Jo soc la reina de la muntanya baixa

That means I am the queen of the lower mountain in Catalan, I think!  I feel that I am.  My only neighbors on the mountain, a pretty large hill, actually, are moving to Barcelona next month.  After that, I’ll be the only one living here full time, probably until spring.  There is an older woman who lives at the top of the hill, but it’s just me below that.  When some of the apartment owners come on the weekends, I feel like they’re invading my space!

I used to say nature smature, because I didn’t care all that much about nature, or have time to pay much attention to it.  But here, now, I am surrounded by so much incredible beauty, especially  the constantly changing hues and rhythms of the sea.  Sometimes, it is calm like a lake with hardly a ripple.  At other times, it is like a washing machine, all fury and whiteness.  And it can change so quickly!

The colors of the sunrises in the morning over the Mediterranean and the sunsets in the afternoon, and the moon rising over the sea at night — I am endlessly amazed.  At night, I sleep with the window open and feel the sea breeze, sometimes more like a tornado, and listen to the waves, which can be almost deafening when it’s rough.  That’s why this area is called the Costa Brava – because the sea can be so “brave” and wild.

Covering my hill and elsewhere, there are pine forests interspersed with cacti and palm trees.  I hear the seagulls call and the doves cooing in the mornings.   I’m constantly overwhelmed.  Maybe it’s because I have time now…but it’s just too beautiful for my words.

The sea also provides endless entertainment.  There are all types of watercraft — from kayaks, wave runners, and paddle boards to sailboats, motorboats, fishing boats, and ferries, ocean liners, and freighters.  I always have my binoculars and camera at the ready!  At night, I can see the twinkling lights of Pals, L’Estartit, and Roses, the lighthouse on the Illes des Medes, and other lights farther away, which I believe are in France.  Yes, I can see France from my balcony!