First impressions....

First impressions…do not lie.
We left Munich early and got on our first of three trains. Our first train was normal and short train trip. Our next train would be longer and we would arrive in Paris in the evening. Since we had to pay so much for the train I was hoping we had good seats because we kept being told the train was full. Our second train, unknown to us, was a fast train, WAHOO!! At one point we were going 200 MPH. I wondered why my ears were popping and Mandi showed me how fast we were going. We had one of those screens showing us where we were in the country, how long till our next destination and our speed. Then unbeknownst us we had an on board dinner, win. Cold chicken, red beans, beets (yuck) and dessert were on the menu and it was pretty good. Glad our money went to something as well as the speed. Once in Paris, we had to wait for our night train (or as learned later the “hotel train”). Very nice and for the first time Mandi and I had our own sleeping car, win again. I guess we should since we have paid so much. Come to find out we did actually get a discount, crazy hugh? Well, the sleeping hotel was not as comfortable as a La Quinta it was still a warm place to sleep and breakfast was included. We arrived in Madrid and had to take the metro to the next spot to catch our bus. Mandi again navigated that easily but when we arrived to the P Pio location we could not get out of the metro because you are suppose to pay at the beginning of the trip. However, when we de-trained at our previous stop the conductor said our Eurail pass would take us the bus station (El Gato). So going to the information booth they gave us a ticket to get out. Then we had to go by the directions given to us by our hostess. I have learned most people do not know how to give directions even when they sound confident always ask someone else or actually Google maps as Mandi would say. After going in a circle, we found our bus station just outside our rail station and we were waiting for our bus for about an hour. We called our hostess and inform her when we should arrive so she can pick us up at the station, since she lives three meters from town (ha!).
On arriving, she is not waiting but still driving to our bus stop and it is raining (of course we had to wait outside). We get into her car that is already full of stuff along with cat and dog hair (first impressions are everything). I get in the back seat with Mandi’s and my backpacks and we are on our way. Our hostess is very kind but eccentric and not an organized bone or cell in her body. We go from Almarox on a narrow windy road to a small dirt road that had been washed out several times. There were even spots where someone had put broken bricks in the holes to try to fill them. Up and Up a very bumpy road we find her finca (property). The finca is overgrown and needs some TLC but could be real nice, the choice word is could. As a side note our hostess tells us of her nasty divorce and how much she hates Spain, oh no. The house is actually two houses made into one, a real nice set up. There are the two houses with the kitchen connecting them with a porch overlooking the finca. Our hostess house has a living area downstairs then her bedroom and bath on the second floor with a balcony and the top floor with a spiral staircase access. Her house or side of the house is connected to the kitchen. The guest house (pet free side) has a living room and bathroom then the second floor has two rooms and a top floor that you can get access to thru one of the rooms. Mandi and I chose the room with the full size bed and a door. Since we were unsure of our house sitting partners we figured it would be safer and more private. One of the final first things we learn about the house is that it is “off the grid” or is run of solar and wind power. Actually, only solar because her wind generator does not work along with several other things in her home (we learn later).
We meet our house sitting partners two young men from the UK one 25 and the other 40(?). The 25 year old, Joe, is very nice and friendly but the 40 year old is a bit odd. Mandi and I learn we will share the house with the Joe and the other will be sleeping in his van (not even the size of a Honda Odyssey). Great?! We then meet the pets six cats and three dogs. All but one dog live in the house, ugh. =o/ I knew I would need my allergy medicine but did not realize how much I would need it. The cats of course have the run of the house, at least the hostess side of the house, along with the kitchen (they allow the dogs to live there). Our side of the house is pet free (or as best as it could be). Dinner was nice? Our hostess is suppose to be a good cook (per HelpX info). She made a meal from practically nothing and it was good. The next day our hostess takes us to Almorox for supplies and when we get back the odd 40 year old is gone. He left his travel companion!! I thought Brits were courteous people but this one must have been raised somewhere else. Poor Joe that was his only ride and their destination was Morocco. Our hostess was freaked out and so did Joe. Both however had a couple beers and were at least one notch under freaked out. Our hostess then decided to take us for tapas (appetizers) in town along with more beer. We had hand picked mushrooms, tripe (cow intestine), cheese, sausage and blood sausage, bread and more sausage. When we get back to the house Joe decided to stay and Mandi & I told our hostess we had intended on staying and we are here. I make dinner that night but since our hostess is vegetarian I could not make a normal Mexican meal so I tried enchiladas with mushrooms and zucchini. I do not recommend it. Unless you make it without the zucchini, super watery but they said it tasted good. Day three, our hostess leaves, Joe takes her to the bus stop and they are running late (not because of Joe). Then he comes back and with much rummaging thru the house (not our side) he finds a radio. CONSEVE! Our hostess last words to us was to conserve water and