the spanish plague

Now that I am emotionally and psychologically sound (well, as sound as I ever get) post Christmas visit home, my physical health has gone downhill. For the past two months I have had one symptom of illness after another appear and disappear, seemingly without cause. It's what Shannon has dubbed "the Spanish plague" and is something that many anglos seem to experience here: long periods of successive illnesses, one on the heels of another.

For the three weeks, for example, I've had itchy eyes and have been sneezing, which sounds like straight-forward allergies except that my throat has also been swollen and irritated during the week and then it mysteriously heals itself on the weekend only to inflame once again on Monday. What gives?? I suppose it could be coincidence, pollution levels, a new allergy symptom or just the remains of the last cold I had that maybe keeps trying to come back. Whatever it is, I'm certainly not comfortable.

Perhaps that is why I'm uncharacteristically unenthusiastic about leaving Spain's sun, blue skies and temperatures in the high 60's/low 70's for Germany's rain, clouds, and temperatures in the low 40's.