Thursday 29 December 2011
Is it okay to say we hate writing these blogs... every day or so? This confession is made in all candidness because deep down we know how much we'll treasure this daily synopsis of our trip but it's a MUST and we wanted a MUST FREE sabbatical. There. It's been said. All together now, Pooooooor family. Now on to the juicy details of our amazing adventure.
With Pilar and Enrique expecting us for lunch at 2:30 we wrote a few postcards, Nicole helped wash up after the tapas party and we finally scooted out the door to walk to our old neighborhood. We arrived bearing a box of marzipan cookies from Toledo. Holy guacamole! The house was completely decked out in Christmas decorations including a big tree and gorgeous nativity scene. Then the feast began. Pilar had made her own holy guacamole served on pork rinds with a drizzle of mole. We had a yummy fried noodle dish, fideo seco, re-fried black beans with Mexican cheese sprinkled on top and finally (after we were all groaning about eating too much) the main dish, chilaquiles, a casserole made with tortilla, chicken, peppers and cheese. All of this was washed down with either cervesa, tequila or pineapple juice. After spending their youth in Mexico the brother and sister had been in Valencia for the past 33 years and loved it.
It's wonderful how new friends can feel like old friends so quickly. The language barrier was nominal and when Nicole and Dian played some Spanish songs on the guitar Uncle Enrique even commented on their perfect pronunciation. We had cheese atop a square of guava and coffee plus all the choices of Christmas sweets you could imagine. We left exchanging verses of "Felis Navidad" as we rode down the elevator to the sunny street below.
Yes, we were in an unusually long period of good weather according to our friends and we were soaking it up like cats on a windowsill. We stopped at the Dia supermarket for more pesto and pasta (staples for the camping ahead) and Dian turned her glasses in to an optica shop where the proprietor, Jaime said he'd try to solder the broken frame but... "no se puede" which we recognized as the opposite of Barack Obama's campaign slogan (borrowed from Caesar Chavez) -"Yes, We Can." We took his card and agreed to call the next day to see if the miracle had been wrought.
Back at home we had a light dinner and each of us buried ourselves in the books we'd chosen from Don's vast library, trying to finish them before leaving on the first of January. When one thinks of the effort that goes into a good book it does seem silly to complain about a measly daily diary, doesn't it?
Is it okay to say we hate writing these blogs... every day or so? This confession is made in all candidness because deep down we know how much we'll treasure this daily synopsis of our trip but it's a MUST and we wanted a MUST FREE sabbatical. There. It's been said. All together now, Pooooooor family. Now on to the juicy details of our amazing adventure.
It's wonderful how new friends can feel like old friends so quickly. The language barrier was nominal and when Nicole and Dian played some Spanish songs on the guitar Uncle Enrique even commented on their perfect pronunciation. We had cheese atop a square of guava and coffee plus all the choices of Christmas sweets you could imagine. We left exchanging verses of "Felis Navidad" as we rode down the elevator to the sunny street below.
Yes, we were in an unusually long period of good weather according to our friends and we were soaking it up like cats on a windowsill. We stopped at the Dia supermarket for more pesto and pasta (staples for the camping ahead) and Dian turned her glasses in to an optica shop where the proprietor, Jaime said he'd try to solder the broken frame but... "no se puede" which we recognized as the opposite of Barack Obama's campaign slogan (borrowed from Caesar Chavez) -"Yes, We Can." We took his card and agreed to call the next day to see if the miracle had been wrought.
Back at home we had a light dinner and each of us buried ourselves in the books we'd chosen from Don's vast library, trying to finish them before leaving on the first of January. When one thinks of the effort that goes into a good book it does seem silly to complain about a measly daily diary, doesn't it?
Dian,
ReplyDeleteKeep on writing, I am reading your journal for over two hours now and I am not finished but yes I am hungry with all the good food you are having. I came from swimming this morning and thought I should read about you and reminise about the old times and the good times you are having. Bita