Car-free and trying to be Care-free

"We miss America so much!"

This is what Sophie told Erik as she finished up her and Stone's hand tattoos. We had a great day but she still asks me multiple times daily how long four months is. And tonight after I got all four sobbing children to sleep I found myself shoveling a carton of Ben & Jerry's down the hatch, so clearly the "settling in" includes some sensations of ground shifting under our feet.

It's late already so I'll tell the story of the day with photos:

First thing in the morning (while it was still cool and Erik was at the Crossfit Gym), Ed, Elayne and I took the kids on an exploring walk of just our little neighborhood. We found the source of the church bells we heard on Sunday - they are the Iglesia (Church) of San Bernardo on the street right behind us!

We then found the closest park yet - it has lots of shady spots and fountains, as well as some fine-if-you-only-have-1/2-hour-to-kill play equipment. Actually the kids goofed around on that teeter totter laughing their heads off for a long time. :)

Then Erik stayed home with Sophie and Stone while Ed, Elayne and I took Lindsay and Lucy to a tour of Alcazar, the incredible Moorish (North African/Islamic) castle that began as a fort in the 900's and is still used as one of the royal residences of the King and Queen of Spain. The stories and architecture were mesmerizing. 

This is the original wall from the 900's

I couldn't resist another shot of the area of the girls' school. This is just around the corner.

We are an urban family now! No car. We bought this little cart at IKEA for grocery trips - we have an overpriced grocery store (above) right by our house, as well as a market kind of like a Chilean feria/farmers market inside an old dilapidated train station (better prices than the grocery but closes at 2:00 pm and I get nervous about the food handling. Stone loves the whole fishes and the dangling pig's feet).

We walk miles and miles every day. My feet and legs hurt so bad last night I thought I wouldn't make it to my bed from across the room. The big girls and I take turns carrying the little ones when they just can't take one more step.

After dinner we went to our first Flamenco show. I wish I could re-create the scene to do it justice. It was in a small courtyard in the old quarter of town, vines spilling down the old brick wall as the only backdrop. Close quarters and sweltering - everyone was dripping sweat and flapping their fans. There was just one lightning-fingered guitarist; one raw, passionate vocalist who sounded like the classic Flameco fusion of Jewish longing, Islamic call to prayer, and Spanish fire; one woman with enough spirit and confidence to lead an army to battle and one man whose feet struck like thunder. The rhythms were so intricate and foreign to my ears and so powerful, I couldn't believe the only percussion was from their hands and feet. They let us record and take pictures of only the last minutes, so everyone did it at once. Hence the flashes in the video.

Tomorrow we go school shopping - Saturday Erik's parents leave and I will cry my eyes out.