When I think back on the days spent here in Spain since my
arrival, no social interaction has been more of a learning experience than the
one I shared with a little old lady in Granada. There I was, still a little
overwhelmed by the beauty of the Alhambra as our group made its way back into
town. Just past the gates separating the Alhambra from the rest of Granada, two
older women stood holding some sort of plant out to the passers by. I thought
they were selling something or that it had something to do with the festival
that was going on, and I had my mind set on just walking by. All I can say is I’m
every bit as naive as my mother tells me I am. Through an unfortunate series of
flustered mistranslations, I handed her the only money in my pocket (10 euros)
in exchange for letting go of my wrist, and two sprigs of rosemary.
Had I been closer to the front of the group as we were
walking, I would have heard Frances warning everyone to stay away from them. I
learned later when I told Frances what happened that those women were in fact
witches. It totally amazed me. After a week of managing to avoid getting taken
advantage of by peddlers on the street, finding the most strategic way of
carrying my purse to avoid getting robbed, and having the general attitude of
being ready to unleash the very wrath of Kahn if need be, I got swindled by a
little old lady. I felt so stupid. Nothing like that had ever happened to me
before. I finally understood how sheltered I am back home.
If nothing else, I have learned three things from this experience:
1. It's ok to be more assertive.
2. Always keep walking.
3. Fresh rosemary smells wonderful, even if it cost
10 euros and my pride.
As Hamlet said:
ReplyDelete"Rosemary for remembrance is"; when he threw his bouquet into Ophelia's grave. At English funerals we throw a bouquet of rosemary into the grave, also meaning, "We will not forget you who go the the realm of the ancestors; we will remember you... anon, anon."
Yes, these are witches and witches are good and the word 'witches' does not mean anything essentially negative: it means women — and men — who practice nature based religion.
Goya's version of the term may mean something very, very different. He could even be referring to quite another group such as the Inquisition — more on that in discussion.
Nonetheless, tourists need to be aware of what can come their way.
Thanks for bringing this up, Sarah.
Yes, be more assertive but do not self-accuse or self-attack when you have not traveled outside the USA before. How could you know?
I forgot to mention these middle European immigrants that populate cities ever since the Bosnian-Serbian conflict in the late 90's.