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26th April 2007
Dear Diary,
I could not remember what had happened in the last few hours. I had the feeling
I had been flying for a long time, but I did not remember how I had got to the
airport, or where I was going. I felt cold. I realised my clothes were wet.
It must have been raining on the way to the airport.
I felt sleepy, so I closed my eyes, hoping my destination would be nice
and sunny. I was fed up with the rain and the cold here in the north.
When I opened my eyes I couldn't hear the noise of the engines. We had stopped!
I looked out of the window. I could see other planes. I was at an airport,
but where? I had no idea. I got off the plane, took a moment to write these notes,
and started looking for a taxi. I hoped he would speak English, because so far
every person I had heard talk was using a language I didn't know, and looked at me
in a strange way when I asked them where I was, first in my own language, then
in English. I don't know whether they thought I was crazy or they just didn't understand
my question.
I don't know if it was a coincidence, but when I could understand the taxi driver,
I discovered that I had arrived in Spain, to be precise I was in Barcelona.
The taxi driver and I were talking for a short time, and I said to him,
(who was very friendly with me), that I was hungry, and immediatly we went to
“The Gothic Quarter”, it is a beautiful place in the centre of “Sant Jaume
Square”, it was of Roman origin. I got out the taxi in front of a restaurant,
where I asked for some food typical of the city.
I was sitting at a white table when I saw a waiter arrive with a plate
called “cocido de habichuelas” and a “butifarra”, which according to the
waiter's explanation was a white sausage typical of Barcelona. Finally, I
was full, but I ate a sweet with pinions and raisins called “músico”,
it was delicious.
While I was eating, something important happened. I was watching TV
(I don't know why, because I don't understand a lot of Spanish, only
some words that I learned when I was yuounger, in the school) and suddenly,
I saw my old girlfriend crossing in front of the camera, I didn't know where
she was in that moment but I had to find her, then I called the waiter and
asked him:
- Excuse me, could you tell me where is that TV report of?
- On TV, they are talking about “La Alhambra” of Granada, he answered me.
- Ok, thank you. The bill, please?
I paid the waiter and I ran out of the restaurant. At the door I met Pepe,
the taxi driver, and I said to him that he had to drive me to “La Alhambra”,
Granada.
- Are you crazy? He said to me. Granada is much farther than you think.
Come on, I will show you something of the city, and then, you will be able
to sleep in my home. If you want, I can drive you to the airport tomorrow,
and you can take the first plane that goes to Granada.
I thought that it would be a good idea, so Pepe showed me a beautiful and modern
cathedral, he said to me that it was “The Sacred Family”. This cathedral had a
lot of decorative elements and lively colours on the walls. I saw a curious
cryptogram on the door, but I didn't give any importance to it.
Later, Pepe drove me to his home and he allowed me to sleep all night,
I was very tired...
26th April 2007
Dear Diary,
I'm in Granada. I'm going to “La Alhambra”. I don’t know what I will find there,
but according to a magazine I read last night, La Alhambra was a palace city from
the 9th century, a fortress from the 13th century and a royal residence.
Moreover, it has got very beautiful building and wonderful gardens with fountains.
I arrived at La Alhambra. It was a sunny day and it was very hot, but this is typical
in summers of Spain. It seemed a dream… I imagined I was in a fairy story where
I could smell flowers, I could feel soft wind. I crossed a narrow passage leading inward
to the Place of the Cisterns, a broad open space which divides the Alcazaba from the
Moorish palace and I followed my route. When I was in “The lion’s patio” I heard some people
talking about a story which was about a treasure that was kept by a muslim warrior,
his friend and a princess who he was in love with. The men said something about a
“lotus flower”.
I came back to reality and I remembered my old girlfriend. I didn’t find her,
but someone said to me he had seen her. She was going to travel to “Convent of San Clemente”,
in Castilla-La Mancha.
I wondered what was happening. Everything was so strange… I left there and I arrived at
a little hotel where I spent the night, because it was getting dark. I'll travel to
Castilla-La Mancha next day.
27th April 2007
Dear Diary,
It was early. I was waiting for a bus to go to “Castilla –La Mancha”. I was hungry and I ate
a typical Spanish sandwich of “jamón Serrano”.
On the way, I thought about the clues to find Alesia, my old girlfriend. I found few trees,
but I saw many fields full of vineyards. A man told me that it's very typical here.
In September, they pick grapes from that plant to extract their juice to make wine.
It's delicious, (I've tasted it).
I arrived in Ciudad Real (a town in Castilla – La Mancha, in the south-west).
There I found a couple of very friendly old people sitting down o a bench.
They invited me to have lunch in their home, because I was a stranger.
While Antonia cooked something typical in “La Mancha” called “gachas” and some partridges,
I looked through the window of the house, I saw something strange:
- - What's that? – I asked José Luis.
- It's a windmill – He answered me.
-
-The whole story was written by “Miguel de Cervantes”, four hundred years ago
approximately – José Luis said.
I said goodbye to the couple. Julia cooked for me another typical food here: “pisto manchego”, made with some peppers and tomatoes and she put it on a glass jar for the road. Besides they gave me a sweet called “mazapán” but they said to me that the best “mazapán” was made in the “Convento de San Clemente”, in Toledo.
- - Oh, yes!, I'm looking for that - I said.
28th April 2007
Dear Diary,
It's Monday, I have been in the convent of St. Clement this morning and the monks there have told me that Alesia was there three days ago. She is interested in the marzipan, the monks told me, and I also wanted to know about their history:
When the Arabs surrounded Toledo in the 13th century,the monks of the convent of St. Clement only had for eating sugar and almonds, so they invented a mass, which they called marzipan.
