A birthday in Spain.

So this is the day. Another birthday creeps up. The big 3 and the big 6. 36! Four months ago when I first arrived here I did not think I would still be here to see my birthday. I can hardly believe that four months have passed. Time is passing quickly.

The birthday gent is on the right!

I awoke at 10h30am but turned over and went back to sleep for while longer. I got out of bed before midday and met my mom and brother - who gave me some fantastic gifts. Some speakers for my Apple Ipod and a Kindle - so I can read electronic books. I am so blessed and thankful as these gifts are really what I wanted.

Dee and the twins - Connor and Caitlin

Then we met with our relatives from Dubai - who are visiting this week. We went to a park, laid down some table cloths and the spread of eats. We spent the entire afternoon chatting about many topics. It was great being in the company of English speakers - South African ones nog al. I have not seen Chantelle (a second cousin) for about 20 something years. Today I met Chantelle, her husband Mike and her twins Connor and Caitlin. What a nice time. Lekker om die taal te praat. Mike and the twins do not "praat die taal" as they do not know it. Mike is Scottish and the twins have grown up and are schooled in Dubai.

It is also the twins' birthday today. They turned 13. A double Happy Birthday in Barcelona. Maybe it should be triple Happy Birthday in Barcelona!

You don't get many South Africans around these parts. Even as tourists. There seem to be very few South African tourists here. I have only heard two South African accents the entire time I have been here. My brother noticed a South African couple on the beach one day and he had a good chuckle. He detected the South African accent and gathered from the conversation that they were on honeymoon here. He said the husband was wearing a speedo swimming costume and the wife was sun bathing topless. It is the norm for Europeans here to wear very little or nothing on the beaches!! As he watched the South African couple he thought "You would not be so brave to do that back home in SA!". How puritanical we South Africans must seem to the rest of the world!!

This is not the topless couple. These are our relatives visiting from Dubai. Mike, Chantelle and the twins.