mylifeinspain

spring days

After a week or so of cloudy and rainy weather, some semblance of spring has returned to the village. That said, the temperatures were warmer here in March, and any time Toronto is registering a higher temperature on the thermometer than the Costa del Sol seems just WRONG to me, but nevertheless we persevere. :-)
The days seem incredibly long, with the sun setting just a hair past 9:15 these days. Of course, this means that after our work is done, Big Jim and I still have plenty of time to putter in the garden, which is getting top priority this year. To our usual mix of various flowers, herbs, and chili plants, we are growing a few vegetables of our own. The reason for this is twofold: first, the fabulous organic farmer is no longer making deliveries to the village (despite our many attempts to convince people here that pretty shiny identical-looking pesticide-ridden tomatoes may NOT be the best to eat, we were unable to drum up a sufficient group of regular customers to make his hour-long journey to the village worthwhile), and second, the prices being charged for certain vegetables in the markets are bordering on extortion. "5,75 euros/kg of red peppers, you must be joking!" I shrieked a couple weeks ago to the horror of Big Jim and the greengrocer. And the peppers were rather sad looking to make matters more insulting. Seriously, five years ago for less than 10 euros Big Jim and I could buy more than enough at the Saturday market to keep us both veggified for the coming week (and Jose Luis, the bio farmer, charged only 2,20/kg, btw, for his bio red peppers). In the end, we bought a couple peppers for eating but more importantly for their seeds, which I have since planted. I am way too cheap to continue to pay these insane prices. And so I also planted Italian green peppers and Roma tomatoes, and fingers crossed the Asian eggplants are successful this year. If we had more space on the terrace, I would grow even more of our own food, but alas we are quite limited in square meters these days. (And already have 120+ pots on the roof alone!)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Frankfurt recap: part I
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

venice recap: part 6 (when will they ever end?!!)

Soon, I promise! They have to because I have another little mini-trip planned for June. :-) First, a quick recap of my experience with Shutdown Day on Saturday. I did successfully manage to not turn on the computers all day, nor did I even sneak a peak at the Internet on the one machine that Big Jim had running (he did not participate although conceded to shut down two of his three computers for the day), so I am quite pleased with myself. :-D And I used the time to do more of the traditional reading that I often claim to not have the time for (or more accurately, do not MAKE the time for), plant more seeds in the garden, and create some order in the office. So refreshing was the day that I have decided to have my own shutdown day one Saturday a month for the rest of the year, with the aim to making it a weekly tradition of sorts. As much as I love my technology, I do think it is important to cut the cord from time to time. :-)

Now to finally finish off this travel recap (incidentally I am wearing my fabulous purple shoes, my gift from Air France, as I write), I think one of the delightful things about Venice is the dizzying number of precious little corners and nearly hidden plazas to explore, not to mention the interesting architectural details spotted with every peer upward---I could wander for weeks I believe and not become bored. Here is just a small sample of what I am talking about:

These, and more (!), fotos will be posted in the Venice album in the sidebar.

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

venice recap: part 5

Yes, even MORE fotos from Venice, but I swear this trip recap will be finished soon and regular blogging will resume next week. I know some of you are waiting for more Bode kitty (or as Big Jim has taken to calling him lately, Shitty kitty) pics, and of course we have been making trips to the garden center and getting the terrace knocked into shape, and generally been enjoying the beautiful spring weather. :-)

Speaking of getting outside, tomorrow is the second annual Shutdown Day, when people pledge to not turn on their computers for 24 hours. I have signed up for this year's event and urge others to do the same, especially if you are like me and spend way too many hours staring at screens. Which means I better get on with this trip recap because I only have 4.5 hours until mandatory logoff time. :-)

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Venice is packed with museums, and Titians and Tintorettos seem almost carelessly tossed on walls all around the city. With just a few days to play tourist, we decided to hit the Gallerie dell’Accademia. There was a special Tiziano exposition on, but we decided to pass and just focus on the regular collection. Which was a smart decision as we barely made it through the museum in time for lunch (only served in most restaurants until 3 pm, which caught us off guard because in Spain meals can be ordered until 4).

