linducha

Goin' Medieval

When Romina said that she and her husband had a restaurant just north of Madrid in a medieval town, I had a general idea of what it looked like; perhaps it was just outside of the main square that had been preserved for historical reasons and tourism. Sergio picked us up in Segovia and we made our way through the winding hills toward a walled city. As we entered through the prominent arch, we teased him saying that he had the keys to the city. The cobblestone streets led us toward the restaurant and the roundabout surrounding the tree, or "olma", which is also the name of the restaurant, "La Olma de Pedraza". Romina and Sergio had a large party that night, so we hung out at the bar. Much later, we sat down at a private table upstairs. Romina and Sergio brought dish after dish of incredible seafood, from fresh squid in their ink to a cod that melted in your mouth. Everything was delicious. We also sampled several desserts, including an almond Tarta de Santiago, and a variety of Spanish brandies. Sergio brought a few extra, unopened bottles saying that we could not open them because they were for us to take home.

Trip from Hell

I was so excited to go to Madrid this time around. The last time I was there, I was allergic to seafood so all I could have were spanish tortillas. For the most part, the trip was all about food; going to tapas bars and swilling Riojas. I guess that the trouble started when we realized how rampant theft was in Madrid. Anne and I went to a shoe store one evening where an elderly woman carefully eased under my jacket, slid the zipper down on my travel purse, and stole all my money. I didn't notice until the next day when I needed some cash. When we were at the train station, Anne felt a hand go for the zipper on her purse. Fortunately, she felt it and slapped the thief's hand saying "No!" Perhaps the thief was an amateur. A few days later, Ernesto and I were in a cafe looking out onto the street. An older man knocked hard on the window and pointed toward the floor. A man sat next to Ernesto seconds later. I looked again at the floor and discovered that there were a set of keys. I brought the keys to the barista, thinking that someone had lost them. When I returned, Ernesto realized that his bag was gone that had his new Leica and cellphone. They even made it more believable by having a woman return to the bar to ask for her keys. Most theft is very organized and usually involves at least three people. I am determined to come up with a theft-proof bag, complete with a taser.

Edgardo Mine

We went to see Edgardo Mine, by Alfred Uhry, at the Guthrie last night; a very good play about a young Jewish boy that is cared for by a Catholic nanny. He has a very high fever and his nanny takes it upon herself to baptize him so that “he will not burn in the depths of hell, but instead go to heaven among the angels.” He is then abducted from his home and taken to the Vatican. Only after publishing letters of protest and summoning the French emperor is his family allowed to see their son. The Pope then proposes that they live in Rome with their son, as long as they agree to convert to Catholicism. Although the play takes place over a hundred years ago, a lot of the same issues still ring true today; whether one religion is better than another, politics and religion make for an evil mix. We saw the “Pope” swilling drinks with the rest of the cast at Cue.