The monks helped me - they told me that my old girlfriend wanted to visit the Mosque of the Tornerías, which was built in the 11th century on the Roman ruins. In this Mosque there was a drawing similar to the Christ of Light and a strange symbol. From here Alesia travelled to Madrid, where she was going to take a plane and fly to Santiago de Compostela.
I asked the monks about the symbol which they had mentioned, and the monks told me that it was a lotus flower. I thought it was the same in Granada and I also remembered seeing it in Barcelona.
What was Alesia searching for?, perhaps she will find an answer in Santiago of Compostela, I thought.
29th April 2007
Dear Diary,
From Granada, whose situation is in the south of Spain, I had to cross The Iberian Peninsula to arrive in “Santiago de Compostela”. So, I decided to catch a train as far as Madrid and I could spend a relaxing day in the Spanish capital.
Soon I was in the Atocha Station, one of the oldest and most important stations in Madrid. I began to walk and I arrived at Retiro Park, the biggest park in the city, where people walk with their friends, animals, family, etc.
To finish the visit I went to “Museo del Prado”, one of the most important museums
in the world, where I could see a lot of famous paintings drawn by “Velázquez”, “Goya”,
“Murillo”, “el Greco”…When it was mealtime I went to a bar near the “Museo del Prado” where I ordered a beer. The waitress, whose name was Almudena, served it to me and she gave an appetizer of Spanish omelette with egg, potatoes and onion. She said to me I was “de cañas”. Then, I understood why the Spanish bars have got a good reputation. To have lunch she offered a “cocido madrileño” a food with chickpeas, potatoes, meat, black pudding and broth.
After lunch, I caught a quick metro, which took me to the city centre. I visited the “Plaza Mayor”, “la Puerta del Sol” a square with a big clock when many Spanish people, especially people from Madrid, live each New Year’s Eve, the longest night in the year. Later I visited the “Puerta de Alcalá” and the “Plaza Cibeles”.
It was the time to leave, I caught a taxi which I arrived at Barajas airport to catch the plane to meet Alexia in “Santiago de Compostela”.
This day has been relaxing, but really tiring.
30th April 2007
Dear Diary,
Alter the long journey, I arrived in santiago de Compostela, and to recover some energy,
I entered a restaurant and tried a Galician pie with meat and vegetables. I didn't know where was Alexia , and after lunch, I began to walk around the centre of the city, and I decided to visit some importants places.
In comparison with the rest of the places where I had been, Galicia was more green and wet. I visited the botanic garden in “ el parque de la Alameda”. It was wonderful.
Those gardens, full of life, helped me to think, and maybe I will be able to find Alexia in the airport, because I know she was chasing something, and traveled very fast, then she soon would take a plane.
I dedided to go to the airport the following day and to ask the people about her...
While I was having a rest in a park, I heard a conversation.
One of the three women talked about a way... I didn't understand anything about it, but it seemed interesting.
When they got up, I followed those girls.
I arrived at a place called “ el portico de la gloria” where there was a statue of a man
called Santiago, with a flower upon his head. I discovered that I had learnt a lot of Spanish.
Then I asked to a priest about the meaning of that statue:
It is a lotus flower, this morning, a girl was very interested about this, she said something about finding a treausure, and she talked too about a strange mystery. Suddenly, I put all my attention in the conversation...
- She told me that tomorrow she will take a plane... - continued the priest.
Suddenly I stopped hearing the rest of the people, and forgot the journey, the garden, the centre of the city…
I could only think about Alexia.
1st May
Dear diary,
I have been sleeping all night. I'm on a plane with Alesia. Finally I found her!
Last night I arrived at the airport, I screamed her name everywhere as if I was crazy,
and in the end she saw me. She was surprised and she told me to run with her to the plane, she told me that she couldn't waste any more time in explaining me everything, and that she would tell me later.
I don't know where we are going, I only know that she is the mystery now, and at the same time, she's the answer. I don't understand anything, I will ask her how she is, she's very quiet, thoughtful. She looks at me, my heart begins to beat more and more strongly, she answers «the lotus flower, we have to find it». I still don't understand anything, I've heard something about the flower, and I have seen it! It was in Barcelona, Granada, Toledo... In all the places where Alesia had been, was it chance or did it mean something? Would it have something to do with the legends which I had heard in Granada?
Alexia would have the solution. I dared to ask her about the flower, she said: «It's born at dawn, and it dies in the evening, that is the fair time that they needed». I continued without knowing anything, her words resounded in my head.
«Their roots are held to the bottom of the mire, in the deepest thing, as deep as the love which united them. I have to find it!».
I still didn't understand anything, she was looking for something, that was sure, but what?! Where?! I insisted on asking, she turned round and looked at me, and she said: «Do you still love me?» It was incredible, I continued loving her as the first day I touched her lips, she spoke again: «Then, come with me. I need you...»
Everything in my head was spinning, but I didn't care -she, Alesia, was with me...
2nd May
Dear diary,
Alesia told me we were going to Germany. There I will have to wait until she finds out where we have to go to find the lotus flower and all the answers to this mystery. She will have to leave me on my own for some days, so she says I can do a bit of tourism. She knows Germany perfectly, and she says at times I will feel like an alien visiting a different planet, but it will be fun to relax for a few days and act like an ordinary tourist.
When the plane landed, Alesia and I went to a railway station. She bought a ticket to Essen for me, and we said good-bye. She said she would let me know where I had to go next, but we wouldn't make the journey together. Her last words to me were: "have fun!"
Chapter 5