I have not been able to update my blog as much as I have wanted to due to technical
issues but next time I will bring my own MacBook. Of course, I will have to buy one first ;)
This in no way reflects badly on my niece Andrea since she has been more than willing
to lend me her notebook and put up with my endless requests for borrowing her system.
Now, if you do not smoke Spain might be a challenge. Ventilation is not any restaurants
stronghold. People in northern Spain do not favor AC, so eating at a place without
moving air and lots of people smoking can choke the hardiest smoker so you can draw
your own conclusions if you cringe at the sight of a cigarrette....buena suerte.The country has been tightening smoking in public places but they have not reached
Gestapo-like control levels like in California and some other blessed states in the Land
of the Wii. Advice for anyone coming to Europe: bring your allergy meds.
Tonight is the big night for Gijon. It is officially known as Las Fiestas de Begona. There
will be fireworks at midnight over the bay (El Muro) and it promises to be quite a party.
Tomorrow the town closes down and everyone has the day off. People will be out
frolicking tonight until the sun comes up. The celebration has pretty much been going on
most of the month of August. Spain is a country where ocio is a national sport. It is
funny because people, especially the younger generation over indulges when it comes
to going out. I ususally go running in the mornings at about the same time, 8:30am to
9:00am and I see the effects of people's craziness. The town is littered with papers,
cigarrette butts, empty drinks, broken bottles, and someone's dinner spilt on the
sidewalk. To add to the ambiance there is a bar right across the hotel (Discoteca
Otto/Bar El Nautico) that is open until 11:00am (or later I think) and people are still out in
the front terraza sitting, drunk/high or both looking worse for the wear watching me as I
jog by as if I'm from Mars. I can't help but to laugh to myself thinking the same thing
about them. Nothing funnier than seeing a drunk girl in heels that as been up all night
trying to eat a bocata (and walk/waddle) while her boyfriend is trying to light up a smoke
and look as if they are sober. Funny indeed!!!!!!Of course, as they see me running by they crack up thinking what a fool I am to be
exercising way too early in the morning while I could be disfrutando de unas copas con
los amigotes like they are. I would advice anyone that wants to go to sleep at a sane
time to get a room in a hotel that faces the inside of the hotel. If not, all the sleeping you
will be doing will be in la playa the next morning.
It is sad to say but it seems like my vacation has almost come to an end. We have a
few more days left and some shopping to finish but it has been a good time. I think we
are ready to go back home, but not ready to go to work. I have already started to think
about the next vacation and where I would like to go. Spain for sure but I would love to
also go to an area in Mexico called Merida in the Peninsula de Yucatan. That will be in
another blog. I think that I might have found something that I could do as an occupation.
I do enjoy travelling and comedy is something I also like so if I marry both together I
could have a show on the Travel Channel called "Travel con Juan" or "Juan's Travels".
I'll work on the concept and the title. More to come at another date. I hope.
Ciao.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
More aventuras en Gijon
Hello All:
Ah, the joys of being free from the shackles that the man imposes...I have just gotten back from some seriously good lunch with the familia at La Cuadra de Anton. Cocido de Garbanzos, Dorado con Pisto and some very tasty Arroz con Leche for postre (dessert). All washed down with some awsome Vino de la Casa. Rocking!!! I have found my place in life once again. I would love to move to Spain for a couple of years to fully experience the lifestyle here. Most things are great but some of them are amusing and can become right down irritating after awhile. Even for me.
Here are some examples. Anything that involves a basic service becomes an adventure in trying to get it achieved. I am trying to buy a phone charger for my dad's phone which was bought here but it (of course) is a problem. I went to two stores and neither one can accomodate my wish. One store does not carry it and the other wants 30 Euros, it takes 2 to 3 days and we would not be able to pick it up until next week. Never mind that we leave on Thursday for Madrid so I would have the charger for two days of use. I just bought a phone from Orange (like saying Verizon) and it cost me 29 Euros which 18 of those go to the actual minutes, so it really cost me 11 Euros.
