a wandering woman writes

Friday, February 16, 2007

Spainsick....and stranded


Okay, I don't know about troubles immigrating to the US, but I'll tell you, I'm having a fairly hard time emigrating this trip.


I've got the Eagles on the brain: You can check out anytime you like....but you can never leave.


A generous friend left work early yesterday to personally deliver me to the airport, but as it turned out I'd packed for nothing - again. The flight I'd rebooked when my first flight was cancelled on Tuesday was cancelled as well. Next available seat for Madrid? Sunday afternoon.


So the photo above is a little bit for all of you and a lot for me. I doubt today's as sunny and warm on Plaza Anaya as the June day in the photo, but I'm feeling my Spanish r's coming back just looking at that Plaza.


The Upsides of Being Stranded in Rhode Island in February? Let's see:


1 Last night's hot italian sub, hot pepper relish and all. What we Rhode Islanders affectionately call a grinder (grindah, for those of you who speak rho dilandese.)


2 The discovery that I am, in fact, virtual. Point me at a source of WIFI and my clients are calm, cool and sure I'm working hard for them, somewhere.


3 American milk! Better yet, the yummy whole (yes, gasp! whole!) milk delivered every morning by a milkman to my newest B&B, the sprawling home of the generous airport shuttling friend.


4 The company of a masterful toe-warming corgi, who seems fascinated by my virtual workday jabbering (to myself, of course.)


5 Although I still have never seen a Super Bowl (my uniquely American claim to fame), I did watch my first episode of American Idol last evening. My hosts were aghast to hear we don't get the show in Spain. I was merely grateful.


6 In a last waltz with spice, sweet, sweet, hot spice, I will be dining on Thai tomorrow. Hmm, maybe this has bought me time to carry the fixings for picante cooking back to Salamanca? Of course, I won't get any Salmantinos to eat with me.


7 Beer you have to order by name. Mmmm, pints of Guiness and Newcastle and Bass and whatever microbrew the bartender suggests...


8 And last, but definitely not least, a few hours to catch up on the blog....

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4 Comments:

  • Nice to see you in my inbox again. Where's the Thai restaurant; I'll meet you there! mmm sweet-hot: my personal favorite.

    Hope you're safely home in the Spanish sun again soon. Meanwhile, thanks for catching us up.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:23 PM  

  • That's funny that you mentioned the beer thing. That's one thing that I noticed when I was visiting Spain - you ask for a beer and they bring you whatever they have on tap - and the walls aren't plastered with posters and neons signs advertising whatever brand it is that they serve! If I lived in Spain I would kind of miss not having a choice, but on the other hand, I liked the simplicity of just asking for "una cana por favor!"

    By Blogger Mark K, at 5:29 AM  

  • I love that picture. Makes me Spainsick too!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:21 PM  

  • Kate, the Thai everything I'd dreamed of :)...in Pawtuxet Village RI, which has become quite the yuppie hotspot while I've been away.

    Mark I agree with the ease of ordering a caña, when a caña is all I want, but I'm an ale and stout woman at heart....Nice to have as many beer choices in the States as I do wine and rum choices in Spain. :)

    Hey Tammy, welcome! (I love the masthead - no pun intended, honest- on your site, btw.) I'm still Spainsick. Just been bumped off my (twice) rescheduled flight...think I'll just sit here and stare at P Anaya for a while. ;)

    By Blogger Erin, at 10:12 PM  

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