Today it’s super sunny and clear! It says it’s 50, but it feels so much warmer than that!

I did manage to make it to the market this morning before they packed it up, so I was able to buy some more raw almonds finally! I also got some mandarin oranges…I guess I didn’t realize they’re in season now, so they should be really good! I went to the store afterwards to do my weekly shopping and they were super busy! Everyone’s shopping for Christmas dinner it would appear.

Lunch yesterday was so good! We went to Casa Francisco, where we went last year. It’s probably one of the best restaurants in town; the food and service are both really good! After last year, everyone knew I don’t eat anything with heads or eyes still attached, so Francisco came out and gave me some special options. It wasn’t just me—there were two others—but I kinda felt bad that they had to prepare something else. I said it was fine (I hadn’t planned to eat that much anyway) but he and everyone else was like “No, No, No!!!”

We started with York ham, bread and lots of wine. That was followed by salad (which I tried to eat a lot of). Next came a platter of cheese, chorizo and jamón Serrano. After that, came shrimp for everyone else and ham pieces mixed with egg and mushrooms for me. It was good, except I was already getting full and wanted to save some room for what was still to come. It was also super salty because of the ham, so for that reason alone I prolly wouldn’t have eaten too much of it. I think it’s really good in small portions though!

For the entrée I had entrecot. I’m not sure what it is in English, but it was like thick strips of steak. And not the normally thin dinky pieces of meat they call “steak” here, this was actually REAL steak, or what I consider real steak, at least. It was fabulous! For dessert I had this Italian milky flan thing. I think it was the same thing Marilu made when I went to Criptana, although it looked a little different. I can’t remember the name, panicotta, or something like that.

After dessert came café…no Spanish meal would be complete without it! We had champagne after that…had to have something to drink for toasting after Alberto made his principal speech! Oh that reminds me, Antonio, who retired as principal in June, as there too! Shots were the very last thing of the lunch/dinner (I didn’t eat again yesterday!) though I didn’t have any…I was so full already!

We left the restaurant around 6:30 and of course there was talk of going to the bar and some did, but I went with Marilu, Pilar (one of the sixth level teachers) and a few others to go for a walk/shopping...why drink more when you can burn some calories? We went to several boutiques where they looked for clothes and shoes, but no one got anything. We ended up at the MOMA bar where Alberto, Aurora and a few others where. I stayed for all of five minutes before bidding farewell to everyone. I got home a little after eight o’clock, I think.

Now I’m officially on Christmas break until January 9!!! WOOT!!!!!!!

Xoxo,

Court