# Xmas break



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Any of you lucky people nipping over to Spain for a wee Xmas/New Year break?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Rabbitcat said:


> Any of you lucky people nipping over to Spain for a wee Xmas/New Year break?


No, I'm nipping over to England to see me poor old Dad


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

I'm nippy (-5) and already in the UK with Dad who is making a remarkable recovery from his stroke last week. 

I would like to visit Grandkids at xmas but the airfares are ridiculously expensive so I tend to go after. As a nurse of over 20 odd years Xmas day rarely celebrated on the 25th anyway. Which is all totally off your original topic


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

No probs at all with your post. Very heart warming to hear your dads doing great and quite Christmassy being reminded not everyone even gets a chance to be off work at Xmas. Happy Xmas Megsmum


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

The dog ruined my passport so we can't go anywhere until I get that sorted. I prefer a quiet Christmas anyway.


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## hwmartin (Jun 22, 2015)

We're off to Mondrón on the 18th to spend our first Christmas in our new home, back on the 29th. Unfortunately the neighbours we've become good friends with have all gone the other way. But we have plenty to do indoors anyway. Looking forward to a quiet relaxing time. The local bar/restaurant is open Christmas day! Hope the rain has let up by then!


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

We are over there on Thursday for eight days (on a shopping trip) but back here for Christmas.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We are even luckier, we will still be in Spain for Xmas and the New Year. As usual, we will forsake home to go off into the Parque Natural de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas to a little village, Arroyo Frío, where we rent an apartment. It is quite probable that we shall have snow there, adding a nice Xmas card touch. We may take the opportunity to go and feed the deer, the silver foxes and have a look at how the vultures are doing. We always get the same apartment and this will be our fifth winter visit so we are now quite well known there and there is always a warm welcome. 

The apartment has only a microwave and two-ring stove-top so we take our halogen oven which enables us to do a full roast dinner and the slow cooker is ideal for the Xmas puds. Our Roscón de Reyes has been reserved at the local Coviran and will be waiting for us on our return.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I like that get away from it all set up Baldi, very nice.

Plus I have never seen a fox in real life. Love wild animals but being a townie never see many.

Enjoy your relaxing Xmas


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## amespana (Nov 10, 2009)

We're off to Malaga for a couple of nights to see the lights and have some nice food!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I'll be in Bilbao as always for New Year and Reyes staying with the MIL and family. Every year there are fewer of us for the New Year's Eve dinner (around 18 down from 24 when people were younger!) and more at the cousins get together (44 at the last count - the young 'uns are reproducing at a rabbit rate) in the New Year


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> We are even luckier, we will still be in Spain for Xmas and the New Year. As usual, we will forsake home to go off into the Parque Natural de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas to a little village, Arroyo Frío, where we rent an apartment. It is quite probable that we shall have snow there, adding a nice Xmas card touch. We may take the opportunity to go and feed the deer, the silver foxes and have a look at how the vultures are doing. We always get the same apartment and this will be our fifth winter visit so we are now quite well known there and there is always a warm welcome.
> 
> The apartment has only a microwave and two-ring stove-top so we take our halogen oven which enables us to do a full roast dinner and the slow cooker is ideal for the Xmas puds. Our Roscón de Reyes has been reserved at the local Coviran and will be waiting for us on our return.


What you have posted here and on the private message REALLY does prove the best Xmas's do not have to be over the top splurges of costly excess-indeed quite the opposite


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Just had to share this photo Baldilocks sent me. 

I was telling him I have never seen a fox in real life and he had told me on his walks he had came across various wild animals including foxes.

What about this for a photo of one being fed -right beside him! He took the pic. Brilliant


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

Rabbitcat said:


> Any of you lucky people nipping over to Spain for a wee Xmas/New Year break?


No, I live here :roll:


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## The slow walkers (Nov 10, 2015)

And here's another picture, taken from a different perspective. One fox gains the trust and ...........


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## Swerve (Jun 29, 2011)

Not for Christmas but from the 5th to the 12th December. Air fare was £20.00 return and car hire 31 euro. So couldn't resist. Plenty of jobs getting done though so won't be all play.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Flipping hell, £51 all in!!!

Fair play to you-love hearing these bargains, enjoy


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## Swerve (Jun 29, 2011)

I've just checked the price again and its gone down to £9.98 return. Unbelievable.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Where is that from/to????


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Rabbitcat said:


> Where is that from/to????


Beat me to it. I wasn't going - but at that price...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

We will be staying at home for Christmas as always. Apart from the fact that I love it here at this time of year, I have various animals to feed, including a tarantula called Gloria, belonging to other Brits in the village who are returning to the UK to be with their families.

