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Living in Spain

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My Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner …Served In Spain

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(image; Unsplashed)

Ah, the mystery of the Thanksgiving Dinner to a Spaniard…

Once a Spanish friend asked, “Is Thanksgiving as important as Christmas in the US? I see it in a lot of movies.” she said.

“Not really,” I answered…

I began to think I needed to introduce my Spanish friends to this truly American experience. Cooking for people who have never had Thanksgiving dinner seemed like an easy chore; how could I go wrong, and I liked the odds of meeting their expectations.

Thanksgiving, the “traditional foods” can be challenging to find in Spain if you don’t live in a more prominent city. I started searching a month earlier, first with the turkey. Spain is not a big turkey eating culture. They think the meat is dry– and I could agree. To ensure a moist turkey, I had my friend in North Carolina send me some oven-bags.

When I told my Spanish friends, I would cook the turkey in a plastic bag, they could not imagine what I meant. One even suggested I save on the expense and shipping and use a plastic grocery bag from El Corte Ingles, a department store here.

“No, it’s not that kind of Bag,” I said.

My North Carolina friend Cristy was ready to help, “…and if you don’t mind, can you throw in some Cranberry Sauce?” Personally, I hate the stuff, but it is a holiday standard, and I thought they should have the whole Thanksgiving experience.

“Oh, and Cristy, make sure to include some cream of mushroom soup, please.” What is Thanksgiving without the green bean casserole?

The Turkey

On this item, all my organic friends would agree I had luck. One of the guests, Javier, had a connection for a fresh turkey… at a friend’s farm, I could buy. His friend insisted we select a female turkey because it’s better tasting than the male. So, of course, I bought one.

Excellent, it was going to be fresh and from a local friend’s farm! 

Then I began to wonder how the turkey would be delivered. I told Javier that it needed to come completely featherless, feetless, and of course, headless. Done Javier said, & how primitive do you think we Spanish are?

Now for My Side Dish Menu:

I would need Sweet Potato Casserole, Stuffing with Sausage. My Mom’s Mash Potatoes. Garlic, Brussel Sprouts, Green Bean Casserole, sweeten Carrots and Gravy. 

My Challenges !!

– All will have to be from scratch. They do not have any of the items pre-prepped “shortcuts” because they don’t eat them. For example, I will be cutting the white bread into cubes and letting it get stale a couple of days before I make the dressing for the stuffing.

– Next will be translating all the items, including the spices, into Spanish.

– Then it is the quantities conversions into Metric

– And finally, converting the cook times from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

I started the day before completing the casseroles and the stuffing. 

(In Spanish Casserole=Carmela and the Stuffing=Relleno says Google Translate, but they don’t exactly stand for the same foods.)

 

It is the day of the Feast.

THANKSGIVING DAY is not a holiday here, so of course, the guests began to arrive, all six guests, at 8 pm.

Dinner was going to be served “Spanish Style” with wine/beer, nuts, and olives, in advance and lots of conversation. My boyfriend was in charge of this part of the dinner. Allowing me time to run around the kitchen and create that magical synergy where everything comes out hot and on time. (Right!)

First Tiny Problem, I hadn’t accounted for the tiny oven’s overload and its inability to cook the food evenly. So now dinner was going to be ready at 10 pm & only if I served the dishes as they were done.

I decided to take the Turkey to the table to be sliced, buying me more time in the kitchen.

The turkey was finished and beautiful. I set it on the table and knife in hand & asked who wanted to carve it? Second Problem.– No one knew how to cut the TURKEY. Blank stares as the knife was passed among them. I quickly stepped in, gave a demonstration, and assured everyone that the “sacredness of the holiday” did not lie in how the turkey was carved. It’s a Hollywood Movie Myth, I said.

I returned to the kitchen to bring the next fully cooked side dish to the table. With the second cooked sidedish now placed on the table, I told everyone to get started. Planning to be back in a few minutes with another dish.

I did this one-dish delivery two more times.

