I rested up all New Year's Eve Day and had enough energy (and then adrenaline) to enjoy our evening with Gonzalo, Elena, and their warm, charming, and welcoming families from Sevilla and Barcelona. Sadly, the quality of my photos is indicative of my fogged head, but I think you can see what a great time we had celebrating our second New Year's Eve (Año Viejo) in Spain. What an honor and joy to be included in their celebration.
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AND A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE (Y UNA PERDIZ PICANDO PERAS DEL PERAL).
THAT'S ELENA'S GORGEOUS MOTHER MONSERAT NEXT TO GONZALO. A BLUR OF MOVEMENT. |
San Geraldo every year loves to lead in the singing (and dancing) of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." None of our Spanish friends had ever heard of the song. San Geraldo printed out copies for everyone and led a sing-along/dance-along. We all had a ball. As you'll note by the translation in the above caption, we had good reason to sing the song in English.
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SISTERS ELENA AND FATIMA.
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| MORE BEAUTY. CARME (ALBERT'S AMAZING MOTHER) AND IVONNE. |
At midnight, the Spanish tradition is to eat one grape for every chime of the clock. If you succeed, you will have a good year. The stores all sell special 12-packs of grapes for the occasion, but they usually have seeds. San Geraldo doesn't like grapes with seeds. Elena and Gonzalo bought His Highness his own special tin of New Year's Grapes without seeds. Everyone else toughed it out.
Still no hot water. Still more leaks found. But, today, I don't care!
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| MY FESTIVE BAG OF GRAPES WITH SEEDS (LEFT). EVERYONE SPOILS SAN GERALDO. |
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MITCHELL: "¿CÓMO SE DICE EN ESPAÑOL ROAST BEEF?" (HOW DO YOU SAY ROAST BEEF IN SPANISH?)
MATI: "ROAST BEEF." (ROAST BEEF.) |
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| 2013. TEXTING "FELIZ AÑO" TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD. |
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IVONNE AND ALBERT FOLLOWING THE LEAD OF SAN GERALDO.
FIVE GOLDEN RINGS (CINCO ANILLOS DORADOS). |
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| ALBERT AND IVONNE. |
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OUR HOSTS AT 1 A.M.
GONZALO, STILL HANDSOME BUT CLEARLY TIRED. ELENA, AS PERFECT AS SHE WAS AT 10. |
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ELENA WORE THESE ALL NIGHT!
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COFFEE THIS MORNING WITH THE MARVELOUS MATI (GONZALO'S MOTHER).
I'M IN LOVE. |
FELIZ 2013!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteQue noche mas bonita, y espero que os comierais todas las uvas :-)
Que sepas, que cuando vengais a Barcelona, estais invitados a cenar en casa.
SOONKS:
Delete¡Feliz año! ¡Comimos todas las uvas! Muchisimas gracias. ¡Posible este año en Barcelona!
So...two New Year's Eves? The pictures are great and it looks like a blast...and that roast beef looks so yummy. Happy New Years! :)
ReplyDeleteWriter:
DeleteTwo holidays in the same place. Almost an impossibility for us! The roast beef was perfection. The only thing not made by Gonzalo. His mother's specialty. The gravy was out of this world.
I can see why you don't care today if there is no hot water and a few more leaks! Wonderful company can make all the difference in the world!
ReplyDeleteI love the 12 grape tradition too! How did you do with that?
happy New Year Mitch and Jerry!
Jim:
DeleteI was a success (again this year) with my 12 grapes (seeds and all). Here's hoping. My heart is filled with gratitude for the amazing people I've gotten to know these last two years (you guys included)!
It all sounds like so much fun...I was there with you, you know...in spirit to wish you a happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteOver on this side of the pond, Jonathan had to work so I went to bed early and tried to ignore all the blasts from the fireworks going on about us.
Then came the morning of the first day of the year to be awaken by my mom to tell me there was a leak in her bathroom...and you would not believe this...la Gran Dama Eloi had pulled a 500lb cabinet in her bathroom about four inches from the wall and the pipe broke. I guess I am feeding her too well.
That makes it leak number eight!
saludos,
raulito
Raulito:
DeleteOh! Hope your leak is easily (and cheaply) repaired! That mother of yours is something else! Any special reason La Gran Dama needede to rearrange the permanent bathroom fixtures?
She said she was trying to open the door of the sink cabinet...go figure
DeleteRaulito: Unbelievable! She just doesn't know her own strength... or maybe she does.
DeleteI'm glad you're feeling better and were able to see in the new year in style. Those shoes Elena wore would last about 1 minute on my feet... either they'd be kicked off or I'd kick off! We're getting serious with our "count-down"... expect an e-mail with more questions soon.
ReplyDeleteOdd Essay:
DeleteElena surely has style and can carry it off. I think, however, she considers those "inside shoes." Not a pair you'd wear for shopping. Can't wait to see you both. Maybe we'll have hot water by then.
May 2013 be all you and San Geraldo wish for.
ReplyDeletexox
Thanks, sweet Nubian. May you have more than you wish for!
DeleteWow, what beautiful Españoles! Ahhhhhh, it looks like so much fun :) San Geraldo surely deserves the special attention of special grapes after taking the time to share The 12 Days of Christmas with everyone :)) Thanks for teaching me two new things today-- the tradition of año viejo and the 12 grapes thing. I think they do the 12 grapes thing también en el sur de Francia .
ReplyDeleteJudy
Judeet:
DeleteYes, I learned from WCS last year that the 12-grapes tradition is observed there, too. I love it.
Looks like a great time … and I love that they spoiled King Jerry with the seedless grapes!!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a happy (and dry) new year!
Jenners:
DeleteSan Geraldo gets spoiled a lot, and he deserves it. Wishing you a wonderful year!
What a wonderful evening to ring in 2013. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteIt really was perfect!
Shouldn't that be "el roast beef?" Happy New Year to you both. May it be healthy, happy, and seedless. :)
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteProbably! Wishing you a healthy, happy, seedless New Year as well!
I see in my minds eye how San Geraldo performs 'the 12 days of Christmas'. Must have been a blast.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope "F" starts the new year with real promisses, not the empty ones he said last week.
Peter:
DeleteSan Geraldo really gets a work out performing the 12 Days of Christmas. He was sore yesterday! "F" started the New Year the way he ended the old year. He was here yesterday full of ... apologies. No action today.