Tuesday
Woke up at Ana and Pepe's house really early and they were still asleep, so I watched some TV then went back to sleep, not waking again until 11!!!!!!!! Had some breakfast, then Jose came to collect me and we went to another person's house to get ready for the feria (like a massive street party). We were meant to be dressing in Flamenco outfits, but it was really hot, so I stuck some flowers in my sombrero and that was enough for me. The heat was almost unbearable - 35ish degrees and relentless sun! This is fine when you can shower or swim but, stuck in a city centre with thousands of drunk people, it's tough.
I couldn't stay in the area where we were and went for a walk for a bit, to the quieter streets. I then couldn't get back to the others and got really panicky and felt sick. Eventually, I found them (by putting my iPod on full volume to block out the sounds of the party!)
We stayed from 3 until about 6, then went to the roof of a hotel for a drink. It was lovely but I was so tired and just wanted to go home. Eventually, we got back to J's at about 8.
I'm really rather brown... I will look freakish back in the UK!
Wednesday
After the chaos of Tuesday, I had a lovely day and feel much better now.
I went shopping in the morning in the centro comercial near J's house. I bought:
For me:blue strapless, loose fitting top
long sleeved light shirt for work
600g pipas sabor barbacoa
chorizo
Presents:blue t-shirt with his name on and "hola" for nephew's birthday
2xgoats cheese (brother and dad)
small bottle rioja (dad)
Special cured ham (mum and dad)
Pedro Ximenez sweet wine (mum)
Salchichas (family)
and probably more, I've forgotten about!
Then I chilled out by and in the pool for a couple of hours. Quick shower, then the others came over.
Then we went into Malaga and the folks there remembered me from last year and said they were disappointed that I'm going back home tomorrow. It looks like I'll be coming over again between Christmas and NY for a couple of days!!!
Today
Now I am back at A&P's and am spending the day with them today, before getting the plane tonight. I hope I can do some serious sunbathing to maximise the tan! Ana is also going to teach me how to make gazpacho, which I'm really excited about. I'll be able to add it to tortillas in my Spanish food making repertoire!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday
I had the best day you can imagine...
Woke up early and J and I went to the shop to buy some bits and pieces. Then I prepared my contribution to the feast: caramelised oranges. In the end, I could have cooked the sugar solution for a bit longer and left the whole thing to caramelise for longer, but it was fine. Jose made 2 tortillas: 1 plain and 1 with green peppers. We prepared the house and laid the table.
Then I had a quick swim and lay by the pool. In the blink of an eye, the direct sunlight and blue sky were replaced by clouds and a thick blanket of fog! I went inside and had a shower. When I came out, the blue sky was back, though the mist hung over the sea for the rest of the day, adding to the atmospheric beauty of the view. We waited for the others to arrive...
The others started arriving at about 2 and we finally started eating at 3. I was totally ravenous by this point!
We had: tortilla (spanish omelette), jamón (cured ham), queso de oveja (sheep cheese), gazpacho (cold tomato soup), empanada (pastry dish with various fish in it), ajo blanco (white cold soup with garlic, served with grapes - local dish) and then my caramelised oranges for dessert. Really delicious food and such a nice mixture... mainly all hand made and so very tasty. I filled my boots and then felt rather uncomfortable, so Ana and I went for a swim... bliss!!! Soon, the others joined us and we all lounged by/in the pool until about 9pm (when it was still 27 degrees).
Then we all moved down to the beach and ate sardines and tomatoes in an amazing open-air restaurant on the beach. I was filled with such a sense of love and peace and know that this is another home for me. I feel like I was meant to be Spanish and to live by the sea like this. I've always loved the sea, but this place is special. I will live here one day, of that I'm sure...
I came back to Churriana with Pepe and Ana, as I am now staying with them until I catch the plane on Thursday evening. I have a beautiful, colourful, girly room and look forward to exploring the town later today.
Woke up early and J and I went to the shop to buy some bits and pieces. Then I prepared my contribution to the feast: caramelised oranges. In the end, I could have cooked the sugar solution for a bit longer and left the whole thing to caramelise for longer, but it was fine. Jose made 2 tortillas: 1 plain and 1 with green peppers. We prepared the house and laid the table.
