Photo: Aqua X pool.Christmas was a success for our boys. They really were very happy for staying and just relaxing without having to undertake the grueling two day trek to Texas! They even had fun at their end of the cycle party at school and made jokes about singing “la Rama” around the old neighborhood in Coatepec. ( “La Rama” is a tradition of the area in which kids decorate a dead tree branch with tinsel and other ornaments and go around the neighborhood “caroling”. The neighbors then reward them with money, candy or small trinkets. The “Rama” later on will decorate the Nativity scene that every home has.) There was no Rama for us, but a very funky Christmas tree (I call it our shag tree) and a quiet and peaceful Christmas and New Years.
We just finished celebrating Día de Reyes (Epiphany) and filled our bellies with traditional bread. No tamales for us this year, there was no way I was going to make some, but we managed to have good meals for the holidays including a big turkey I roasted, some cod fish and a delicious meal at the best Italian eatery in the region: Casa Italia.
Ok, maybe we are partial to this place, but I have not had a better Pizza or Penne al Fungi this side of the Atlantic! Guido, the Chef owner, is also a good friend and really knows his food. He only uses fresh ingredients and makes sure Italian music is always blaring off the TV in the dining room. We hear from his wife (a wonderful, gorgeous Cuban woman) that they are offering Cuban food on the weekends. We are definitively going back for Cuban soon since we already tried her cooking and it is as good as her husbands! What a couple!
We also took a little trip to Veracruz to visit the beloved Acuario (aquarium). It was fun, but they are building a new dolphin enclosure so part of the outdoors is closed. It turned out to be a short visit due to construction so we decided to go eat at another favorite: La Parroquia. It is a restaurant that has been serving the Port of Veracruz for almost 100 years (my grandmother and my father used to go there in their youth). It is famous because of it’s café lechero (café au lait) that is served from steaming pots right on your table –I can’t have caffeine right now!-, still, we enjoy eating the shrimp and fish and the many people that pass by.
The boys just returned to school today and had a great day. They also enjoyed their marathon swimming at AquaX and felt elated. We all had good Holidays, but there is a certain peace in getting back to the routine, whichever it might turn out to be this year!
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2 comments:
Hello,
I came across your blog when I looked up blogs in Veracruz--our family also has a blog. We are living in xalapa with our three boys--12, 10, 4. We arrived from N. Carolina in June. Just thought I'd say hello. I was interested in your comments about the "nuestro mundo" since we are seriously unhappy with the "colegio de xalapa" where the boys are going. we are considering homeschooling again. good luck in your adventures here in xalapa! p.s. we just rented bikes at a little shop close to the parque de los berros for 20 pesos/hour....a great time was had by all! Karyn
Karyn:
We would love to meet you guys! We've been here since 2007 (Augustish), we lived in Coatepec one year and now we are in Xalapa.
We love Berros and should go there more often... it's great to know about the bike rental. We like Nuestro Mundo, the kids can go a couple of days as a try-out anytime! As a Secundaria most of the NM kids go to Xallitic which is less traditional (some people call it Hippie... which it is not, but it is very different.)
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