Play me a nice game of Orange?

This is Tami again. She and I went to Spain. We crashed her college buddy Matt's family vacation. Sooo glad we did....Spain gets my award for best culture.Madrid is sparkling and clean. Sapphire blue skies may have played tricks on us. We thought we were in Disneyland a lot of the time. LOOK, the Prettiest church I've EVER been in!! (yes EVER). Ceilings of brilliant color. JOY. In a big old church. Nuestra Senora de Aldamuna (Our lady of the somethin or other?). Gorgeous, brillliant, festive... drool.

The Spanish are not afraid of color, or Ham. Ham is a specialty in Spain, (and on this blog) as evidenced by the fact that the ONLY types of Pringles they sell are ... 'Jamon' flavored? We didn't try them.

Segovia is a day trip outside of Mardrid. It was also Disney-esque and painfully blue-skied. We toured a cathedral, a castle, 2000 year old roman aqueduct and ate the best suckling pig in Spain.

That IS a curly tail that you are seeing.A dance festival in Segovia. Girls with castanets in red and black dresses, boys with wooden sticks.

Flamenco dancing. Passionate, Firey, Sweaty and Stomp-y. I thought they would put holes in the stage, and I was a little frightened at times, but they were gorgeous. Smoldery, Dark and sombre, haunting and just completely into character. This culture is not messin' around. They dance like they mean it and they sing and play the Spanish guitars like they mean it...and they fight Bulls to relax:
My high school Spanish culture lessons paid off here... above the Banderillo (member of the Matador's "cuadrilla") and El Matador, below. "Matador" means "Insane" and "Not a member of PETA"
Also to relax...they drink wine and have Tapas. So when in Spain...
We went on a walking tapas tour with a crazy English/Irish genlteman as our guide who called himself 'The Chairman' as in the Chaiman of the Wellington society, which he created after he decided not to be a college prof anymore. I'm not sure what it is. But I am a member now. He was really not all about history, but more about showing the six of us a good time and telling funny and memorable stories, so it was a nice insiders look into Madrid.


I tried to order and get around in Spainish, I found myself understanding a lot of words, but not being able to arrange mine in any sensible order. Some mis-"que's" if you will...

1. I think I asked a waiter if he would "Buy us" when I asked for the check.

2. I called another waiter fat.

3. I basically ordered a game of orange juice. (In Mexico this would have been correct usage of the word, para no en Espana!)



Must hunker down and get work done now. Time is running out.



I am not special. A good friend tells me. It is good to hear.

I am just me.

Bueno. and Muchas Gracias mi amigo de Allemania. Gracias for piles of rubbish as the backdrop for life-giving conversations!

Two weeks more.