Today, I had the marvelous surprise of your postcard!
It's dated from day 7, which is something like day 10 or 11 in this blog's calculations, so please note that Spanish mail takes about 2 weeks to arrive here! Thank you for the glory of that image and it's caption... what a treat...
The sun came out in Duluth today, and Jesus seemed intent on answering all of my whining that it was cloudy and that volunteering had been difficult to set up, etc. etc. When I woke up, the sun was already brilliant, the volunteering was set up easily after a phone call, I finished a book that I had been putting off to discover that it contained precisely the answers to questions I had been asking when I had started it (but neglected to finish it until now), and I began reading Pride and Prejudice (again), and so I'm summarily delighted with everything. Did you know that Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice (under its original title "First Impressions") when she was only 21 years old? It has since been (rightly) proclaimed the first great work of modern literature, and she has both heralded the new era and surpassed it! I believe myself even more taken with it than I was before. Lizzy, though portrayed with all the affection her fans have for her in the movies, is absolutely bull-headed in the books in her refusal to allow Darcy even a shred of decency and her commitment to upholding Wickham's character, though she is met with continual cautions and pleas to reverse her opinions. She is absolutely blinded with hatred for the man, which all began with her perception that he had a disagreeable countenance and that he refused to dance with her on their first meeting. #somuchpride #somuchprejudice
To conclude, before I am taken in with raptures about León, I also had a lovely bath:
The picture, unfortunately, does not do justice to the open air flowing in through the window, nor the scent of the incense sticks that I had lit, nor the delightful humidity of the hot bathwater. It does, however, sufficiently portray that two candles that were a gift from my sister and the beloved book sitting on the table.
León is a magical sort of place, it seems, and I am so glad that you get to visit, even if it's only for a bit. The cathedral and basilica are both magnificent works of architecture and devotion, and, though I realize a visit is out of the question, they boast a stupendous and new modern art museum called the MUSAC. Perhaps, though, you might recognize simply walking by the bright colors that paint the facade and note to your companions that it is home to the latest innovations in art (acknowledging, of course, that it is nothing close to the greatest works of yesteryear, yet (I maintain hope for modern art)). Close by, hopefully along the route you are taking, are some red mountains called "Las Medulas." I'm not sure if you will see them, but I hope so! They're beautiful, but also intriguing. Basically, the Romans dug up and the replanted entire mountains to get the gold inside, so the mountains still resemble something turned inside out with their red-clay coloring and unsteady soil.
Furthermore, it's supposed to be excellent for food! Rumor has it that some bars will give free tapas with a drink, but even if not, the region is mostly known for their meats. I am partial to the lighter fare of southern Spain, but the weird looking sausages of León ("botillo" and "mortilla") have their merits, too. I think special attention, though, should be devoted to the fact that you are in SPAIN and I am so glad that you are there!
Puedo escribir en español si que te ayude practicar la lengua. Es buena práctica para mí también, pero comprendo si es más difícil para ti. Te amo. Estoy rogando para ti. Siempre.
Ponder love today.