Services in Spain are really hit and miss. The hotel where we are staying , Hotel Alcomar, is great. They treat us very well, we are right across the beach, we can get anything we need, and the staff is very friendly. In contrast, the hotel in Madrid was nice but the restaurant staff was dry and they act like they are doing you a favor. Any request is met with a a bit of defiance as if you are dealing with a surly servant. Spaniards (like most Europeans) tend to be a bit cold and distant until you have a chance to get to know them. Once they know you and like you they are willing to give you the shirt off their back. I think the absolute worst has to be the staff at any of the airport information/food/stores in Madrid, Barajas. Especially Iberia, the official Spanish airline. You see it once and again when travellers try to ask for information. They are often met with a cold, abrupt and rather nasty bark from whichever peasant happens to be "de turno" (on the job). This is the one big drawback to living in Spain. You have to deal with this lack of customer service everywhere. Maybe the answer is to send our current Big Jefe here and he can set them straight???
On a brighter note, everything else is great. Walking everywhere is a joy (great exercise). You of course have to dodge cars and motorcycles, as well as some dog poop. Temperature is a cool 17-25 Centigrade. Also of interest are the older people that are really almost hobbit like in their dimensions. They rather remind me of Quiniesque-like folk, with his evil attitude and lack of cheer. Luckily they are old and feeble, so you can just push them aside and ignore them like we do Q.
In closing the trip has been fun and full of neat events. I wish time at work would go by as fast...;)
I'll keep posting more stuff with the hope that it is entertaining and interesting.
Hasta luego,
Don Juan de Gijon.
Ah, the joys of being free from the shackles that the man imposes...I have just gotten back from some seriously good lunch with the familia at La Cuadra de Anton. Cocido de Garbanzos, Dorado con Pisto and some very tasty Arroz con Leche for postre (dessert). All washed down with some awsome Vino de la Casa. Rocking!!! I have found my place in life once again. I would love to move to Spain for a couple of years to fully experience the lifestyle here. Most things are great but some of them are amusing and can become right down irritating after awhile. Even for me.
Here are some examples. Anything that involves a basic service becomes an adventure in trying to get it achieved. I am trying to buy a phone charger for my dad's phone which was bought here but it (of course) is a problem. I went to two stores and neither one can accomodate my wish. One store does not carry it and the other wants 30 Euros, it takes 2 to 3 days and we would not be able to pick it up until next week. Never mind that we leave on Thursday for Madrid so I would have the charger for two days of use. I just bought a phone from Orange (like saying Verizon) and it cost me 29 Euros which 18 of those go to the actual minutes, so it really cost me 11 Euros.
Services in Spain are really hit and miss. The hotel where we are staying , Hotel Alcomar, is great. They treat us very well, we are right across the beach, we can get anything we need, and the staff is very friendly. In contrast, the hotel in Madrid was nice but the restaurant staff was dry and they act like they are doing you a favor. Any request is met with a a bit of defiance as if you are dealing with a surly servant. Spaniards (like most Europeans) tend to be a bit cold and distant until you have a chance to get to know them. Once they know you and like you they are willing to give you the shirt off their back. I think the absolute worst has to be the staff at any of the airport information/food/stores in Madrid, Barajas. Especially Iberia, the official Spanish airline. You see it once and again when travellers try to ask for information. They are often met with a cold, abrupt and rather nasty bark from whichever peasant happens to be "de turno" (on the job). This is the one big drawback to living in Spain. You have to deal with this lack of customer service everywhere. Maybe the answer is to send our current Big Jefe here and he can set them straight???
On a brighter note, everything else is great. Walking everywhere is a joy (great exercise). You of course have to dodge cars and motorcycles, as well as some dog poop. Temperature is a cool 17-25 Centigrade. Also of interest are the older people that are really almost hobbit like in their dimensions. They rather remind me of Quiniesque-like folk, with his evil attitude and lack of cheer. Luckily they are old and feeble, so you can just push them aside and ignore them like we do Q.
In closing the trip has been fun and full of neat events. I wish time at work would go by as fast...;)
I'll keep posting more stuff with the hope that it is entertaining and interesting.
Hasta luego,
Don Juan de Gijon.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Trip to the Continent....continued
Just a quick word or two before I head out of the hotel again. I am using my niece's PC that happens to run dog slow because it has Vista basic on 512MB o' Rang' (RAM) in Spanich!!!! There are already plenty of pics with funny tales to tell but I will add these tonight after I get back to my room. One thing I can say is that it has been a lot of fun to be amongst my people. I now feel complete. I am actively looking for employment as a Count or Marques of something or other. If that does not pan out then I am joining Alonso's team as a personal computer/tech/what-do-you-need boy.
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