Take a day, push back everything you do by two hours, then add in relaxed and leisurely conversations, meals and walks… this is Spanish time. From what we have observed, here is a typical Spanish timeline adapted to a schedule that works for us.

8am- Coffee and toast or croissants for breakfast, (we add eggs), then Noah, Natalie and I start school and Paul heads into his little office to work. The kids usually wrap up lessons by 10:30am and I send them out to play until I call them in for math around noon.

Working on school. This schedule has changed a bit since we first moved to Spain, but I’m really enjoying what we do each day and feel like Noah and Natalie are getting a good educational foundation, mixed with the unique benefits of our journey abroad.

12pm- Paul takes a three hour break from 12pm-3pm and we really enjoy using this time to take a walk, get groceries, eat dinner, and just enjoy family time together.

  • We enjoy walking the path to the river…
  • and see lots of “life” along the way!
  • The break also allows time for European haircuts!
  • Much better!

2pm- Main and largest meal of the day eaten with family over the long siesta time. This usually consists of a few courses including salad, bread, cheese/olives, main dishes, and wine, of course. Most shops close from 2-5pm and families take the time to eat, talk, take a short nap or just rest. It took a few times of us walking around town to realize that Spaniards really do have siestas! There is no one around, nothing is open, and we are expected to be quiet.

  • Peaceful and quiet time at our house.

3pm- Paul works from 3-7pm in order to line up with his co-worker’s morning (8am-12pm in Sioux Falls). The kids and I spend time reading out loud (our latest choice is “Heidi” as we look at the mountains and pretend they are the Alps), playing outside, creating art, making a fire for the evening, and starting dinner.

  • The latest activity of choice is…
  • MUD CREATIONS.
  • The olive tree grove is a favorite spot to play.
  • Painting the mountains.
  • Throwing out the old ashes to get ready to make a new fire.
  • After a couple of cold weeks, we figured out how to make a fire that heats well.
  • Noah and Natalie listen to “Heidi” near their mountains, then pretend to be Heidi and Peter the goatherd.

7pm- we eat dinner, but most Spaniards wait until 9pm or later to eat dinner together. Dinner is usually a very light affair- yogurt, oranges and muesli, a veggie salad with olive oil and vinegar, or some soup.

8:30- 10pm is tappas hour, where families might go out to the local bars and restaurants for conversation over small plates of food and drinks. We tried this once, but we are usually in bed by this time! Instead, we have enjoyed having tappas earlier in the day, usually before the 2pm dinner.

  • Trying Spanish croquetas.
  • We all agree, “good”.

When we first arrived, I had to remind myself to not look to the clock for my schedule, and instead enjoy the slower pace that focuses on relationships and family, rather than efficiency. It is a pace that I have slowly adopted and one that I hope to maintain no matter where I am and how the culture around me operates.