When I returned, hoping to see smiling faces and full plates, But what I saw plates were plates with only two slices of turkey on them. What was going on? This Feast was their FIRST THANKSGIVING DINNER!!! They did not know how to assemble the food on their plates.

The Spanish diet and typical serving is …one food type at a time. Combinations on one plate are not the standard.

I demonstrated how the plate should look and where the gravy should go. After tasting the strange salty/ sweet foods on their dishes, I got grins of complete satisfaction from everyone.

They loved it! What a relief I felt!!

Dinner lasted two more hours; after clearing the table, we added bottles for mixed drinks in the center. (I just love this Spanish Tradition of lingering around the table with an after-dinner drink.)

We said goodnight as I give some of the girls the recipes of the evening.

It was now about 1:30 or 2 am. As everyone was on their way home… the Cranberry Sauce STILL lay on the table, getting watery. 

It seems they dislike cranberry sauce here as well!

What an incredible experience it is sharing my culture with another.

I felt so blessed and grateful for this opportunity. I plan on doing it again next year for my boyfriend’s family.

Where was your favorite Thanksgiving dinner served? Was there anyone at your table that was having their first treat to this classic meal?

Can you share with me your favorite food for Thanksgiving dinner?

Love to hear one of your adventures.

Kathy XX

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10 Things To Do Madrid’s San Isidro Festival.

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Each Mid-May there is a Festival in Madrid to honor it’s patron saint, San Isidro.

Legend has it that one day, in the Moorish town of Mayrit (today Madrid), a day laborer named Isidro was plowing his Lord’s field when he caused a spring to gush from the earth, (like a teenager hitting a sprinkler head with the lawnmower.)

Then Isidro saved his son from a deep well by praying to raise the water level, thus causing the child to float back to the top.

These are just some of his many miracles that would end up lifting this humble/devout Spaniards, Isidro to prominence and eventual sainthood. All —spearheaded by the Spanish monarch, King Phillip II, who was supposedly cured of a grave illness by drinking the water that flowed from a spring that San Isidro found… & the fountain still functions today in a part west of the city. 

Later a church was build in the 14th century near the spring in honor this Saint… giving you a sense how long ago this happened in Madrid’s history. 

Top things to do on a typical year of the Festival of San Isidro:

(A Thank you too Naked Madrid for sharing these fun events.)

http://www.nakedmadrid.com/2015/05/13/san-isidro-all-you-need-to-know/

1. Go to a free open-air concert: (Everywhere throughout the long weekend) There are free outdoor concerts throughout Madrid, including in the Plaza Mayor. On several nights at 9pm, for example, live classical music is played next to Templo De Dubod as the sun goes down. Amazing with this Egyptian temple aglow in the background. It’s worth seeing. \

2. Have yourself a class picnic in the Pradera(Sunday is the big day – Pradera de San Isidro). This is the most emblematic part of the festival. In fact, the picnicking tradition here has purportedly been around since the 1600s, and by the time Goya used it as the subject of some paintings in the late 1700s, the cultural tradition was already widely known. 

3. Party on the street “Paseo de 15 de Mayo” (Primarily Sunday, the 15th, to a lesser extent Saturday and Monday / next to the metro stop Marqués de Vadillo)  The San Isidro Festival has a very prominent “barrio-feel.” It’s the neighborhood next to the Pradera de San Isidro (Marqués de Vadillo Metro) reigns supreme. Go here to drink wine and beer from the bars along the street and then head to the Pradera for your picnic.

4. Check out the Carnival (Saturday, Sunday, Monday / Pradera de San Isidro): Like all carnivals, it has rides of questionable safety and hordes of roaming kids, but it’s a good time nonetheless. There’s typically a Ferris Wheel that offers good views of the city. 

5. Party in Las Vistillas (Friday, Sat, Sunday, Monday near Puerta de Toledo, Jardin de Las Vistillas) This little park in La Latina plays annual host to another of the city’s “verbenas” (local parties), together with the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de La Villa. The scenic gardens fill up with food stands, music, and people dancing the Chotis. It’s usually one of the first things that come to locals’ minds if you ask them about the holiday. 

