Fall in is the air

The weather has noticeably changed here in Sevilla over the past few days.  Fall is in the air, the leaves are beginning to litter the sidewalks, and the afternoon sun doesn't peel the skin off the back of your neck as it once did.  Today we experienced our first drop of rain since moving to Sevilla.  Almost 6 weeks without a raindrop!  As we stood and watched the somewhat anemic rainstorm through our french doors, Camila turned and asked, "Where's the thunder daddy?" "The thunder is back in Tampa honey."  How I miss my Florida afternoon thunderstorms.

I began private Spanish tutoring this week and am very happy so far.  To my chagrin, and as it was at CLIC, she refuses to speak any English.  Although initially frustrated with this approach, I am beginning to get with the program and see the benefit.  Little by little (poco a poco), I am making improvements and starting to see a light at the end of the verb tense tunnel.  So for the rest of the blog I shall wax grammatic about the preterito, preterito perfecto, and my personal favorite, the pluscuamperfecto.  Not really.  But my point, if there is one, is that it is going pretty well.  Hopefully after another month or so of practice I won't freeze like a deer in headlights when someone approaches me randomly on the street.  Vamos a ver.

Today, we dragged the kids to EcoFest Sevilla.  Basically, an expo for organic food.  The organic industry here in Spain is fledgling at best.  There are no Fresh Markets here teeming with "my coffee is more fair trade than yours" organic foodie types.  It just doesn't exist.  So EcoFest was an attempt to get some more traction for the industry.  Overall, it was a really nice and well attended event.  They even had a kids play area.  Smart guys, smart.  We bought some really nice cheeses, olive oil, chorizo, and jamon iberico.  Can't wait to dig in!

Ali and I have also found a great farmers market here in Sevilla.  It is underneath a huge public artwork that looks like a giant mushroom.  Appropriate I guess.  We will be buying most of our perishable goods here from now on.  The vegetables are really fantastic.  However, as far as the meat goes, the hygienic practices are somewhat suspect.  And when I say suspect, I am being quite charitable.  Would you buy chicken breasts from a guy who just skinned and butchered a whole rabbit, scooped brains from 4 sheep skulls that he cracked open with a meat cleaver in full view of everyone, and then turned to you with his unwashed hands?  Neither would we.  We left without the chicken.  Apparently, hand washing is optional here in the meat industry.  I will take my steak well done thank you.

Fresh Vegetables!

 Sheep brains anyone?

Fresh Rabbit