. . . o’ mice an’ women, gang aft agley

Boy, do they ever! Yesterday I thought I had it all planned. Yoga first thing in the morning, then two ‘recuperation classes’ with a couple of students who’d missed classes this past week, then lunch with my new friend Traci and later on I was going to meet up with my other new friend “S” (aka Pipocas, popcorn mule and international woman of mystery) to catch up, have a couple of vinitos, and pick up my Orville’s. But then . . .

Nog’s Friday morning class had cancelled the night before and so we both decided around midnight (after watching two episodes of The Wire) that it would actually be quite nice not to have to get up at 6.45am. So I skipped yoga and we both got a couple extra hour’s sleep. And then, just as I was getting dressed for my first class, I got a call cancelling it due to an impromptu biz meeting. Meanwhile, my lunch plans were also up in the air. Traci & I had decided on where to go, but we didn’t know what time we could meet until I heard back from Carmen about whether she’d get out of the dentist’s in any shape to want to have a class. Turned out that class was cancelled too. So Traci and I made plans to meet at 2 o’clock.

We went to Eslava, a very popular tapas bar with a small dining area in back (they also have a ‘proper’ restaurant next door, but I tend to prefer the more casual ambience – and more casual prices – at tapa bars). This place has been recommended to me for years, and manymanymany times I have tried going there but it was always packed out. But today Traci and I lucked out by getting the last available table in the small dining room. And well, everything was absolutely delicious. I mean, seriously and fabulously delicious – I was very impressed. And we drank nice white wine and ate wonderful food and talked for about two hours or more … it was really lovely.

As it was my first time there I got the usual ‘guiri’ treatment (being treated like a foreigner) but by the time I left I had the staff and the owner posing for photos and happy customers also wanting to get on the tapa blog, and it was great because next time I go back – and I’ll have to go back with Nog because he’s already jealous after seeing the food pics – I’ll be someone they know.

So after lurching out of Eslava around 4.30, Traci & I stopped in at El Corte Inglés, and while there I sent a message to Susan asking about meeting up with her … turned out she was having a nervous breakdown in a queue at the Hipercor and in the throws of preparing a birthday party for her soon-to-be 4-year-old, so we’re hoping to meet up on Sunday.

And so, instead of a rather full day of Yoga-Class-Class-Lunch-Drinks, I just ended up with Lunch. But it somehow worked out better that way, because having lunch at Eslava with a charming and interesting friend actually did fill up my day quite nicely. 🙂

It’s just so darned cool having girlfriends again!

Don’t forget to check out the photos…

Eslava