A Day in Lovers' Lane

I visited Spain for the first time when I was a college student. It was the most wonderful experience of my life! I met so many great people and I was warmly received as a member of their families.

I was invited one weekend to a family gathering in a tiny town outside of Seville. The entire pueblo knew that the Americana was in town and wanted to meet her, i.e. me!

After a day of climbing the hills of the family’s olive orchard (el huerto), we arrived at Miguel Angel’s grandmother’s home. The living room was filled to capacity with rows of chairs occupied by relatives who had come to meet Miguel Angel’s American friend.

“So… what did you do today?” they asked me in Spanish. I answered with unbridled enthusiasm, “Fuimos a la huerta!” The room became suddenly quiet! The grandmother looked like she was ready to keel over.

“What did I say?” I anxiously asked my friend.

“Only that we went to ‘Lovers' Lane’ for the day!” he responded.

My mix-up with word gender didn’t help the international stereotype of the American female! El huerto means orchard. La huerta, as I learned the hard way, means Lovers' Lane!

I do share this story with my older students when they question whether “el & la” really make that big of a difference!

Many thanks to Peggy Kinney McHugh for this amusing story. She presently teaches Spanish at Camp Hill Jr. and Sr. High Schools in PA.