La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I told San Geraldo Monday night that I need to get out of bed earlier in the morning, have breakfast, shower, and get outside to enjoy the day before lunch at 2. I can still go out after lunch, but I’ve been missing the best part of the day.
Before we do anything else in the morning or during the night (like pee), we make our rounds to make sure there are no piles of cat vomit to step in. San Geraldo is almost always first and the one to find and clean up the messes, except during the day when it’s whoever is lucky enough to see (or hear) it first. San Geraldo always tells me he’ll do it, but I don’t think that’s fair.
Monday, I got up about 7-ish to take my early morning pill. I headed down the hall to my bathroom forgetting to turn on lights and check for gifts from the cats. I walked into my bathroom and stepped right into a wet mess that was already spread around the tile floor. At least I wasn’t barefoot. I washed the slippers and threw them in the shower. When I went to grab the clean-up supplies, I noticed another big mess on the rug in the foyer. I spent the next half hour cleaning, finally peed (in desperation by that time), and went back to bed quite disgusted. I didn’t wake up again until 11. It was a wonderful sleep of almost 3 hours, but I yet again missed the morning. Breakfast was done by 12:15. Lunch was later than usual and, after washing and hanging laundry, I was finally out of the house after 5, returning home after 7.
Tuesday, I got out a little earlier in the warmth and sunshine (23C/75F) and decided to search out a bit of public art I had seen photos of but had never come upon. It’s in the neighborhood at the edge of the Jewish Quarter called San Basilio. I didn’t know what the installation was called so I typed, in Spanish, grandfather and child sculpture. And I found Grandfather with Child sculpture! Done by José Manuel Belmonte, the same sculptor who created “La Regadora” (The Waterer) in our neighborhood (click here).
It’s about a half-hour walk from home through parks and history, all scenic and pleasant. And it was so worth it. An entirely new neighborhood for me with lots of other discoveries. Today, we have a number of things being delivered to complete our new display cabinet. Merchi is cleaning and we returned from Café Roldan where we had coffee and second breakfast. Our other place appears to be permanently closed.
This afternoon will be spent I think doing laundry, getting the new display cabinet completely organized, and then reorganizing the spaces where things have been stashed all this time.
El lunes por la noche le dije a San Geraldo que tenía que levantarme más temprano, desayunar, ducharme y salir a disfrutar del día antes de comer a las 2. Todavía puedo salir después de comer, pero me he estado perdiendo la mejor parte del día.
Antes de hacer nada por la mañana o por la noche (como orinar), hacemos nuestras rondas para asegurarnos de que no haya montones de vómito de gato que podamos pisar. San Geraldo casi siempre es el primero y quien encuentra y limpia los desastres, excepto durante el día, que es quien tiene la suerte de verlos (o escucharlos) primero. San Geraldo siempre me dice que lo hará él, pero no me parece justo.
El lunes me levanté sobre las 7 para tomar mi pastilla de la mañana. Me dirigí al baño por el pasillo, olvidándome de encender las luces y mirar si había regalos de los gatos. Entré y pisé de frente un desastre húmedo que ya estaba esparcido por el suelo de baldosas. Al menos no estaba descalza. Lavé las pantuflas y las tiré a la ducha. Cuando fui a buscar los artículos de limpieza, vi otro desastre en la alfombra del recibidor. Pasé la siguiente media hora limpiando, finalmente oriné (desesperado para entonces) y volví a la cama bastante disgustado. No me desperté hasta las 11. Dormí de maravilla durante casi 3 horas, pero una vez más me perdí la mañana. El desayuno estaba listo a las 12:15. El almuerzo fue más tarde de lo habitual y, después de lavar y tender la ropa, finalmente salí de casa después de las 17:00, regresando a casa después de las 19:00.
El martes salí un poco más temprano, con el calor y el sol (23 °C/75 °F), y decidí buscar un poco de arte público del que había visto fotografías pero que nunca había visto. Está en el barrio de San Basilio, al borde del barrio judío. No sabía cómo se llamaba la obra, así que escribí “escultura de abuelo y niño”. ¡Y encontré la escultura de “abuelo con el niño”! Es de José Manuel Belmonte, el mismo escultor que creó “La Regadora” en nuestro barrio (haz clic aquí).
Está a media hora a pie desde casa, entre parques y lugares históricos, todo pintoresco y agradable. Y valió muchísimo la pena. Un barrio completamente nuevo para mí, con muchos otros descubrimientos. Hoy nos están entregando varias cosas para completar nuestra nueva vitrina. Merchi está limpiando. Volvimos del Café Roldán, donde tomamos un café y un segundo desayuno. Parece que nuestro otro local ha cerrado definitivamente.
