Bon Nadal
Happy holidays, dear friends and family! Since many of you haven't laid eyes on us in over a year, here we are at home in Barcelona.
A friend recently asked if I wished we were here at a different time, and my answer is "Of course!" Our biggest disappointments are the lack of travel and social interaction (for the grownups). Sadly, because we took some time to get settled after arriving and went to Rome last Christmas (no regrets there) we still have not left Catalonia! And meeting new people is not a priority for most adults right now. But that being said, there are some silver linings:
Our kids are in school in person and full-time. They were remote from last March through June, but since then keeping kids in school has been a priority in Spain. This means our kids are socializing and improving their Spanish, and they're both in pretty good spirits. They have also begun to learn Catalan in their second year of school here.
We can't say we've been missing the American pandemic response. As in most of the western world, we've been see-sawing between tightening restrictions and increasing case counts. But government response seems data-driven, reasonably transparent and for the most part less controversial.
Year-round outdoor dining is easier here. Even now, at lunchtime it's comfortable to eat outside on a sunny day (and typical to do so, even pre-pandemic).
There are almost no tourists in Barcelona! While this is terrible for the local economy, it has been amazing for the residents. Since we honeymooned here in 2003, tourism has increased exponentially here. Formerly accessible places like Parc Guell have become perpetually mobbed. The pandemic has changed this: the old city's streets are lively but not crowded. One mostly hears Catalan and Spanish spoken around town. Museums are open but nearly empty. Locals are visiting their own cultural sites.
We're eagerly awaiting the vaccine here, which unfortunately will lag behind the US for accessibility to the general population. In the meantime, we'll be spending some time outside of Barcelona after Christmas to get a change of scenery and see more of the Catalan countryside.
Today and tomorrow, we're cooking up a (small) feast of Spanish and Italian food, and eating Spanish Christmas cookies -- mantecadas -- and panettone (as popular here as it is in Italy).
Beautifully simply eucalyptus bouquets are a Christmas tradition here. As in the States, there is apparently a shortage of Christmas trees in Europe. We were still able to find a cute, if not perfectly shaped, live tree, that we've decorated mostly with homemade ornaments.
The only purchased ornaments are a couple of Caga Tios. Have you not heard of the Catalans' pooping Christmas log? You can read about Tio here. There's even a special song.
Happy New Year, and best wishes for a better 2021!