Farewell dinner

Tonight I had dinner at a cozy lebanese restaurant by the Sheraton Park Hotel in Knightsbridge (London) to say farewell to my friend Álvaro, who is going on a three-month trip to the other side of the world. He will idle about in Vietnam, Australia and Latin-America before heading back to the hustle and bustle of our musty, beloved London. It seems that he needs to have time for himself and reflect about his future career choices while enjoying a walk in a faraway paradise. I think I need that too!!

Some of Álvaro's closest friend in London, 5 Italians and 3 Spaniards (Silvia, Elisabetta, Marco C, Marco M, Paolo, Rafa, Álvaro y yo) attended a dinner that turned out to be not only a farewell for Álvaro. Christian, Álvaro's German charming housemate (and soulmate), leaves London next week to work in Munich; he couldn't make the dinner but texted to present his apologies saying he was relaxing at Álvaro's brother's house, the ungrateful!! Silvia is relocating to her company's office in Kazakhstan in what looks like a hard work role but whose rewards (among others, one month of holidays every other month) are tempting. Marco C will move to Luxembourg shortly. Finally, Rafa intends to pursue his long-time professional aspiration and will cross the pond to South America in January 2009. It seems I am going to be left on my own in London!!

Álvaro and I met through our common friend Tybalt at a Madrid-Barca match in the Sports Cafe in Haymarket (London) some two years ago. We come from the two opposite bounds of Spain (Álvaro from Santander and I from Jerez) but, the world's a napkin, Álvaro's father Constantino and mine sort of know each other!! They are both bullfighting aficionados and Constantino was interviewed in a radio programme my father works at commenting the bullfights. My father was impressed with the work Constantino had done for the promotion of the "fiesta nacional" (nationalfest, the bullfighting) in Santander and he was happy to hear that I was a friend of his son's.

I visited Álvaro's hometown in Santander at the beginning of August as part of my weekend in Cantabria (region in the north of Spain) and I had the pleasure to meet his parents. Tybalt, Álvaro and I were given a feast by Álvaro's father when he invited us to a mouthwatering seafood and fish lunch in a busy restaurant in Santander. I am very thankful to Constantino for that meal and I will return the treat.

I will remember Álvaro while he is away and, though I wish him a good time, I am already looking forward to his return. We still have lots of parties to hit the floor at in London!!

Love and freedom.