La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I LOVE MAGNUM CHOCOLATE ICE cream. I never knew about Magnum until we arrived in Spain. It’s a Belgian brand of ice cream owned by a British-Dutch company, and originally developed and produced by a Danish company in the city of Aarhus. Doesn’t that make perfect sense?
The ice cream bars are delicious but the pints (half litres) of ice cream are even more fun. The entire tub is lined with a hardened chocolate coating. To eat the ice cream, you must first break through the chocolate coating on top. The tubs are plastic, so you can squeeze the sides to break up the chocolate lining. San Geraldo bought us each a pint the other night.
I recalled that when I eat it I don’t sleep well, but I had forgotten that it wasn’t simply a problem of digestion. So two nights in a row, to add to my depressive mood, I had terrible, horrible, unsettling nightmares. All night. I woke up this morning confused and for a moment didn’t even know where I was. The bedroom wasn’t familiar and I went through a couple of California cities before I remembered we lived in Spain and finally where we lived in Spain.
My next thought was: No more Magnus intense dark chocolate ice cream. But then I stepped back for a moment and realised it was simply no more Magnus intense dark chocolate ice cream just before bed time.
After giving the cats their treats and having my own breakfast, I met my student, JD, for another English lesson. It was again a pleasure and I plan to hold onto this feeling for the rest of the day.
While helping JD with her English, I learn quite a bit of Spanish. A well-known adage in English is: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It turns out the Spanish version is slightly different: What doesn’t kill you, makes you fat. I wonder which is more true.
Stirring out of my nightmare this morning made me think of Emily Dickenson who said: “Adrift! A little boat adrift! And night is coming down! Will no one guide a little boat. Unto the nearest town?”
Here are boats I’ve seen from our terrace in recent weeks — on hazy mornings, sunny afternoons, and somber evenings — and other boats in our history. Will no one guide me unto the nearest town?
.
ME ENCANTA EL HELADO DE chocolate Magnum. Nunca supe de Magnum hasta que llegamos a España. Es una marca belga de helado propiedad de una empresa británico-holandesa, y originalmente desarrollada y producida por una empresa danesa en la ciudad de Aarhus. ¿No tiene perfecto sentido?
Las barras de helado están riquísimas pero las pintas (medio litro) de helado son aún más divertidas. Toda el envase está revestida con una capa de chocolate endurecido. Para comer el helado, primero debes romper la capa de chocolate en la parte superior. Los envases son de plástico, por lo que puede apretar los lados para romper el revestimiento de chocolate. San Geraldo nos compró unas pintas la otra noche.
Recordé que cuando lo como no duermo bien, pero había olvidado que no era simplemente un problema de digestión. Así que dos noches seguidas, para aumentar mi estado de ánimo depresivo, tuve pesadillas terribles, horribles e inquietantes. Toda la noche. Me desperté esta mañana confundido y por un momento ni siquiera supe dónde estaba. El dormitorio no me resultaba familiar y pasé por un par de ciudades de California antes de recordar que vivíamos en España y donde vivíamos en España.
Mi siguiente pensamiento fue: No más helado de chocolate negro intenso Magnus. Pero luego di un paso atrás por un momento y me di cuenta de que era simplemente que no debería tomar más helado de chocolate negro intenso Magnus justo antes de la hora de dormir.
Después de darles a los gatos sus aperitivos y de desayunar yo mismo, conocí a mi estudiante, JD, para otra lección de inglés. De nuevo fue un placer y planeo aferrarme a este sentimiento por el resto del día.
Mientras ayudo a JD con su inglés, aprendo bastante español. Un adagio muy conocido en inglés es: Lo que no te mata te hace más fuerte. Resulta que la versión en español es ligeramente diferente: Lo que no te mata engordo. Me pregunto cuál es más cierto.
Salir de mi pesadilla esta mañana me hizo pensar en Emily Dickenson, quien dijo: “¡A la deriva. ¡A la deriva! ¡Un barquito a la deriva! ¡Y la noche está al caer! ¿Nadie guiará un barquito. Hasta el pueblo más cercana?”
Aquí hay barcos que he visto desde nuestra terraza en las últimas semanas — en mañanas brumosas, tardes soleadas, y noches sombrías — y otros barcos de nuestra historia. ¿Nadie me guiará al pueblo más cercano?
Neptune Lines hace varias semanas.
Y Neptune Lines a última hora de esta mañana.
1991. Rio Connecticut. Esa es la parte posterior de la cabeza de Judyshannon en primer plano. San Geraldo acababa de empujarme de cara, primero dentro y luego fuera de los juncos. Me estaba riendo. No me había recuperado por completo de la parálisis facial total de la enfermedad de Lyme, por lo que mi expresión es similar a la de Botox.
1992. Lago Quonnipaug en nuestro pueblo de Guilford, Connecticut, justo después de que remamos sobre una tortuga pargo gigante y SG gritó: “¡Rema rápido!” El caparazón de la tortuga era más ancho que la canoa.
1947. La luna de miel de mis padres. Mi madre etiquetó esta foto como “Davie disgustado”.
1992. Queríamos nuestra propia canoa, así que compramos el coche para ponerla. Luego encontramos una canoa a juego. Otro viaje en canoa; éste al río Saco en Maine.
My Mom use to forbid us from eating ice cream after 4pm A) because it would ruin our dinner appetite B) because it would upset our stomachs and give us nightmares. Mothers wisdom no doubt. Love the poetry with your posting.
