Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Ah, The Precious Siesta...

Hey Folks

Well, life is getting back to normal here. Little things like banks being open for money exchange, shopping for food at the now open Carrefour, and the precious siesta is all back in order. Siesta is one of the coolest things that Spain has going for itself. I love the afternoons, at about 2, when the morning is wound down and it is time to eat lunch! And then, if one is so inclined, there is a little nap and then back out for an evening stroll, some pastries, and then the lite evening meal if you are a Spaniard.

But it's the siesta thing that is also a little confusing. All business shut their doors at 2 and that is settled. I remember being in a restaurant with my wife in Alicante, and we got the distinct impression that it was well past time to leave! The cook and the waitress were staring at us from the cash register, virtually waving our bill at us! So, it is really ingrained. However, the tricky part is figuring out when the business that you fancy will actually re-open. This is quite the quandary, especially if you have no car and have a bad craving for some fresh bread.

So, we walked the town and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon here in Jerez, just prior to the service tonight. I was preparing my message, had been studying most of the day, and was just sick of Genesis 12, reverantly of course! I needed a break, so we got the kids in the strollers and we rolled. We got to the first pastry place, which said it would be open at 4PM and it was not even though it was at least 5! So we walked to the next nearest one, found it open and got our fill of the sweets at six.

On our way home, I was thankful. Not for the sweets, though they were good. But for the chance to enjoy a beautiful day in Spain, with my family, while at the same time getting that message finished in my mind. I got home and found that the black ink was out on my printer! BLAST!!

Even so, thank you Lord for your blessings and all the little things that you let us enjoy.

Blessings to the friends of Spain,
F.S.

No comments: