It looked like a dog turd . . . but I still ate it

We took another leisurely morning stroll around the Alhambra since it is the kids' favorite spot in Granada. Our family went in search of the perfect pair of genie pants for Emma, but sadly, our little girl is much too picky for her own good. She thought the legs felt too tight or she didn't like the color, so we didn't end up buying any and she cried. She also spent lunch time crying because she wouldn't eat a perfectly good piece of ham and bread because it had a little olive oil on it so we said she couldn't drink her Fanta. A rough day all around for Emma.

Collin and Ian went inside a church and heard some nuns singing behind a partition near the front of the chapel. We stopped at a restaurant that had some yummy lemonade with hierba buena, which I think just might be mint, and Fanta. Our free tapas were olives, the yummy light green kind, and ham and bread as I mentioned before. We also walked by some tea and spice stalls. We were dying to try the tea, but didn't know whether it was herbal or not. It smelled wonderful and apparently you can find a tea to cure any ailment. We saw ones that claimed to cure insomnia, nerves, constipation, etc., Maybe we'll try some herbal tea once the weather cools down a little. We also saw some caves that people actually live in! I wish we could have gone inside, but I'm just not bold enough to ask someone if I could. We noticed that some of the walls are topped with broken glass for security. I had thought that people only did that in 3rd world countries. On the way to the spice market we saw the BIGGEST knives ever. I have no idea what use a knife as big as my thigh would be. Some of the roads we walked on were almost vertical. The kids and I had a hard time with this particular walk. We saw a nasty looking bug, it was larger than Collin's big toe, the kids really enjoyed watching it try to right it self. I would love to get a Spanish jewel encrusted comb for my hair or one of the feathery ones, my hair is pretty boring and could use some serious bling.

Later, I met Annahil at the park. Collin told me that I should treat her to tapas and a drink (since she babysat for free the night before) so we walked into the center of town. We got a little lost trying to find this very old sandwich place that Annahil likes. She didn't want to eat in the touristy area that I liked because she said it was too expensive (she's probably right). We each ordered a sandwich. I decided to be brave and eat morcilla which is blood sausage with rice. It looked exactly like a dog turd that had been sitting in the sun for a couple days drying out. Nonetheless, I ate it. I knew that I couldn't back down in front of Annahil. She loves morcilla and I didn't want to insult her. I'll just say that while it was edible, I didn't love it and had to concentrate a little on not thinking about the blood factor while I was eating. I made up my mind that I was going to be braver on this trip about what I try foodwise. Maybe Emma will follow my example? (Not likely!) Afterwards, we went to Tiganni's for gelato. Annahil ordered strawberry and cheesecake. I tried marscapone, but ordered passion fruit, which was AWESOME! We sat on a bench near Plaza Nueva and talked until about 11:30 pm and then walked home together. At once point during the night I got this feeling that I should call home, but I ignored it. I reasoned with myself that Collin told me to take Annahil out for a soda so he wouldn't be expecting me to come home any time soon. When I got home the kids all flew at me and Collin said he wished that I had called if I was going to stay out so late. I guess he and the kids were expecting me to take my usual hour for Spanish conversation and instead I took 4 hours. Part of that was because Annahil showed up half an hour late and we wandered around trying to find the sandwich place for awhile. The kids started freaking out when I was gone for so long and insisted that Collin take them out to find me. They went to the park where Annahil and I usually talk and walked up and down the river. They all thought something horrible had happened to me and even went so far as to poke around in bushes looking for my dead body. Collin was trying to stay calm for the kids' sake, but returned home and called everyone he knew in the ward to try and get Annahil's cellphone number. When he finally got it and called her, I was already almost home. What I should have done was take Collin's cellphone with me or called home from Annahil's cellphone when we decided to get ice cream.

I felt really bad because I know exactly how they all felt. The kids were all very upset and understandably so. It isn't very often that I go out and do things by myself and I am always just a phone call away. I think the fact that it was night time and we are in an unfamiliar city was enough to push their imaginations over the edge. What a shame that they went through all that when all along I was just sitting on a bench talking to Annahil about music, movies, being a single LDS girl in Spain, and how Spanish, Latino and Arab men treat their women. I am really going to miss my conversation partner. She was interesting and really good at correcting my mistakes.

I am reading Tithe by Holly Black in Spanish. It is kind of slow going because now I am writing in a notebook words I don't recognize and looking them up. In one chapter I had to look up 63 words. Oh yeah, the chapter was only 4 pages long.