Creo que esta tarde la pasaré lavando la ropa, organizando por completo la nueva vitrina y luego reordenando los espacios donde hemos estado guardando cosas todo este tiempo.
• A un minuto. Tú tomas el camino bajo. Yo tomé el camino alto. Y tú estarás en San Basilio antes que yo. Ya había tomado el camino fácil antes, pero al final di la vuelta.
• Mirando hacia atrás desde el camino alto.
• Apenas puedo ver al abuelo y la escalera Plaza de Manuel Garrido Moreno.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Absolutely love this! And getting there was half the fun.
I could get lost with my camera in Cordoba. Thank you for sharing.
Jim:
You definitely could get lost with your camera here.
Oh I like it. I wonder who waters the pot hanging on the wall.
I’ve been meaning to ask, you post about second breakfast, what is first breakfast?
ellen abbott:
Like the pots on the wall near us, I’ve never seen anyone watering them. Maybe the bronze woman with the bronze water can. First breakfast for me is usually yogurt, cereal, and fruit at home. Second breakfast is usually a tostada with Serrano ham, cheese, olive oil, and tomato puree.
What a marvelous sculpture! And I like his “The Waterer” too. I detect a theme here.
Debra:
I wish there was more of his work around town. So engaging.
I am still thinking about the cat vomit; how often is this happening?
Urspo:
Usually day and night. Two old cats soon to be taken to a new vet.
That sculpture is definitely the sibling to the other one I like so much. I find both of them magical.
I do the same thing about vowing to get out of bed earlier, get outside earlier. Do I do that? No. I do not. I keep telling myself I have got to start walking regularly again. I don’t do that either. I have become a sloth.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I was out of bed at 9:45 this morning, and for today at least, I decided that’s fine because it was my best sleep of the night (from 7 to 9:45). We should just think of ourselves as teenagers (or partying 20-somethings) when we could sleep until 3 in the afternoon.
I adore that statue! So utterly perfect for Cordoba, the city of hanging potted flower displays…
Jx
PS The “low road” with those towering fortress walls reminds me a lot of the entry way into the city of Cadiz from the station via Parque Fosos de Puertas de Tierra.
Jon:
Ah, Cádiz. Such a beautiful place!
I love the tour and the steps and the stone streets; just a gorgeous place to walk about. And I love the pots on the wall though caring for them would be Carlos’ job as he is The Plant Guy™.
As for hairballs and vomit and such, the longstanding law at Casa Bob y Carlos is I take care of what goes INTO the cats and he takes care of what comes out.
It works well … for me!
Bob:
How does Carlos find all the cat leavings?
I am his Seeing Eye Bob™.
Those sculptures with the plants are so clever! I would have to spray them with a hose to water. I’d never be able to climb anything to do it.
Depending on the light and the temperature, I have to set out on my morning walks early, as soon as I get up (and play wordle). Often right around sunrise. Physically, I’m at my best when I first wake up.
Kelly:
You could just use the watering can on a pole like the bronze woman. I used to love my sunrise walks and runs. In San Francisco, we used to get up at 5 and go to the gym to workout with our trainer. Then we’d have breakfast at a cafe across the street and go home to get ready for work.
I hope those cats haven’t come down with something.
Kirk:
One things the cat have is older age. But we think there are other things going on with each of them. We’ll soon know.
What an enchanting sculpture with plants. You live in a beautiful city.
larrymuffin:
It IS a beautiful city. And I love the public art.
Speaking of vomit….I woke up in the middle of the night last Sunday, got up to pee….and stepped right into a fresh, warm pile of Poppy vomit. Fun times!
Jennifer
Jennifer:
I hope you weren’t barefoot!
Oh, I was. And it was totally dark in the room and for a minute I had no idea what had happened! Nothing like cleaning up vomit at 12:30 in the morning!
Jennifer:
Oh, no! And nothing like cleaning it off your feet!
What a delightful walk, not the one into the bathroom, the one through the neighborhood.
David,
Yes. I could do the second one again.
Thanks for sharing your walks with us, whenever they happen… but, I can relate to the wanting to avoid the late starts and missing the morning. Yuck yuck about the cat gifts 🙂
Judy C,
No gifts overnight. But I have no idea what’s going on now. I scooped poop. SG is on his own again. I’m out enjoying a sunny 77-degree day. New discoveries, too! Just sat down briefly on a bench. Wish you were walking with me. That would be a pleasure.
How wonderful it would be to have a partner who doesn’t think it’s fair for the other person to do all the cleaning up. Kudos to you, dear one.
Love,
Janie
Janiejunebug,
We balance very well, and also respect each other. It’s been working so far.