Big Girl Panties

Well, I had to put on my big girl panties on Saturday. Unfortunately, I think I put them on backwards. To explain further, Tad and I were invited this weekend to go to a pueblo for a lunch with our landlady (Michael Lynn was invited too but opted to go to Malaga for a couple of days with one of her teachers). Our landlady informed us that she was going to make paella for us (a typical Spanish dish).
Here is the table all set with the paella

Now, the most popular paella is made with seafood (here is where I insert the fact that I am absolutely repulsed by even the thought of seafood and it's quite unfortunate that I live in a coastal town in Southern Spain because obviously seafood is a staple of the diet here). At one point I went into the kitchen to see if I could help with anything and immediately regretted that decision because right at that moment, Marian was putting the octopus into the paella! AHHHHHHHHH yuck! She told me she didn't need help and so I quickly turned around and went and sat myself directly in front of the bowls of chips that she had set out as an appetizer and began to dig in! I sat there nervously munching on chips and mentally preparing myself for the food that was about to be put in front of me. I was happy to see that there was a salad in the kitchen only to be surprised again when it was set on the table and covered in Tuna! It just wasn't my day. As we all sat down at the table, people could tell by my reaction that I didn't like seafood and Marian felt bad but I was quickly relieved when she told me that she left most of the seafood that she planned on putting in the paella at home. So instead of having to eat clams, mussels, prawns, octopus and calamari............
(I don't like that they have eyes and are staring at me...)

- I luck out with only having to face the challenge of calamari this little creature.....

I had eaten dried octopus when I was in Granada with my host family but these were actually whole little baby-like octopus. After much harrassment about how there are so many foods that I don't like and how picky I am (yeah, like that's a conversation I've never had before...), it was time to dig in. I was happy to know that the rice didn't taste too fishy. This is why I think that I put my big girl panties on backwards - I brought myself to eat the calamari but avoided the octopus! I chickened out!!! I was disappointed in myself but I will settle with baby steps.
After our meal and some coffe and Spanish cake, we went for a walk around the town (called Itroba). It was cute and here are a few pictures I snapped.
The views were gorgeous.



There were tons of cats around and they were all sitting on this wall and so I had to snap a picture!

It's time to face another week - on the agenda...plan a great Thanksgiving feast for all of our Spanish friends :-)