauce, followed by tiramisu ( almond milk I think) and good coffee. 

I just bought basic Camino supplies i.e. plasters for blisters, and tape, for our feet. The Camino is getting closer, and in my heart I know my Spanish is getting better. So the grey is lightening. Really, it's pretty light grey now, with large chinks of sunshine, both literally and figuratively. 

Robin Williams passing away, that I still have to process. Heath Ledger passing away was a similar tragedy, men who had so much talent but for their own reasons, felt their lives were not worth living. 

A trivial fact, the spell-checker in my phone turns podemos, which means we can in Spanish, into a pod of emus. I've been sending pods of emus to my German friend here for a while without realising !