So, where exactly am I??

Here!

As shown in the map of Europe above you can see that Spain is located in the Southwestern corner of the continent. The eastern coast is lined with beautiful beaches leading into the Mediterranean Sea while the Southern tip leads into Africa. On the Northeast corner lies the border to France and over on the East you can find Portugal. Now to give you an idea of exactly where I live in this vast country......

I'm that little red dot. As you guys know, I traveled this last week up to Barcelona, over to Venice and 

down to Rome. One thing is for sure, I definitely didn't realize how much a few inches on a map affects the climate! Traveling North and away from the Mediterranean to Venice was quite chilly. I had to buy a scarf just to keep warm durring the day. Down in Rome the weather was a bit warmer but it got very brisk once the sun went down. I was very happy to return to sporting a t-shirt when I stepped off the plane in Alicante. While Alicante is warm and humid, it hardly ever rains. When I flew into Alicante the first time I was surprised to look out my window. I couldn't see a single green speck. Coming from Portland I think I take the lush green environment for granted. Besides the few leaves of a palm tree you won't find much green here. You will find a lot of sand and dust though. 

You will also find a lot of people. Alicante is home to 334,418. Thats 4,303.4 people per square mile. This is pretty similar to Portland. One thing I found interesting about Alicante is that nobody lives in a house. Everyone lives in apartments. Some are small and some take up entire floors of buildings. They come in all shapes and sizes. There are two very distinct styles of housing in Alicante. The old and the new. This is my favorite "street" en el barrio antiguo...

And this is the main street in the city's center where a lot of other apartments are....

Another difference between Spanish families and American ones is that in Spain you live with your family until you get married and sometimes even later. This means that one apartment could be filled with many generations. But still, they don't find a need for a backyard. 

As Oregonians, we may not realize how much our beautiful city's backyard affects the way we spend 

our time. I know that I personally love going hiking, taking a bike ride, or finding a river or lake to go to if its nice. I asked if there where any good hiking trails around Alicante and a few people laughed at me. One thing I love about hiking is enjoying the wonderful scenery. In Alicante, to hike a mountain would be similar to hiking a big blank rock covered in dust. Not as cool. So I've had to cater my activities to the geographical environment here. This means....I am in the Sea all the time. There is so much to do! So far I've been kayaking, snorkeling, boogie boarding, surfing, and paddle boarding. I love it! I have found that the waves of the Sea and the warmth of the sun have replaced my need for fresh air, rushing rivers, and greenery. This has become a new oasis...

 This is the San Juan beach. Its about 20 minutes away from Alicante but the surf is much better! 

How do you think the geography in Portland affect our lifestyles? How does it differ from Alicante?