Postby Indiana » Thu Jul 10, 2008 8:15 am
Kathryn wrote:
I've had the most wonderful evening.
First of all, there is definitely "Spanish Time". Things are never on time here. I knew it would be like that and I don't care but dh is having a harder time adjusting.
Lunch was to run from 1 - 2:30 but actually we left for the restaurant at 1:15 and teaching began again at 3:30.
As the course was running late, I left after the last break and stopped by the grocery store to pick up salad, milk and cereal. Back at the apartment I had a big helping of salad an knockbrod (Swedish hard flat bread) to hold me over until dinner. Ken was home at 7 and we managed to nap for 15 minutes before heading out for supper.
This evening we were to meet at the Horse in the center of Plaza de Mayor at 8 but it was 8:45 before we left the plaza with all in tow.
But it was a wonderful dinner. We had two Spaniards, one from Madrid, the other from Barcelona (Catalonia) and they often disagreed strongly. The Catalans want to separate from Spain so the parallels with Canada and Quebec are striking.
Our Australian standards friend and his wife joined us. Citylady, if you are peeking in, she is a costumer too! I told her about the scales in your grocery store being for costumers and she thought that was very funny.
We had tapas (4 or 5 kinds) and main course. I had the pork and it was very good.
There was to be a church bell concert this evening from 10:30 to 11:30. Around 10:40 I went out to see if I could hear anything and couldn't. When I said that there was no sound, they said maybe it would be in Spanish Time. Well, we left at 11:15 and the bells were ringing. Dh and I walked around the old area of the city from bell tower to bell tower. It wasn't 'music' but more of a cacophony of sounds but it was fascinating to listen to. At one bell tower we could see the arm of the ringer, who was following music and hitting the bell at specific times.
We ended in front of the Cathedral at 11:40 just at the crescendo of the concert. The Cathedral bells were literally spinning right around. It was amazing to watch as well as to listen to. It really filled one's soul.
It was raining lightly but there was a good number of people out in the squares and on the streets, just standing there, listening. God chimed in with thunder and lightening right at the end. It was spectacular. As the bells died down, the streets erupted in applause and cheering.
I'm sure I'll miss the sleep tomorrow, but for tonight I am so happy we took the time to stand in the cool and damp. It is a wonderful memory of Madrid.