Politics

When people find out that we are from the US, the first question is always "What do you think about Trump?" Many have asked if I am here to escape Trump, and others have jokingly wondered if I'll be able to return, or if he will have banned women from flying. Everyone I have spoken to is anti-Trump, and they can't understand why we elected him. Many ask for clarification on the way our elections work. It has always fascinated me how much the average Spaniard knows about American politics. I spent 10 minutes yesterday talking to the women who owns the papelería near my house about Trump, the American educational system compared to the Spanish system, and America's relationship with Mexico.

At a birthday party the other day, the Spanish parents and I spent quite a bit of time talking politics--Spanish and US--and the joke was:
Q: What was the most googled phrase the day after the US elections?
A: Immigration to Canada
Q: What was the most googled phrase in Spain the day after the US election?
A: Melania Trump desnuda
Everyone laughed, acknowledging that yes, that did seem like a Spanish thing to do. However, I frequently wonder how many Americans could name a world leader--any world leader--much less the president of Spain.

Phoebe and I attended the Women's March in Granada on January 21st. The march was attended mostly by other Americans living in Granada. I met several other professors here on sabbatical, some military people from Rota (the American military base in Spain), and other interested people from around the world (Australia, Japan, England).

Phoebe had made a sign to carry, and we saw many pithy signs at the march. Here are some examples:

My favorite one (I didn't photograph it) was: Make America Mexico Again. Phoebe and I both chuckled about that one. The march turned out to be a fun event, and I was very glad that Phoebe and I participated. We had several moments of explanation (why were women dressed like cats?), but we were both happy that we came.

Sierra Nevada

A few weekends ago, we went to the mountains outside of Granada, the Sierra Nevada. Here is the official Sierra Nevada video. There is a ski area called Pradollano, and from the bus station in Granada, you can get there in about an hour. Phoebe and I went on a Sunday. Phoebe has never really seen snow (once when she was around 18 months old, but she doesn't remember that), and we wanted to go see the snow and play. Here she is in the snow:

Since we are not skiers (obviously, since she's never seen snow), we went to a recreational area called Mirlo Blanco where you can rent sleds and inner tubes to slide down the slopes. Here she is coming down the slope in a tube:

There was not a lot of snow, but we were able to build a tiny snowperson, only about a foot tall!

Several of Phoebe's friends from school go to Sierra Nevada every (or many) weekends to ski. We have had several invitations to return--and perhaps to try skiing--so we will update this post if we go back to ski some day.

UPDATE:

The last day of ski season was April 27, and some wonderful friends took us to Sierra Nevada to ski. Here are some pics of Phoebe skiing. 

Not much snow left!

To celebrate the end of the season, one restaurant makes a huge paella free for everyone!

Paellas cooking

We didn't get to stay for the paella, but it looks delicious!