It was exciting for Jared to attend church 17 years after he served here in this area. He remembers this building being built while he was on his mission. He recognized about 5 people in the branch during Sacrament meeting. The people were so welcoming and friendly. We were greeted with open arms, besitas, and lots of holas! Jared visited with several people even before the meeting began. The man who was Bishop when he was there was in the branch and serving as a member of the Presidency. Right as they were starting, the song leader stood up and asked if anyone played piano. Then she looked directly at me and Chris who was right behind me. It was crazy that she knew we played the piano. (that is until Jared explained later that they believe all American members have this skill). Chris didn’t look to eager to get up there and I was hesitant, but knew this was the day that would always come in my life. The one my parents held over my head for years and years when I did not want to practice. I could almost hear their voices as I made my way to the electronic piano saying, “One day you will be in a branch somewhere and they will need someone to play the piano, and you will be able to do it”. I guess they were right. It was a little nerve wracking considering I didn’t even know what song I was playing until I started it since I couldn’t translate the title quick enough with my limited Spanish skills.
Can you see Carter’s green retainers? He has to wear them for about a year to help is over bight. They make his smile a little different. He has had them for about a month now and is finally adjusted to them. They are on the top and the bottom so it was quite a lot of getting used to and he had to learn how to talk with them in. He’s doing great now.
After Sacrament Meeting, we headed toward the small beach town of Nerja. The beaches on the Costa Del Sol (or Mediterranean Sea) are gorgeous!
Ayo’s is famous for its character of an owner and its 6 euro beachside all-you-can-eat Paella feast at lunchtime. For 30 years, Ayo, a lovable ponytailed bohemian who promises to be here until he dies, has been feeding locals. Ayo is a very big personality-one of the five kids who discovered the Caves of Nerja, formerly a well-known athlete, and now someone who makes it a point to hire hard-to-employ people as a community service. Rick Steve’s Spain pg. 667We were pretty hungry so we headed straight here for lunch. We had such a fun time eating here and enjoying watching the kids experience Paella for the first time. It’s a neat atmosphere with the kitchen right around the corner from where you are eating and you can swing by and check out how they make it in their giant paella pan! The guy behind the front man is boiling all kinds of chicken and pork.
Paella is a traditional Spanish dish with saffron flavored yellow rice, pork, chicken, shrimp, and often mussels or clams. Amazingly, they were able to find us a table with enough seats for us all (15) in the shade!! I was sold on that alone, Ayo’s was awesome.
We ordered salads, one of these boiled chicken/ fries entrees, and then everyone else got Paella.
Boy did we look and act like tourists. As if the two large families crammed together all speaking English wasn’t enough of a clue you should have heard all the children’s response to the Paella getting placed in front of them! The Shrimp had not been beheaded, still had its beady eyes and claws, and tails on them. All of the kids were squealing with disgust and fascintation. They soon were taught how to deshell and make them edible, but it was sure fun to hear their reactions!
After lunch the kids were itching to get in the water. It turned out to be a lot nicer of a day than we had planned on so Cole had no swim suit to put on, but we solved that problem in a hurry.
The water was freezing and the beach was very rocky, but that did not stop them from messin’ around.
What a runt!
Nerja is known for its Balcon de Europa. It’s a bluff that juts out into the sea that has been completely pedestrianized. It’s a popular gathering place for tourists and provides a great view of the coastline.
Nerja also has these amazing caves that you can walk through. They are huge with an amazing amount of Stalactite and stalagmite formations.
No comments:
Post a Comment