A Very Short Newsletter

With pictures!

Hello Readers!

I haven’t sent out a newsletter for awhile because I got quite ill here in Spain. Barcelona had a very bad flu season this year and the doctor I saw here said influenza had lingered because of their delayed spring. I have never before been as sick as I was with this virus, which was scary, but I’m now on the mend.

The timing of my illness was kind of bad in that it set in the evening of my birthday, but my birthday plans still worked out for the most part. I had decided to visit the Alhambra, in Granada in southern Spain, for my birthday, with Arthur of course. The Alhambra is a famous example of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved Islamic palaces in Spain. For those who don’t know, there was an Islamic kingdom in southern Spain until the Reconquista, or reconquest, which ended in 1492 when Spanish Catholics successfully defeated the Muslims in Granada and drove them out of Spain. 1492 was also when practicing Jews were expelled from Spain. Sigh. Intolerance has a long history.

But, we still have the Alhambra to enjoy—a fortress, place, gardens, city unto itself! It is beautiful and serene and awe inspiring. I’ve included a few pics from our trip. I hope the Alhambra inspires you, too.

A view of the Alhambra from St. Nicholas church, located across the way. (I did not take this picture—we missed out on going to St. Nicholas because…fever, which came out of nowhere. Ugh.)

An inner courtyard, with a reflecting pool. You can see the intricacy of the stone work above the six arches. The reflecting pool sends flickering sunlight across the stone facades, creating a sense of ephemeral and fluctuating beauty.

The Lion fountain inside the Alhambra is believed to have been a clock, with water spouting at set times by one or several of the 12 lions that make up the fountain. The Spaniards took it apart after the Reconquista to understand how it worked, but couldn’t put it back together, alas.

A bit of tile work I especially liked. It’s amazing to think of the time it took to create these intricate snd serene images over and over again.

A garden inside the complex. So beautiful and calming.

A word about flu shots

I didn’t get a flu shot last fall because I had had Covid right before we left for Chile in September and I didn’t want to deal with any possible side effects from the vaccine after being sick with Covid. And then I just didn’t think about it when I was back in the U.S. this past winter, although I did get a measles shot to make sure I’m protected from that (after consulting with my PCP). I’m not blaming myself for getting sick, but I do feel newly committed to getting a yearly flu shot. Whatever “toxins” some people believe are contained in flu shots cannot compare in actual severity with how incredibly ill I was from the flu.

Love this Amelia Bedelia take on the flu shot. How we describe treatments matters, though, and vaccines are anti-disease shots.

I’ll have a newsletter with more content soon! In the meantime, enjoy this pic of a cat I befriended on my birthday in a tea shop in Granada. The tea and “Arab” desserts were heavenly.

Hugs to all,

Theresa

The cat doesn’t look comfy, but he hung out with me until I nicely shooed him off—following the direction of the woman running the tea shop.