What a difficult letter Q is to find interesting words for. Unless that is you are in Spain with someone who speaks Spanish.
Q is for Querer (To love in Spanish)
I am no linguist, but luckily he is. Listening to Master converse with the locals or the taxi driver as he did when we arrived on Monday is a sound to behold. I have learned that during those first few hours and days of speaking a language again after a break he covers up by gesticulating and laughing. People are happy to help him refine the words he is struggling with, because he tries so hard and so few people try to speak the language. I love that he is able to do so and know he enjoys that he makes himself understood. I love also that speaking a language rekindles his love for the literature and culture of that country.
Master has brought me to this part of Spain 3 times now and I love the sunny days, the relaxed way of life, the friendly people. I also love that you can start the day late, but because they eat lunch and then dinner later than we do at home, you can easily catch up. The culture of the area is amazing, testimony to the history, often troubled that brought the people to this place in time.
We enjoy travelling to new places and always he tries to speak the language. I have to be satisfied with simple words. Such as please, thank you, the bill or glass of wine or beer. However I am trying to broaden my horizons and know more words. This is easier for me in France as I do have a reasonable knowledge of the vocabulary. Spanish though is something different, I didn’t learn it at school, unlike French. It is also easy to just let him lead.
But he is also happy to try Italian and German. He is also able to speak Dutch from having lived in Amsterdam a few years back. It would be lovely if I could speak more foreign languages myself. But since I can’t I am lucky that he loves language and loves Spain. And I love him.