6. Drink Wine Under Fireworks/ Music in Retiro (Saturday and Sunday, around 8:30pm/dusk): Bring a bottle of wine and a blanket, lay back, and enjoy. 

7. Check out the bullfights: (Afternoons in Las Ventas) San Isidro is traditionally the beginning of bullfighting season in Madrid, and it’s actually the biggest bullfighting festival in the world. There are 24 afternoons of bullfights, including one specific day in which they all don Goyesco costumes, an event reasonably called La corrida Goyesca. 

9. Watch the little Parade of Big-heads and Giants (Friday 13th at 6pm –Route: Plaza de Santo Domingo – Plaza de Callao – Puerta del Sol – Mercado de San Miguel – Plaza de la Villa): This strange little parade has origins in the 16th century but was rediscovered in the 1800s—it marches larger-than-life figures down the main streets of the center of Madrid. The giants are four pairs of monarchs who represent Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. 

10. Lastly… Don’t forget to stand in line for the Holy Water from the San Isidro Fountain for good health for the year.The line is easy to find but be prepared to stand for a good 45-1hour. 

It is a fun event to see some authentic dress and customs of the Spanish culture.  Specifically Madrid.

XX Kathy 

Kathy Camp

An Incomplete List Of Christmas Experiences In Spain…

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As an American living in Spain, I love seeing the contrasts of holidays… Christmas in particular.

Spain is about the size of Texas. Its long history has carved out regional differences in the way the Christmas is celebrated.

Many feel very similar to what we do in America. But here are a few, I have personally discovered that are quite different.

Dates Spain Celebrates Christmas, New Year;
Spain celebrates the Christmas holiday season, December 24th-25, December 31-1 and then again January 6th.

January 6th is the day of Epiphany on the Christian calendar.
& the BIGGEST DAY of celebration and gift giving in Spain, (not as we do on December 25th).

In the South

I lived in a city called Sevilla for two years; it’s in the south of Spain.
A part of Spain you might recognize with Spanish guitars and flamenco dancers. It’s also very Catholic.

There’s a rich history of displaying Belen (Nativities scenes). They start to assemble and present them from the middle of December through the middle of January.

They’re everywhere, in stores, workplaces, and of course in homes. Gorgeous, old, and elaborate; & depending on the location, sometimes enormous. If you look closely, you can see many of the figures are timeworn treasures, handed down from generation to generation… Just lovely!

Each year at the beginning of December, Outside of the Ancient Cathedral in Sevilla’s city’s center, they hold a large Feria ( Fair) with merchants and artists, selling everything you can imagine to build or add to their Belen’s. Some people make them by hand. People spend years collecting and adding to them.

In Triana, a suburb on the other side of the river in Sevilla there is a life- Belen with nighly historically re-enactments… awaiting the arrival of their baby Jesus.  Christmas is a sweet, lovely season to be in Sevilla, Spain.

In the North,
I visited … Several years ago; the Basque Country. You may have heard of Bilbao, because of its world-renown Guggenheim Museum.

I noticed this jolly plump … a cross between an elder elf and Santa Claus figure hanging from a rope outside of the buildings; as if he could climb into your window. His name is “Olentzero.” He looks sweet, European and perfect for the dreams of a Spanish child.

 

“Olentzero” (Pronounced Orange-chair-o)
Through the years he has been known as the Giant living in the woods among other giants. The story that there was some mishap between him and the other giants. Olentzero throws the other giants off the cliff making him the only surviving Giant immediately after he sees a sign in the sky that Jesus Christ was born. He was profoundly moved by the experience and accepts Christianity.  He changes his behavior to only doing good deeds which include giving gifts to people… especially children at this time of the year.

Also in the North
Is another tradition is the “Caga Tio.”

