My week with Vaughan Town has ended. We had snow falling on most days at El Rancho, but it never amounted to more than an inch or so. It would last on some of the plants, but it would generally melt by mid-morning each day.
To promote discussion during the week, we were asked to sit at tables of four with a mix of Anglos and Spaniards. For our last meal, we changed to one long table as we celebrated the week, the food, the wine and most importantly, the friendship of interesting people.
For my first course, I had this interesting dish of Spanish green beans and ham - their beans are wider than what we have in the USA.
One of the Spaniards was a vegan. She sat next to me and had this beautiful vegan plate of food - broccoli, cauliflower, egg plant, asparagus, squash, carrots and more, all seasoned with herbs and garlic, and it appeared to have been grilled in olive oil.
There were several options for the second course. I chose chicken and potatoes cooked in garlic and olive oil. But many people chose to partake in the roast suckling pig or cochonillo.
We returned to Madrid around 4:30 Friday afternoon, said our goodbyes and went on to our hotels and homes. Three of the Anglos joined me at the Friday English Speaking Group at Cafe Carpe Diem (one block south of Callao Plaza) where we broke into groups and played with English words for about 90 minutes. Then we stayed for another couple of hours talking with friends. I spent most of that time with Max who I had not seen for a couple of years but who remembered meeting my daughter Megan when she visited Madrid. Max and his wife had recently traveled to Dubai and Tokyo.
After breakfast Saturday morning, I went for a walk and got some sunshine in Puerta del Sol.
To promote discussion during the week, we were asked to sit at tables of four with a mix of Anglos and Spaniards. For our last meal, we changed to one long table as we celebrated the week, the food, the wine and most importantly, the friendship of interesting people.
For my first course, I had this interesting dish of Spanish green beans and ham - their beans are wider than what we have in the USA.
One of the Spaniards was a vegan. She sat next to me and had this beautiful vegan plate of food - broccoli, cauliflower, egg plant, asparagus, squash, carrots and more, all seasoned with herbs and garlic, and it appeared to have been grilled in olive oil.
There were several options for the second course. I chose chicken and potatoes cooked in garlic and olive oil. But many people chose to partake in the roast suckling pig or cochonillo.
We returned to Madrid around 4:30 Friday afternoon, said our goodbyes and went on to our hotels and homes. Three of the Anglos joined me at the Friday English Speaking Group at Cafe Carpe Diem (one block south of Callao Plaza) where we broke into groups and played with English words for about 90 minutes. Then we stayed for another couple of hours talking with friends. I spent most of that time with Max who I had not seen for a couple of years but who remembered meeting my daughter Megan when she visited Madrid. Max and his wife had recently traveled to Dubai and Tokyo.
After breakfast Saturday morning, I went for a walk and got some sunshine in Puerta del Sol.
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