As I mentioned at the end of my last posting we arrived in Barcelona on a Sunday and was immediately confronted with a situation that I hadn’t expected. Rules were being put in place to bar drinking during the week. It is fair to say that Alex and Christine were the drivers of this motion although Dave who is on a health kick was not inclined to argue against it too much.


Fortunately Sven who is married to Janet (AKA Wonder Woman) who between them have been hugely helpful in getting the family settled in Spain came to the rescue by pointing out a few facts. (As an aside click here to read more about the adventures of WW)


It is important to realise at this point that Sven is also known as Ze German, possible because he is German and as every knows the Germans are very particular and correct, possibly even pedantic although I wouldn’t say that about Sven. I now quote Sven’s comment and it is better if you can to read these in a German accent......

“For example Monday cannot be ‘during the week’ because it is the start of the week and Friday, for example is the end of the week so likewise cannot be ‘during the week’. Wednesday for example is the middle of the week so is also not ‘during the week’ therefore only Tuesday and Thursday can be ‘during the week’”

.Anybody keeping up.... Anybody bothered!


With all that agreed Monday night was down the Bodega at 6.30pm for a couple of sherbets before going home for dinner around 8.00. Due to circumstances beyond our control Dave and I arrived back home for dinner at gone ten by which time dinner was in fact very cold but not quite as frosty as our reception from Alex and Christine. We did of course point out that it wasn’t our fault as beers kept being bought and it would, as new comers to the country, have been rude not to drink them. I am not sure if that reason was accepted as by the time we got back we probably had had a little too much anyway and I don’t remember much of what was said.


So to Tuesday and a non drinking day, except that Janet’s mother had arrived for a stay with a couple of her friends and they all wanted to go down the Bodega for a pre-dinner drink. Unfortunately Sven needed to be in a different bar to watch Barcelona in the Champions League and Janet was taking the kids to hockey practice so Dave and I were asked to look after the Ladies. Reluctantly after much persuasion we agreed to give up our non drinking day to join them in the Bodega. The plan was very simple, the three ladies of discerning years were to have a couple of glasses of wine and then be home to cook dinner for Janet and Sven’s return or at least to get dinner started but.......!


Things never seem to work out as planned where the Bodega is concerned. Sometime later that evening Janet arrives at the Bodega looking for her mum who, by now with her two friends has polished off all the dry white wine in the Bodega and are busy sampling whatever the bar man is offering to see what they want to start on next. Janet decides she had better go home and start the dinner while the Ladies select yet another wine.


We eventually leave the Bodega, late again for our dinner and escort the ladies home, making arrangements to visit the Bodega tomorrow and a disco on Friday. Hopefully, by the morning they will have forgotten all about the disco as I am sure that will be a hard one to get passed Christine.