Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sombra doble, what's that?

Coffee is very important to me. I don't drink it so much for the caffeine (as I have been known to often indulge in a cup of night coffee) as for the warmth and comfort it brings. Here in Spain the coffee is espresso based, which is rather strong for my tastes. One of the first things the family I am staying with taught me is how to order coffee locally. Cafe con leche is half espresso, half milk. A nube (cloud) is about a quarter espresso and the rest milk, and a sombra (literally translated = shadow) is in between these two. Since we Americans like our portions big, I like to order the doble (double), which is a large. So, there it is! My coffee drink of choice (so far) is a sombra doble, or a double shadow :)
(sidenote- they also informed me this is a regional thing, so if you find yourself anywhere other than the southern coast of Spain, don't follow this advice!)

Bienvenidos a mi blog! Welcome to my blog! My first entry...I feel pressure to impress with eloquent ramblings of the beauty and splendor of the Spanish culture and countryside. It is beautiful, but alas, I am not very eloquent or articulate in my writing. Or speech. But I will do my best to keep an updated log of my life and adventures here in Spain.

As many of you know, I am staying on the southern coast of Spain, near the city of Malaga. I will actually be living in a village just outside of the city called Alhaurin de la Torre. I have been here for a full week as of today! I am staying with one of the missionary families that has been living here for about a year and a half, the Galloways. They have been kind enough to open their home to me and my 4 pieces of luggage. (hey, you try packing your life into suitcases for 10 months. not easy!) They have a beautiful home right in town, within easy walking distance of the market, a park, and any little cafe or shop you could want. If you picture a cute, charming European town with narrow one way streets and little cafes on the corner, that's Alhaurin de la Torre. Either today or tomorrow I hope to just walk around and take pictures, so they will be up on here soon!

The family I will be homeschooling for arrives on Saturday, and I am very much looking forward to meeting them! At that point I will probably be moving to stay in another house, a little bit outside of the main town. My living situation is a bit up in the air, but rest assured I will always have somewhere to stay! There are just a few possibilities at this point, and we just need to wait and see which one will work out the best. It is a good practice in being flexible and go with the flow...

Yesterday we went a beautiful coastal town called Marbella, and I will soon make another post with picture from there. Since it is nearly 2:00pm here, it's almost time for lunch. (biggest meal of the day) I think we are having homemade gazpacho with fresh baguettes...mmm...bread...

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