Mens night making Sushi at the Jolas

Cairo

Visiting Cairo was like revisiting my memories on India. The smells, the dirty streets, the chaotic traffic, no rules, the people trying to get an extra dollar from you. All the negatives are compensated with the overall experience of experiencing live and a new place. Streets full of life. Men and women behaving so differently.

The Pyramids are great. The city is literary in the middle of the dessert. Sand all over. We were at the five stars Hilton Golf resort. A bit too far from anything for my taste. And since Cairo is not too warm this time of the year, I could not really enjoy much outdoors.

I went to see the Egyptian museum and saw the Tutankhamen sarcophagus, really worth seeing it, as well as the rest of the museum. I went then to the bazaar and got almost lost there. Some of the streets get mixed with private home corridors and back stores, making from the place a labyrinth.

I tried the local pipes and avoided eating anywhere else than in the hotel, but still got a bit affected the stomach.

Istambul

I did a stop over in Istambul of about 3 hours, so I took a taxi and went to see the city. Although it was night the city changed completaly my perception of Turkey. Istambul could be any city in Spain. But a really beautiful one. I liked it so much that I promised myself I will be back with Tanje. The Bosphorus bridge and the Mezquites are impressive. The old town is like old towns are supposed to be, fill of life, smells, little shops. A mix of East and West.

Pare unas 3 horas en Estambul e mi camino a Cairo. Cogi un taxi y me fui a ver la ciudad. La verdad es que ha cambiado mi idea de lo que es Turquia. Aunque era de noche pude ver una ciudad que no tiene nada que envidiar a las ciudades mas modernas de Espana. El puente del Bosforo es espectacular, pero tambien lo es toda la costa, la ciudad antigua y las mezquitas. Una mezcla real de este y oeste.

The pyramids of Giza

Large and decadent. A pitty the camel riders spoil part of the experience.

Fuengirola

Now that the weather in Finland is quite disappointing it is a good time to remember last fall when Tanje and Noel spent 5 weeks in Fuengirola and I went down to spent with them most of the weekends. It is notorious the big difference in temperature between these 2 cities in Europe. They had a great time going to beach every day after school. The place is not very beautiful but remains a proper lively town with a good mix of Scandinavian expats and locals.

Ahora que el clima en Helsinki es bastante pobre, sin nieve, gris y frio, viene bien recordar las 5 semanas que Tanje y Noel pasaron en Fuengirola en Octubre. Yo pase bastantes fines de semana con ellos. Ek tiempo fue fantastico a excepcion de un par de dias de fuertes tormentas. El pueblo nos es muy bello pero tiene mucha vida y una buena mezcla de escandinavos retirados y locales.

New Year in Spain

We spent New Year in Zaragoza with my parents. For the first time we ate the grapes at El Pilar square with the final countdown, fireworks and the Tv cameras, it was super crowded and good weather. We also went to see the family in Alcaniz and in a trip full of fog one day skiing with Tanje in Formigal with great weather. We had dinner with Francisco and PAtricias family. Noel played all night long with Francisco and Alvaro. Noel had a great time waiting for the three kings who this year arrived on the evening of the 5th :-)

Pasamos el anyo nuevo en Zaragoza con mis padres. Este anyo por primera vez comimos las uvas en la plaza del Pilar, con fuegos artificiales, las campanadas y las camaras de television. Tambien fuimos a ver a la familia a Alcaniz en un viaje con mucha niebla y pasamos un dia esquiando en Formigal con un tiempo fantastico. Francisco y PAtricia nos invitaron a cenar y Noel lo paso genial jugando con Francisco jr y Alvaro. Lo mejor del viaje fue las espera de los reyes magos que ete anyo llegaron un poco antes la tarde del 5 :-)