The “Cage Tio” is a painted log displayed in the fireplace of the home. The wood is placed there in the early part of December and is treated like a pet by the children of the house. It’s fed and kept warm with a blanket.

On Christmas, it is beaten with sticks by the children, in hopes that the log will produce gifts.

If the children have been good, the Cage Tio, gives a gift of a toy or, a piece of “Turron” a Spanish Christmas fudge, traditionally made with almonds. If they have been naughty, they could end up with a plate of sardines.

Later the log is placed back in the fireplace and burned. And in this way; as the folklore goes, the log will return to the family the warmth it received during the holiday season.

To the East in
Spain the Catalonia Region, which includes Barcelona there is the defecating ceramic figure called “Caganet.”

From what I understand the Belen/ nativities in Catalonia contain all the traditional characters you would expect BUT with the addition of the Caganet. The sport is to locate the Caganet within the scene. It is the humorous must for any Catalonian’s Belen…

Each year they create a themed Caganet. People collect them. They include many contemporary characters, stars, athlete, and politicians. I am sure this year there will be a Donald Trump Caganet made somewhere in Spain.

 

In the Middle of Spain

In Madrid, the holiday’s look like a mixture of cultures, but I have to say mainly American. Like most European cities Madrid has its Ferias (Fairs) of Navidad, the most traditional located in Plaza Mejor in the city center.

The Christmas kiosks are selling gifts, food, Christmas decor, and food/drinks. A great place to meet and hang out.

A curious thing about the Madrid Feria is the tradition of buying and wearing a SILLY HAT. It is fun to watch the kids and parents walk around entertaining each other wearing these hats. It seems like the more lights the cap has, the better.

One of my favorite things is the POPING-Up kiosks of the Hot Roasted Chesnuts, Sweet Potatoes, and Corn on the cob. They smell and taste delicious!

Traditions have this incredible effect on me, to slowing down, to feel like I am a part of something bigger than the world I grew up and knew. 


What Holidays to you love? It there something about traditions that you like?  I would love to hear from you in the comments

(originally written in 2014)

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7 Things You Might Want To Ask Yourself Before You Move Abroad… Then Go!!

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Moving to Spain has been the most transforming, exciting, lonely, challenging, fearful experience I have EVER HAD… to date!

And I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to Re-Boot and add a Spark back into their lives!

But before you go there are a few things you should probably ask yourself.

For Example… Let’s say all is in order and you are about to get on the plane.

Have you thought about what you can and can’t live with? Not STUFF I mean, the STUFF that drives you crazy?

– Restaurants restrooms without toilet tissue.

– A neighbor’s laundry hanging outside your window every day on their balcony.

– Do owners who let their dogs running loose on the streets or in parks bother you?  Would you get enraged every time you see dog poo on the ground because you once stepped in fresh poo?

– Does your blood pressure rise when you don’t understand the street names and end up walking or driving in circles for hours?

Two of the biggest things I learned I needed to do while living in Spain was to RELAX AND LEARN A NEW FLOW.  If you can’t live with things not being the way you think they should be, you may not enjoy living in another culture for long. Embracing differences and learning to slow down have been the backbone to my successful transition into my new life in Spain.

Embracing differences and learning to slow down have been a large part of the success I have had in transitioning into my new life in Spain.

Here is a Quick and Easy List of the 7 Things I found helpful when transitioning into a New Culture and a New Country.

1) Do You Embrace All Types of Change?

The amount of change you can tolerate should be considered when selecting a country.

For example, what are the differences in your lifestyle and the lifestyle in China. It could be huge!  If you can’t tolerate big differences you may want to live abroad in a country with fewer differences like England, Canada, Australia for example.  It also may be a better fit if you do not want to throw in tackling a new language.

From my experience, when I got to Spain the things I knew about this culture were only a fraction of what I would discover.

I chose Spain because the differences were something I found curious and enchanting. BUT I had no idea how challenging–the food, food shopping, speaking the language or even physically living in the small space of a piso ( apartment) would be.

