Homemade

I was the first one to wake up this morning, aside from Claudia's abuela, Lumi, so I grabbed myself a cup of coffee and sat outside to enjoy the first few moments of the day before everyone started to get up. We've spent the last couple of days at the grandparents' home with limited cell service, but plenty to keep us occupied

You could almost call it old-fashioned here. There's no cell service, no strip malls or shops closer than ten minutes away, and nothing that resembles Ridge Pike or even Calle Arenal to speak of. There's just a pool, a wooden swing set, a hammock, and a couple decks of Spanish playing cards. All day yesterday, Lumi, Claudia, Raul, and I cooked and baked the families' favorite recipes. I'm coming home with copies of them (in both Spanish and English), two flaneras, two bags of Spanish coffee beans and other plenty of other ingredients. In a manner I'm all-too familiar with, there has never been a shortage of food or conversation. Lumi is the sweetest, funniest lady. She's so welcoming and has more love for her family, and her family's friends than any Jewish mother I've ever known.

Since none of the aunts, uncles, or grandparents speak English, we've been sharing stories and recipes in Spanish. With a semi-limited vocabulary, I found myself having to leave out parts of certain stories, but trust me, they get the gist of the Carpey family. Lumi, Antonio, Judit, and Merche want to meet Laura and Estuart on our next visit to Spain and cook for them, too. They are all familiar with Benji and how he ended up in Japan, his art, and his haircut. They love how similar I look to Julia and that I still call her Sissie; their family also has those little made-up names for each other from when the kids were little. We can't wait to FaceTime from Colorado and Philly when I make Lumi's recipes for my friends and family. We only wish I had more time to spend together, but I suppose that's what next time is for.

My second cup of coffee is empty now, and the family is starting to get up. I think I'll go enjoy my morning with them, play more cards with Raul, and cook some Paella, Arroz con Leche, and Bizcocho with Lumi before heading home. Enjoy the photos below!

Tia Judit and Antonio

I taught Raul how to play spit (or "rápido," as he calls it)

I got used to this pretty quickly: a hammock, El Principito (The Little Prince), and the dogs hanging out near by

this is the view from Lumi's kitchen sink, overlooking the brick oven and the gardens to the left, with the rest of the property to the right

cooking with Lumi and Raul