Don't Be A Bummer

In Spanish, there's a saying, "No seas pestiño" ("Don't be a bummer" or "Don't get on my nerves"). But if you make some pestiños, I guarantee you won't get on mine.

A PERFECT PESTIÑO.

In some parts of Andalucía, pestiños are a traditional Christmas pastry. In other parts of Andalucía (like Sevilla), they're popular year-round. The basic composition: Dough, deep-fried in olive oil and glazed with honey or sugar. The dough is usually flavored with sesame. Sooooooo good. Teré and Miguel took some days for themselves last week and went up north a bit. They saw a dusting of snow, the second time in Teré's life. She was so excited. We told her we'd send her to South Dakota for a winter and then see what she thinks. After seeing snow, they went to visit Teré's mother who is already busy baking for the holidays. She sent home some pestiños for us, which we had with breakfast downstairs before finishing off the rest after lunch at home.

CALLE IMAGEN NEAR LA CAMPANA.
IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS... WITHOUT SNOW.

The Christmas lights have been lit around town. They're not the same ones that were used last year, which makes it even more fun to explore. Our friends Jim, Cindy, Celie, and Will had to leave Sevilla Sunday, so we were very pleased that the city decided to light the Christmas lights Saturday night, several days earlier than we or many others had expected. I'm sure the early lighting was in honor of Celie and Will, two of the sweetest kids one could ever meet — even if they are sometimes too smart for their own good. I talked about going to the beach when I was a kid and trying to dig to China. They explained to me that that was a scientific impossibility! They told me they had dug deep enough to reach water, but even if one had the capacity to dig further, you'd have to get through the entire crust, the mantle (which would melt your plastic shovel), the outer core, the inner core, and other such scientific mumbo jumbo. And these are the two who couldn't stop giggling about cutting the cheese!

ENTRY TO CALLE O'DONNELL.
JIM, CELIE, AND WILL AT FAR LEFT, AND CHESTNUTS ROASTING RIGHT FOREGROUND.

CHRISTMAS CHANDELIERS ON CALLE SIERPES.
WOULD IT BE OVER THE TOP TO HANG ONE IN OUR DINING ROOM? JUST ONE?

EL AYUNTAMIENTO (CITY HALL) WITH ITS CUSTOM-MADE ARCHED WINDOW INSERTS.

THE TOP OF AVENIDA DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN LEADING TO THE CATHEDRAL.