Then I had a quick swim and lay by the pool. In the blink of an eye, the direct sunlight and blue sky were replaced by clouds and a thick blanket of fog! I went inside and had a shower. When I came out, the blue sky was back, though the mist hung over the sea for the rest of the day, adding to the atmospheric beauty of the view. We waited for the others to arrive...
The others started arriving at about 2 and we finally started eating at 3. I was totally ravenous by this point!
We had: tortilla (spanish omelette), jamón (cured ham), queso de oveja (sheep cheese), gazpacho (cold tomato soup), empanada (pastry dish with various fish in it), ajo blanco (white cold soup with garlic, served with grapes - local dish) and then my caramelised oranges for dessert. Really delicious food and such a nice mixture... mainly all hand made and so very tasty. I filled my boots and then felt rather uncomfortable, so Ana and I went for a swim... bliss!!! Soon, the others joined us and we all lounged by/in the pool until about 9pm (when it was still 27 degrees).
Then we all moved down to the beach and ate sardines and tomatoes in an amazing open-air restaurant on the beach. I was filled with such a sense of love and peace and know that this is another home for me. I feel like I was meant to be Spanish and to live by the sea like this. I've always loved the sea, but this place is special. I will live here one day, of that I'm sure...
I came back to Churriana with Pepe and Ana, as I am now staying with them until I catch the plane on Thursday evening. I have a beautiful, colourful, girly room and look forward to exploring the town later today.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Catch up on the weekend
Friday
I had a nice, if tiring, day. J gave me a lift into el Palo, the neighbourhood in Málaga where I lived last year. He dropped me off near the school and I popped in to say hi. I saw all my teachers and they remembered me. It was lovely to see them and to be back in the school where I had such an amazing time last year.
Then I got the bus into the city centre. First, I went to Bershka, the most lovely clothes shop. They sell exactly the kind of clothes I love and it's not expensive at all. I bought a really tiny mini blue denim skirt (€16) and a white top (€8).
All in all, a good shopping experience! I went to my favourite clothes shop, Desigual, but didn't buy anything because it's so expensive! Also, their air con wasn't working and the whole place was throbbing with heat (it was 31+ degrees yesterday) so I couldn't stay in there for long.
Then I did a tour of all my favourite cafés and drank lots of diet coke and coffee. At one place, I was chatted up by an Argentinian bloke. At first, it was quite flattering - he told me I looked beautiful in the green dress I was wearing and he seemed quite cool, a musician and very bohemian. I was flattered, but I was trying to do the Telegraph crossword (an obsession of mine - even though it costs 3x as much to buy it in Spain, I have to buy a paper and do the puzzles!) and he was quite clingy. The sun moved round, so I left to find a café where I would be sitting in the sun again. I was there for about 20 minutes and suddenly blokey appeared again - he said he'd been looking everywhere for me. I dutifully put my paper away and acted interested in what he had to say. Then it got annoying: he has a habit of touching your arm to emphasise what he's saying and he kept commenting on my appearance. I plucked up the courage to say I don't really like people talking about how I look but he continued to do it. Again the sun moved, again I left.
This time I went somewhere hidden away and he didn't come back! At about 6, I was suddenly aware that I'd not eaten all day and was quite peckish. I had a chocolate ice cream: delicious, but very drippy in the heat - I discovered some chocolate on my leg later!
Eventually, I made my way to Carretería, to meet J at 7.15pm. He arrived and we walked a short distance to meet up with some friends. When we arrived, my day walking around in the sun without much food started to take its toll and I felt really sick. Then someone gave me some camomile tea and I felt much better. Then J and I made our way home on the Harley.
Saturday
J played football with his nephews in the morning. I sat by the pool and fried for a while. Then we went to the beach, where it was extremely hot (33 degrees). I've still managed to avoid burning (a combination of getting a bit tanned before I came and using suncream - but only factor 10!) and I am getting really brown now. I have always had skin problems (eczema) and the only time it clears up totally is when I'm tanned. I love it!
In the afternoon, we had planned to go to the pool in the mountains, but I went for a siesta at 3ish and didn't wake up til 6.30! I needed the sleep. I had a shower, then we headed into Málaga to meet some friends.
