real grace.

So, I got home supér late from a concert last night, and then got up rather early to go to church this morning. I hastily dressed myself up, got my purse together, and left my house on my bike. I got about 3 minutes down the main road and thought "crap... I left my Bible and journal (which I clearly like to have) at home." So, I turned around and went all the way back to get them. Then, I headed out again to church.

Church is about a 35 to 40 minute bike ride from my house which I don't mind at ALL because a) I like to ride my bike and b) it takes me by virtually every important landmark in Sevilla that, yes, are frightfully becoming more and more banal each time I see them.

Plaza de España, Parque María Luisa, Plaza de las Americas. Check.




River and the Torre de Oro. Check.





Puerta Jerez. Check.
Catedral. Check.









Plaza Nueva. Check.








Alameda de Hercules. Check.

I don't even have pictures of some of this stuff because it's just so ordinary. I should fix that.

Anyhoo... I always stop to eat breakfast at a café that is about 5 minutes from my church (so about 30 to 35 minutes from my house.) I chained my bike up outside, walked in, and ordered a café con leche and a tostada entera con mantequilla y mermelada de melecotón (toast with butter and peach marmalade... honestly possibly one of my absolutely favorite things about Spain.)

As I sit down and get out my journal to begin my Sunday morning ritual of contemplating life and recording those oh-so-provident-and-precious musings into its anticipatory pages... I'm fishing around in my purse and realize that in the midst of getting it together this morning (which included relocating the contents of the last night's purse from the concert to the bigger purse to go to church this morning... which also happened to be the purse that went with my dress... you see, I am what the Spanish would call very "fashion"... ha. right. anyway)... the pocket book did not make the transfer! Aaaaaahhhh. I literally had no money on me. Zero euros. Cero zapatero.

I go up to the counter and explain my stupidity and forgetfulness to the chica working. She was so wonderful and just said "don't worry about it, you can come by later today, tomorrow, or the next day and pay... whenever you can." I have never had that happen to me before, anywhere in the world.

Cool, right?
That's real grace.