After quite a bit of searching, I found self sealing 2 ltr plastic bottles - unfortunately, I couldn't locate 1 ltr versions. So I took one home and filled it with the amber nectar. This morning I took the said bottle to my local post office to see if they had a box to fit and get a postage cost.
Now try and picture the scene. The post office is tiny, more than 4 customers is a crowd and I duly took my place behind a guy with some official looking forms which he passed over the solitary counter to Eduardo. 10 minutes later he leaves and I proudly present my bottle to Eduardo. By now the post office is crowded.
He looks astonished, bewildered and a little surprised and throws his hands in the air. "Que?" is all he says.
In my best Spanish and grinning from ear to ear, I ask "Tiene el carton para este?"
"Phewww" is all he said.
He then started gesticulating with his hands to indicate the problems with it getting squashed in transit, then threw his hands apart to indicate the oil going every where. By now the crowd had grown and they were all craning their necks over my shoulder to see what the mad Englishman was up to.
In return hand language - by now my best Spanish had run out - I indicated wrapping it in enough bubble wrap to cushion the blow.
"Si, si" is all he said. But this time he added a nod of the head. And then dissapeared into the back room.
By now the crowd were all chatting away with each other and having a good laugh at my expense. I was beginning to feel slightly embarrased.
Eduardo returns waving a flat pack carton above his head for all to see. He came around the counter and pushed his way through the heaving crowd and took the bottle. Fighting his way back to his safe place the other side of the armoured glass, he then opened 2 packets of bubble wrap and tightly wrapped the bottle sealing it with brown tape. By now some of the crowd had given up waiting and moved off, only to be peplaced by a new insurgent of gawpers as word had obviously got round the village and the road was becoming blocked outside.
Having assembled the carton he now forced the heavily wrapped bottle inside and proudly showed it to the assembled throng. Spanish words of agreement and congratulations rippled through and wide smiling faces nodded at me.
"Quanto es por correo a la Estado Unidos?" I muttered having regained my best Spanish.
"Estado Unidos? no Inglatera?" His eyebrows joined his hairline.
"Ci, por fabor."
The parcel was placed on the scales and he sat at the computer. There was silence in the room. Meanwhile, the police had arrived to restore some semblance of order outside so the traffic could get past.
He then wrote down the prices and passed them under the glass to me.
And this is what he wrote:
paquet avion 42.60 euros
paquet expres 67.71 euros
paquet economica 27.90 euros
I said I'd let him know.
Now, I don't know the price of EV Olive Oil in the States, but surely it's not THAT expensive. Frankly, I was shocked.
Oh I nearly forgot, add to that the bottle at 2.25 euros and the carton and wrapping at 4.40 euros, this good idea has got very expensive.
However, if any of you still want to go ahead (yeah, and pigs will fly), then let me know and we'll sort out payment.
I'm sorry this has turned out the way it has, but there is no cheaper way of getting it to you.
