Our time in Spain has finally come to an end. It has been an incredible series of adventures; some were expected, many were not (especially the COVID 19 part).
Luckily, thanks to Spain’s strict lockdown, we were able to move into the “new normal” stage and emerge from our solitude to be able to say goodbye.
We said goodbye to friends.
We said goodbye to school.
Oliver made a video of his bike ride to school so he can remember.
We said goodbye to beach treasures. If you know Oliver, you know that he is a boy who loves shells, rocks and sea glass. Living next to the Mediterranean provided Oliver with the opportunity to collect bags and pockets and nets full of shells, rocks and sea glass. But if you know Oliver, you also know that he has a really hard time letting go of them. Since we can’t fill our suitcases with rocks, he had to leave most of them behind. To honor the treasure that they were to him, he made a mandala of many of them and left them on the beach for others to discover and enjoy.
Leo said goodbye to one of his favorite store (pretty much Spain’s answer to the Dollar Store). He literally went down each aisle and said goodbye to all the items.
We said goodbye to Spanish food.
paella 
Espetos de sardinas 
Tortilla española 
Sangría
We said goodbye to our stuff. It is amazing what you can accumulate in a year. One of our friends works with refugees and she helped connect us with 3 different families (from Columbia, Georgia and Ukraine) who could really use the things we needed to leave behind. It felt great to see them go to new homes.
We said goodbye to the amazing sunrises and sunsets.
And we said goodbye to the Mediterranean, many, many times.
Now, the long ride home, with a week pause in Iceland!
Adrift in Andalucía 
This blog made me feel as if I also went up and down the familiar streets of Torre del Mar with you, the mandela is bittersweet and touching, A lovely way to leave those bits of Spain behind. I remember it all with fondness. Mamo
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