Don't You Want a Fanta?

Today Collin and I got up at 9 ish. Collin stayed up, but I ate a couple bowls of cereal and went back to bed until 12:30 with my earplugs in and sleep mask on. I tell you, going back to bed gives you the weirdest dreams! I dreamt that I was wearing Emma's heelys and that I left Aidan at a truck stop bathroom. 

Once everyone was up and dressed, Collin went looking for a new microwave since ours is still shooting sparks. Later, we did one of the walks from the book Granada in 7 walks. We went up to a spectacular view of the city and the Alhambra. There was some very intricately painted ceramic tile and beautiful bouganvillia. The kids dipped their heads in a fountain we came across in a deserted courtyard. A man was hosing down the pavement outside of a teahouse and the kids wanted him to spray them. We said they could ask him, so they practiced saying, "Mojenos, por favor," a bunch of times and then walked nearby and stood there mutely until one of them was brave enough to say it to him. He sprayed the water into the air and the kids got nice and wet. It was a really hot day today and we were out earlier than usual. 

We walked by the center for languages and I felt bummed because if we had been able to rent our place in Lewisburg, I would have been able to take an intensive Spanish language course. Maybe next time. When we reached the summit of the hill, there were tons of people up there taking pictures. There were also some gypsies hanging around, one was sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk. 

We ate popsicles when we got to the Plaza Larga, a good place for tapas. Aidan really wanted some Fanta, so I let him buy a bottle under the condition that he would have to ask for it himself. He did really well. He was so into his bottle of Fanta that he stepped in a fresh dog poop right outside the cafe:( It seems like everyone has dogs here and I have yet to see someone pick up their dog's mess. It is everywhere, you really have to walk where you walk. Also, I don't think there is a leash law here (paradise for MacDuff) and so the dogs pretty much roam free. It is hard to tell if the dogs are strays or if they belong to someone.

On our way back home we stopped at las Titas restaurant which is about a block from our house right along the river. We ate:

olives: green and salty, I shouldn't complain (I had those all to myself, yum!)

bread: crusty white

jamon serrano:Fresh hams are trimmed and cleaned, then stacked and covered with salt for about 2 weeks in order to get the moisture out and preserve the meat from spoiling. The salt is washed off and the hams are hung to dry for about 6 months. Finally, the hams are hung in a cool, dry place for 6-18 months in a drying shed at higher elevations, which is why the ham is called mountain ham. 

manchego cheese: a sheep milk cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain and aged for 3 months or longer

ensalada mixta: ice berg, olives, anchovies, tuna, tomatoes, red onion, and carrots with red wine vinegar and olive oil

tortilla: thick egg and potato omelet, almost like a crustless quiche, but much better 

soda: each one cost 2,30 Euros but they are made with real sugar rather than corn syrup so those were definitely worth the almost $4 each

It was an expensive meal, 35 Euros, but it was delicious and we definitely got what we paid for. I had been wanting to try jamon serrano because it is such a typical Spanish food, we all liked it (surprise!). Ian loved it. Emma said, "Well, it wasn't disgusting, but I wouldn't eat a whole plate of it." She did like the tortilla and manchego. Ian ate all the raw onions that I had picked off the salad and said, "You're my onions, purple and raw . . . I shouldn't complain." That NEVER gets old. Aidan ate an anchovy for ,50 E (money to support his Fanta habit).

We walked home and the kids watched cartoons while I went to the store. I feel like we are going to the store every day and spending way too much money on food in spite of the fact that Collin and I are eating less and trying very hard not to eat treats all the time. 

I made the hummus from scratch (dried chickpeas) and it was good! Tomorrow I think I will try my hand at falafels from scratch. 15,003 steps today, a new record! We looked for the peach lady again, but she wasn't there. We are all starting to worry that we'll never eat those perfect specimens of what a peach should be again. 

The kids heeled around at a nearby park while Collin followed some guys in soccer clothes to see where they were going to play and if it was an open game. Hopefully, he'll find some guys to play with. We are both going to try to jog tomorrow. We'll see if that works out.