October 3^rd – Flying without Instructors

Today was our first day without Jose & Julia and we got to see how profoundly we are deficient in our Spanish language skills.  I went out early to buy bread from the bakery that is just a short distance away which turned out to be a pretty simple task.   I can ask for things assuming that I can see their names, so that works out fine.  Last night however I managed to fry the electrical converter that we brought over so I figured I’d go try to find one, that and baking soda.   My first stop was at the little supermarket close to the bakery.   I walked in and immediately got the clerk a bit exercised because I entered through one of the checkout aisles, she made me come out and go through the entry aisle, my bad.  I looked at every aisle but there was no baking soda to be had so I decided to leave and wouldn’t you know it when I tried to go out through an exit aisle she nabbed me again and made me leave through the entry aisle since I wasn’t buying anything.  Now I avoid her at all costs.   Anyway next I tried a pharmacy even though I didn’t think it would have any, the pharmacist was very nice but I couldn’t even begin to explain baking soda and ‘arm and hammer’ didn’t elicit any response either so I thanked him and left.  I did get a little further with the gentleman at the electrical supply shop, he was able to show me a pretty basic transformer that would step the voltage down from 240 to 110 and I very well may buy that if all else fails but not just yet.  Still it was more pantomime than meaningful conversation.   Anyway Deb and I got out and found a really extensive food market just a few blocks away which supposedly has any entire floor devoted to organic foods.   We got there and found that the stairs and escalator to the organic floor were blocked off and frankly given my interaction with the lady in the supermarket I wasn’t inclined to cross the barrier.  No matter the market is really extensive in the way of fruit, veg, meat and fish so for now we’re happy campers.  We bought some basics and will try it again tomorrow to see just when the organic floor is open.   This evening we went to our new little bar, which is more like a pub, for tapas and a beer.   We are really taken with this little bar as it has good food and drink at very inexpensive prices.    With our first beer we got patatas brava which are roasted and then covered in a nice spicy pepperish sauce, mmm mmm good.   Next beer and it was a plate of Spanish ham cut in generous slices.   I knocked over my beer glass by accident and thus had to order another beer, but no matter, this time we ordered a “racione” of deep fried calamari which came out in a heaping stack over about a 9 inch plate.  That pretty much ended our night for eating, and drinking, so we took a small paseo of the neighborhood and ended our evening around 10:00 back at the apartment.