Daily Bread

While Ale and Sergio are at school, Alvaro (almost 3) and I spend the mornings together, coloring, "speaking English," playing soccer at the park, and watching cartoons. Our most important daily task, however, is buying bread at the corner store.

All the way, we walk at the flying pace of .1 mile per year since he insists on pushing the "carrito" (stroller) instead of riding in it himself...or sometimes he nixes the stroller get-up altogether and I get the privilege of lugging Mr. Chubs, his daily chocolate egg, at least 2 toy cars, and of course, the bread, all the way home.

The Spanish buy bread everyday and like clockwork I can expect to see neighbors heading home just before siesta with a baguette or two under their arm. I always seem to think I will have the willpower to resist my slice at lunch or later at dinner, but as soon as the cashier hands me that fresh, warm, intoxicating smelling baked bread, I am overcome by a force far more powerful than I. Why does this have to be OUR job everyday??!

I've sought, however, to justify my daily bread intake for a couple of reasons...

Solete often drops Alv and I off mid-errands and sends us in the general direction of a distant park, shopping mall, etc. I've learned that nodding my head and smiling through vague, rapid-fire directions in Spanish can be a recipe for disaster (little does Solete know that I get lost in my own 2-square mile town in the US). All this to say, I do a lot of walking.

In other news, this morning I braved the streets of Boadilla del Monte on bike in pursuit of a Post Office. Either Solete and Alberto were playing a sick joke on me or we need to have a serious discussion of what exactly they consider to be "not that far away." Not surprisingly, I got lost along the way, but a kind Spaniard let me follow his car and led me the rest of the way to the Post Office. For those of you fortunate to receive a letter or postcard from Madrid this summer, please know it cost me an hour bike ride.

So give me this day my daily bread! :)