Spring has sprung

It would seem that with all this rain, spring has arrived here in the south of Spain. At least this is what I am hoping. When we are able to get outside to actually take Cooper for a walk we have been noticing the signs that spring has sprung. First came the snails which have been crawling out from wherever they were hiding. Most of them are pretty little and I only really notice them after I accidently crunch them underfoot. Some are bigger and the girls at school come screaming to tell me they saw one at recess. Snails are actually a popular dish here in Spain (caracoles) and though I have yet to try one, a lot of people love them.

The snail's creepier cousin, the slug, has also made its presence known. They are huge! While living in Chile I had my far share of run-ins with slugs but the ones here are just as gross even if they are outside and not found in my shower. Cooper sniffs them out and is somehow convinced they would be a tasty treat. We have to pull him away all the time.


A nicer sign of spring has been the trees that were planted up and down the boulevard by our apartment. Since we have moved in they have seemed sort of sad. Now they have begun to flower and are quite pretty.


We are hoping that soon the weather will heat up and the rain will stop so that we can enjoy being outside more. I am sure it will be nicer sooner than back home in Michigan, so that's something. Speaking of Michigan, today is my niece's first birthday and I hope she is having a great day. I am sure her mom and dad made it special. We love and miss you Daphne : )

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

La mesa camilla

Image
The mesa camilla is a very Spanish invention (in fact I believe it to be a very southernly Spanish invention). It consists of a table, a heater and a heavy, long tablecloth-like fabric that drapes over the sides. The idea is that you put the heater under the table and when you sit down you put the fabric over you like a blanket. The truth is that it does keep you quite warm. The downside is that once you get up and move, you lose the heat. Since the houses and apartments here in the south of Spain are not created for the cold (no central heating) a mesa camilla can be found almost every where.  We didn't have one last year and survived with blankets, space heaters and flannel pajamas throughout the winter. This year Jose decided we needed to get a mesa camilla. I fought the good fight (since often times they look very similar to the option in the picture above) but we ended up ordering one not too long ago.  Typically the mesa camilla is made of wood and can be stored throu
Read more

Simple Spanish recipe: Chipirones a la plancha

Image
Ok so I know this picture is a bit blurry and I apologize but it is the final result of my having cooked chipirones a la plancha for the first time. Let me explain, chipirones are small squid and a la plancha means grilled. They are served in an olive oil, parsley and garlic sauce. At first I wasn't sold on the idea of this recipe but believe me, it is pretty awesome and super healthy. It is a really typical tapa that you can order at almost any bar here in the south of Spain. Chipirones a la plancha is usually served on a bed of lettuce or with a small side salad. Yum! Here's the how: First you need the chipirones (small squid that come with the heads and tentacles attached). I can buy them at my local grocery store in the fresh seafood section. I bought a package of 400 grams though the good thing about this recipe is that you can make as much or as little as you like. Allow me to also explain that here in Spain people tend to eat a lot more fish and seafood than
Read more

Spanish names

Image
Maaaaaaaria, I just met a girl named Maria Hopefully you just read that and sang the song from West Side Story in your head. Let's just say that from what I have experienced here in Spain, people really, really like this name. In fact, there are times when it seems like EVERY woman or girl is named Maria (or Maria de/l something) and though they might go by the second part of their name, their given one is still Maria. People definitely opt for traditional names here, unlike the US where names go through trends.  Recently a friend on Facebook posted a link which contained a GIF  (originally from The Atlantic)  showing the different female names that had been popular in the US since 1960. It is interesting to see how a name like Jennifer would be popular in one region and then would sweep the nation. Such a map would not be as cool here in Spain since not a whole lot would change. Maria. Maria del Carmen. Miriam. Marian. Mirian. Variations on a theme. Religious names I
Read more