Hi there, Annabel and Eric here to give you an update on the neighborhood. There will actually be more buildings than people, but so it goes. Yo. Let's start with the morning, and some of the folks we wait with at the bus stop.
This isn't the full crowd, but it's the ones who are usually there waiting for the bus to the Colegio Ingles. The bottom picture features Annabel's friend Aitana and her amazingly adorably beyond cute little sister Amanda.
Bonobus.
[Random comments such as that one are from Annabel. That is, by the way, the name of our city bus pass.]
Back in 2004 Annabel and Aitana were the only two kids who got on and off at this stop, and by coincidence that only other kid happened to be in Annabel's class, and we became friends with her family. But the school has more than doubled its enrollment in the last seven years, and now there's a fair crowd at the bus stop, sometimes different folks in the morning and afternoon, "los padres (y abuelos) de la parada."
These are a couple of views from our neighborhood, one looking south toward the cathedral and the center of the city, with the Cantabrian Range in the background, and the other looking west at some new apartments and an old church up behind our apartment, with the local viewpoint hill, Naranco, in the background. You may just be able to make out the giant Jesus on the left along the skyline.
Swatch.
We'd like to kick our new soccer ball around that field in the foreground of the top picture, but it's primary function is to service dogs, and even if we exercise our futbol skills to dodge the poop, it's hard to forget about all the pee everywhere that we can't see. Plus people look at us funny when we walk on the grass, even though there are no rules against it. We saw some young people throwing frisbee on that grass this afternoon, and we knew immediately that they were Americans, for any number of reasons, but including the fact that they were playing on that grass.
Onion.
Annabel has started dance class, but it's a mixed class, half ballet and half Spanish (flamenco) dance. She likes learning the new stuff, and also the more relaxed atmosphere that allows students to wear somewhat more varied dance clothes. The skirt and shoes and castanets in this picture are, however, required.
That one was taken in our living room, of course. Time to go back outside. And then time to go back inside, to Annabel's room.
The Hotel Carbayon, in that reddish building in the top picture, is where you'd stay if you were visiting us (and where some of you will stay when you visit us), but I like this picture also because it shows a couple of attractive buildings in the neighborhood. Such an astounding contrast between Athens, where almost all the buildings are the same cream color, and Oviedo, where there is an effort to make almost every building look different from the ones around it.
Tennis racquet.
And finally, Annabel in her room in front of her beloved Dr. Who poster.
and now ME!!(Annabel)Dad got it wrong.It's DOCTOR who not DR.who. Dalek... EXTERMINATE!!!!!!!!!
This isn't the full crowd, but it's the ones who are usually there waiting for the bus to the Colegio Ingles. The bottom picture features Annabel's friend Aitana and her amazingly adorably beyond cute little sister Amanda.
Bonobus.
[Random comments such as that one are from Annabel. That is, by the way, the name of our city bus pass.]
Back in 2004 Annabel and Aitana were the only two kids who got on and off at this stop, and by coincidence that only other kid happened to be in Annabel's class, and we became friends with her family. But the school has more than doubled its enrollment in the last seven years, and now there's a fair crowd at the bus stop, sometimes different folks in the morning and afternoon, "los padres (y abuelos) de la parada."
These are a couple of views from our neighborhood, one looking south toward the cathedral and the center of the city, with the Cantabrian Range in the background, and the other looking west at some new apartments and an old church up behind our apartment, with the local viewpoint hill, Naranco, in the background. You may just be able to make out the giant Jesus on the left along the skyline.
Swatch.
We'd like to kick our new soccer ball around that field in the foreground of the top picture, but it's primary function is to service dogs, and even if we exercise our futbol skills to dodge the poop, it's hard to forget about all the pee everywhere that we can't see. Plus people look at us funny when we walk on the grass, even though there are no rules against it. We saw some young people throwing frisbee on that grass this afternoon, and we knew immediately that they were Americans, for any number of reasons, but including the fact that they were playing on that grass.
Onion.
Annabel has started dance class, but it's a mixed class, half ballet and half Spanish (flamenco) dance. She likes learning the new stuff, and also the more relaxed atmosphere that allows students to wear somewhat more varied dance clothes. The skirt and shoes and castanets in this picture are, however, required.
That one was taken in our living room, of course. Time to go back outside. And then time to go back inside, to Annabel's room.
The Hotel Carbayon, in that reddish building in the top picture, is where you'd stay if you were visiting us (and where some of you will stay when you visit us), but I like this picture also because it shows a couple of attractive buildings in the neighborhood. Such an astounding contrast between Athens, where almost all the buildings are the same cream color, and Oviedo, where there is an effort to make almost every building look different from the ones around it.
Tennis racquet.
And finally, Annabel in her room in front of her beloved Dr. Who poster.
and now ME!!(Annabel)Dad got it wrong.It's DOCTOR who not DR.who. Dalek... EXTERMINATE!!!!!!!!!
