Day four: How to throw a party - The Spanish way

1. Choose a summer night, with a serene sky, light refreshing breeze and a sunset that lingers on until 10pm.
2. In the garden set up few tables and scatter all around candles of various colours.
3. One hour before the party starts, prepare one of the tables to welcome your guests with starters and aperitifs. Make sure there is choice between: black&green olives (different in size and quality), nuts – pistachios, almonds and peanuts- sandwiches, guacamole + tortillas, crisps, chorizo and salami, cheese. The choice of drinks should follow the types of food offered. In this specific case: beer, caipirihna, Pimms (!!!!), wine, soft drinks.
4. Once your guests have enjoyed the starters (it will take them half an hour or so), ask them to sit down at the main table. Let them wait for 20 minutes before serving the feast of fish and meat you have been preparing for two days. Always make sure that the amount of food can feed twice the people you have invited.
As an extra courtesy to your guest, you should check that the wine glass is always full and if any of the guest complains because of a lack of the nectar of Gods, surprise them with a very special bottle.
5. Let your guest eat at their pleasure. Don’t forget that the offer of a slice of cake and coffee will never be declined.
6. Let your guests drink, eat, smoke, chat as long as they wish. They should never go home before 2am.

Day three

“Morning”!! “Hola que tal mi reina?” said my friend’s mom. “Muy muy bien gracias!” I had fully recovered! I was feeling very good, ready to go! My friend was still sleeping though and he would have not woken up until past midday. Her mom asked me if I wanted to go to the village with her “Sure!”. I spent the rest of the morning walking around Valverde del camino, taking few pictures, being introduced to anyone Mariangeles would meet on the street and following her in her shopping for the party on Saturday. Just before lunch, my blood pressure dropped without forewarn and had to stay at home for the rest of the day. No beach and no Sevilla! I was very disappointed, I so wanted to go out and visit this part of Spain.. But health comes first.

Day two: "Golpe de calor"

That was my friend’s mom sentence once she was told what happened to me the previous night. I could not stand, let alone walk. I had no energy. My stomach set it out clear that it did not want to have something to do with food for a while. I only wanted to sleep. I spent my second day of holidays being fed with pills, lying on the sofa, sleeping, being forced to drink some kind of vitamins and mineral salts enriched water.
That evening I went to sleep quite early and did not wake up until the following morning. I slept like a log.

Night One

We had dinner outside on the terrace around 11.30 pm. My friend’s mom prepared another fine dinner. I was very tired though, I just wanted to go to sleep, I was not hungry at all. I had dinner with them anyways, the food looked and smelled so good, it would have been a shame not eating it.
It would have been better to leave the food in the dish. Right after dinner I felt like my digestion was not working properly. I was feeling sick because of all the food I had.I had an herbal tea but it did not improve the situation. So I went to bed. I was very tired, maybe some sleep could be of use. Few hours later, I woke up, my stomach still working on what seemed to be an impossible digestion. My body refused to process the dinner and after hours of attempts, it went for the only possible solution: get rid of it. I vomited four times. I rinsed my mouth, tried to brush my teeth and back to sleep. All of a sudden I felt very thirsty. I started drinking water, the more I was drinking the thirstier I was. I managed to fall asleep. A couple of hours later I woke up again. My body did not like the water either! I threw up again! And –last but not least- I spent some time sitting on the toilet… By the end of that awful night, there was not trace of the dinner in my body.. not at all!

Day One

I woke up around 10 am, I could not sleep more, it was already very warm in my room. When I opened the door a bright sun and its friend heat greeted me that morning. Aim of the day: go to the beach!
There are quite a few to choose from and my friend decided for a place called “Torre del Loro”. We left around midday, drove past olive tree groves, peach orchards and Palos, the famous town which saw in the 15th century three sailing ships- called Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, the three caravels, leaving its harbour fitted out with bravery and curiosity. Their Captain was Cristopher Columbus. My Spanish friend attempted a discussion on the nationality of Columbus (Spanish people believe he is from Spain!) but I stopped him even before he could say anything: “There is no discussion, Columbus is Italian. If you are convinced of the opposite, then it means that you need to take you history exam again”. He laughed at my strong reaction and he didn’t take the discussion further. After all, he knew I was right.
I had a great time at the beach: swimming, sunbathing, eating, more sunbathing, walking along the coast, staring at the horizon thinking of Africa. I took lots of pictures, -of course!- the ancient and crumbled tower was a very fascinating subject. Seagulls were flying above our heads, their shadows running along the cliffs.
We stayed at the beach until the sunset and then drove back home. On our left the colours of a fulfilled sunset: pink, deep red, purple glinding into blue. On our right, the darkness of a nocturnal, limpid sky.

Ready?Steady?Go!

So everything was ready. Suitcase, flight tickets, passport, credit card, flipflops, bikini. I arrived at the airport on time, everything went smoothly until… I had just boarded on the plane. I had found my seat and made myself comfortable. I was feeling quite impatient, I was definitely ready to leave the English cold and its darkness. I could not wait any longer. And then... "Surprise!": the captain announced that due to “technical problems with the central computer at the terminal”, the plane could not take off “until further notice”. I could not believe it. I so wanted to leave the country. This delay meant a delay on my holidays! Adjectives like “frustrated”, “discouraged”, “irritated” can help explaining how I felt. After the first five minutes of anger/despair I realised that there wasn’t much I could do really.
I took a couple of deep breaths and thought that it was better to keep the bad karma away. I took out my book from the bag and started reading it.
An hour later the crew started explaining the safety procedures. “In case of loss of pressure a mask will drop from above your head..” “.. to open it, lift the buckle..” and then “.. a red light is positioned on the back of the jacket, to attract further attention”.
We were ready to go! “Hope you will enjoy your flight”. All that I could think of was “Let’s go! Let’s go!”
I will never forget the colours of the sunset half an hour before landing in Sevilla. And the heat I felt when getting off the plane. And the happiness that came with it.

Spanish holidays

Since I moved to GB I have realised that there is a time during the year where the need for sun and light becomes pressing. It develops into a need that when not satisfied, can bring to anger with a hint of exasperation, at least in my case.
As a Mediterranean woman, I cannot live without feeling the sun on my skin while sunbathing on a bright beach. That must happen at least once a year.

I had already been back home in August, enjoying the sun and getting a light tan. But, I needed more, I always do.
I have few friends distributed here and there around the world and I decided to check their availability to host a funny, intelligent, beautiful friend of them. Me!! ;P
In a couple of days I had my final answer and my next destination: Spain, Sevilla.
At times I really cannot believe my luck!Booking the flight was quick and easy, as it was preparing the suitcase. I just had to wait until the first week of September. Why time cannot run faster when you are waiting??

A quote

"We are all born mad. Some remain so."
Samuel Beckett

You are right my friend and you are there with me.
Thank you for surprising me today.