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| THIS MORNING FROM THE DINING ROOM BALCONY. |
San Geraldo needed to do his supermarket shop today, so we decided to grab an early meal downstairs at Dos de Mayo before the lunch rush hit. Most of the seating is outside and, since there was a possibility the patio umbrellas wouldn't protect from the sometimes heavy rain, we knew inside would fill up fast. Our plan worked. We got our favorite table tucked below the front windows. By the way, an early lunch here for us is between 1 and 1:30. The Kid Brother would not approve. He always has "... lunch at noon, ya know!"
We have both begun a routine of returning home after breakfast every day and doing at least an hour of Rosetta Stone Spanish at our respective computers. The daily habit makes an enormous difference. Unfortunately, it didn't help San Geraldo at the supermarket today because he hasn't yet reached the lesson on how to say "boneless." But the butcher understood by hand signals and simply boned a chicken right then.
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| HIGH AND DRY AT OUR FAVORITE TABLE. |
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| DUDO. TRANSFIXED BY THE WATER POURING OFF THE ROOF ACROSS THE STREET. |
Be the time we got out of bed, Moose and Dudo were clearly uninterested in San Geraldo's "bird." But, when we opened all the balcony doors, they were fascinated by the rain. Dudo ran insanely around the house for hours, from balcony to balcony, stopping every so often to stare at us with wonder, as if to say, "Oh my God! Do you see it??! Is that rain?!?" He finally wore himself out.
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| TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT. |
P.S.:
The Dowager Duchess let me know that the ruffled gown pictured in my last post ("Ice Cream and Hand-Me-Downs") was, as I suspected, not a hand-me-down. The dress was created for her when she was maid-of-honor at a sister's wedding. (If my father were here, he'd ask her whose shoes she wore. Fortunately, I inherited the smart-ass gene from him. So, Mom, whose shoes did you wear?)
P.P.S.:
P.P.S.:
Oh my God! It's pouring again. You'll have to excuse me. Dudo and I will be busy for a while. [Dudo! Dudo! Do you see it?!?]
Rain is really a rather magical way to receive our deliveries of water - try telling aliens "oh yes, it just falls from the sky and puddles up, then we filter it and put it in our whisky" ...
ReplyDeleteOwl Wood:
DeleteI'm a city boy. We get the water for our whiskey from the sink.
Tsk tsk! At the very worst it should be from a bottle labelled "Filtered through Scottish dinosaurs for eighty million years", and maybe a little jug. Tapwater indeed!
DeleteRainy day? Espero habeis ahorrado vuestros duros para este dia lluvioso.
ReplyDeletelol.
I know you have
saludos,
raulito
Raulito:
DeleteWe definitely did NOT save for a rainy day. We spent most of it when it was still sunny!
Great rainy day photos! I can almost smell the rain. I adore the shot of Dudo relaxing. I love that boy!
ReplyDeleteMs. Sparrow:
DeleteDudo is more entertaining every day. I love them both, but he's a real charmer.
It really poured this afternoon. Dudo, Moose, and I were so excited! I ran downstairs to take more pictures from under the awning next door. Nothing new and different!
I really like that first photograph - it travels so far.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elaine. I'll have to give that a shot one of these days when the light is right and the sky is clear... just to see how far I can get. That street ends at the river, but it gets so narrow at spots that you can never see it.
DeleteThe rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain! Right? So much for that song!
ReplyDeleteMust be good to hear though, for a change, yes? No? Maybe so?
Love Dudo! The curiosity of cats never tires me. I miss it.
I am certain you exaggerate about San Geraldo's faux pas'.
Jim:
DeleteIt really poured later in the day (with some thunder and lightning). I loved it. Right now it's beautiful out and there were people sitting oiut on the plaza a half hour ago!
I did not exaggerate one iota about San Geraldo. He makes exaggeration unnecessary.
The smells of the city when it rains are amazing. Everything gets rinsed down and freshened up. You'll find people hiding under the cover of canopies here and there. Not me. Let it rain. Wash over me. There's nothing like it.
ReplyDeleteStew:
DeleteI agree about the smells of the city streets after a fresh rain. And I also love walking in a warm rain and getting soaked to the skin!
I meant to tell you (and the Dowager Duchess, if she's reading:)) that the photo of her in that gorgeous dress was really lovely :)))
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! Dudo is a doll, and the views of the rainy street were great.
I also have been meaning to ask you if you were doing any lessons, or just picking up Spanish from experience. Are you just doing Rosetta Stone? Do you find it helpful? People are allllllways asking me about it, but I have no first-hand (or second-hand) knowledge of it at all. I was so impressed by your comfort with Spanish that it has become so ingrained that you couldn't stop yourself from speaking Spanish to the Iberia agent :))
Judeet:
DeleteThanks! The Duchess does read the comments and really enjoys them. She will be very flattered and very grateful!
