Siesta is part of the mediterranean long summer months. In the middle of the day, temperatures rise up to 40ºC and after the lunch it is really hard to be outdoor without the shelter of a shadow. People, and all the other living creatures, tend to concentrate their routines in the early hours of the day and late in the evening when the air is a bit more fresh but after the lunch the best thing that you can do is to have a pleasant siesta , perhaps just half an hour or perhaps one hour, it is a personal choice. Siesta is not only a little time sleeping but is part of a lifestyle. Yes, you can sleep but also you can spend the time in the bed, just lazily talking with someone, or reading a book, listening music or just dreaming in a fresh dark room, on a bed with white sheets or perhaps in a hammock under the nice shadow of a tree with a “botijo” near you and a hat covering the eyes.
It is a great time to spend with the children, telling stories and trying to make them sleep. Claudia almost never sleep the siesta. During her five years of life I barely can remember more than just a couple of days in which she slept in the middle of the day (what an amount of energy she has!). Last year we were at the beach and after having a great lunch with gazpacho, paella and watermelon. All a long morning in the beach playing with sand and water made its magic on Claudia and, after the meal, she couldn´t resist the need of a siesta. We all went to the bed and I told the children a story about nightjars and both Mario and Claudia felt in the arms of Morpheus. I couldn´t resist to make a photograph of her during the siesta (the only one that I have, by the way). I love the calm in this image of my daughter and I love to remember the fantastic day we spend in the beach.
Recommended music for this image: “Siesta” (by Miles Davis and Marcus Miller), of course :p
“Botijo” is a traditional piece of pottery used to keep the water cold that works under the principle of transpiration of water
“Gazpacho” is a local delicacy from the south of Spain, a kind of very cold soup made with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, salt, cucumber and vinegar (it is difficult to explain what a delicacy is and how much refreshing is.
“Paella”, I think that this is the most famous Spanish dish in the world
Claudia?
This is a wonderful image....what a keepsake for the family.
I love Gazpacho....once dated a girl from Spain and that cold soup
and sangria were frequently on the table
A nice, peaceful picture of a cute little girl. Its making me a little sleepy just looking at the pic. I got to experience a few days of Spain when I was in the military. We would do well to put a little siesta into our lifestyle in this country.
Juan,
After tough the times in our lives, it is great to reflect on the blessings.
You are blessed with a beautiful child and the ability to capture(beautifully I will add) this wonderful slice of time with your camera.
Thanks for sharing,
James
Juan, Thanks for the great story and for sharing the image of your angelic little one.
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