No, Spain does not celebrate Thanksgiving. Columbus was not a pilgrim. And he didn’t have festive meals with Indians. But today, I am giving Thanks with a capital T for TURKEY in Spain.
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| Spain: Taking deli meat and making it fantastic |
After approximately 37 days, I ate meat. This picture cannot capture the amount of joy and emotion this moment provided me with. Neither can words.
Instead, I’ll tell you about La Sagrada Familia, where we waited on a long line, paid a lot of money, and saw an awesome church. Except this church looked kind of like someone melted it on one side and the other, a Picasso cubism painting but of Jesus, sculpted.
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This might be cool, but deli meat was equally priced, and more delicious. |
The stained glass was pretty, the mosaics were funky, and the Spanish tour I overheard, mildly informative. I ran into the one and only Emily Kate, a friend from high school, standing right between the sculpted apostles, beneath the baby Jesus (a pigeon was takin’ care of business on Joseph’s head. Awkward.). She’s on a magnificent EuroAdventure and how utterly fortuitous to run into her in Barcelona, in a church. And, we’re going to the same synagogue tomorrow. So religious. Divine intervention. Yeah!
Then, I went to the butcher, got a ton of chicken and turkey, and ate it promptly after. Protein. Not fish, cheese, or bread – my dietary staples so far. Immediately after, Ari Fishman offered me a piece of the Elite chocolate she had just purchased and I had to think about the fact that I’d just eaten meat (since I wait to eat dairy for a while after)…. The initial rejection of chocolate was a little sad, but I was just so overjoyed to be 1. In touch with my Jewishness, 2. EATING TURKEY.
Then, Julie chimed in “But wait, it’s dark chocolate!” It was non-dairy. I had chocolate. I had turkey. I went to the Sagrada Familia, I felt closer to my Sagrada Familia.
Barcelona, I love you.
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Still under construction. 200 years later. |
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| The ultimate poke-weapon. |
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| Jellyfish of gold descending from the heavens. |
P.S. Dear Mom and Dad (and future employers), I am actively seeking employment opportunities abroad post-graduation (Ojala, January 2013). I want to be a 20something living in Europe for more time. I want to learn more languages and meet more people. I do promise to return to America someday, but not for a little bit. Love, your globally-infatuated first-born