SHOPPING ...

TIME 

on being and thinking as a real woman

30.07.2024

More than five days in a big city, a Metropolis like for example Paris, Madrid, London…is far too much and too long, unless you are a person who loves museums, art galleries, exhibitions, fancy dining; or …if you are a millionaire 😉 especially if your companion is a teenager, not only just a teenager but a teen lady, with sophisticated taste and love for fashion. First day is always an organisational day – you land, you look for the transport, then travel to the hotel, look for language storage, the wait walking around the hotel, the you shower, relax – ready for the evening stroll – sleep!! Because you exhausted.

Second day – wow the shopping fever! Shopping and spending money, a loot of money, sometimes wasting money. But if you spent the money you have earned when you 15 -16 you so proud, and of course you spent it and waste it on whatever you wish.

The third and fourth days are meant to be a tourist – to walk around the city step out from the main avenues into small side streets, sit at a plaza and eat a delicious ice cream. What we both like most is just to get lost, to walk where your feet leads you to – only the you come across amazing places, square, building and green areas that are not mentioned in a travel guide. Industrial quarters, poor districts, markets, black markets, even prostitutes…”mom, how can you tell those women are prostitutes”…. I love that sweet innocence. But dot stay there too long and avoid it in the evening.

But on the 5^th day…..the familiar symptoms appear: rearranging the room, making extra space for dancing, training, tik toking…The boredom is coming!!!

Mobility, action moving from one place to another; from city to city; by train, bus or by car; packing and unpacking and again packing – off we go on another adventure.

5 days is really enough, unless you wish to to have your favourite discussion “but sweetie, you already have 3 similar” “Mom, it is about time you start thinking like a real woman Women have never enough of dresses, bags or jewellery” …Oh yes I know I know “Diamonds are the girl’s best friends” – but first find me the one who will spoil me with them. Mom, we need to find you a man. NO no no no, lets go, I buy you something, what would you like another (the 6^th pair) of trousers?  “You are changing the subject mom. Oh and look at these shoes they are just marvellous” “ “yes that’s true but they are not comfortable” “See mom, here we go again 😊 Maybe that one will reach to your brain: Celine Dion , you know her; she said if a girl loves the shoes, she will make them fit!!! SO think woman, think Celine!!OK as long as she spends her own money that she have earned working hard…. Me, well before I can start to THINK WOMAN, THINK CELINE, I must think where to get some extra hours and over over time for that extra money to feel extra woman.

Anyway, the sweet child of mine gets bored and wishes she didn’t choose to stay here for such a long time. Next time we do the cities short and the so long – which I am perfectly fine with.

But now – lets go to the cinema and check our Spanish

03. 08.2024

Everyone is different, shows emotions in a different way, a four leg friend has a different meaning to different people – for some, it is just a fluffy,  running carpet, for others -it is a living toy that annoys after some time, others treat them as a faithful companion; some use them at work; some need them to be their eyes and guide; for others it is no less but a full-fledged, a hundred percent and loved family member. I don’t say which category is better or worse – I've just mentioned them. We belong to the third one and our  family consisted of grandpa, grandma, kid, mom, plus Mr Dog, Mrs Guinee Pig, her Sister and her Daughter.  And Ruby (Mrs Guinee Pig) passed away yesterday…  we are torn apart, our hearts are filled with sadness and the emptiness occupied our souls. It is always terrible when your four leg friend goes on its last hunting, and somehow we are prepared for that – because it is not a secret that they live shorter then we do; and yes, if the pet is ill we are even more prepared …but only theoretically, and when it happens, when IT dies – that hits you with an impact of a thunder hitting a tree on a desert. And it hurts even more when it happens while you are on the f…. holiday, miles away and you are not able to be there, to accompany that poor little thing in its last moments!! I wish I could be there for her, to stroke her little nose and hold her tiny body close to my heart....I could't ...

My mom did that on my behalf and it was her who closed Ruby’s little yes, wrapped her body in a blanket – the same blanket she wrapped Ruby’s Sister when she died last year, on the exactly the same day: on the 2^nd of August and when we were on the bloody holiday!!!!!!

 And my mom was there alone as well! Completely alone – as my dad was at the hospital having a surgery!!

Thankfully he WAS there this time to support and comfort mom. He drove Ruby to our vet where she will be ...taken where sha has to be taken...

My Mother  is an Angel, if there is a God and has his Anels dying at the table with him, then my mother is one of the very few Angels that refused to stay at his table and came to spread her compassion, wisdom, love, patience and understanding here on earth. 

And my Father...well he is that Angel's knight.

But why the hell are they all dying when we are gone!?!?!?!?!

We had a bad and sleepless night; we knew it doesn’t make sense to come back – because it’s done and we wouldn’t be able to turn back the time…But how it is possible to enjoy the holiday now? My sweet child said “ we have to! We have to do this for her…in a way I guess she would want that. And She had a good life with us. And she is now painless having fun with her late sister”.

