A FEW WEEKS AGO we watched the rather insane film Ingrid Goes West (2017), a comedy about an unhinged social media stalker who moves who to LA and insinuates herself into the life of an Instagram star. If you’re Instagram-obsessed, then you’ll definitely find it entertaining, even if it is perhaps a little disturbing at times. We’re experiencing an unusual cold spell here this week (it’s a chilly 13°C at the moment), making us feel like hibernating, cosy indoors by candlelight and filled with anticipation for the holidays…
OUR BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBOURHOOD has officially (and sadly) become gentrified. It began with a mom & pop card shop that shut down about two years ago, run by literally a mom & pop, she who squeezed my shoulder affectionally while telling me that "card" is "tarjeta" in Spanish once. Soon after, an upscale French cookware boutique opened, followed by a well-known British home décor shop. But, the most telling event occurred when a quirky mom & pop home store that had been operating for 75 years moved out of the neighbourhood, and in its place ...
FINALLY HAD THE chance to watch The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Wes Anderson) this past weekend (yes, P is constantly astounded as well by the sheer number of films I haven’t seen) and we also made a little time on Sunday for lounging about in the park, perhaps for the last time this year, as it has been very much summer-like still, despite autumn’s official arrival.
SUNDAY MAY HAVE BEEN our last summery day, and one that was spent in golden sunshine on still-leafy terraces. The very next day, it seemed to have turned autumn overnight, with crisp leaves falling and blustery winds creating mini duststorms filled with swirling leaves. The clocks have turned back and we’re ready. Tall leather boots and cashmere carves have replaced billowy dresses and espadrilles and the evenings have turned dark before we’ve even made it home. Autumn is a time for reflection, a time that leads to the end of another year, which always makes us a little wistful, that is, until the excitement of a brand new to begin again sets in.
IT IS A LONG WEEKEND here in Spain, as it is in Canada and some parts of the US. Here, there were fireworks last night and parades and marching bands this afternoon. As for us, well we had the most perfectly leisurely and lovely morning, coffee and autumn sunlight and the streets below all quiet. We’re in planning mode this week, for Friday’s early morning flight, as well as a few last-minute deadlines. This autumn has been one of reconnecting with old friends and acquaintances, a little taking stock of where we’ve been and where we’re going. It is unfathomable that there is little more than two months left of this year, that summertime has gone. The year drawing to a close with each faded pink sunset and our heads are filled with dreams.
IT IS BRIGHT AND CHILLY today, and we’re spending some time catching up on work at a café. We’re seated at the window with the winter sun shining through, sipping our cortados watching the world go by through the glass, elderly ladies in long camel coats and men in suits in a hurry. The emails have been piling up and there are too many things on our to-do lists to keep track of, but soon it will be the holidays and time off for a little while. Time for collecting ourselves and our thoughts and to reflect on the year gone by; time for midday glasses of cava and oysters at our favourite place at the mercado and for musing about the places we’ll travel to in the new year. There are new projects and plans for the year to come, but for now, we’re dreaming through these last lingering days of the year.
THIS WAS A WEEKEND of highs and lows, the highs being cava and oysters on a Monday night and the lows being all of the things coming through the news lately: Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, the Independence Referendum, Tom Petty... we're still working through all of the sad news and finding ways to help, while still trying to remember the beauty in life as well. On Sunday night, P picked up tickets to a show by a Scottish singer-songwriter that he's a fan of and had wanted to see back in Scotland but we weren't able to make it; amazingly, the artist was just wrapping up a Spanish tour, finishing his last night here in the city.
