#SunsetSeries - What I'll Miss about Spain
29 days. That’s not even a month, unless we’re talking about February during a leap year. But, that’s how many days we have left here in SoSpa (southern Spain). Today is Sunday December 8, which is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (of Mary). It falls two days after Spain’s Constitution Day and less than 4 weeks shy of 3 Kings Day or Epiphany a holiday recognizing the 3 wise men who visited baby Jesus and the one in which Spaniards exchange gifts. in honor of our final month here in this beautiful country, I’m rolling out the “sunset” series; a series of articles dedicated to celebrating and reflecting on living in Spain these last 3 years.
This series will feature a lot of little insights. From what I’ll miss about Spain to the unique “challenges” of returning to the U.S. and moving with a baby. Writing is therapeutic and has always been one of my favorite outlets, so I’m hoping to maintain through this transition. That said, don't judge me if 2019 ends with just one post in the series.
When it’s all said and done, I hope to have something to reference when Lavender asks me, “what was it like when I was a baby in Spain,” and I’ll send her a link to my blog and ask her to subscribe for updates (smile).
So, here’s what I’ll miss about Spain and a few things that I won’t.
Siestas:
They’re real. A good number of businesses shut down between 2 and 5pm on weekdays. Families gather to eat lunch, run errands where they can, or just chill. Shops often open back up from 5:30-9pm, allowing us slow pokes to do what we failed to do before 2pm. Why I’ll miss it? The culture of “rest”, “tranquila” and “relax” is real. There’s a reason I call this place SoSpa. Things go at a slower pace and I believe we all would benefit from a standard siesta in our day-to-day or at least a few times a week.
Meal Time:
Spaniards enjoy socializing. Breakfast, late breakfast, lunch, late lunch snack and a late evening meal on weekdays or a coffee and beer on a Saturday/Sunday does the body and social appetite right (different types here: https://erikras.com/2012/02/16/a-guide-to-spanish-meal-names/). Why I’ll miss it? I’m a fan of the tapas crawls, the different types of meals and the invitation to get out of the house and catch up over a delicious cup of cafe con leche.
Cafe con leche:
I didn’t “do coffee” before we moved to Spain. Sure, Bahrain and Arabic coffee is a whole vibe. And we did live in the Puget Sound, home of Starbucks coffee and other boutique and hipster cafes. But something about the balanced blend of a good cafe con leche puts me in my happy place. It’s nothing more than a latte but maybe it is more than just a “latte”. Why I’ll miss it? I usually enjoy it with a mollete con Jamon Iberico, olive oil y pureed tomato. And what’s better? I never pay more than 3 euro for this delicious treat.
Spanish 24/7:
Years ago, I told myself I wanted to be fluent in Spanish by the age 33. Then, at 32, I moved to Spain and my dreams slowly became a reality. I took refresher courses, met up with a friend to practice her English and my Spanish and watched TV series and movies in Spanish. I took the language certification exam, passed level B1 a few weeks before giving birth and continue to talk and practice Spanish. I have loved this language for decades and will miss hearing it 24/7. Why I’ll miss it? I’m not too sure I’ll have the luxury of living in a predominantly Spanish speaking neighborhood. I’ll do my best to keep it going and of course I want Lavender to learn, so shout out to Netflix for those Spanish language cartoons and shows.
Flamenco:
I saw my my first flamenco show in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Chris and I were on a date night after touring the Georgia O’Keefe museum. We.were.amazed! Everything about the show blew us away. When we moved to Spain, a colleague invited me to take Flamenco lessons with her. She wanted to learn Sevillanas, the traditional folk dance from Seville performed during Feria de Primavera (spring fair). I joined her, but had to return to the U.S. for a training in Florida and never resumed my lessons. I tried again later. I even took semi-private lessons with an American instructor and another spouse. I tried again the year I got pregnant, but no luck. Needless to say, I finally resumed lessons with my first instructor this year and even performed in a flamenco flash mob during the opening ceremony for Rota’s feria. I would love to continue learning Flamenco and will probably put Lavender in lessons if she wants to try it. Why I’ll miss it? When I was pregnant, I went to a flamenco performance in Seville where she danced and moved a lot during the show. Maybe it was the noise, maybe it was the caffeine from the Coke. But whenever I dance or play flamenco music, she mimicks my hands, smiles and dances along. We’ve been to several flamenco shows throughout Andalucia and even a free show in a tavern in Jerez. There’s nothing like a beautiful flamenco performance and I’m going to miss the raw energy. It touches your core.
Living near the beach:
I live a block away from the beach and I am in love with the ocean. The waves, the breeze, the boardwalk and views of Cadiz to the east or the sunset to the west are all to be sorely missed. Why I’ll miss it? We used to go to the beach every Sunday after church our first year here. It was our little tradition of loading up our beach chair, towels and umbrella and books. We’d relax, watch the waves, watch the people and soak in the sun rays. I’ll miss that little tradition.
Summer tourism season:
My tiny beach town comes to LIFE in the summer. I’m going to miss how vibrant the area is from June to September. Why I’ll miss it?: There are festivals, the beach is packed and the sun sets between 9:30pm and 10:00pm, making for long, warm, sunny days. The city train takes people on mini tours and the flags fly high on our 5 flag (high distinction) beach town.
Constant exploration:
A few weeks ago, I met up with a friend in the town of San Lúcar, which is 30 minutes from me. Though this wasn’t my first visit to the city, walking through the streets and plazas and past the famous sherry bodegas felt magical. It didn’t hurt that the sun was high and bright and we were on a mission. My host told me about her experience going to the town market, which has fresh produce, meats and seafood, buying fresh and raw meats and seafood and having a nearby restaurant prepare and serve it. So, we went to the market , picked out a few things, including a type of shrimp I had never eaten (galera or mantis shrimp) and brought our “catch” over to La Cigarrera, the closest bodega. Why I’ll miss it? I felt like a tourist visiting Spain for the first time. This experience, along with stumbling across new areas with guests that I host keeps me from getting bored or jaded.
