Olvera, Cádiz, Andalucía, España
It’s been awhile since I posted which was due to traveling back to Vermont to visit family and friends, but mostly family. Cindy’s mom Thelma has a condo in Barre where we plunk our bodies. Thelma’s 87 and doing very well but does need some limited assistance. We also had our two children to see, Baleigh in Boston, soon to be Denver, and Landen and his wife Lauren in Charlotte, NC. And this time around I had to move my father, Victor, from one ASL to another.
Vermont has fleeting seasons, except for winter which starts in November and ends in April, don’t believe the solstice and equinox. Vermonters live for summer and sometimes they’re rewarded, this year not so much, but nevertheless they’ll say it was a great summer.
We arrived on May 6th to pouring rain in Boston and rode to Vermont with our daughter; rained all the way. This was the just a precursor to our stay, 57 days and 38 with rain. We also took a short, to short, a trip to NC to see our Landen and Lauren and were able to connect with my hunting/teaching buddy JJ and his wife Karen in Asheville. “A good time was had by all,” as our good friend Rod would say.
Twin brothers from different families.
Italian Time
I married an Italian/American which I highly recommend. Cindy loves to cook and her Italian DNA always comes out when with the family. This year she made homemade raviolis and tortellini with her mother and tortellini with our son.
What do we NOT miss most about the US?
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Don’t miss the weather, especially winter. Well a little quick with this answer, now it’s 41º C so 20º C would be nice.
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Don’t miss the roads in Vermont, the climate is unforgiving and the infrastructure suffers because of it. We just accepted it when living there, it’s Vermont.
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Don’t miss the prices and quality of fruits, vegetables, and wine. We’re spoiled in Spain.
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Don’t miss dining out, which is a misnomer in Vermont, usually it’s inside; we dine out here.
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Don’t miss the red lights controlling traffic, give me a rotary any day.
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Don’t miss the cost of living, though I do pay 1.02 € per liter or $4.30 a gallon.
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I do miss Vermont Public Radio while driving, however I am listening to it now or use podcasts. I also watch PBS Newshour on YouTube.
Tía Maria
We lost my aunt just before we left, Mary Acebo Garceau. I think I posted a few years ago that some of these very petit ladies here in Spain reminded me of her. She had flaming red hair, as some of her siblings had, always dressed to kill, energy to spare raising three sons and a daughter, and she was noted as a seamstress extraordinario, she could sew anything including the making of wedding gowns. She and the family lived for most of her life in the home of my grandparents in an upstairs apartment. She took trips to the family home, Mirones in Santander province, and when I was looking for information about our family she was the keeper of the past. She was 94 and lived in Lincoln House an ASL in Barre and a former school for many. My Dad also lived in that facility with her for 3 years until moving this past May. Acebo’s have some good DNA with her 94 years, Dad will be 93 in August, and Tío Tino is 89. I also had a great-aunt who lived to be 104 mas or menos.
Alexander Valentino Acebo, Victor Acebo, and Mary Acebo Garceau. This photo was taken in 2016 prior to my aunt’s death. Of nine children only Tino and my Dad are survivng.
Possibly a move on the horizon
When we came to Spain we picked Ronda because our daughter had lived here and that we visited and knew a little, but really not much. We now know more, can manage the nuances of the culture better, language skills are better, the Mediterranean is 45km away and Cindy is a beach girl. So with that we’ll look for something just east of Málaga not exactly on the coast but closer. Also the parents-in-law Rafael and Kathy Fuentes comes to El Palo a suburb of Málaga and stay the winter months. When friends and family visit we all be closer, the airport in Málaga would be easier, but not difficult now. You have to do these things when you can, and with Cindy finally turning 60….well you understand. If you’ve booked your flight, don’t worry this isn’t happening tomorrow. We have to wait until after August, more like late October-November to start looking.
Fiesta de la Noche
Starting from L to R Alima, John, Cindy, Jason, Carol, Sarah, Selena, Catherine, Miguel, Ed and Judy
I’ll Finish with Food, Yesterday in Málaga at Los Gatos
For all you calamari lovers.
Our España 