We are back in Spain to celebrate Christmas this year.
In the summer we been here for a month and it was hot hot hot as it was a heathwave with up to 44C. That is not the case at this time of year, as the temperature is more to be around 15-18 C. Still very pleasant, specially compared to the ice and cold we left behind in Norway.
It lives around 48 million people in Spain, and 94% are Roman Catholic.
As of 2015 it was 4,6 million foreign born residing in Spain (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Spain) with Romanians being the
The number of tourists coming to Spain is more than 60 million a year, and it is easy to understand why. (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL)
From our experience it is very child friendly, as well as a good place to be for adults. We are staying close to Torrevieja, where more than half the population is not Spanish. There are lots of British as well as Scandinavians. Rumor has it that this house belongs to Gorbatsjov, but personally I have not seen him at the bar....
The Spaniards Christmas Traditions (according to www.qrmagazine.es) are;
At Christmas Eve they will have dinner with their family and some will attend the their local church to observe the "Misa del Gallo" (Mass of the Rooster) so named after a rooster which supposedly called out to announce the birth of Jesus.
At Christmas Day many families dine out, and the next big celebration is New Years Eve (Noche Vieja). Many Spaniards party all night, and one tradition is to eat 12 whole grapes at midnight, as every grape swallowed will supposedly bring a month`s worth of good luck.
The next celebration is Kings Day Parades (Dia de Los Reyes) which falls on 6th January, and are by many seen as the most important date in the festive calendar. On the evening the 5th, there will be a grand procession through the streets throwing sweets to the children, and at the morning the 6th the children will find that their presents has been delivered by the Kings.
As much as I love to see new places and countries, it is also nice to return to the same area again.Meeting up with people we have know, and going back to places we like. We have found our favorites among the cafes where we can have fruit dipped in chocolate, a clear winner for us:)
Kids have been playing at the beach, which is actually much more pleasant now than in the summer when the sand and sun was burning.
Daniel got karate lesson, which he really enjoyed.
We went to the movies seeing the newest Star War, which I also truly enjoyed.
Kids got back to their favorite play area at La Zenja:
We have spent lots of time outdoor
Exploring the area.
Traveling with children is fun, but far from relaxing. .
We are having great days, and like to wish you all a very happy New Year.
¡FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!