It would take me 5 hours or more to find my way to the grocery store, translate the labels, sometimes negotiate what I was buying and find my way home.

BUT, when it was done the sense of accomplishment I had making my dinner with the things I bought and later sleeping like a baby after walking home and carrying my food up three flights of stairs was incredible.

The simple slow pleasures of taking my time solving one of my primary needs and tasting the food I made in a foreign country.  HEAVEN TO ME!

2)Can You Relax When Things don’t go as Expected?

Are you someone who doesn’t like to be surprised?

Do you always like to know what you are doing and where you are going?

It helps if you don’t measure things the way you understand them from your country of origin. You can change that feeling of judgment and anger by just by remembering … You’re not in your country, there are lots of ways to live so remember to enjoy what’s around you.

Often I would get off at the wrong stop because the signs didn’t make sense to me.

A visiting friend and I had to hire an expensive taxi because we were late for the final train of the day.

It was a Friday and the trains stop at midday. There was no sign with the train hours because the logic of the short Friday hours made PERFECT sense to the locals.

Yes, we were mad. Then we had a glass of wine and a laugh.

{A HIGH note to the story… When my friend and I were stuck without the train, we discovered a beautiful cafe that cost us half as much as the restaurant we were going to. Afterward, we sat outside enjoying the sun waiting for the taxi and we were serenaded by an orchestra practicing nearby! Heaven?  I think so.}

Stories like this, go on and on. So often I think: ‘what’s next that will surprise and delight me’?

3) Enjoy Being Alone?

When you first get to a new place, it can take time to become part of the community.

Some people say it takes six months. I still feel like an outsider after five years. Mostly because of my own reasons.

I love my own company. If you are your own best company, you will be ok if it takes you awhile to make friends!

One activity that I found useful in my lonely times was my practice of Yoga.

Yoga has also been a great comfort to me when I have felt overwhelmed, tired and confused living in another country. It was my first friend in Spain.

Having any practice of self-centering time is a good habit to have when you live abroad. Journaling, reading playing an instrument. Can help you reconnect with yourself when you feel overwhelmed by all the new influences.

4) Do You Love to Explore and Observe?

If you never get lost, then you probably love to Explore!

When I first arrived in Sevilla, I spent many days, map in hand, wandering. Going wherever, stopping and having a drink or a tapa while I people watched.

I still love doing this!

Another ways I love to spend time alone is to people watch and once a month go to a historic site or a museum.

Exploring is something I still do often. I don’t ever get tired of making the time to see all the beautiful and different sites in this country and the nearby counties.

5) Got Patience?

Practicing patience has given me sanity in Spain.

Spanish people work, walk, eat, socialize and drive at a different pace than what I was accustomed to in the US. I was patience before I got here, but I have learned a whole new level!

Another gift of practicing patience… Is it reduces stress! The stress level I had living in the US has almost disappeared.  I feel the difference in my mood, my health and in my relationships.  I am present and a better listener and I have finally learned to practice patience with myself!

6) Do You Trusting your Instincts and Trusting the Help from Others?

I say these together because you MUST trust your instincts when interacting with anyone for any reason in an unfamiliar country.

Especially trust your instincts with anyone who offers you help.

If you don’t feel comfortable, trust that feeling and move on. Who cares the reason you feel uncomfortable, especially when you first arrive.

There is time to feel comfortable. Give yourself time to understand the culture, body language and never doubt yourself.

AND MORE… There are times when YOU WILL need peoples’ help! I am not talking about a situation where you will need the help of an officer or medical care professional. For those times dial the emergency number of your country, in Spain, it is #112, or you can find the closest public store or building.

In other casual cases, you may need a hand with finding an apartment, reading the rental document, or getting directions involving them offering to show you how to get there; by the way, this is very Spanish.

These situations will arise.

International FB PAGES, and Expat sites can be helpful for many of these questions, or you can start more locally by asking a store clerk. As you live in a place longer, you meet people, and they can help you.

