Food, glorious food....

.....and we are hungry again! Good thing, because Thursday is paella day at L'Andana. The temperature outdoors is in the 40's with sun and wind. The paella is just the comfort food we need. Tonight is the beginning spectacle of Carnival week here in Sitges. Yesterday we had lunch outdoors (for the first time this trip) and watched as the stage was being prepared for the opening music event. Today after lunch I walked over to the library and noticed that the old market was filled with young people getting their make-up and costumes ready for the opening. This is the event where the king is introduced....which is probably why the stage is set at San Sebastian beach. Last year the beachfront was totally torn up, but this year the beach is a beautiful new walking zone.

The music tent is at the far end of the beach and tonight this area will be filled with thousands of revelers plus two.

This week we have experienced a mix of weather and activities. First and foremost has been trying to find an apartment for the 37 days we will have after we return from the Canary Islands. Originally we had planned on staying in a small apartment in Barceloneta, however after getting a chance to see it we realized that there was no way we could live there. The upstairs bedroom was a space I could barely stand up in, let alone Jim. Also the floor ended about 5 feet from the wall, just above the bathroom. So all the steam from the shower would have filled the bedroom and the complete lack of privacy was too much to think about. We don't mind rustic, quaint or bare bones...we do draw the line at crude! So while we kept camping on the beach as an option for worst case scenario, we now have a real plan (and an apartment) for the last 37 nights. Jim's perseverance has paid off...we're going to be coming back to the beautiful resort town of Sitges. Some of you have seen it in person and others have seen our screen saver. Either way, many of you know how much we love Sitges and know just how much we consider it our home.

We had a 1/2 birthday party for the newest member of the Martinez family. Maria Martinez Junyet was born last August and this winter we have had the privilege and joy of meeting her. She sings and smiles and has everyone who meets her enthralled. This beautiful little girl is surely going to grow up and break more than a few hearts.

In the first photo mini Maria is with her father David and her grandmother Lola. Here she is with her grandmother Lola.

I'm learning as I go along on this blogging stuff. Placing the photos is giving me the most difficulty. Oh well, hope you enjoyed this post.