We woke up, left the room at 3 PM, went on our last stroll in the Spanish capitol, packed, ate a tasteless tapas (but today everything tasted like paper, even coffee) and we try to move on.

At 5 o’clock in the morning the Madrid chapter will be finished and we will be heading on the Renfe towards the second one – Seville, the heart of Andalusia and the birth place of Flamenco…

bucket, pitcher and straw mattress 

On the train we didnt sleep at all. Not that it was uncomfortable or hot , no no, on a contrary - I felt as if I paid for a luxury class. Just the sleep didnt come. But the beautifull sunrise was a compensation. 

We arrived in Sevilla. It all was covered by a thick fog. Also, in a metaphorical way. We were like moving in and through the fog. We felt a breeze, which origins were then not really important for us, but we enjoyed it because it makes the air fresh and pleasant, even with 26 degrees. A gentle wind was moving the trees as we walked from the station to our hotel. It was quite a long way – but on Sunday morning in the heart of Andalusia – you hardly can find people to ask people for a taxi or bus, and somehow google maps had a Sunday siesta too! SO we walked, my suitcase got broken. Again! Another one! The one I bought just before the holiday! I think I should become a product tester for suitcases producers – I break each and all of the, always the same stupid small wheel refuses to cooperate! I think I apply at Luis Vuitton as soon as we get back.

Anyway we got there – a beautiful old-style Andalusian villa, with a fountain in the middle of the reception, wooden stairs and everything, even the mirrors and of course furniture, in the style of XIX th century Spain. “Look how beautiful” I said. “Really… I just hope the rooms have more than a bucket, pitcher and a straw mattress instead. I need a shower and hot water, I’m not in the mood for history lessons”´. Ooookey

We got bed, shower, hot water, AC and good long sleep 😊  

Just like home 

We went very emotional. Me especially. Me, who should be the one full of patience and wisdom; the adult one , clever, emotionally balanced and sustainable. No, unfortunately I didnt managed and my nerves let go. 

And when I can handle my nerves, it always needs to a fight. So, we fought…And why?? None of us could tell the reason for it after one hour. So unnecessary, just stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid me – because I let go, because I didn’t have patience enough and said back – at least few words too much. F….. Do you, all moms out there feel sometimes the same? I wish I wasn’t the only one – even if that’s very egoistic approach which would make me feel just a tiny little bit better….

Well thankfully every storm comes, sooner or later, to an end so came ours and the sun with love to each other came back fixing the mistakes. The temperature outside helped for sure – 38°C, we started enjoying what was given to us.

Seville is so so beautiful!! SO different than Madrid, where at the end I was tired with all the masses of people and tourists (like us), I felt the urge to leave, it was just too much for me. As it transpired – not only for me. My companion said, while we were heading to the Torre del Oro, “I had enough of that crowds. They all were moving like in the slowest slow motion ever! I felt as I missed the air to breath”.

Here the atmosphere is completely different, it is a big city (with its metropolitan population of 1,5 ml) but still it is cozy comfy peaceful and quiet. Not only on Sundays or during the siesta, when everything sleeps, relaxes, streets are empty – you can hear the buzzing of cicadas, even on a gran via. When the evening comes – street fill, are crowded and loud. The music is everywhere to hear, people are dancing in the streets or on piazzas, the guitar of Paco de Lucia can be heard constantly. Amazing.

The Sweet Child of Mine said “I feel like home here. Its just like home”

Well, yes it definitely is! She sleeps till non, I get up early, go to grocery and bakery to shop for breakfast, carry the bottles of water and combucha, do the laundry (in that damn old fashion way – hand wash ☹ ) No matter how many new sweatshirts are in the suitcase he favourite is still one – so mom do the laundry. And don’t you dare to complain – these are the sweet and precious moments of motherhood! 😉

And when you are done, you finally make yourself a cup of coffee and sit on the balcony – your child wakes up and with the sweetest smile on its angel’s face says : “Why are you sitting and doing nothing? Common! We are in Spain on holiday! We must go and explore the city! Cm’on move it move it!!”

Well just like home 😊

But the she turns and says “Thank you for the way you are, thank you for such an amazing holiday. I love you very much and its fun with you”

Alright, for these few words ( that are a rarity in the month of a teenager) I can do the laundry all day.

We truly love Sevilla – just look at those buildings, streetlights, the sun that reflects in the historical walls. Every detail is a pearl! 

I am always amazed when I see orange trees and lemon trees. It is so different it so unusual for someone that lives in a different climate zone. When I was a kid we only knew bananas oraganges or grapefruits from the pictures and got lucky when our parents paid fortune to get them before Christmas. I got used to the palms but still have to stop and make a picture of a citrus tree 😊 😊