electricity because the sun does not always shine in Spain, good to know, so she has a small Honda generator for some electricity when needed for the water pump (toilet flushing, water to drink, so on), for example. Joe decided on day three to play the radio all day the first day we are without our hostess. We of course overuse the electricity and are now on candles and the generator, YEA! And you ask where is the sun? We do not know in Texas maybe. We finally get sun and some power so we can take baths and hopefully wash clothes. NO way this is going to be easy. The power ran out in the middle of the wash cycle on the first load. Poor Mandi was hand rinsing and ringing out her clothes to put on the line and then the sun decided to hide again behind rain. Fun. Poor Mandi had her clothes hanging around the pet free living room for a few days. Have you heard the saying don’t ask what else could go wrong because it will. (keep reading). We have little to no sun for the next couple days so we all decide to take a trip to Toledo to have a break from the house and pets. Oh, our schedule is to feed the dogs and let them out each day before 8:00 am and feed the cats but one cat gets fresh fish (smelly). Then we feed them all again by 6:30 or 7:00 pm each night. So any trips would have to between these times. Mandi and I wanted to do our regular walking and taking pics but it was difficult with a third person who did not seem interested. So we did what we could and of course it was overcast, had a late lunch, tripe, croutons (fried mash potatoes), tiramisu, chocolate cake and of course wine and beer. Then we were on our way back home. Eventually, Joe decided to go home. He was very kind and said he would stay if Mandi and I wanted him to but we both are pretty self sufficient so we encouraged him to be with his family for Christmas. I then had to make sure I remembered how to drive a manual transmission, yea, one good thing. We said good-by to Joe on the 24^th and we were alone along with nine pets.
Merry Christmas!!! Mandi and I are alone with the pets trying to stay warm. Oh, I forgot to say we have only wood burning fireplaces to stay warm in both sections of the house, one in the kitchen and one in the pet free living area (not in our room). Mandi said at one point she was going to sleep with the cats and dogs because their part of the house is warmer. We had a good Christmas together and both missed home terribly. Then we had two weeks left and two days of sun, yea!
　
Then the worst came…two of the three dogs ran off. Well, sad to say this had happened when Joe was here because he let out all three at once when we were told not to let them all out at once but they did come back for dinner every time (yes, this happened more than once). This was a different situation and the dogs did not come back for dinner or breakfast, sigh. We needed to email our hostess because for some reason I cannot text her or call her Holland phone number. She emails back she is “devastated” her dogs have never run off and they are like her children. Well, Mandi and I are “devastated” too. We were told the dogs had a tracker so we asked for it and of course they are just identifying chips not locator chips. We are two responsible adults have lost dogs who NEVER run off. After two days she says she is coming home early, great. Then at four days, Knut (the greyhound) is caught by the local police. Yea, Praise God!! Our hostess says the police are stupid to not get Max too(a mutt, a rescued junkyard dog) and Max is her favorite who she has had for nine years. She said she called the police and they would not tell her where they got Knut. My thought is be happy they did not shoot the dog if Spain is “so bad.” So Mandi and I go to get Knut (who skinks like horse shit) and thank the office over and over again. Then we get an email from our hostess and she says Max is at her friend Barbara’s house. “He has run off there before,” what? He has run off there when he has NEVER run off before? Before we go to look for Max again, since we have been looking, walking and driving the whole countryside, a couple friends of our hostess comes by and says “oh, those dogs run off all the time.” What the HELL!!! Again with terrible directions to find Barbara’s house Mandi and I are out for hours looking thru the Spanish countryside with no luck. We finally try our hostess again on the phone and IT WORKS!? We get better instructions after our hostess tells us about her day with her mom, this phone call does cost me quite a bit. We finally get to ask her about the directions and we get to Barbara’s house and no Max. We call her again and ask could he be anywhere else? She said, “he has gone to my friend Maria’s before, when he has run off.” Yea, they NEVER run off. (Remember things can always get worse.) Gratefully, when we get home Max is here (smelly too) so happy about his four day adventure. We call our hostess, “their home!” She decides to stay in Holland and come home at her scheduled time.
We are DONE! Mandi and I clean up the dogs and start cleaning the house again because it is a never ending battle. Hint, we do not win. We are both ready for our comforts of home like toilets that flush, electricity when you turn on the light switch, washing machines that work, dryers for those wet clothes, clean kitchens, running water, warmth, dinner without having to fend off the animals, a long uninterrupted nights sleep, not smelling like smoke and easy access to family. We do miss our family and cannot wait till we talk and see you again.
Note to my brother: If Daisy is this much trouble I am so sorry. Her chip does work and I do know she is not perfect. I also know she will not run away because she is to chicken.
We will be leaving in a couple days and pray all will go easier to leave here. We will be starting our next/last part of our trip and excited about getting back on the train and hopefully finding warmth in the south of Spain, Portugal, or even Italy. We have eleven weeks remaining and 80 days from January 7^th. Crazy to think.