Labor Day long weekend!

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy weekend! For my fellow Americanos, it's a holiday, and Graham is lucky enough to have 4 days off (a "96" in Navy-speak). Since we have a vacation to Croatia and Slovenia coming up soon, we won't be traveling over the weekend, but we do plan to make the most of his time out of the office (including a day trip to see beachside Roman ruins). Some people might call this a "staycation" but really it's just an effort to not let 4 days pass by in a complete blur of general laziness.

I'm sure we'll still find plenty of time to relax. And there will definitely be at least one trip to the chiringuito.

Feel free to follow along on my instagram account @meghannbg!

What are your plans? Are you traveling, planning a busy weekend close to home, or just doing a whole lot of nothing? Whatever you have going on, ten un buen fin de semana!

Año Nuevo Resolutions

from Meghann:

Since Nochevieja (New Year's Eve) and Dia de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) have passed, it's officially the end of the holiday season and time to think about the year ahead.

Our time in España is halfway* through (it breaks my corazón to even type that). We've been here a year and a half and according to Graham's orders, have about that much time left. So instead of the usual new year resolutions (eat better, be healthier, read more - those are all good ones) I thought I'd list things to do (I do love a list) before we leave.

Not necessarily places to go (that list could go on forever, since there's pretty much nowhere that I wouldn't want to see at least once) but experiences, specifically Spanish ones. As much as we love to travel to other countries, we really want to soak in and appreciate the place that we are lucky enough to live in right now. Being here for 3 years is such a privilege and an opportunity, but sometimes it's easy to think that we'll have plenty of time to do things later - next month, next year. Sometimes it seems like we just got here... The reality is, this is, as far as we know*, our last full year.


See Spanish snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains, outside of Granada. We've seen the white-capped mountains from the Alhambra, but we want to actually visit.

Go to a soccer game futbol match. The excitement of following Spain through the Euro Championship this summer was amazing and futbol here is such a big deal. We probably won't make it to see Real Madrid (or that other big club), but would love to cheer on a local team, like Sevilla's Real Betis.

Party it up at Carnaval (Spanish Mardi Gras) in Cádiz. It's supposed to be the biggest and best Carnaval celebration in the country and it's coming up in February! Time to get our costumes together and make this happen, no excuses since it's so close.

Learn how to make paella and tortilla - two very typical and delicious Spanish dishes. This is mostly my resolution (and I have plans on Friday with an amiga to learn to make a tortilla - a typical Spanish omelette) but Graham will obviously benefit.

Spend a night in Ronda. It's one of our favorite towns and we've been many times (great place to take visitors) but we've never done an overnight. I want to see that lovely bridge all lit up...

Taste more sherry. We love the dry sherries produced in this area, like the manzanilla and fino that we had on Christmas Eve. But I've only been to one sherry bodega (winery) and Graham hasn't been to any, even though they are all around.

Hike in Grazalema and/or Zahara. These areas are known for their beautiful landscapes and in the spring they should be decked out in wildflowers.

Wine tasting in La Rioja. Obviously, we've had a glass or 1000 of Rioja since living in Spain (it is so cheap here it's ridiculous) but there's nothing like visiting the source.

Go all out for feria season. Last spring it rained a bunch and we were traveling for part of it, so we missed a lot of the biggest town festivals of the year (although we did see a bit of Rota's and Jerez's). This year,  I want to do it up right - get a dress and all the accessories, take dance lessons, then party like a local all night.

Tapas hop in Jerez de la Frontera. We had such an amazing time celebrating New Year's Eve there and every time we go, we love it. This town is full of history, charm, and good places to eat, and it's only 15 minutes away.

Be a tourist in Sevilla. We've been to Sevilla multiple times, mostly passing through while on our way to somewhere else. And of course, we've toured the cathedral. But we really need to dedicate a day or two and really see the city.

Camp on the beach for Noche de San Juan. We stumbled upon this summer solstice celebration last year while taking Chloe for a late walk. Everyone builds bonfires and stays on the beach all night.

