The Crazy Christmas Holiday

This is way overdue, but no excuses, I'll just get right to it. I've had quite a crazy holiday, filled with Spanish Christmas traditions and delayed train rides in Italy.

I left Pamplona on the 19th, and took the bus to Barcelona. It was a long bus ride and I arrived at around midnight. My cousin Maya picked me up and we took the taxi to their new apartment. It was much bigger than their old one, and really nice. The next day I spent with Julie. Day being around 5pm. I woke up at about 11, and my cousins, who love to sleep even more than me, woke up even later. We had breakfast, then they started cleaning up the apartment since their mom would be coming later in the evening. After cleaning up and showering we had lunch, and then we went out to start our "day". I helped Julie with last minute Christmas shopping for our cousins back in the Philippies. Barcelona was steaming with people, but instead of disgruntled and harassed shoppers, it was much nicer in the holiday spirit. Christmas lights were everywhere, and the people on the street were smiling and friendly, wishing merry christmas to the friends they spotted. Tito Johnny and Tita Patricia arrived later in the evening, and we ate out for dinner. We ate at a restaurant and had a 7-course meal. The courses were tiny of course, but still, it was something else.

My relatives left for Manila the next day while I headed off to Girona, some two hours from Barcelona. I spent a few days with Maria, a friend, and her family. We walked around Girona and just chilled about in her house or went out with her friends.

I arrived at Miranda de Ebro on the 24th, in time to celebrate Christmas Eve with Marina's family. I arrived just in time for lunch, and met the family: her parents, her three brothers and two sisters. She has one more brother but he's in Rome. I passed the afternoon playing Spanish card games and board games. Spanish cards are different, with cups, gold, clubs and swords instead of spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds. Another thing is that most Spanish cards games don't use the 8's or the 9's. Which got me wondering why they still include them in the deck.

In the evening we had our Nochebuena meal. A variety of pinchos followed by lamb. Then at midnight we attended the Misa de Gallo. What surprised me was the number of people in mass, there were no more than 40. I have always thought that Spain was a super Catholic country, so it surprised me a little. The church was a small church though, but compared to the Midnight Mass I remember in Manila, it was a big change. After mass, we had some tapas and drinks with the other churchgoers.

On Christmas day we went to mass again, and people kept dropping by their apartment to wish greetings. They gave me a few gifts, and I gave them the Magic Sing (Karaoke mike). They started singing immediately, and it was really funny to watch. Once, a Tagalog song came up, and in their attempt to sing it, I almost died of laughter.

The next few days passed by quickly. I had a great time with Marina's family, they were very kind and extremely funny. Marina has six brothers and sisters, so including her parents, that makes them nine in the family. Their house is an apartment, a not a very big one at that. They had three bedrooms (parents, girls, and boys), two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room which also served as the dining room. Coming from the Philippines, where we all live in houses, I could not possibly imagine how they could live here. Yet as the days passed, I got used to it. The apartment may have been small, but it sure was cozy. We'd pass the afternoons in the living room, sitting around, talking, reading, playing cards, or board games. Then perhaps go out for two hours or so, walking around.

We went out of the city a few times. I visited Vitoria, capital city of one of the three provinces of the Pais Vasco. A small but pretty city richly adorned with decorations. As we were walking I spotted this, which really looked like a child about to fall off the apartment balcony.

What it really is Olentzero, the Basque version of Santa Claus, "trying to climb in the apartment."

Another day we visited Burgos, the city itself, where Marina's relatives live. (Burgos is the name of the Region and of the city.) We visited her grandmother and two aunts, and walked around the city after. I probably say this about every Spanish city I visit but, Burgos is beautiful. It really, really is. The city has such an olden and authentic atmosphere and it really feels like I'm transported back in time.

Nochevieja (New Year's Eve) itself is spent with the family. Our Nochevieja meal was the same as our Nochebuena. Several appetizers followed by the main course of lamb. After dinner we sat in the living room and turned on the TV to watch the celebration in Madrid. The great Nochevieja celebration takes place in the Puerta del Sol of Madrid, where practically the whole city comes to eat grapes and drink champagne at midnight. The rest of the Spaniards follow this ritual by television.

As the clock strikes midnight, with each toll of the bell we popped one of the twelve grapes in our mouths. One grape for each month, to bring good luck for the new year. It is not an easy feat, but I guess one the Spanish have mastered. I was only able to stuff 10 in my mouth, partly because my mouth was full, partly because I chewed too slow, and partly because I was laughing at Marina. Now if I had to pop twelve chocolate balls in my mouth, that would be a different matter.

