Today was super relaxing. The McCann's let us sleep in until 12:30 pm and I woke up sweating from the heat but really well slept and ready to rock. After a few hard shakes and a wet willy Morgan (aka as the scary monster...in the morning) finally decided to wake up. We packed up two cars and headed to the beach an hour away. Manda and Jenna man handled one car, while Morg and I drove with Steve. Jenna is the only one with her international drivers license but Manda drove this time because she is better aquainted with a stick shift. I was informed by Steve that most cars over here are stick shifts and diesel (my bugget would have fit riiiight in!). The drive was warm and pretty quick, there was tons to look at on the way out there. We walked down a hot sandy path all while staring into a bliss of blue ocean. First thing we did was run into the water, half expecting Flathead lake cold but were delighted when we dipped into 80 degree luscious warm and salty water. My last experience with the ocean is me falling head first into it, this time around I was pleased to dunk my head in the water and feel the super salty water run through my hair and face. The day consisted of this activity and also laying out on our towels soaking up the intense Spain sun. Now mom, I wore sunscreen and lots of it and made out with only a little sunscreen on my butt and back. Just a small little sunburn! It is amazing!
Now blondes are a rarity in Spain so every Spanish man, young and old, stared and stared and stared and stared. Almost to the point where they would be feet past us but their heads would still be cocked back, mouths open, and eyes so wide they may or may not be bulging. I would also like to point out that Jenna is INCREDIBLY dark already....dark as my freckles, and her hair is so blonde it is almost white so the contrast is super duper noticeable. At one point we were all swimming in the shallow end of the ocean (Jen, Manda, Matilde, Morg and me) and a very white man began to walk by us. Morgan said "Mary I think that man might be whiter than you!!" So creepily, I swam to shore just as he and his friends were in line with us and stood right next to him pretending to pick up shells. I bent down to pick up a shell and realized I was about to pick up a giant piece of dog poop, I started laughing and ran back into the ocean bay watch style. I was later informed it was just a super ugly rock not poop, but at the time I was freaking out. Oh and also that man was most definitely darker than me...
Now for the explanation of the post title and the picture. If you look closely to our beautiful picture you will see that we are definitely spelling the word "Jamon"... Spaniards are O B S E S S E D with ham. There are full pig legs hanging in their own section in the grocery store. And helicopters fly by advertising the best kind of hams....It is ridiculous. So we decided since they are obsessed with it, we would be too just so we fit in perfectly. Thus causing us to take a picture spelling our favorite word Jamon...plus it is super fun to say...try it. Jamonnnn!
Jenna wanted me to point out all the things we were doing that were super American. One: we were yelling at people in English. Two: we were playing volleyball and football on the beach. Typical Americans. Three: We stared at a lady who was yelling at us in Spanish and most likely didn't do what she wanted us to do. Four: Talking loudly about the lady who was walking around with her ta-tas loose and with all the confidence in the world. None the less we were most definitely spotted as tourist Americans.
We left the beach with sand in every crevice of our bodies and with significant color painted on our skin. We drove back toward Seville but stopped in the small country town of Rocio, where the streets are dirt because of the oxen and carts that get pulled through it on the festival days. Everything in the town is beautiful and fun to look at. We ate at this cute little place that had super friendly servers. Pia made the waiter guess which ones of us were American (and get the English menus) and which ones of us were Spanish (to get Spanish menus). He was all correct except for he gave Amanda a Spanish menu and Steve an American menu. Manda was flattered and Steve wasn't. We told Steve to just order us whatever and Pia ordered us wine. I had a little wine and it was pretty wonderful. I couldn't really tell you what we ate because I told them not to tell me because I might chicken out if I knew I was eating shark butt or something. The only thing I knew we ate for sure was yummy salad, delicious bread, and spinach and garbanzo beans. I loved everything I ate and got over my fear of eating over seas. We went inside the restaurant and saw a man slicing the HAM. Thin, thin slices and I took a picture with Jen and the ham. Their skin color matched...it was hilarious, making the jamon joke even funnier. Later we got Magnum icecream (the icecream from the commercial of the girl running through traffic to get the icecream) and walked through the town. We saw a beautiful cathedral and lots of people riding horses. We drove back asking Steve a million questions about Seville since we only have till Tuesday afternoon until we are clearly, utterly and scarily on our own. I sit blogging, as we all catch up and pick out what movie to watch. Amanda facetimes her brother and he informs us that it is 4:30 in the afternoon in the States and it is 12:30 am here. But it is now my turn to hop in the shower and wash away the remains of sand that is imbedding itself into my skin.
Another beautiful day in Spain, and you know what...I didn't get stopped by any security, nobody flailed their arms, and everyone is still intact. Win. Until next time...God bless and Goodnight :)
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