A Typical European Day

 

The sun rises and sets late in Spain which probably explains why Spaniards seems to run on a different clock. Luckily, despite only being in Madrid a couple weeks, we have adapted quite well to the European lifestyle. Paul spends weekday mornings at Spanish school. I enjoy getting up with the sun then heading out for a run along the river. Most apartments are lovely, historical buildings, with mailboxes in the locked foyer. So each morning every buzzer is set off repeatedly by mail and flyer distributers until someone lets them in. The kitchen in our apartment is compact but adequate. The most notable differences are the lack of microwave and inclusion of a washing machine. Laundry is hung from the clothes line outside our bedroom window. Paul and I eat lunch between two and three, after he returns from classes. Most afternoons I make my way down the narrow cobblestone side streets to the grocery store, vegetable market and bakery. Spain is still a largely cash-based society. Bigger stores accept credit card, but even the local grocery store has a 12€ (~$20) minimum. Our living room features traditional balcony doors, which we open most afternoons. Cities are obviously more densely populated than small town Ontario. As a result, conversations of passers-by, neighbours' music or programs waft into the apartment with the fresh air, which makes Paul feel as though he's in a European movie! Typically, we eat dinner between eight and nine, though later at restaurants as many don't open until after then. Jenn