3 Days Before Thanksgiving in Madrid

"The American Store" in Madrid is great. They have absolutely everything - WHEN they have it, that is.

I took the 30-minute walk+metro+walk trip to the store next to the Hospital Clínico San Carlos today (metro Moncloa), all bubbly and confident that I was going to get my Thanksgiving Day supplies - ONLY to be PYSCHED!! I did call beforehand, sure, to see that they'd be open, but that's all.

Oddly and wonderfully enough, they don't close during the lunch hours so that's cool, I went just after lunch. No problem. But when I arrived, after taking a tour of the construction site of El Faro de Moncloa, I found they had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for Thanksgiving Day.

Last year I went there and stocked-up on all their goodies for Thanksgiving Day, no problem, but this year the clerk said they were sold out but expected a new shipment - LATER THIS WEEK. That's great, but.... Thanksgiving Day is... errr.. ummm.. THURSDAY!!

They had no pumpkin pie mix, no cranberry sauce, no stuffing, and not pancake mix or syrup, of which I was also super low at home. But nothing for Thanksgiving apart from a few graham cracker pie shells, turkey gravy mix, and the turkey baking bags - which I used last year to disastrous results.

So I guess I'll simply call before making the trip next time - AFTER Thanksgiving. What a shame. I'm hosting a bunch-o-Spaniards for Thanksgiving Day - the weekend AFTER Thanksgiving Day weekend and, as usual, I'll be the ONLY American in attendance - and I'll be doing ALL the cooking, too!

Happy Thanksgiving Day, Americans! If you're home with family, great. If you're abroad, just make the most of it and spend the day with people you love.