Day 10: Normalcy, with a Spanish Twist

Yesterday was normal in the best way possible. We’ve been here, as of yesterday, for 10 days and things are starting to click.

• We got to chat a bit more with “our” waiter at “our” cafe and he assured us that we’re doing well with our Spanish for how little time we’ve been here.
• I toddled around our neighborhood, shopping for Aloe Water (not easy to find here and quite a bit more expensive) and groceries (visiting both the local Mercadona and a fruit store) with my happy blue cart.

• I navigated the busses like a champ, finding my way to a new location solo and on time.

Valenciano and Castellano — can you tell which is which?

• Art happened, in spite of a little rain at the start, in a local park with a new acquaintance from a local FB group. She drew, I painted, and we chatted away (in English though since she’s a native Spanish speaker there’s potential for future chatting en Español) as we created.

Left: New art buddy Cristina, Center: my reference, Right: my wee painting

• Bill joined me (he biked over) and we finally saw the parrots we’ve been hearing.
• We stopped for a drink that turned into dinner that turned into dinner-in-a-thunderstorm at a place around the corner from our house. OMG — the alcachofa dish was ah-MAY-zing

Before the rain…

(Check out the storm here: https://youtube.com/shorts/UdHEocOxdcw?feature=share )

• Arriving home wet and happy after a day well-spent was estupendo

After the rain.

And we get to do it all (in pieces and parts) mañana y mañana.