#28 - Perks of "Pueblo" Life

I absolutely love livingin Illescas.  I pray that we get to stay here for years.  It is so much fun to live in a place where people get to know you and remember you.  I feel like I have stepped back in time to the era my grandfather you used to speak of, when you walk into stores and they speak to you by name or remember what you bought last time or the problems you were having.  That is life here - except of course it is all in Spanish!

The very first restaurant we ate at when we were looking at Illescas was Toledano.  All of the food is homemade and I have yet to have something there I didn't like.  The first waitress we had was named Anna and we have become friends.  She is there everytime we go.  We check on each other's kids when we order our food and chat about happenings in our lives.  She remembers what I ordered last time and based on how much I liked it, she recommends what to eat this time.  We take all our guests or groups there.

Today, as I walked in, she greeted me by name, gave me the traditional "dos besos" (2 kisses) and then says "Cindy, we have chocolate mouse today, I have saved you a piece."  (We had reservations because we were a group of 14 - a big group for a restaurant in this town).  They made the best chocolate mouse I have ever had, topped, of course with fresh whipped cream.

So what am I grateful for?  Anna, Chocolate Mouse, living in a "pueblo" (which by the strictest definition is really a city, a very small city), my Spanish improving so I can have the conversations with Anna, ....  Who knows?  Today I think I'll just be grateful!