It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Cheap transportation needed

 Since I started my new job last week, Jose and I have been trying to figure out how we would be able to manage our different commutes with only one car. Before we were able to drive to work together since our schools were just down the road from one another and we had more or less the same schedules. Now things are different. Because Jose does not have very far to travel and doesn't go on any main roads, we decided to investigate buying a scooter. It didn't take us long to find one second-hand. We didn't waste any time in buying it since it was a good deal (at least we hope).
Coops wants a ride
That means that we got to spend the afternoon today driving around our apartment complex to practice. Even Cooper got into the spirit. The nice thing about this scooter is that it is pretty basic and easy to use. Really there are hand brakes and an accelerator. We both need to work on curves and turning but I think things went pretty well. We will keep practicing until we are comfortable taking it out of our neighborhood. Oh and did I mention that it gets AMAZING gas mileage!?!


Beautiful day for a ride

 We lucked out that today was such a gorgeous day. The weather has been pretty nice lately and it is still warm. I am always jealous when I see people posting about fall back home (my favorite season) but to be honest it is nice to be able to wear shorts still if we wanted to.
Cooper found the shade
This last photo is the boulevard outside of our apartment. Lots of people come out on the weekends to run, walk and play with their kids here. I am not embarassed to admit that on my first turn on the scooter a guy on his bike passed me. Jose couldn't believe it. Bonus: learning to drive a scooter will cross another thing off my 30 before 30 list! Yes!

Surprise party fun

 Yesterday we also were able to attend a surprise birthday party for my friend Cristina. She apparently had no idea which is always hard to pull off, I think. We were able to spend time with some friends from work and celebrate with her. Plus I got to hold and play with our friends' baby, Eyre (named after Jane Eyre). She is adorable!



Happy birthday, Cristina!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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 ...
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...
Read more