Sherry wine and affordable wine at dinner:
We are 30minutes outside of the Marco de Jerez, aka Sherry Triangle region, of Southern Spain. Sherry, a fortified wine native to this region, is a treat and something I’m so grateful to have been exposed to in our time here (more here: https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-d-sherry-spain-main-20150802-story.html). We often took our guests to a variety of sherry bodegas to experience and better understand this liquid treat. ON top of that, a simple bottle of decent red wine cost no more than 10 euro and we got spoiled with the prices in the grocery story and on the dinner menu. Why I’ll miss it? I highly doubt I”ll be ordering wine off the dinner menu in the U.S. Here in Spain, one of the worlds best producer of wines, we can get a glass of good, solid house wine for no more than 3 Euro and that bottle for no more than 10. And if we did want to look it up at the local grocery story or a bodega, we could find it and enjoy it at our own pace for the pleasant price of 4-9 Euro. You can’t beat those prices. You can also get an empty bottle, bring it to a Sherry bodega and they will fill it for you from the barrel. Listen, I don’t think I’ll be the same when we get back to the U.S.
The weather:
I took my daughter for a walk along the boardwalk a few days ago. It was 1pm and I was squinting the entire time. I also had to take off my jacket, I forgot my shades, folks were sunbathing at the beach. Did I mention it’s December? The weather is a treat. The coldest winter day gets to the upper 30s for a low, it never gets below freezing and you’ll need a coat on an occasional evening, but it’s rarely cold. Granted this is southern Spain. It snows in Madrid and rains a lot up north. But we’ve enjoyed great weather, even comfortable summers. Why I’ll miss it? Well, unless you’re in love with snow and freezing temps, who wouldn’t enjoy a sunny day in December? I love good weather, ample sun and minimal rain and will miss it.
Paella, Pulpo, Pork (Jamon and chicharrones):
Alladat. I’m going to miss some of THE BEST jamón and pork products I’ve had the pleasure to try. What is jamón and chicharrones? You ask. Jamón is a cured pork. It’s ham, but from a special, free range, black pig with a strict diet (video here). Chicharrones are like pork chop nuggets with amazing flavor and mouthwatering goodness. I used to get them from the chicharrones guy up the street. You’d smell that oil and garlic in the air and knew it was time for some goodness. Paella, the traditional and signature Spanish rice dish and Pulpo (octopus) are done just right with saffron, paprika and the right dusting of salt to bring it all together. Why I’ll miss it? Not gonna lie, Spanish cuisine leaves much to be desired. Unless you’re up north, you won’t get too much variety or flavor. They seem to shy from spices in the south. While I’m a fan of the fresh seafood options here in the south, you’ll be hard pressed to find hot sauce or even salt and pepper in a restaurant. But, these foods come with so much flavor and are done so well, that they, in some ways, make up for the smaller selection of seasoned foods.
While I love living here, and this has been a dream of my for years, I’m going to keep it real. there are a few things I can do without:
Mopeds:
When we first arrived, I dreamed of buying a vespa (red or yellow) and thought it would be so cute and prefect to zip through the streets in style. Nope. I’ve come to appreciate my decision to save money while staying warm and dry on wet days. I’ve noticed there’s a level of impatience that I don’t have patience for. There are times when I’m at a complete stop at the pedestrian crosswalk and a person on a moped will cut out of line to zoom up and pass me, as if I’m just stopping to give my engine a break.
People parking at the entrance of the roundabout:
And if it’s not a moped zooming around you, it’s the occasional parked car at the mouth of a roundabout. That, my friend, urks me. I’m already playing double dutch to get into the traffic circle and transition out of it without a hitch. But you want to throw a curve ball by parking in such a way that increases my risk for an accident? No sir, no ma’am.
Extra stares:
It’s a reality and most of my guests can confirm that as people of the African Diaspora, we get extra stares. I remember the dirty looks my family and I got at the hospital when I went in for a 20 week ultrasound. And my friends said they get stared at as if people never saw another black person. Not gonna lie, that annoys me. But after living overseas for 5 years and traveling to a number of countries, I’ve gotten “used” to it. Or a better way of putting it is, I’ve just come to ignore it and pretend that I’m a “z” list celebrity that they’re trying to figure out.
European washer and dryer:
These washers and dryers can go somewhere. These tiny little, take 2 hours to clean a full load and another 3 to dry, if you don’t forget to empty the water tank...I’m not going to miss the amount of time and effort required to wash clothes. I will hug the American washer and dryer that I use next and probably do laundry with a little shimmy and dance because it’ll get done in less than 3 days.
Blowing out electrical appliances and power outages:
We’ve lost an InstaPot, Ninja Blender and those are the pricier items. How did that happen ?, you ask. The transformer conversion voltage is the devil, and so it killed our appliances, stole our joy and destroyed our chances of dealing with another damage appliance. And let’s talk about the power outages we’ve had while trying to do laundry, dishes and cook dinner. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. I’m sure the electrician thought we were being extra after the 4th and 5th visit to fix tripped wires. But there have been days (usually weekends) when we’re running the space heater cooking dinner and doing laundry and the power trips. Then, there are the days, like two days ago, when I ran the dryer (only) and warmed up something in the microwave and the power tripped. Not going to miss that and it all just makes me grateful for the privilege of a reliable power grid.