Larrymuffin,
I’d never hear of ice cream causing nightmares. Ruining one’s appetite, yes. But it’s so healthy. Calcium for strong bones. Protein. Fat!
to make bones strong, there’s cod liver oil. LOL!!
larry:
So grateful that was way before our time. At least before MY time in New York. Was it still around for you in Canada?
I want in that red kayak. The paddler looks cute!!! AND I LOVE Magnum! And the intense dark is very magical!!!!! I took a funny picture for my Instagram with a magnum bar. Ill have to post it just for you. I agree about the getting up and being disorientated. I hate that feeling. I would sometime have a lie down, fall out and wake thinking I was late for work, only to come to my senses and realize it’s a weekend. The mind is an amazing thing to play tricks like such.
Mistress Maddie,
That paddler was the instructor. And he was cute. I have an Instagram account that I don’t do anything with. Will have to at least start following YOU!
see you on Instagram then
Mistress Maddie:
Please confirm your Insta account for me (you can email). I found Mistress Borghese, but I didn’t see any postings. Hugs!
I try to stay clear of chocolate but this ice-cream sounds tempting.
I didn’t know you had Lyme disease. Must have been a terrible experience for you.
My sister has had it now for 3 years and is very slowly getting back.
Boats…..funny thing I LOVE them even though they have been known to make me ‘seasick’!
Jim,
Wrote about my Lyme disease experience a few years ago, and as a result of your comment I was going to share the links with you and discovered the first post is missing. Will repost today from my back-up. I live boats. Not cruise ships though.
Good that you have a safe harbor with San Geraldo. xo
Mary,
Perfect description. He’s sitting next to me right now at Mesón Salvador and every so often I reach over and touch him.
“Paddle faster!” Had a similar experience with an alligator in the Okeefenokee Swamp. Very exciting!
Hate those dreams that tangle you up and won’t let go. The effects can linger long into the day.
Wilma,
Holy crap. An alligator. You wouldn’t catch me paddling around the Okeefenokee Swamp!
Magnum Intense Choc. is up my ~ alley ~ but I daren’t because I will dream unsettling dreams like an intense episode of ONBlack on Netflix which we are devouring because we were late to the game.
Ron:
Just have some Intense Chocolate early in the day! What is ONBlack?
Well, look at you two outdoorsmen! I went on a 10 mile canoe trip once. It damn near killed me, so NEVER AGAIN! lol
We have Magnum ice cream bars in Canada too and yes, they are incredibly good! But I’ve never seen the ice cream containers. I’ll look next time I’m at the grocery store. There must be some chemical in it that reacts badly with your brain to give you such nightmares!
Debra:
I loved canoeing, and it was so easy where we lived in Connecticut. Unfortunately, we soon moved to San Diego where it wasn’t so easy to find places to canoe. So we sold it. I agree with you that there must be some chemical in the Magnum chocolate ice cream.
I actually enjoy a good nightmare, though that feeling upon waking can be the worst part of it.’
And maybe I should rethink my disdain for ice cream if it gave me a vivid, albeit nightmarish, dream.
Bob:
Tuesday night was especially bad and I wouldn’t want to repeat it. But sometimes the screwy dreams are really fascinating.
I love ice cream but do not eat it often.
I want to try the ice cream bars the commercial for them was funny. crunch ! I have had the pint once and it was very nice.
Eat it early end of dreams.
parsnip
Parsnip:
The ice cream bars are wonderful. I’ve had them at times in the afternoon and never had nightmares!
I prefer mr whippy ice cream myself but buy me a magnum and I’d kiss you on the lips x
finlaygray:
I’ve never heard of Mr Whippy, but it sounds like the shops we had in NYC called Carvel AND the vans that still drive around the streets called Mr Softee. Man, a kiss on the lips just for a Magnum ice cream. You’re so easy! (Although, I’d be that easy, too.)
Where does the ferry run to/from?
David:
That’s not a ferry. Neptune is a shipping company here on the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe and the Black Sea — all different purposes. The first had something to do with environmental work. Others are car shippers and more. But we DO have a ferry here in Fuengirola that goes to the next city, Benalmádena. There are ferries from Málaga to places in North Africa.
so many different boats! and that ice cream looks too rich for a late snack. look at the gas prices in that white on white pix!
anne marie:
You’d think I’d know better!
I’m glad you noticed the gas prices. I cracked up when I saw that in the background. That was when they were climbing and we were appalled at how expensive they were. What are prices now?
Yes probably it is best to give up nasty ice cream after 3PM. or are the nightmares worth it?
Urspo:
The nightmares are definitely not worth it!
Not a big ice cream fan, here, so that wouldn’t be a loss to me! Nightmares are the worst, especially the ones that leave a lingering feeling of unease all day. “What doesn’t kill you makes you fat”…hahaha!!!!
Jennifer:
It’s hard for me to imagine not being a big ice cream fan. But you’re in good company with Bob.
Do you suppose the Spanish expression makes more sense?
I can row a boat, canoe? I love the canoe shots. Outdoor fun!
Walt the Fourth:
We really enjoyed that canoe although we didn’t get to use it for long. We soon moved to San Diego where there weren’t easy options for canoeing.
I love chocolate, and I don’t think it’s ever given me nightmares. But if it did, it would be worth it.
Kirk,
Chocolate itself doesn’t give me nightmares. There must be some chemical in this ice cream that does it. I’ll just have to eat it earlier.
OK, so I know about Magnum bars, but I’ve never heard of Magnum in a tub! I don’t think we can even get that here, despite the company being part British-owned. Fortunately it’s never given me bad dreams, but I’ve heard that fatty foods can do that.
Steve:
I didn’t know that about fatty foods. If you can find it in a tub, it’s so good and fun to eat. Just have it after lunch!