The one other site I believe one needs to see is the Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge's (Duke's) Palace (full of even more Tintorettos!). The entrance fee to the museum also includes the Bridge of Sighs, another one Venice's more recognizable landmarks. Photography was very limited inside, but when allowed we snapped away like crazy. :-)

These and more fotos can be found in the Venice album in the side bar. Enjoy, and have a great weekend. TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTERS TOMORROW!!!

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: All packed
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: May day

venice recap: part 4

I know that the trip recaps are trickling in, but unfortunately real life reared its ugly head and demanded our attention. I will write more about this later, but for now will offer up a brief explanation. While we were in Venice, one of our oldest, both in age years and in time knowing, friends from the village died. His memorial service was Thursday, and Big Jim was asked by D.'s widow to give the eulogy. So forgive us if our hearts and minds have been elsewhere.

But now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

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Although synonymous with Venice, I was not quite prepared for so many gondolas, gondolas, gondolas! Around every corner were more gondolas, gondolas, gondolas and tourists queuing for gondolas, gondolas, gondolas! And the one thing that I did not feel compelled to do while in Venice was ride on one of the gondolas, gondolas, gondolas! I much preferred the high-speed action of our water-taxista, Claudio. However, that did not stop us for taking many, many fotos of the gondolas, gondolas, gondolas. :-)

These gondolas, gondolas, gondolas (and even more f-ing gondolas!) will also be posted in the Venice photo album in the sidebar.

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Spanish "express"
2 years ago: Melbourne interesting fact #1
1 year ago: Foto Friday

venice recap: part 3

Although I suppose one could eat and shop all day in Venice without doing much of anything else, eventually Big Jim and I did manage to see some of the city's better-known sites. :-) Even though we were staying on the island of Giudecca, this was easy for us to do because, as I mentioned previously, the hotel has a free shuttle available pretty much all day. And the 5-minute boat ride dropped us off a short walk from la Piazza San Marco, which could have not been more convenient. The plaza is known for a few things:

The tower:

The cathedral:

The crowds:

And of course the pigeons:

As cathedral's go, Saint Mark's is pretty impressive, as is the entire square. Even at a fair distance from the basilica, the smell of "old", centuries of incense and history, wafts out into the plaza from the church's open doors.

No photography is allowed inside, which is understandable, but a pity. The incredibly detailed inlaid floors are mesmerizing, and I spent most of my time there crouched down admiring them while streams of tour groups passed around me, seemingly oblivious to what treasures lay beneath their feet.

And of course no trip to the piazza would be complete without a trip to Caffe Florian, an institution since 1720, which allows it to charge crazy prices. The two coffees and cake that Big Jim and I shared, as well as a sitting fee, totaled 40,50 euros, or in today's (sad) dollar, $64.75! Which is a bit extravagant, but the coffee and cake were excellent and the people-watching superb. As a once (or twice)-in-a-lifetime experience, I highly recommend the splurge. :-D

(I have included additional fotos not included in the post to the Venezia photo album in the sidebar, just FYI.)
hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Poor Mr. Beebs
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: Born to be Wild

venice recap: part 2

When Big Jim and I were packing for the trip, we had a little "discussion" because he could not understand why I was taking my supersized "overseas" suitcase for a five-day holiday. I countered with explanations that I needed both a heavier coat as well as my rainjacket (the weather forecast was not promising). But truth be known, the maleta was only half full because IT'S ABOUT THE SHOPPING, SILLY! How could the husband think I would go to Italy with just an overstuffed weekend bag (like him)!

And fill my suitcase I did! Don't get the wrong idea, though. As much as I enjoyed ogling the designer windows and the pretty glassware, my purchases in the end cost a grand total of about 20 euros: the perfect shoes for me EVER (the purple mary janes below---handmade and vegetable-dyed), which Air France will be paying for, and boxes and boxes (and boxes) of every sort of pasta we can't get our paws on here in Spain.

Of course, I am scouring eBay for those purple eyeglass frames, too. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Still with the winds
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

venice recap: part 1

We are back from Venice, and indeed the city is everything I expected and more. :-) Sure, it is a tad touristy, but this is a city like no other and thus I believe allowances can be made. At times, the experience was surreal because I am not used to hearing American on a regular basis, and in Venice I found myself surrounded by voices from seemingly all over the lower 48 (as well as the UK, the whole of Europe, and the full range of Asian languages). Also surreal, the fact that I could understand Italian almost better than the Spanish spoken here in the village (after 6 bloody years!!!!)

