Back to Madrid

Hello out there. I have been having a bit of a writer's, or would that be blogger's, block since getting back to Madrid.

Summer in the Massachusettes and Ontario:

Our biggest news of the summer was the return of Claire from her year in Italy.

Claire and Adele in Western Mass. where Claire and Caroline had picked up Adele from a bike tour.

It was great to be able to go back to the States and see old friends and family this summer. Because of two memorials for my father and a belated celebration of Matt's parents 50th anniversary, we were able see a lot of family members.

Matt with his parents and sister and brother

Adele, Claire and Iris with cousin Alexia

 It was odd to live as gypsies in our home town. Thanks to everyone who lent us houses, cars, camping gear, printers and so forth.

Hmmm, maybe gypsies would not travel with Iberia's maximum allowance of luggage?

Iris and Gramps at Logan

The Universe continues to conspire to teach me the foolishness of accumulating possessions. But, I am a slow learner on some topics. Including how to pack with a minimum of mess and stress. This is not long before our plane leaves. Sabrina looks like she is making an emergency call for help here.

Here I am trying to get the maximum weight into the maximum number of suitcases. I could not face returning to Spain without a year's supply of such things as peanut butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar.

Matt questioned the necessity of massive amounts of powdered sugar, but was over ruled by my determination to make sugar skulls and the girls' plans for cake icings.

But the two items I have come to consider essentiall for any trip, long or short, are my favorite Seiko alarm clock and a Moomin book of cartoons.

Back in Madrid:

Our second night back in Madrid was the first time in almost exactly a year that the 5 of us had sat down to dinner together. The last time being in our house in Concord, before we moved to the Best Western.

Don't look too closely at me in this photo. I hastily photoshopped myself in from another photo.

By the way, if you have the good fortune of going to Madrid, and your fridge looks like this:

DON'T arrive on  Asuncion de la Virgen, the Assumption of the Virgen, because the stores will definately be closed. And when you do manage to buy some food, don't leave your herbs out on the window sill of the kitchen where the August heat will sear them in just 2 hours.

In fact, don't come at all mid August, if you can help it. Mysteriously, the near million teenagers and young adults who came from all over the world to participate in the week long World Youth Day that Madrid and the Catholic Church had coordinated along with a visit from the Pope, they seemed unaffected by the heat. 

Normally near empty in mid-August, the city transportation system, and Starbucks, were      overwhelmed by these enthusiastic young pilgrims.

Madrid as the Land of Oz

I know that the following bit is long and lacking in images. So, I am enticing you with this intriguing photo. Read on to find out why I am feeling like Dorothy.

One of the posts I have been planning to put together is on Best and Worst of Spain. My pick for best is the emphasis that the Spanish put on spending time with friends and family. Much more than the average American, they gaurd their time off from the encroachments of work and commerce. For example, the typical worker has, at the very least, an hour off for lunch, and they would consider it completely bizarre to spend it in front of their computers absently wolfing down sandwiches. And there is little chance of spending lunch time shopping, as most stores are closed so that the store clerks may also enjoy their lunch. The reastaurants and cafes are full of groups of co-workers sharing three course meals with bottles of wine. On the weekends the  same establishments are full of friends and families, often three generations, enjoying long, unrushed meals together.

One of our enduring images of Spaniards is when we were at the airport leaving Morroco. Like most people there we had bought chips and sandwiches at a deli and were eating them in our plastic chairs while reading magazines. But there was a large group of Spaniards, several families or one extended family, who had pushed a lot of tables together and were enjoying a lively and unrushed meal with bottles of wine, right there in the waiting terminal.

 I have not seen any statistics on this, but my impression is that Spaniards on the whole are not big on traveling or moving outside their country. All in all they are very content with their family, their friends, and all things Spanish. Which can be a challenge if you are looking for something other than Spanish food, or you would really like to do some shopping around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. But all in all I admire them for making their social relationships their first priority.

So, if Spaniard's contentment with home is my favorite thing about Spain, what am I doing here? Wouldn't this seem like a classic example of the age old tale of going off to seek one's fortune while the real treasure is left behind?

In fact, I have been feeling forlorn, having left friends and family, and it did not help to find that two favorite friends here had moved away during the summer: one of the hazards of the ex-pat community.

Lets see, I think that would make Larry Elison, the CEO of Oracle the Wizard who I must appeal to get me home.

But the Wizard does not get Dorothy home!!!! Aahhh! Okay. Didn't the Good Witch, Belinda, help? Oh yes, it was those shoes. I have something like those.

These red slippers that I bought in Morocco caused my children to nearly die of embarressment.

 I had to take a solemn oath that I would not wear them in public. But if I just tap the heels together three times....

No, not yet. Besides Matt's job, there are other reasons to stay here. More on that in the next post.

Till then, Margot

I hope to hear from some of you. All of you really. I mean, there is NO one who I would NOT want to hear from. But I am sure you won't ALL write. Okay, anyway, you know what I mean.

 Leaving comments here did not seem to work all that well for most people, but emails are always welcome.

margotkimball@gmail.com