Sunday
Today, we got up early and went to Marbella on the motorbike! It takes an hour and I was aching so much on the way home. Also, I forgot to put suncream on my legs and was wearing my miniskirt... I got a little bit burnt on my right thigh, but not too bad. Then I swam in the pool and sunbathed for an hour or so. I'm getting really brown! Another friend came over for coffee just now and we sat by the pool in the evening sun. It's 9.30pm as I write this, sitting on the terrace in the "cool" of 27 degrees!
Tomorrow, all the friends are coming over here, bringing food. We will eat and swim and sunbathe and chat all afternoon and evening - bliss!
I had a nice, if tiring, day. J gave me a lift into el Palo, the neighbourhood in Málaga where I lived last year. He dropped me off near the school and I popped in to say hi. I saw all my teachers and they remembered me. It was lovely to see them and to be back in the school where I had such an amazing time last year.
Then I got the bus into the city centre. First, I went to Bershka, the most lovely clothes shop. They sell exactly the kind of clothes I love and it's not expensive at all. I bought a really tiny mini blue denim skirt (€16) and a white top (€8).
All in all, a good shopping experience! I went to my favourite clothes shop, Desigual, but didn't buy anything because it's so expensive! Also, their air con wasn't working and the whole place was throbbing with heat (it was 31+ degrees yesterday) so I couldn't stay in there for long.
Then I did a tour of all my favourite cafés and drank lots of diet coke and coffee. At one place, I was chatted up by an Argentinian bloke. At first, it was quite flattering - he told me I looked beautiful in the green dress I was wearing and he seemed quite cool, a musician and very bohemian. I was flattered, but I was trying to do the Telegraph crossword (an obsession of mine - even though it costs 3x as much to buy it in Spain, I have to buy a paper and do the puzzles!) and he was quite clingy. The sun moved round, so I left to find a café where I would be sitting in the sun again. I was there for about 20 minutes and suddenly blokey appeared again - he said he'd been looking everywhere for me. I dutifully put my paper away and acted interested in what he had to say. Then it got annoying: he has a habit of touching your arm to emphasise what he's saying and he kept commenting on my appearance. I plucked up the courage to say I don't really like people talking about how I look but he continued to do it. Again the sun moved, again I left.
This time I went somewhere hidden away and he didn't come back! At about 6, I was suddenly aware that I'd not eaten all day and was quite peckish. I had a chocolate ice cream: delicious, but very drippy in the heat - I discovered some chocolate on my leg later!
Eventually, I made my way to Carretería, to meet J at 7.15pm. He arrived and we walked a short distance to meet up with some friends. When we arrived, my day walking around in the sun without much food started to take its toll and I felt really sick. Then someone gave me some camomile tea and I felt much better. Then J and I made our way home on the Harley.
Saturday
J played football with his nephews in the morning. I sat by the pool and fried for a while. Then we went to the beach, where it was extremely hot (33 degrees). I've still managed to avoid burning (a combination of getting a bit tanned before I came and using suncream - but only factor 10!) and I am getting really brown now. I have always had skin problems (eczema) and the only time it clears up totally is when I'm tanned. I love it!
In the afternoon, we had planned to go to the pool in the mountains, but I went for a siesta at 3ish and didn't wake up til 6.30! I needed the sleep. I had a shower, then we headed into Málaga to meet some friends.
Sunday
Today, we got up early and went to Marbella on the motorbike! It takes an hour and I was aching so much on the way home. Also, I forgot to put suncream on my legs and was wearing my miniskirt... I got a little bit burnt on my right thigh, but not too bad. Then I swam in the pool and sunbathed for an hour or so. I'm getting really brown! Another friend came over for coffee just now and we sat by the pool in the evening sun. It's 9.30pm as I write this, sitting on the terrace in the "cool" of 27 degrees!
Tomorrow, all the friends are coming over here, bringing food. We will eat and swim and sunbathe and chat all afternoon and evening - bliss!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!
So, I'm back in lovely Málaga. I'm staying with José for 9 days, getting brown and practising my Spanish. In fact, I'm due to introduce Spanish at my new school in September, so you could say this is CPD. It's so good to be back and I am delighted with the weather, which is predictably hot and sunny. I'm staying in Rincón de la Victoria, 10 or so miles out of Málaga. We were in the old neighbourhood of El Palo yesterday, visiting another friend. I was going to visit the school and say hi but, once settled on sofa in front of air con, I couldn't face stepping back onto hot street again. I'll go in some other time.
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