Tourist life in Venice is also not cheap, but then again the city is like a sophisticated version of Disneyland, so we didn't much blink an eye at most prices (although if anyone can guess correctly how much we paid for the two coffees and my little birthday cake pictured below, I will give a proper shout-out here---aim high, people). We also saved euros because our hotel has its own private (and solar-powered!) shuttle boat, and thus did not have to pay 6,50 euros/person to ride the waterbuses. We did splurge for the private watertaxi to and from the airport, and I must say jetting around the Adriatic like James Bond did wonders for my mood after leaving the Lost Baggage counter with my pathetic little courtesy bag from Skyteam.

But, of course, one of the star attractions of the trip was the food, and, as you can see, we were not disappointed. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

welcome to venice

More later, after I am done spending my birthday money from Air France, who had the audacity to lose my luggage and leave me with only a Skyteam tee shirt, size extra large, and Big Jim's boxer shorts as my change of clothes, in Pradaland of all places! Happily, the suitcase was found and returned to the hotel today, so I am all :-Ds again. :-D

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

on holiday...

officially in about one hour.

Forty is looking pretty good, I tell you. :-)

Taking camera and laptop, so there should be posting from the road.

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

i'm back....

Actually, I haven't been anywhere, but I figured I better post an update soon before my mother started to worry. :-) And now it has been so long that I have to really think what I have been doing the past week and a bit that kept me from blogging....
*When I last sat before the TypePad template, it was Semana Santa. I have to admit, I wasn't really into checking out the processions this year. I did post a few fotos from Palm Sunday, but I was a bit creeped out by the village's recently assembled drum and bugle corps and their paratrooper getups. Sometimes I feel that the longer I am living in Spain, the less I understand certain things. For one, I thought military uniforms juxtaposed with the pageantry of Holy Week was an image not reflective of modern Spain thinking. But what do I know because when I brought the subject up with a couple people, they saw it as just "tradition" and very "Onward Christian Soldiers". Then again, we do not live in exactly the most progressive of villages....
*I also skipped the crucifixion on Good Friday because 1) I have seen the priest-mayor as Jesus be whipped three times already and frankly that's enough; and 2) the weather was overcast and quite chilly and I was much too happy snuggled up at home to think about venturing outdoors.
*Last week brought another round of antibiotics, although nothing as serious as the kidney infection of last month. However, I was taking Cipro and thus ready for an anthrax attack at any moment, but alas none was forthcoming. Ho hum.
*Bode kitty had his little huevos removed on Easter Monday and so far he doesn't seem to miss them much. For some reason I thought this would instill him with some sense of calm, but not the case. He is still a completely mad kookamunga whose favorite things involve either biting some part of my flesh or looking incredibly cute and peaceful first before pulling out the fangs. But he is beautiful, and at least now the marauding gang of feral cousins is no longer gathering outside our front door and leaving their "calling cards". Which of course Almendena would mop down with some rose-smelling detergent before I even got back from the dogs' morning walk, adding to my "I'm a shitty Spanish housewife" guilt.
*By far, however, the biggest time zap of the past 12 days has been my irrational need to find out who Heidi and Spencer are. I know, I know I am years late on the American pop culture scene, no matter how many OK! magazines Big Jim brings me from Holland. But fortunately for me, mtv has graciously made all episodes of The Hills available online. And this is how I was sucked into the vapid world that is Heidi, Spencer, Brody, and Audrina. :Sigh:: It is seriously hard work catching up on three series of shows I tell you! Although when I watched the last episode, I could not help but wonder what I could achieve if I ever applied myself to anything worthwhile....hmmm.

Life should be a tad more placid in the coming days. One reason is that Big Jim finished up his contract in the Hague yesterday and is flying back to the village tomorrow, thus assuming fifty percent of housewifery duties, at least until the next job comes along. :-) Also, later next week we are jetting off to somewhere fun (hint: Marco Polo airport) to celebrate mylifeinspain's 40th b-day. :-D

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Friday fotos from Pakistan
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.