Life: Idiotropic

9 hours in the car. Not the 7 I'd hoped for, but totally worth it.

From the day we arrived we were told that EVERYTHING in Spain (other than the tourist industry) shuts down in August. So here I am, happy-go-luckily planning my Saturday to do a quick drive to Barcelona and back. The GPS said 3 hours and 40 minutes to the breeder's house. May be on another day. Not a Saturday. Not the 1st of August. Not when half of France were going home and all the Spanish were on the roads leaving it.

I appreciate the signs though. The first said "Accidente en 10km. Retencion en 2km." I was happy to get about 4 km down the road before the traffic stopped. Fully stopped. Car doors opened, people got out, talked to each other by the median, pulled out cigarettes and smoked. Some stayed in their cars with the windows rolled down and their legs sticking out. A woman wove in and out of cars "taking a walk" eating a peach. I was thankful that it wasn't a hot day. But I did get out, saunter down the road a couple cars behind and ask a couple guys how long this usually takes. "Depende." On the seriousness of the accident. This one seems bad. Could be an hour. I was happy he was wrong. Two more "retenciones" later and several toll booths and we found ourselves on a highway leading us winding up into the mountains where big terracotta colored homes sat precariously on cliffs edge as if ornaments hung on a giant tree. Villages with narrow winding streets lined with buildings sun faded from centuries ago. Women with scarves on their heads and baskets shopping. Then a steep road serpentine through the trees until it came to a really sweet village nestled in a valley that I'd love to explore some day, but couldn't today. So many photo ops missed. The views from the drive high up on the mountain were amazing.

We finally ended up in Castellcir - a tiny village with a round about at each end. We entered town, then called the breeder, got to the last round about as instructed, then called again just 60 seconds later and parked at the school just there. 5 minutes waiting and there she was in a cloud of dust from the tiny dirt road by the school. Eva, a tiny lady with short dark hair, slight features, a grand smile, and a chipped tooth. We followed her on probably the worst road I've ever driven, uneven dirt and rock, 8" gullies that I feared would swallow my tires if I slowed down. And arrived, finally, at a really run down stone building that looked more ruin that home, but served for her well - another lesson in the deceptive nature of websites, but a pretty house are not prerequisite for pretty dogs, so into her yard we went pushing past a sea of white tail wagging golden retrievers who wanted desperately to be loved by each of us before we were allowed entrance. The girls loved it. There we found amidst the 14 adult dogs, 4 darling puppies. The boy was sleeping in a corner and the girls all huddled under the picnic table trying to stay cool in the dry dusty heat. We stayed about an hour. Tiara played with the girls quickly falling in love with fatty. La gordita, we called her for a while. The biggest, strongest, prettiest of the girls. Though I could have taken the all home. The little girls played with the breeder's boys, picking unripe grapes and pelting each other with them. Eventually, we got the papers, paid, and got ready to make the drive back. Eva carried her to our van, cuddling her, loving her, obviously sad to let her go. She told us that she is the best of the litter and show quality though I don't think we'll ever do that.

Anyway, she did beautifully on the drive home. Cuddled in Tiara's arms sleeping most of it, happy and curious. She loves her toys and bark and leaves and dirt. And we all love her.

Breeder: http://www.diosneptuno.com/en/puppies.html
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=132353&id=674507268&l=48e74def5f