Finding the "7 Wonders of Chiclana"

“Like A Rolling Stone” – Bob Dylan

Here’s a picture of the coffee servings I was talking about:

I have been living in Spain for over a MONTH! I still remember the first nights in my apartment here, I heard every single sound on the street and imagined the craziest things happening outside – of course, I couldn’t even fathom what they could be because here I was in a foreign country… now I know that around 11 pm that sound is the nightly garbage collection (Chiclana has 4 large bins at every block, reeeeeeeeeeeeally emphasizing recycling and I’m pretty sure one of those is just for wine bottles haha) on my street, around midnight the sound of a child laughing isn’t creepy – they just have different sleeping schedules here and it’s the norm (and quite frankly, some kids all around the world go to bed at dusk, some stay up ‘til 2 with their parents, to each their own),  around 4 am it’s the wind because there’s a storm stirring in the Strait of Gilbraltar and one of my 7 windows is probably open because you rarely have A/C here…

View of my town from the watchtower:

So now I have peace of mind & great sleep, usually pay with coins (oh euros…), and have a full tutoring schedule with kids wanting to improve their English past what they’ve learned in school. Sidenote: Bob Esponja is the COOLEST thing to have here at their age…I can’t get over my classes: 1^st graders’ discipline surprises me and they’re the most adorable children ever! Marisol, Begonia, Javier, Celia, Eloy, Bejamin, Roberto, Carlos, Martha – that doesn’t even cover the list because our rosters have such diversity. It’s so great having nearly complete fluent conversations with my bilingual sixth grade class or tutoring another great kid after school at her home where the parents provide heart-warming hospitality. 

The semi-vegetarian meal thing is still happening simply because every thing seriously tastes better here! Soy milk is creamier, raisins are sweeter, tomatoes are AMAZING, bread is always fresh out of a stone oven…I know you can find this back home but the experience is really adding to it all. Hence this basic recipe I saw on a friend’s blog, pretty much made my point:

“The mighty tortilla

What do you think of when you think of the national dish of Spain? I'm going to take a guess and say it probably features some form of paella and sangria right? Although paella is a well known dish, I hardly ever eat it. So what else is there? Well the cured jamon is always amazing and the cheeses are nothing to be sneezed at but there is something delicious and deceptively simple...la tortilla española. I would have to argue that it is one of Spain's national dishes.

Maybe you have heard of it, maybe you haven't. Well its delicious and mostly easy to make...I still have problems to dar la vuelta. However, it is one of the easiest Spanish dishes to make even if you aren't in Spain. Here's what you need:


1 kilo of potatoes
9 eggs
1 medium onion
A boatload of olive oil
Salt


Step 1: Peel and slice the potatoes. Dice the onion.


Step 2: Put the potatoes and onion in a frying pan and cook with copious amounts of oil. I'm not kidding about the olive oil its the secret to a good tortilla. If you think you have added enough, you should probably add more. Cook the potatos and onion until they are soft over medium heat. Remove from heat and drain the oil.


Step 3: Beat the eggs until they are well mixed. Then add the potatoes and onion to the eggs. Mix together and add salt to your taste. I usually put a pinch because an overly salty tortilla is awful.


Step 4: Reheat your frying pan and add 2 spoonfuls of olive oil. Make sure the pan is well coated. Add the egg, potato, onion mixture. Lower the heat and move the pan in circles so that the tortilla doesn't stick and moves. Cook until the mixture begins to solidify. I usually don't let it cook too long because I like my tortilla runny.


Step 5: This is the part that is the hardest--dar la vuelta or flipping the tortilla. Take a plate that is larger than the frying pan on top of the pan. Pick up the pan and flip the tortilla so that it lands on the plate. Then slide the tortilla back into the pan. Cook it for 2 or 3 more minutes moving the pan in circles.


Step 6: Flip the finished tortilla back onto a plate and enjoy! Its even better with a glass of Rioja wine. Que rico!”

The roommates and I are currently on a scavenger hunt with a list we found called “7 Wonders of Chiclana”. Well don’t hold your breathe haha because it’s mostly minor landmarks like plaques or views but truthfully the sights are stunning. It’s incredible to know we’re standing in history that had a domino effect on so many parts of the world. For instance, next time I’m in Seville we’ll go to Christopher Columbus’ tomb in the Cathedral (3rd largest in Spain).

I’ve rambled. As usual.

Things I can’t wait for:

-          Establishing Christmas plans…

-          Kristeen, Shea and Josiah visiting for New Year’s!!!

-          On that note, all the friends that want to visit haha

-          Try authentic paella: I know, it’s taking some easing into…sea creatures… and I’m conquering a long list along the way regardless J

-          Visit an olive tree orchard in Priego de Cordoba or Jaen

-          Seeing Snow Patrol in Ireland around the end of January *working on it*

-          Visiting as many countries as possible of course (figure this one’s still starry-eyed dreams and it’ll all become realistic as months pass by, it’s cheap, and I’m getting paid extra for A LOT of tutoring)

Last but not least, it’s convincing my Mom to come visit. Emphasis on convincing because the woman only speaks Spanish (yet conveniently understands English most days) and is hesitant to deal with the whole airport deal even though it’ll get easier as she gets closer to me…haha but she does get some credit for getting on a computer the other day and sending me her first email EVER. I’m pretty sure it must have rained (getting my first taste of that here this weekend according to the weather reports) somewhere when it happened. I certainly felt it here because I know it took a lot for her to do that and of course she went on about how much she’s praying for me. A mother’s incredible love. Enough said.

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach; because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." - Frederick Buechner