Take another cooking class in Vejer. I loved the Moroccan cooking class I did last year and want to go back for a Spanish one. This would be a fun group activity. 

Learn all about olive oil. The olive oil here is the best in the world and a source of Spanish pride (rightfully so). I want to learn about the harvest and production, and luckily, there are tours designed just for that.

Go surfing in one of the little beach towns to the south. Okay, this one is mostly Graham, since he's the resident surfer, but while he would go for the waves, I want to check out the hippie beach vibes that these places are known for.

Participate in one of the unique Spanish festivals. There's the Tomatina (tomato battle), Batalla del Vino (wine battle), and of course, the Fiesta de San Fermin (running of the bulls - of course we would never actually run with the bulls, just watch other idiots people do it). Don't think we'll make it to all, but just one would do.

Go to the famous Jerez horse show. Horses are part of the culture of Andalucía (I even take classical riding lessons once a week) and the Real Escuela del Arte Ecuestre (royal riding school) in Jerez is world-renowned for its horses and training.

Take a million pictures of Puerto and Rota. Admittedly, I already take a metric ton of photos, but I'm more likely to do it when I'm traveling. Sometimes it's a good thing to play tourist a little closer to home (like I did in DC this fall) and I want to be more committed to capturing our daily life here.

So, there you have it, our (some just my own) Spanish resolutions for 2013. It's a lot to see and do, but I hope we can make it happen. I have a feeling our remaining time here will go by in the blink of an eye (the first half certainly did).

What do you think - anything that I should add or any tips from Españoles? Care to share some of your resolutions?


 
*This is what we call "the Navy asterisk". We never know anything for certain, we just go with what we know right now. Because Graham is in the Navy, anything (and everything) could change and our time here could be shorter or longer. All the more reason to do things now!

Three Kings Eve

The Spanish holiday season has officially ended since Sunday was Dia de los Reyes Magos - Three Kings Day. Three Kings happens 12 days after Christmas (partridge in a pear tree...) and is the holiday when Spanish children receive gifts. But rather than a jolly fat man in a red suit, children wait for the Three Kings on their camels (which actually makes more sense, right?) to bring toys. 

On Three Kings Eve each town has a parade, where men dressed as (terrible stereotypes of) Middle Eastern kings of yore throw ridiculous amounts of candy to the crowds. 

We missed the parade in Puerto on Saturday night, but we went out later for tapas and got to enjoy the excitement and bustle in the downtown streets, which were still decked out in festive lights. 

The streets were covered in candy - our shoes were sticking to the floor.

The tapas (and vino) were delicious, as usual!

After a couple tapas hops, we decided it was time for cocktails, and hit one of our faves (we can never remember its name, so we call it "The Barrel Bar", because there are a bunch of barrels in front and we're really clever). And guess who we ran into...

The Three Half a Dozen Kings! Obviously gearing up for their camel rides to all the good children's casas. That's how the song goes, si? "We three kings of Orient are, bearing booze we traverse afar."

It was a memorable and slightly ridiculous way to end our second holiday season in España. 

On Sunday, Three Kings Day, we relaxed and spent some time at the beach with the dogs. Now, we've taken down the tree and put away the decorations. It's 2013! 

Okay, it has been for a week, but things in Andalucia happen at a slower pace (perfect for us procrastinators). So, even though everyone else has already made resolutions for the new year, there's still plenty of time for that in España! 

Zambomba (Christmas flamenco)

from Meghann: 

Although we missed out on seeing a live nativity, we did get to go to another uniquely Spanish Christmas event - a zambomba. Zambombas take place throughout the month of December, until Christmas Eve. The word comes from the name of a handmade instrument (a sort of drum with a stick through the top, that produces a unique noise) that was traditionally played during these events. Some zambombas still feature the instrument, but now the word can mean any gathering for playing music, dancing, singing, telling stories and jokes, or any combination of all of these things. They can be public or private, big or small, at a bar, restaurant, someone's home, or just in the street. It is like the flamenco version of Christmas caroling - and oh so Spanish. 