Cultural LESSON LEARNED: Most people in Spain are very helpful. It is their culture. If you do not accept their help, you might be insulting them. My American nature always assumes favors have costs. Here it ‘s expected to help without expectation. I have learned to accept their help… and I now have much more intimate relationships with my new Spanish friends.

7) Do You Prepare for the Worst, but more Importantly NOT have the attitude of Expecting it?

ANOTHER SHORT STORY: I had all my important shit in my purse having come from the airport. A new friend asked me to meet her at a shoe store. While I was not looking, all of my credit cards, passport, and money was snatched from my bag.

What I Learned was, I could have prepared better for my passport, credit cards, and wallet being stolen.

By preparation, I mean that it would have been helpful to know more about the procedures to replace them. Or have copies of all of them in another location. That would have been smarter and less stressful.

I feel very strongly about not living my life in fear or in “WHAT IF?” When I travel, I act like I am in any large American City: wise, aware but comfortable. I see many big eyed tourists walking the streets, keeping their distance and looking worried. I wonder how much fun they are having. They haven’t even engaged with the locals because they are so fearful other than to eat or make a purchase?

So Now You Are Finally Ready To Go!!!

BOTTOM LINE: Be honest with yourself and what is important to you. You will learn a lot about yourself living abroad.  But the things you really feel deeply will probably not change.

Before I made the big decision to move to another country, I spent hours journaling and dreaming with the information I gathered from books, websites, and blogs. I want to share what I have learned with you. You Can Learn More about how I did this in the Dream Adventure Membership.

The idea of moving to another country starts as a playful dream; you know the kind of dream that puts a smile on your face. But to do it you have to be able to overcome small fears and habitual reactions that will only serve to drive you crazy and make you unhappy in a different culture.

Dream big by researching then make the right choice for you.

Kathy

XXOO

Up At 5 Am And No Coffee? Are You F…king Crazy? Can The Effort Be Worth The Pain?

Up At 5 Am And No Coffee? Are You F…king Crazy? Can The Effort Be Worth The Pain?

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How Can The Effort Be Worth The Pain?  Up at 5 AM….cold, dark and there is no coffee.  I am standing in mud and not sure what else. I was there to help enclose a family owned field outside a centuries-old village in Extremadura, Spain.

 

We were to put barbwire in the places where the fence was compromised.  For centuries piled rocks served as the barrier.  It was still standing but not well enough to contain or keep out livestock.  I could barely understand all the new Spanish vocabulary needed to do this job.  That seemed to be OK.

We ate breakfast around 9 am.  Goat cheese, spiced sausage, and hard crusted bread made in the village. The towel wiped (no antiseptic wipes used here) working hand of a friend served us as we gathered around one of the fallen rock walls.

Tired like I have never been tired in my life!

Returning to the cottage in the village I could barely move.  As I laid down, from exhaustion, I knew I would gladly rise the next day and do it all again!

So the question is “Is It Worth The Effort, The Pain?”  Was getting up working my ass off worth the result of the effort?  As Seth Godin states so well here,

The thing about effort is that effort is its own reward if you allow it to be.

This experience has actually taught me something.  In the past… while I love the physical use of my body and being in nature it was not how I measured my life’s “REAL Achievement and Success.”  Using my mind and exerting as little physical energy as possible was what I thought won the game.  “Working Smart” is what it is called.  I had lost touch with the complete experience of doing the “work.”

The simplicity of each task to completion has real value.  It is the journey.  The bank account is not always where the actual measure of value lies.  It’s in the “work” and what I saw when I took the time to notice.  The dew on the trees… the way the air warms when the sun rises.  How the cows in the next field noticed us as the walked by, the way, they do every day.

I know this concept existed for my “everyday” life in the US.  Why didn’t I think it had value?  I know I bought into the concept of by doing more I can be more or at least I won’t fall behind.  But that has all changed.

So would I do it again? YES, YES, YES!!!

 

In this picture, I think I was channeling Lucille Ball
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