I Love the Nightlife, I Like to Boogie...

When in Rome, er, I mean Spain, do as the Spaniards do... or so the saying goes. Hats off to these people - They are PROFESSIONAL partiers! Sure, we love to have a good time too, but after 6 weeks on this schedule we´ve both been beaten down and have taken turns at spending days sick in bed. When we know we´ll only be able to get little or no beer and zero wine in India, it´s so tempting to get our fill on good stuff NOW.

Our typical day - Up at 10ish, coffee and maybe a pastry, followed by walking or Internet, then lunch at 2ish (if we get a Menu del Dia, which is THE best deal here (they include a glass or sometimes whole bottle of wine for free), followed by lots more walking, dinner at 10ish (which also includes wine or beer since it's the same price as a soda or water!), and who knows what after. Now that we´re in Andalucian sherry country, we´ve switched to after-dinner tastings from the barrel - Yum! Most weeknights there are people out 'til at least 1-2 AM, but on weekends it goes 'til 5,6,dawn. Even if you TRY to get to bed earlier, you'll be awakened repeatedly by music or people laughing on the street below, or by the street cleaning crew (they´re a bit obsesive about it here).

One thing we HAVE been missing here though is dancing. I suspect it´s just not knowing where the good places are, but besides the occasional electronica or world beat soundtrack in a cafe, we have yet to find a good venue to boogie down. All in all, the quality of life here seems REALLY good. The Andalucians in particular have been more friendly + engaging and they smile more. Maybe it´s the warmer weather, the slower pace, or some other combination, but we like the vibe.