5: Bring Comfy Shoes

It's hard to only pack two pairs of shoes for a two and a half month trip to Europe. But it's even harder to deal with bloody ankles and extra weight.

Our studio course finally met today for the first time. We were going on a walk, Alex said, so wear comfy shoes.

We hiked up to Guardamar's old castle, which is now in ruins; the old church behind it is now used as a water reservoir. The views of the sea to the East and the jagged mountains to the West were breathtaking and we welcomed the strong breeze. It was quite a hike just to the castle up steep streets and rocky paths. The worst was over, it seemed, once we got back down to street level.

...But the journey had only just begun!

The next couple of hours were spent trekking across the urban parts of town to the dunes by the sea. These huge sand dunes are now massive and unmovable, but just a century ago, they threatened to bury Guardamar's streets. Native pine trees and other flora were planted (and replanted annually) to prevent dune erosion and movement. After what seems like miles and miles of walking, we finally break out of the pine forest and head out to the mouth of the river. Rio Segura meets the Mediterranean sea on the Northern side of Guardamar. At this point, I am dreading the walk back.

We decide that following the beach would be the fastest way to get home. Our shoes come off as we begin to walk in the sand. I notice that a lot of people's ankles are bloody and several people complained of blisters.

I looked down at my feet--tired but unscathed--which already have tan lines on them... they're more like tan strips, actually. The sandals I brought are Tevas that I bought just for this trip after much research. Every step feels padded and the sandals stay secure on my feet. They have a lot of grip so that I don't slip on the shiny tiled sidewalks. The only other pair of shoes I brought are my running shoes--essential, and also comfortable. Truthfully, I envy everyone else's cute sandals, but at the end of the day, my feet are a thousand times better off in a pair of utilitarian Tevas. I'm glad I did my research and tried on several different pairs of sandals before finally buying Tevas.