Sunday, April 17, 2011

Yesterday

Went to a calçotada yesterday in a neighbouring village.  Felt like I was in a movie at times, you know those ones that are selling the Mediterranean life, like that Tuscan one?

Long sun-dappled tables weighted with delicious food and wine and multi-lingual conversations going on around it while children play in the background and an olive-wood fire smokes in the distance on which the food has been cooked?

That was it.

Weirdness.

They were a fascinating and wildly international lot and as a result the conversation was very Spanish - the lingua franca - except my little corner of it.  They are a delightful family, my hosts, three fifths of whom I have taught English.  One of the kids, now pushing 18, sat beside me.  Handy having an 18 year old boy next to you at a big feed, I just kept passing stuff onto his plate and it kept disappearing inside him.  Third helping of botifarra appears?  GONE!

He is a neat bright kid too.  Helpful translator as well when I got lost.

He and I determinedely spoke Catalan to everyone - rather than Spanish - when we didn't speak English.  The man on my left was a delight too, older (late 60's?) and architect, very well read - I love to sit with people I can talk books with! - and fascinating.  His wife was also interesting, though she only spoke Spanish.

I have to say I was amazed how well I understood what was going on, when I listened hard......those Spanish lessons are paying off anyway.

We, of course, ate calçots with homemade sauce, botifarra and costelles (ribs), bread, tiramiso and chocolate muffins and chocolate crisps that I brought, lots of wine, water and some cava that I also handed over to the boy....his parents were right there, it is Spain.....

Got home, had a bath and went to bed with the Murakami book.

Pretty darned delightful day!

7 comments:

Jan said...

I began by knowing very little spanish, even though we went to evening classes for well over a year in the UK! We've now done the free classes of catalan (and very good they were too), and I find that the more catalan I know, the more spanish I can understand... even though I can't speak any spanish. Strange.

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

Um, yeah, pretty darned delightful sounding day. I believe I am gaining weight reading your blog.

J.G. said...

Sounds like a perfect setting, meal and company. I had a good weekend but it was nothing like this! Lucky you!

kate said...

Ooh, I'm so jealous!

Mother Theresa said...

Oh, I love calçots! I've only had them once, but I just can't forget them...mmmmm. :)

thecatalanway said...

that sounds like a perfect day - could there be a song there? We started out calcots so early this year that I had forgotten all about them - and now the season is almost over. It does sound like you have some good parties over there! Kx

oreneta said...

Jan, it is totally weird the way that languages work, isn't it....the Catalan definitely helps my Spanish....but there are limits, no?

Kim, glad I don't have a scale is all I can say.

JG, it was a delight....glad yours was good too.

Kate....we all have moments, how's the studying going?

Mother T...they are very very very good, aren't they...mmmm.

Kate, I thought I was going to miss out on calçots altogether this year, but a last minute reprieve!