We found a great little video that describes the city of Zaragoza and does a great summary of things you can see and do here. We even found several things we did not know/do yet!!
Enjoy! Just follow the link below:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVs8mtc04Yw
Saigon New Year's 2018
Saigon New Year's 2018
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!
[To see the pictures of the events, click on the picture above]
Happy New Year!
2011 , what a year for
us!! As many of you know we moved to Zaragoza, Spain in Nov 2010 and we
welcomed the New Year in Ireland with our dear friends Gwen and Monty cliff
walking along the Irish Sea from Greystones to Bray. They say what you do
on the first day of the New Year can influence the rest of the year and travel
was definitely the theme for us (www.anatolijus.eu).
On a more personal note the challenges and triumphs of adjusting to a new culture, city and language have been the focus of our everyday life. Grace and Tessa began school 10 days after we arrived and they are attending a semi-private Jesuit school which has been a very positive experience. We have been so touched and pleased with the warmth and care they have received from their teachers and the many support staff. Here in Spain hugs and kisses and words of endearment are the norm for teachers and this has helped the girls feel safe and cared for from the first day. We are also delighted with how well they speak and understand Spanish, much better than there parents. It is an interesting dynamic having to rely on your kids to understand what is going on. We all like the role reversal and the girls are very helpful.
When we aren't away we are loving our beautiful condo/apartment which we have made into a comfortable home. Our place is spacious, by Spanish standards, and the whole front of the house is windows. We have done a lot of entertaining, Canadian BBQ has been a big hit here. We secured the large stainless steel beauty last Spring and have used it a lot. Interestingly, in this part of Spain, it is not very common to invite people over for a meal. People meet at a Bar or restaurant to be together. Two obvious reasons are that most people live in apartments that are not very big and people always bring their children. Secondly, eating out is not very expensive so this way kids can run around while parents visit.
It has taken time but we now have some good friends and this makes such a difference for feeling settled and happy. We certainly miss our family and friends in Canada and are thankful for the ability to Skype and stay connected. As we look to 2012 we are excited to have family coming to visit. Cathy's oldest sister Karen is coming for 2 weeks in February and her parents are coming March 27th for 3 weeks including 1 week in Seville over Easter. In July Cathy and the girls will be returning to Victoria and Anatolijus will come August 1st for 1 month.
So we want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and we love to hear news of you when you have time.
FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!
Cathy, Anatolijus Grace and Tessa
On a more personal note the challenges and triumphs of adjusting to a new culture, city and language have been the focus of our everyday life. Grace and Tessa began school 10 days after we arrived and they are attending a semi-private Jesuit school which has been a very positive experience. We have been so touched and pleased with the warmth and care they have received from their teachers and the many support staff. Here in Spain hugs and kisses and words of endearment are the norm for teachers and this has helped the girls feel safe and cared for from the first day. We are also delighted with how well they speak and understand Spanish, much better than there parents. It is an interesting dynamic having to rely on your kids to understand what is going on. We all like the role reversal and the girls are very helpful.
When we aren't away we are loving our beautiful condo/apartment which we have made into a comfortable home. Our place is spacious, by Spanish standards, and the whole front of the house is windows. We have done a lot of entertaining, Canadian BBQ has been a big hit here. We secured the large stainless steel beauty last Spring and have used it a lot. Interestingly, in this part of Spain, it is not very common to invite people over for a meal. People meet at a Bar or restaurant to be together. Two obvious reasons are that most people live in apartments that are not very big and people always bring their children. Secondly, eating out is not very expensive so this way kids can run around while parents visit.
It has taken time but we now have some good friends and this makes such a difference for feeling settled and happy. We certainly miss our family and friends in Canada and are thankful for the ability to Skype and stay connected. As we look to 2012 we are excited to have family coming to visit. Cathy's oldest sister Karen is coming for 2 weeks in February and her parents are coming March 27th for 3 weeks including 1 week in Seville over Easter. In July Cathy and the girls will be returning to Victoria and Anatolijus will come August 1st for 1 month.
So we want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and we love to hear news of you when you have time.
FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!
Cathy, Anatolijus Grace and Tessa
PS. Below are our
three top ten lists from our first year in Spain.
Top Ten Things Spain 2011 (our opinion)
Top Ten Things Spain 2011 (our opinion)
10. Spanish wines at a massively
bargain price
9. Travel opportunities - cheap
flights 291 euros ZAZ to Rome 4 people return (long live Ryanair)
8. Fast trains (300km+) and a
very good highway system
7. Girls’ Jesuitas (Jesus Maria
el Salvador) school
6. Our apartment – great location,
pool, sunshine!
5. Baguettes and fresh bread
that you can buy daily at your local gas station
4. Warmth and expressiveness of
the Spanish people
3. Sunshine most every day
of the year
2. Chocolate is actually considered
a proper food!
1. Amazing history, which is
still here for everyone to see and experience
“Unique” things about
Spain/Zaragoza
10. Spanish love children: the
number of pregnant women and children around is amazing.
9.
Eating
schedule and rhythm of life: dinner is typically at 21:30 here
8.
Public
pool rules - swim cap, sandals, no glasses, lukewarm Jacuzzi
7.
Pig
legs (they are everywhere!) – also known as Jamon. One of the most prized food items, which are
also given as gifts to people on Christmas
6.
Store
hours 10-2 , closed 2-5, open 5-8 and no stores open on Sundays
5.
There
is something about Virgin Mary: most fiestas in Spain are centered
around the Virgin. People take Virgins
for walks (on massive an heavy floats); have huge festivities that last weeks; Mary
is a major part of people’s lives. In
the meantime, Jesus quietly spends his time in the Cathedral(s).
4.
Ready,
Set, Stop: traffic lights and parking in Zaragoza are
incredible. Traffic lights are every 200
meters and they are not smart. Rather,
they change every 60 seconds. Hard to
get used to J
3.
No
fresh milk in the stores. People
do not drink fresh milk here. Instead,
it is all Ultra High Heat tetrapak milk.
Definitely a non-dairy culture.
2.
Supposedly,
Spain consumes most seafood per capita in the world!
1. Futbol is officially a
religion in Spain
Top experiences/places of 2011
10. Kayaking down rio
Ebro
9. Panticosa and snowboarding in Pyrenees
8. Algemesi (near Valencia) bull fights and Pamplona running of the bulls
7. London visit and London Eye
6. Prague visit and paddleboats on Vltava river downtown
5. Barcelona Sagrada Familia Basilica
4. Salamanca and Segovia
3. Sailing the Meditteranean
2. Girls speaking Spanish
1. San Sebastian - visiting and surfing
9. Panticosa and snowboarding in Pyrenees
8. Algemesi (near Valencia) bull fights and Pamplona running of the bulls
7. London visit and London Eye
6. Prague visit and paddleboats on Vltava river downtown
5. Barcelona Sagrada Familia Basilica
4. Salamanca and Segovia
3. Sailing the Meditteranean
2. Girls speaking Spanish
1. San Sebastian - visiting and surfing
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