We heard about this zambomba from a friend of a friend (that seems to be how things work in España). It was the weekend before Christmas at a little bar called La Garrocha, which is very close to our casa. This was a small zambomba, attracting a group of people from the neighborhood. 

You can see a picture of a zambomba on this flyer, even though there wasn't one being played. There was plenty of singing, guitar playing, and the box, which is essential in flamenco.

And of course, hand-clapping. Every Spanish person can clap, from the smallest child to the oldest abuela. Not your average, put two hands together and make a noise clapping, but perfectly timed, rhythmic, syncopated clapping. It must be in their blood, it seems to come so naturally to them. The Spanish make it look effortless while the rest of us stare at the hands of the person next to us trying to make it happen. Or maybe that's just me.

While we sat in the winter sunshine and enjoyed the show, there were rounds of cerveza, glasses of sherry, and dishes of food - a traditional bean stew and ajo caliente. Ajo caliente literally means "hot garlic" and is bread mashed with tomato and garlic, served warm. Simple and delicioso!

At different times, we were invited to join in the singing. And there was a lively joke at the end, which we couldn't understand much of, but it had everyone around us laughing. Something about an English, French, and a Spanish bird...

Sometimes there are those moments when it hits us square in the face that we are in España. This was definitely one of them.

12 grapes, cava, and collards

from Meghann:

We had planned to go to Lisbon, then thought about Sevilla, and ended up ringing in the new year in Jerez de la Frontera, a larger town about 15 minutes from Puerto. Last year we didn't know what to expect on New Year's Eve, but this year we were prepared. An amiga of an amigo made dinner reservations for our little group at a restaurant next to the bull ring. Very Spanish and decorated floor to ceiling with bullfighting posters, paintings, and memorabilia. 

Dinner was long and filled with lots of traditional food and, of course, plenty of wine. Just a few minutes before midnight we paid our bill and were shuffled out of the main dining room. Somehow we ended up in a private dining room. As the clock struck midnight we ate our 12 grapes (one at each chime of the clock, for prosperity in the new year) then washed them down with some cava. We may have met a matador...only in España.

Of course, since it was only midnight, and most Spanish people were just finishing up with their big family dinners, there was still plenty of celebrating ahead. We hit the town (and didn't hit our bed until 5) but I don't have many pictures of that part of the evening. Probably better that way...

It's still Christmas season in España (Three Kings Day isn't until January 6th) and the streets were decked out in lights. It was a great night to be out, celebrating the new year, our last full year in España,  in such a Spanish way.

Of course, the next day, we kept it American, and had the New Year's Day southern staples of black-eyed peas and collard greens.

What are your New Year traditions? We figure between the grapes, cava, peas, and collards, 2013 should be especially wonderful.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 

Our Christmas

from Meghann:

This was our second Christmas in España and the second year in a row that we celebrated with just the two of us and no other family (well, besides Chloe and Cora, of course). We still miss our families, the big dinners, opening gifts together, but we've gotten used to and learned to appreciate our simpler, more relaxed holidays. And we know how lucky we are to be able to spend Christmas together, when so many others cannot. Our family might be small (and 50% four-legged) but we can still be festive!

 Our Christmas was filled with food - some traditional dishes, along with some Spanish favorites. For both of us, food helps us feel closer to home, especially during the holidays. So there was plenty of cooking, baking, canning, eating, and drinking.

We canned homemade cranberry sauce on Christmas Eve.

And I used it to make cranberry coffee cake, which we ate on Christmas morning.

Another lovely thing about Christmas in Spain - the weather was gorgeous. Christmas Eve was sunny and warm.

You can see some people in the water in the background (for the record, we didn't think it was that warm, but people come down from the North over the holidays, so maybe it was warm to them...?).

There was a lovely Spanish sunset...

