The Alchemist Allusions
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Andalusia

   “I left my father, my mother, and the town castle behind. They have gotten used to my being away, and so have I. The sheep will get used to me not being there too, the boy thought.
    From where he sat, he could observe the plaza. People continued to come and go from the baker’s shop. A young couple sat on the bench where he had talked with the old man, and they kissed.
    ‘That baker…’ he said to himself, without completing the thought. The levanter was still getting stronger, and he felt its force on his face. That wind had brought the Moors, yes, but it also brought the smell of the desert and of veiled women. It had brought with its sweat and the dreams of men who had once left to search for the unknown, and for gold and adventure-and for the pyramids. The boy felt jealous of the freedom of the wind, and saw that he could have the same freedom. There was nothing to hold him back except himself. The sheep, the merchant’s daughter, and the fields of Andalusia were only steps along the way to his personal legend” (28)

    Andalusia symbolizes the start of Santiago's journey towards his persoanl legend. He left his family and friends behind to go search for his treasure in the Egyptian Pyramids. They were just the start of many obsticals that were in his way of reaching his personal legend. Santiago lived in Andalusia while he was growing up. He knew he fields were he took his sheep and was familiar with the people. He decided that it was worth giving up all that to become a shepard and go after his personal legend. This has to do with the theme of letting things go to get where you want to be. Santiago had to let things go and make sacrafices in order to find his treasure.


    Andalusia is an area in southern Spain that takes up 17% of Spanish National Territory. It is 87, 166 square miles and stretches from the Mediterranean Coast of Almería on the east to Portugal on the west, and reaches north to the borders of New Castile and Extremadura. Andalusia is made up of eight main provinces. They are
Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga, and Seville, which is the capital. Sometimes it can be referred to as two sub regions, Upper Andalusia and Southern Andalusia (Kern).

    Andalusia has many Muslim and Arabic influences, the word Andalusia is actually Arabic and means land of the vandals. However, its history and culture have also been influenced by Romans, Greeks, Christians, and Castilians (Kern). Their culture includes bullfighting, tapas, flamenco, special foods, and many other things. Andalusia is open to many cultures, religions, and customs. Everyone is welcome no matter what background (introducing Andalisia).

    Andalusia is a mass tourism place. It’s filled with nice boutiques, bars, restaurants, and a ton of nightlife, and the resorts are the most crowded in the whole country. Some say it’s because of the boiling hot weather and the beautiful landscape. There are marvelous beaches along the Costa de Almería, rolling green hills,
huge nature reserves, snow-capped mountains, and white villages. Others say it’s because of the vivacious, fun-loving people and the beautiful historical sites. One of Spain’s most famous buildings, Granada’s Alhambra, is found here along with other relics of medieval Islamic Spain. There are also fabulous cathedrals, palaces, and castles that are less-known (Introducing Andalusia)
Picture
N.p., Web. 4 April 2012, <http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01459/gaucin_1459451c.jpg>
    This is a picture of the most southern tip of Spain, Andalusia. This picture shows how tightly packed everyone is and the green rolling hills in the background. There is about 6, 441, 755 people living in an area of 87, 166 square miles. Santiago lived with his family in a village like this, and he would take his sheep out into the fields of the mountains. This shows how he left his perfectly fine life to become a shepard and follow his personal legend. He had a house, his family, his friends, and his sheep, but he gave them all up to go find his treasure in the Egyptian Pyramids.

Works Cited
 “Introducing Andalusia”. Andalucía. Lonely Planet. 4 Apr 2012. 
    Kern, Robert W. The Regions of Spain. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1995. 3 April. 2012 Print
 


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