Life here, as everywhere, is made up of small victories and large vicissitudes interspersed with moments of calm.  I want to record one of my victories.  We have been here over a year now, and I have been working on my Spanish.  The first indication I had that I was winning was when I phoned the Electricity Board to ask when power would be restored. Not only was my request understood, without repeats, but the answer came straight back - two hours

A coupe of months ago, we were invited to the birthday party of our neighbour's wife..  We  were the only Gringos in evidence and I therefore found myself conversing in Spanish - for 5 hours.  We discussed art ( he is an artist and professor) literature, politics etc.  I got home from that and went straight to bed utterly spent from the effort.

However, small things like that gave me confidence and last week I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in Spanish and it only took a week.  The first 50 pages you are looking up every 5th word, but by 75%, you have absorbed all the new vocabulary and it goes as fast as English.  Of course, I have a new, totally useless vocabulary of witches, wands and broomsticks, but it is all very encouraging.

Best of all, among the local population I am known as the Gringa who can speak the language, albeit with a funny, Castilian accent.