Join me in Spain...

So staying at home to be a mom was quite a job.  Definitely not one for the weak of heart.  The mornings were long, the nights were longer and there was no one to say thank you or please.  Obviously there was no one to cut a paycheck.  There were other rewards.  Catching your nine month old’s first steps. Hearing that first word (invevitably dada!)  Sharing a lunch with your toddler.  But then there’s the laundry which is never-ending.  And that dishwasher that seems to just re-fill on an hourly basis.  Not exactly sure how there is never enough room to put back the dishes when they all came from the same cupboards.  Strange how that happens.  That and missing odd socks?  Who knows what evil lurks in a home.  I was definitely not built to be domestic.  Did I mention the MBA?  Yeah, not a diva in that regard for sure.  I didn’t really relish staying at home.  I didn’t even know why I did.  There were so many jobs that I could secure.  Why was I busying myself with the mundane and facebook?  My favorite question was, “what do you do all day”?  What did they THINK I did all day?  Obviously I sat around watching the food network munching on modern day bon bons.  Yep.  All day long.  The only time I stand up from the couch is to refill my wine glass.  As if.  Guaranteed that if you counted how many hours a day I worked, it would be more than someone who actually went to an office.  What with all the coffee breaks and chats, there is no way those souls work more than 5 hours every day? And now with the internet and googling and linkedin…not a chance.

Okay, so my daughter is obsessed with the YouTube video Peacock.  This is wrong on so many levels.  Come on baby let me see you---what you hiding underneath.  Are you brave enough to let me see your peacock.  Hearing her and her 2.5 year old brother chanting the chorus is haunting.  Truly and strangely scary.   Jaw dropping. Are those Katie’s words or mine?  Spare me my little one’s teenage years.  How will mommy deal with that unexpected pressure.  Oh dear.  Now I see why so many take to the bottle.

Speaking of bottles, there was a time when I took to the bottle a bit more than I cared to admit.  The bottle was called a PERON—and the drink was good old Calimocho.  Calimocho (from the Basque Kalimotxo) is a drink consisting of approximately 50% red wine and 50% cola-based soft drink.

In some areas of Spain, calimocho is served in bars in short glass tumblers.  We preferred to slug it right out of a peron.  The porron wine pitcher is a festive way to serve wine or sangria. Just pick up the porron and tilt it so that a thin stream of wine pours directly into your mouth! It takes some skill, but it is fun at a party to see how well you and your friends master the technique. Believe you me, I had it down pat. 

 Plenty of ice is added, then the red wine and cola.  We drank it every night.  Right from this glass jar.  It wasn’t good, but it was cold.  And wet.  Strangely it helped get the night going.  Then we’d head off into the brisk Salamanca night.  Clavel Ocho was a favorite among the under 22 set.  The music pounded, usually in English and we danced until our feet cried.  Then we’d slip off our heels, have another drink and dance some more.  The final song often went a bit like like, “wise men sing, only a few can see, why I can’t help falling in love with you.  And of course, he just couldn’t help it.  Every night.  In the sweltering heat. It was divine.  To say the very least.  Que bien mi amor.

I’m sure by now I should have mentioned that I truly consider Spain, more specifically, Salamanca, my homeland.  I’d take it over Toronto anytime.  Salamanca is small city located about an hour and a half Northwest of Madrid in the Castile and Leon region of Spain. Local population typically rests around 150,000, but experiences a large jump in revelers whenever school is in session. Why? It's because Salamanca is home to one of the oldest Universities in the world.  Christopher Columbus was even at Salamanca University to lecture about his world explorations.. With such rich culture and deep roots in the history of academics, it makes sense why this town still thrives off the young and eager to learn.

I’d say that the nightlife scene in Salamanca is the best in all of Spain.. When the sun sets behind the Plaza Mayor in the city center, a different kind of buzz begins to roll in, and it only intensifies until the next morning. The nightlife in Salamanca is not a weekend affair, but instead every night of the week.  Man oh man is it every night of the week.  Between the high influx of international students, cheap drinks and good music, Salamanca is the place for anyone who's not afraid to watch the sunrise in last night’s attire.  Talk about the major walk of shame.  Night after sweet night.  Sunrise after pink sunrise.

I spent part of my sophomore time in Salamanca, having more discussions with bar owners at 5am than with any professor. After roaming these delicious streets for quite some time, I feel slightly obligated to share my two favorite hot spots .

La Chupitería

Plaza de Monterrey

Literally translated, it's name means "The Shot Shop". And that is all they serve.  Can you imagine? It was our favorite place to drink before the drinking began. My favorite?  The banana cream and the apple pie chupitos.

Cum Laude

Calle del Prior, 7

One of the more popular spots in Salamanca.  Lines were not uncommon. The dance floor was beautiful.! As the once great explorer, 'founder of America' and Salamanca city dweller Christopher Columbus once said, "if you're not boozing, you're loosing."  Man, did we ever take that sentiment to heart.  Time and time again.  Lord help our tired bodies.

The mornings came quickly.  Six am and it was time to dance back to our residence hall.  After all, we had class starting at 8am.  The first stop was always churros y chocoloate.  That was local speak for donuts and hot cocoa.  It was greasy and sweet and sadly hit the spot.  Every night.  How I managed to stay skinny is still a mystery?  And how I learned to speak Spanish is even more of an enigma.  Gracias a dios…

But there I go thinking about that crazy past again.  Even my sister complains that I need to stop thinking that grass is always greener.  But once again, the past was just so super.

Dare I cut back to the present? 

T