After 1am the new year is spent with friends. The citizens dress up and head to the old part of the city where there is an abundance of bars and discos. The bars are located on the narrow streets off the main road, made even narrower by the people crammed into them. Marina and I headed back home near 5 in the morning (I think), and we were one of the first of her friends to go home.

I had a really great time and come the 2nd of January, I was sad to leave.

I headed back to Girona and spent the night with Maria again in order to catch my flight the next morning. The next morning I arrived at the airport early enough, checked in and everything. And my flight was delayed half an hour... then and hour... then two. I ended up having to wait three hours! I finally landed in Milan, and had to wait for the next train to San Remo which was in two hours. When I finally arrived in my hotel in San Remo, I dropped dead on my bed.

I spent the next three days with Marielle, one of my classmates from the Philippines, in San Remo. It was fun hanging out with her, walking up and down (and up and down) the streets of San Remo, taking random pictures, making kwento, and comparing Spanish and Italian grammar.

On the 7th I left for Venice, and had a very hassle day! To get to Venice I had to stop over in Milan. As we neared Milan, I noticed the train was lagging behind and we were more than a few minutes behind schedule. I was really worried because I had to catch my train to Venice. Apparently, there was a somewhat snowstorm in Milan, and the city was covered in snow. As were the railtracks and so it took the train a long time to enter the station. The train finally stopped and I checked my phone; I had ten minutes to change trains. Then another problem came up: for some weird reason the doors to our compartment wouldn't open. I and the rest of the people in the coach were walking up and down the train looking for a way out. I now had five minutes to change trains and I was beginning to really panic. We finally got out, and I rushed to the screens to check which platform my train was leaving from. I guess I shouldn't have worried because all the trains were delayed! I managed to find a spot near the tv screens where I could sit and read. The train station was crowded with people and their luggages, everyone waiting for their train. About two hours later, the platform for my train finally appeared on the screen and since it was freezing cold, I went to sit in the train. But it wasn't until another two hours later did the train finally leave. A total of having to wait four hours! I finally arrived in Venice at around nine in the evening. I took the vaporetto, got of at the Rialto stop, and was able to find my hotel without much difficulty.

Venice was beautiful. I've seen a lot of pictures and heard a lot about Venice, but really seeing it was truly something else. I was really amazed with the Grand Canal, and the perfectly systemized water transportation. Not all streets were as narrow as I imagined but it did feel like I was walking through a maze. Surprisingly, I didn’t get lost in Venice! As I was planning my itinerary I actually allotted time for getting lost, but since I didn’t spend much time lost, I was able to see many more things.

It also snowed in Venice, and I was really amazed by the snow. The wind was also so strong that my umbrella was useless since it was blown inside out. I didn’t mind the snow falling on me though. At one point I was just standing in the middle of St. Mark’s square staring up at the snow falling. I’m sure I must have looked a little weird.

I was able to visit St. Mark’s Basilica, the Ducale Palace, the Academy Gallery, Santa Margherita Church, and a few other churches, museums, and square. I was actually pretty content though just sitting on the vaporetto (water bus) cruising up and down the Grand Canal.

I left on the ninth to visit a friend in Trento. (Again another delayed train). I had a great weekend with her. On Sunday we went to the city of Merano to go to a water spa. It was really awesome because it was a heated pool, pretty relaxing for the cold day.

Then on Monday, I headed to Milan to visit the Montinolas, family friends from the Philippines. While I passed Milan numerous times to change trains or go to the airport, this was actually my first time to see the city. I enjoyed Milan, it was my relaxing stage. I woke up late, went out in the afternoons, saw Milan with Tito Johnny and Tita Karen, made kwento with Alexa, watched Julianna bake a cake, played Wii with Marki (I won one game.) I loved the weather in Milan, and there was snow everywhere! It was a pretty white picture, though it did remind me that snow could be dangerous, especially when it's like ice. It was cold, but with the sun out, it made perfect weather for walking around.

I left Milan early Sunday morning, arrived in Girona, took a bus to Barcelona, crashed in my cousins' apartment for a few hours, then finally took a six hour bus back to Pamplona. Traveling the whole day sure is tiring, and I was ready for a good dinner and a twelve-hour sleep.

While traveling is fun, there's nothing like the comfort of home. Home sweet home.

P.S. I'll upload the pictures another time.