Tomorrow night I shall be nipping up to the Flamenco Bar for the first of many _zambombas_ - festive parties involving the consumption of anis and buñuelos and the singing of Spanish carols known as _villancicos_. These were originally sung by gypsies to prove that they had converted to Christianity, and they are very lively and rhythmic. Here's an example:


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## Swerve (Jun 29, 2011)

Newcastle to malaga.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Which airline, ooops see it now Ryanair

Now THATS a bargain!!!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I'll be at our perrera up in the foothills of the Sierra Bermeja over Christmas, cleaning up dog sh*it from the pens, giving food, water. A group us will go up every day over Christmas and New Year to make sure the dogs are clean, warm , fed and comfortable. It's actually good fun. We have something to eat and drink and if the weather's fine we'll walk the dogs. There are beautiful tracks up in them thar hills....

Tomorrow is my flamenco club night too....tomorrow and every Friday.
We have totally ignored Christmas for almost twenty years...we're not religious and hate the commercialism.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> We will be staying at home for Christmas as always. Apart from the fact that I love it here at this time of year, I have various animals to feed, including a tarantula called Gloria, belonging to other Brits in the village who are returning to the UK to be with their families.
> 
> Tomorrow night I shall be nipping up to the Flamenco Bar for the first of many _zambombas_ - festive parties involving the consumption of anis and buñuelos and the singing of Spanish carols known as _villancicos_. These were originally sung by gypsies to prove that they had converted to Christianity, and they are very lively and rhythmic. Here's an example:
> 
> UNA PANDERETA SUENA: Zambomba de Jerez con Fernando Moreno - YouTube


Must admit that I don't go for the Spanish carols at all like the one you posted where they all just seem to be shouting and belting the hell out of some instruments to me. There are some I absolutely hate like Los Peces en el Ró that just goes on and on.
And on.
Judge for yourselves


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Must admit that I don't go for the Spanish carols at all like the one you posted where they all just seem to be shouting and belting the hell out of some instruments to me. There are some I absolutely hate like Los Peces en el Ró that just goes on and on.
> And on.
> Judge for yourselves
> Los Peces En El Rio - Villancicos - Musica NavideÃ±a - YouTube


That's a bit like Ben, Ben, Ben that they do in Colombia.

We sometimes have a Villancicos evening when we have the neighbours round and I dish up sausage rolls, bacon and cheese rolls, etc.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Must admit that I don't go for the Spanish carols at all like the one you posted where they all just seem to be shouting and belting the hell out of some instruments to me. There are some I absolutely hate like Los Peces en el Río that just goes on and on.
> And on.


I feel the same way about Once in Royal David's City. 

They are much more fun "live" than on a recording. I love the way all the generations get together and join in, invariably ending up dancing.

Maybe the zambombas are just in my part of Spain though? I believe they originated in Jerez de la Frontera but I don't know how far they've spread.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> I feel the same way about Once in Royal David's City.


I just read that as ONCE, remembering all the booths (about 11, if I remember correctly) in the main drag of Cádiz.


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## pcameron1974 (Nov 10, 2016)

We have our first viewing trip 27-30 December, flying into Malaga from Edinburgh. Just going to get a feel for areas in the Costa Del Sol.


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## Navas (Sep 2, 2012)

We're flying down on the 28th, to be in Spain for New Year and most of January. Can't wait to get back there!


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## Maureen47 (Mar 27, 2014)

We are having Christmas in Spain , its a bit different from our first year , a meal with Spanish friends then Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, family dinner on Christmas day and the run up to Christmas is just fab. Visit to the Mercado Central in Valencia, Christmas Market stall with the Animal recue , Scottish food night for our neighbours and friends , ladies than lunch meal with secret santa ,Spanish class Christmas get together, its all go , my social life is better than ever ! Have a good one everybody ;-) And New Year well ............


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> I feel the same way about Once in Royal David's City.
> 
> They are much more fun "live" than on a recording. I love the way all the generations get together and join in, invariably ending up dancing.
> 
> Maybe the zambombas are just in my part of Spain though? I believe they originated in Jerez de la Frontera but I don't know how far they've spread.


As far east as Estepona Our flamenco Pena has a zambomba every Christmas/New Year...a couple of years ago we had a group from Jerez. 
I'm disappointed with what has happened at our club.....major reformas have been undertaken and all the atmosphere has just gone. The ceiling has been raised, the walls painted white, horrible new flooring put down, that stuff that looks like wood but isn't. 
Before, there was a faint air of dilapidation about the low-ceilinged, tiled floor and walls quite small room. The tablao was so close you got sprayed with the dancers' perspiration and your neighbour's elbows were in your dish of paella and there was a genuine buzz, a sense if not always of duende, at least of real enjoyment and appreciation.
Now it's not a club, it's a theatre. The performers are on a raised tablao, it's a show, not a spontaneous performance where before people would often get up from the floor and join in....
Sad. And last night a hall that was previously packed had under forty people. 'Nuff said


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