Boy did we luck out this time! The house sit turned out to be a villa-sit. And we don’t have too much to do because the estate has 2 full-time “boys” to take care of everything, a house cleaner, a gardener, someone to care for the lawn, and another to take care of trees. It is probably about 10-15 acres, ⅔ wooded. The pasture where the horses are grazing is about a 10 min walk, each way. The homeowners are visiting their house in Hong Kong this month. The house is modern, and has about 7 outdoor sitting areas, with different exposures and views. It is perched on a hill. One of the Pueblos Blancos de Andalucía (White Villages of Spain) is on the next hill. It is capped with a medieval castle that is lit at night. So even at night the view is stunning. The town is about 5 minutes by car and walkable if we want to go up hill, both ways.
Just about our only duty (aside from collecting the chicken eggs and trying to keep up with eating them all) is caring for the two lovely, well-behaved lurchers. Lurcher is a popular breed in the UK, but not one I’d heard of in the US. Turns out it is not a breed at all. But rather the name of any greyhound cross. They are like “doodles” and “poos”in the US with everyone crossing poodles. A popular cross is greyhound X border collie. Usually the lurchers we have seen are rough coated (like wirehaired). But these two have smooth, very soft fur. And they are not shedding much. One has piercing blue eyes (she is ½ greyhound, ½ border collie). The other is ½ greyhound, ¼ border collie and ¼ bearded collie). They are great dogs: smart and agile. But they do not require the exercise our Layla did; they are content to sleep away most of the day.
We are probably 20 minutes from the beach and will be taking these dogs there often. It is sunny and warm here (about 23 degrees), and gets windy on this hill. Wind is a feature of this part of Spain. Which is a good segue to tapas. (Really is is).
The Educational Part of This Postcard
How tapas came to be:
In medieval times Spain was poor, farming was the main vocation. Farm workers did not make too much money and could only afford wine OR food. They chose wine. With all the drinking, and no eating, productivity suffered. The country was on the verge of collapse. The King at the time (don’t remember which one, but it was either Phillipe or Charles, because they were all named “Phillipe” or “Charles”) decreed that in any bodega, a little food must be served with any drink. Then the King (maybe not the same king, but it was surely Philipe or Charles) was visiting his territory in Cadiz (very near here). It was windy. He was served wine, with a slice of cheese covering the top of the glass – to keep sand from getting in the wine. From there, the name tapa (top) became the name of the little food served with a drink. So, interesting thing about tapas – they are supposed to be free (as part of the drink order). Sometimes they are. The trick is to order your drinks first (without ordering food). You will get your tapa (usually – the law does not exist anymore). It is usually olives. If food is ordered, there is no obligation to provide anything free.
We got through Carnival which was celebrated for the past 3 nights (all night). We can hear the music from the festival in town very clearly at the house. At first we enjoyed the American folk music, or old country songs being played while we had a glass of wine outside enjoying the sunset. But by 4 am when the music was more techno, not so much. We are still struggling to get used to the hours the Spanish keep. Restaurants close after lunch and do not open until at least 7pm, maybe 8. And if we went to a restaurant before 9, we’d be alone; no one eats before 9, 10 or even 11. Stores close between 12 and 2pm. Most places are closed on Sunday. Restaurants close Monday or Tuesdays.
So we are lounging in the sun, working on future travel plans. We will not have another house sit for a while probably. We are doing some maneuvering in order to meet friends and family in Europe this Summer. Since we are limited to 90 days in Europe, we are having to skedaddle out in order to save our days for our meetups. We are very excited to see folks from the states. And maybe to have them bring us some american products we are missing too.