Land of Castles, Extravagant Beauty and Gastronomy Extraordinaire

Sometimes I go about my day and it just seems normal, as if I were still in North Carolina or Texas: I go to the grocery store, I check my email, I do the laundry, I drink Coca-cola, I make phone calls, I pay bills. Sometimes it's easy to forget that I live in Europe, the land of kings and castles, great artists, hip fashion and fine dining. But when I least expect it, I find myself face-to-face with reminders, sometimes subtle, sometimes stark, that I'm not in "Kansas" anymore.

The following are two positive examples of special treats that I've found living in Spain:

1) Once a week I try to go to my Pilates class and afterward I'll ride the stationary bike for a while...."normal life" just as I've known it. Last week I finished up and headed home for supper. It was 10pm as I was fitting the earphones of my MP3 player into my ears for the walk home, and I suddenly remembered that at home at this hour I'm usually getting ready to sleep. There were moms picking their kids of from soccer practice, couples taking a stroll around the block, grandparents walking the dog.

I was now in the street, still reflecting on the schedule differences (even though I've been here for years) between the U.S. and Spain, when there it was. I looked up and saw our little castle on the hill all lit up. "Sant Vicenç de Castellet" is the name of our town: Saint Vicent of the Little Castle. It's actually a small hermitage but who's to complain? I've never before had a 1000+ year-old landmark watching over me, serving as a daily backdrop for my life.

2) This Sunday we went to my sister-in-law's house for lunch. She and her husband are great cooks. So much so that, at times, I forget that some of these dishes you just can't find at the local burger joint, and sometimes not even the ingredients at the local Food Lion.

They prepared shrimp with olive oil and garlic and also octopus. Of course, by the time the octopus got to our plate it was sliced up and covered in spices. It was actually really yummy!

After lunch we went for a walk (typical custom after the big meal of the day, especially on Sundays) in the neighborhood and came across a well-landscaped yard that had a grapevine as part of the scene. It gave as much beauty to the home as it did grapes.

I tend to think that on first glance Americans tend to think that Spain is very similar to home: It's a Western culture. It's a first-world country; but there really are many differences, differences in the geography and diet, and also differences in philosophy and relationships.

Learning to appreciate all the beauty and the richness that this country and culture have to share has become part of my daily routine. Although I'm not in my natural surroundings of central North Carolina, I'm learning to call this part of the globe home for now and hoping to help others learn more about the region and enjoy its uniquenesses.