Saturday, July 30, 2011

BBQ with Friends...What does that mean?

What does a 1:30 BBQ lunch really mean in Spain.....  Maybe a salad and a few bocadillos... with a nice refreshing drink, nice conversation and then a departure time of 3:30.  Well that is what it means in the United States.  That is why Spain is so special.  A 1:30 BBQ really means a feast....steaks, sausages, ribs, tomato salads, chicken curry, potato salad,......bread, wine, cava.  Conversations that carry over from one bottle to the next.  Then a little break of an espresso with a postre....a Brazo de Gitano.   What is a Brazo de Gitano.  Well, it literally translates to "Gypsy's Arm."  This type of cake consists of a light, spongy cake layer slathered with cream, then rolled up... Another word for it is...Yummy.



My workout companion at Oakwood in Lafayette, Anabel, put me in touch with her good friend Angel who is from Barcelona.  Anabel is my workout buddy at 5:00 am on Tuesday and Thursdays at home.  As she was off to Mexico City for the summer to be with family, I took off the other direction to Barcelona and met up with one of her very close friends.  Angel is from Barcelona and she married Damon a wonderful Aussie.  Three kids later, they found themselves settling down in a nice town called Sant Cugat.  This town has become an affluent suburb of Barcelona due to its location (20 k from Barcelona).  It has beautiful natural surroundings. 
Isaac 10, Sam 8 and Isabela 2, Asher, Zach and Elwood (another Aussie friend of theirs) had so much fun that they wanted to spend the night.  Playing in the pool, dancing in the rain, eating yummy brownies, making movies on the Mac.  They did not want our lunch to end.  But by the time 8:00 pm rolled around, we knew that it would be smart to head back home and call it a day.











The kids had to eat too.  They had fun eating their brownies....




Damon, our host for the day.... how appropriate to be opening up the cava outside...






A mix of Aussies and Catalyans





Me and Angel



Weather in Barcelona for the month of July has been extraordinarily off.  With rain showers that sneak up every now and then.  Luckily the temperature always stays comfortable enough for me to always wear my tank tops.  The kids got caught in a down pour.  They had so much fun dancing in the rain and then jumping in the pool.



Sometimes photos don't really reveal the truth.  Asher had a great time and didn't want to leave.  Could you tell from his expression????

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