Fave Christmas Flicks

from Meghann:

We don't own a lot of movies. We're more into watching an episode or two of a tv series after dinner and sometimes rent a movie on the weekend if we have a night with not much going on. Yes, we still rent movies, from the tiny movie rental place on base - there are so many things about being stationed at an overseas base that are throwbacks. Some would say "outdated" but we'll go with "quaint". Also, due to Spanish law, those new-fangled streaming media sites are not available. Pandora, Netflix, Hulu...'til we meet again, amigos...

But there are a few movies that we own just for the holiday season and they are always in the Christmas rotation. They are all comedies. I'm not sure if this says something about us, but we're just not that into re-watching dramas or anything that is too syrupy sweet or overwrought with emotion, especially during the holidays. So, here they are, our favorite flicks for the Feliz Navidad season:

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

This marks the unofficial official kick-off to our holiday season. It's the first Christmas movie we watch in December. Best enjoyed while decorating the tree, because it features the funniest Christmas tree related comedy in all of cinema. Even better if watched while consuming adult beverages, bonus points for egg nog. 

Love Actually

I don't know how Graham is going to feel about me admitting this on the interwebs, but I love this movie and he doesn't hate it. I think he actually likes it. There's a million different story lines, mostly comical though some are mushy enough to qualify for a chick flick. But there's just the right amount of Keira Knightley, boobs, (no, not Keira Knightley's boobs, pay attention) and potty humor to keep everyone in our casa amused. It's a little crass, so I wouldn't recommend it for children, but seriously, we are not the people to look to for advice on kids' activities.

Elf

Will Ferrell dressed in an elf costume and saying things like "You smell like beef and cheese! You don't smell like Santa." and "I'm sorry I ruined your lives, and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR." We're sold! And I just giggled to myself while typing those quotes. 

A Christmas Story

This is the only one of these movies that we haven't watched yet this year. We save this ultimate Christmas classic for late in the season - it's excellent Christmas Eve material or even Christmas Day, post-presents or post-crazy family dinner. Takes you right back to your childhood - how much you desperately wanted that perfect present from Santa, the school days that just wouldn't end so that Christmas would come, and the first time your parents caught you saying "fu..." Oh, hola to our Moms that read this blog. 

So, there you have it. Our short and not so sweet Christmas DVD collection. We'll probably be spending some quality time on the couch this weekend with uno or dos of these movies, the pups, and some cocktails. Maybe cran cava for me and egg nog for Graham?

What movies are your go-tos at holiday time? Have any suggestions for something we should add to our collection?

Thirsty Jueves: Cran Cava Cocktail

It just takes 2 simple ingredients to bring a little extra Christmas cheer to your casa. We almost always have cranberry juice in the refrigerator and we try to keep a bottle of cava on hand. It's such a delicious and inexpensive sparkling wine, you don't have to save it for fancy occasions. There's something fun about opening a bottle to celebrate a random Thursday and adding a little cranberry juice brings some tasty holiday flavor. 

The recipe is simple:

-chilled cava (we prefer brut, but whatever you like)

-cranberry juice (or cran pom or whatever)

-cranberries (bonus points for garnish!)

This is one of those rare times when the type of glass does count. Use a champagne flute! Put a splash of cran in the bottom, along with the berries if you have them, then fill with cava. 

It's perfect for a holiday fiesta (and easy for guests to mix for themselves) and just as good while curled up on the couch watching Christmas movies.

¡Salud and Felices Fiestas!

Hola Holidays!

from Meghann:

It's beginning to look a lot little like Christmas around our casa. Each year we wait until December to do any decorating or Christmas activities, so that Thanksgiving has its own time and we get a chance to relax between holidays. Also, the Christmas season in España seems to start a little later, probably because they continue to celebrate until Three Kings Day on January 6.

The holiday festivities on base are officially kicked off by the Tree Lighting Ceremony, which includes Santa flying in by helicopter. We missed this last year, but figured we should go this year since it's a Rota tradition and there are elves fast-roping out of a helicopter. 

The next day we visited our local viveros (what we would call a "nursery" in the States, which when you think of it, is a weird word for a place to buy plants) to get our tree. Our favorite way to get a tree is to cut our own, but we were just excited to get a real tree and the viveros had a decent selection.