Agenda complete so far today (Monday): flamenco class, lunch, bath, lie in sunbeam.

Flamenco class
The week started well, with us learning footwork for two days and I was happy and comfortable with this (mostly – I keep doing the wrong footwork at the wrong times, and one section I just can’t learn). Today we started arms and *fan.* This is my first go at using a fan in flamenco and it’s OK. It’s an extension of florea, so I am picking it up. Good idea to have a smaller fan though because the room is crowded. I’m learning to say “sorry” and “nonono it’s ok!” in several languages (the latter is mostly me just flapping my hands in front of me and shaking my head).

Lunch
I eat lunch alone this week, just with the others being out and about or in class at the time I get back and want to eat lunch. I sit at the little table in the kitchen with my back to the window: the sun shines in and is warm.

Bath
Feet sore: needed soak and exfoliant scrub. Much happy now.

Sunbeam
The sun shines in my bedroom window on to my bed. Obviously I take advantage. A nap may result.

Yesterday was Sunday so Christina and I went to several churches. We wanted to see inside some of the many churches that are here in Jerez. They aren’t all open all the time and so figured Sunday was a good time to see some. We got dressed up: we’d seen dressed-up people all day long going to church so it seemed right to do.

The first church we looked at is right across the way from our apartment.

It was full of people and incense. The people were lined up to kiss a statue of Jesus or a saint. I didn’t get too close. I didn’t last long inside this one because the incense was making my eyes itchy.

The next church we visited was about 16 or 19 steps away or so – there’s a lot of churches here. It was quiet, with just a few people praying inside. We walked along the side part – not the main aisle, but the corridor to the side (at history vocabulary, where are you?..) to look up at the inside of the dome. There were electronic candles that would light up with a donation. Christina tried 10 cents but that didn’t work: we thought maybe one needed to be Catholic to light a candle. We then noticed that a minimum 20 cent donation is required. I donated a euro and a candle lit up. Then Christina tried a euro, too, and a candle went out. We thought it best that we leave after that. Quickly.

Just before we left for the churches, we had noticed a big group of people having dinner in the window across from our kitchen. We thought: Sunday dinner, massive family, sure. But a bit later we heard singing, and through the same window we saw a group of children dressed in churchy choir gowns. We later saw them filing across the street to the church, so we must have overheard their practice. (Oddly, the flamenco show we went to last night included another children’s chorus. We are inundated by delightful children’s singing.)