Friday Evening Stroll

I love how in Spain the people live in the streets.

8pm on a Friday and kids from one to 92 are playing outdoors, laughing, interacting, eating, drinking... Living.

An upside to stopping early in the day is that it gives time to enjoy a good stroll, a looksie. A chance to poke into alleys and get a glimpse of how other people exist. It's one of my favorite things to do.

In my stroll this evening I got to watch kids in a candy store -literally, I stopped in to buy trail snacks and was greatly amused by children buying sweets. I met a sweet older lady who was very proud of the flowers on her balconies. I paused to admire them and she invited me inside to show me pictures of them when they were "really in bloom". I love it when I stumble upon something of which someone feels genuine pride. It's beautiful.

I watched lovers stroll, grandparents dote on infants, men argue with wild gesticulations, and women hugging what I presume to be sisters based on appearance. There were people carrying bread, walking dogs, or just strolling.. like I was doing.

I stopped briefly to enjoy a tasty dish of artichokes and ham with a nice young rioja. The artichokes are in season (along with white asparagus and cherries, it seems).

Then some giant raindrops splatted on my table and everyone myself included, sought less open spaces.

It's only 9pm and I'd like to watch the sunset but between the late sunset hour here and the rain.... I am going to try for sunrise yoga instead.Read more