Every year we celebrate the traditional company Christmas dinner. This year was in Bar Santa Marta.

On the way from the office to the dinner we stopped for a drink

Inside the dining room of Bar Santa Marta

The other side of the dining room

A few drinks before the dinner starts

Dinner starts, with plenty to eat. We had a traditional Christmas meal which included starters of jamon and cheese, then gambas (shrimp). Next were croquetas and an assortment of fried fish. The main dish was swordfish or solomillo (pork loin).

Angelito was one of the smaller guests...

During the dinner

At the end a toast to the holidays and the new year.

Posted by Jeff at 9:54 AM CET

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December 4th was the first night for the Christmas lights to be turned on in Seville. It also marks the start of a 4 day weekend with the holidays on Sunday and Tuesday. We took a stroll around the city.

In La Campana we found a replica of La Giralda made entirely of sugar

A few blocks away was this belen in the trunk of a car. This guy shows up during Semana Santa and Feria as well, with something similar in the back of his car.

El Corte Ingles also changed their lights this year

We turned up Tetuan / Velazquez

Then back on Calle Sierpes

The corner of Sierpes and Sagasta

Now towards the Plaza Nueva

Tables ready for diners, although it is quite cold

The Ayuntamiento, or Town Hall, nativity scene

Adjacent was the Christmas tree

In Plaza Nueva everything was lit up and included a sculpture exhibit

More of the Plaza Nueva

And more of the Plaza Nueva

A look back

And on our way home people were still in the Plaza Salvador

Posted by Jeff at 9:50 AM CET

Updated: Saturday, 5 December 2009 10:38 AM CET

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Now three years and running that I am getting the flu over the holidays. This past one has been with me for about 10 days and while I am doing better it still seems to hang on. I spent New Years day waiting in line at a farmacia which I thought was filled with people suffering from the after effects of a long evening. But it seems a nasty flu has its grips on Sevilla and it’s one that likes to hang around. Between getting back to a normal work schedule and being constantly at 75% has kept me from getting much done on this site. But I have also been secretly working, little by little, on 10 new sections. I plod away each day, adding a little to one and a little to another. It’s a painful cumulative process which has me advancing a lot while having nothing to show. Still, there should be plenty more for everyone to enjoy in the coming month or two, so I continue and continue…

Posted by Jeff at 1:18 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:25 PM CET

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Seems a package sent to us took a long while to make it to Spain and didn’t stay very long after arrival. Although there have been improvements in the Spanish mail system the biggest problems still remain on the receiving end while in Spain. While letters and packages sent abroad most often make it (length of time varying) there is a higher percentage of problems with arrivals. Our Christmas presents showed up for a few days and then were shipped back home – after $70 in shipping costs. Kind of heart-breaking for the family, not to mention the money they lost. So we will wait until this summer to celebrate Christmas.

Posted by Jeff at 1:17 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:25 PM CET

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Christmas is in full swing and plenty of preparations are being made as we face a busy holiday schedule. We have the tree to buy, the now annual trip to Jabugo to purchase holiday meats, three cenas de Navidad to attend, plus shopping, mailing and of course the family events. Parents will be in town starting this Saturday to find an apartment for an extended stay in 2005. We plan to have an early Christmas dinner and celebration while they are in Seville. Then we have the dinner on the 24th which should be an extremely large meal. The next day we pay the consequences of being between two cultures and attend the traditional Christmas day turkey dinner at my sister's house. We should have a few days of rest before my birthday, then the celebration for New Year's Eve (including another meal of ungodly quantities), a day or two off to rest and then another meal likely in Umbrete held by more family. Then comes the 6th and Reyes, which we plan to spend inside our house relaxing. So there is enough eating and gathering to make us fat and tired.

Unfortunately these aren't the only plans. We have to shop in the center of Sevilla for gifts, which is a chore during what looks like to be the busiest holiday season in a long time. And it's quite tiring being on foot and negotiating large crowds. Then our cenas de Navidad, which are work dinners to celebrate the holidays, will take up three nights plus a large portion of our stomachs. The trip to Jabugo should hopefully be a nice change through all of this. And of course we have to work, too. And then there is the Sevilla-Betis game, which will be similar to a regional holiday for us.

Posted by Jeff at 1:08 PM CET

Updated: Sunday, 29 November 2009 1:26 PM CET

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