I'm not doing lessons. I did study Spanish for 7 years, from 7th grade through my first year at university. I hadn't used it in years, but at least I had that base. I use Spanish all the time when I'm out and about and we have friends who speak just smatterings of English, so I have to be translator often. All that and Rosetta Stone are perfect. I love Rosetta Stone, but I like to learn that way (kind of like Sesame Street for adults). Jerry prefers classroom study and likes to be able to ask questions in English about what he's learning. I think it's been found that may not be the most effective way to learn a language (absorption a la Rosetta Stone being recommended), but it's how he learns best. But, he is using Rosetta Stone daily now and is making progress. Even Jerry responds often in simple Spanish when we talk to each other! Anyway, I would highly recommend Rosetta Stone!
Great to know--thanks! There's nothing like that immersion situation for finally really learning a language. I think it does help immensely to have had a strong base and understand the grammar -- the different tenses, all kinds of structures-- so, then, when you finally get to be in the land of the language, it reallllly sinks in and makes sense. And, then, if you have some kind of daily learning tool, it seems that whenever you learn a new word, you go outside, and suddenly you see it and hear it everywhere! as if it never existed before *LOL* :)))
DeleteDon't you just love that smell though, when it rains after a long dry spell? I wish they could bottle it :-)
ReplyDeleteHope you are well and happy.
Di
xxxx
YONKS:
DeleteI do love that smell and I wouldn't be surprised if someone has already created a fragrance. We should do a search! And, yes, thank you, TODAY I'm well and happy!
I'm with you and Dudo: I love the sound of rain.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteIt poured late in the day. I loved it. Unfortunately, it was coming down in all directions so I couldn't keep the balcony doors open.
Hello Mitch:
ReplyDeleteWe too enjoy days of rain when they happen providing, like you, they are not too frequent. Perhaps one needs the change after a long, hot summer.
As for the picture of Dudo looking at the rain - perfect [and no pun intended!].
Jane and Lance:
DeleteAfter months without rain, I really did miss it and enjoyed its return. Late last night, people were sitting out on the plaza for dinner. Overcast right now and it should be full sun again over the weekend. This is he way I like it.
Thanks for tolerating all my photos of Dudo. To me, he's so expressive and enables me to tell more stories.
Okay rain, but it's still 25 centigrade, that's still better then a 12 degrees rain. Only last week it was 10 degrees warmer.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm sure summer is over in the Netherlands.
Peter:
DeleteOnly 19C right now... and that's wonderful. A 12C rain chills to the bone! (But summer is clearly over in Sevilla... No more 44C for a while.)
I love the rain too, but after a terribly dry summer we are now having too much rain and too many really gray days! But I do love the picture of your street in the rain. And the description of Dudo's amazement. Such an expressive cat!
ReplyDeleteYour mother is so beautiful in all her pictures. And especially in the beautiful bridesmaid dress, but perhaps even more smiling next to your brother some days ago.
Kristi:
ReplyDeleteYou are a sweetheart. My mother has never known she's a beauty. That photo of her with my brother warms my heart... and I know hers. It's a rare moment when he not only lets her put her head on his shoulder but when he actually smiles sincerely about it, too!
Oh how I wish for your rain - sun weather pattern which would be so uplifting after an English summer/non-summer we have just had here, as you may have heard via Spanish media, rain - rain - rain oh and also flooding in many parts can this really be called a weather pattern? Everybody is desperate for the feel of solar warmth on their skin. Dudo would be going crazy here. ;)
ReplyDeletecuby poet:
DeleteSo sorry about your awful weather. Even Dudo would get tired of that. San Geraldo and I don't do well without sun. I last longer than he does (he lasts about 1-1/2 days). That's why we've chosen to live the places we've lived for the past 20 years. I hope you have some sunshine soon!
Dudo is ONE AWESOME CAT!!! And my, what a gorgeous place you live in. Much as I love my bucolic existence, I do miss good restaurants! It helps that Montreal is an hour away but still...
ReplyDeleteI laughed trying to imagine the pantomine involved in explaining "boneless chicken" without sufficient Spanish vocabulary!
Knatolee:
DeleteWe do love BOTH cats, but have to admit that Dudo is especially charming and entertaining. (Moose is incredibly affectionate but much more "cat-like.")
I didn't ask San Geraldo to act out the pantomime for me, but it sounded like he didn't have to do much to make himself understood.
I just love your view! What a pretty street. And I love how cats can pay absolute attention to something like rain. We should all learn that skill!
ReplyDeleteJenners:
DeleteLike the cats, I could sit by a window and watch the rain for hours.
The only difference is that I start to feel guilty for not "accomplishing" something... as if watching the rain weren't accomplishment enough!
Just caught up on your blog! I really enjoy your posts! Last week's rain was definitely awesome. And great pictures! I particularly like the one of the people in the streets with their umbrellas. Hopefully the temps will steadily go down. Sevilla in late fall is my favorite! :)
ReplyDeleteBrittany:
DeleteThat rain passed way too quickly. Of course if it hadn't I'd be complaining about that! Today was such a beautiful late fall day -- 32C and sunny! But definitely easier to take than 42C and sunny. I went over to check out the fair at San Sebastian. Fun. But no music or food early in the day!