Christmas in Algiers

The weather has been unseasonably warm and sunny here.  It has been averaging about 75 every day!  It was interesting celebrating Christmas here.  There are obviously no decorations up and no one wishes you a Merry Christmas (or Joyeaux Noel).  We actually did see one of the florists who had some small Christmas trees but they are very expensive. 

We decorated our house with our Christmas stuff.  We had a few people over on Christmas Eve for some cocktails, appetizers and even a little salsa dancing!  We have some Christmas movies and music with us so we have been enjoying those.  We also have AFN (Armed Forces Network) which has been showing some good Christmas shows and movies. 

Christmas morning, Kirk and I ran a 5k Fun Run at the embassy.  We had to wear our best Christmas hat.  I had on my red Santa hat (as did most of the others) but Kirk got very creative.  He won the prize for the best hat.  See photo below!!

That is a 6 point reindeer and the antlers measured 14 inches!  I won't tell you how much hair gel that took!!   LOL  He also was the first male finisher so he won 2 prizes. 

After the 5k run, we came home and opened presents.  We then went to a Christmas Open House at the embassy where some of the local staff brought their children to see Santa and get a gift and some refreshments.  It was a little strange seeing an all Muslim staff with their families showing up to see Santa. I guess the free food and gifts had something to do with that.  They couldn't get enough of the soda and food. 

We missed being with Abbie for Christmas this year.  I can't believe my baby girl is a young adult living on her own! 

We are getting ready to host a New Year's Eve party.  I hope this lovely weather holds out so we can spill out onto the patio if needed.  We have about 25 guests confirmed and another 10-15 who did not respond yet.  We ordered some party goods online to decorate and make it festive.  There are no bars or clubs here or anywhere to celebrate so we have to make our own fun.

Backyard "visitors"

We have had some excitement here in the backyard.  In the past 2 weeks, we have found 2 "visitors" in our backyard.  The first visitor was on our back patio.  Kirk heard a noise in the backyard.  (Keep in mind there is a public park in the back of our house and we hear stuff all the time.  Also, the hooligans throw rocks at our house occasionally.  Yeah, great neighborhood!)  I was on the computer Skyping with my mom.

Kirk goes to the kitchen to look out the window and yells "There is a man in the backyard."  I think he is kidding with me (those of you who know Kirk can understand why I would think that.)  Then he yells again "There is a man in the backyard!"  By the tone of his voice, I knew he wasn't kidding.  He grabbed our two way radio to alert the Marines at the embassy that we had an intruder.  I grabbed my cell phone and called the Regional Security Officer (who called the Mobile Patrol).  Kirk saw the guy go down the side yard of our house.  Kirk went into the hallway of the building to check the pool patio door.  Someone had left it unlocked! So Kirk locked it, let our neighbor across the hall know what was going on. 

In the meantime, I turned on all the outside lights and was standing watch by the kitchen door when I saw the guy pop his head around the corner of my building and look at me through the window!!  I thought I was going to pee myself!!!!!  I called for Kirk to come check it out.  There is a vacant lot on the side of our house and we think the intruder climbed the wall into the vacant lot.  By the time the Mobile Patrol got to the house, he was gone.  They did a walkthrough of the building and the yard.  The found the cushions from my patio furniture stacked by my living room window, some cigarette butts and 3 beer cans (1 partially gone and the other 2 unopened).  It seems this guy was trying to find a dry place to sleep for the night and was probably watching TV through my living room window!  HOLY CRAP!!

The Mobile Patrol called the local Algerian police and about an hour later had someone in custody.  I had to go outside in front of our building (in the rain) to identify this guy.  And this is not like in the states where the suspect can't see you or is kept in the police car.  The guy was standing in front of the police car smoking a cigarette and I had to go right up in front of him to identify him.  That was so uncomfortable.  The guy was a homeless man who had just been released from jail for stealing.  He was very scruffy and wearing a long dark coat with a pointy hood (very popular here in Algiers).  We call them "Jedi" coats.  He was pretty creepy looking.  So needless to say, I did not sleep well that night.

About a week later, I heard a noise in the backyard and Kirk went to check it out.  He looked out the glass patio door of one of the bedrooms and yells "There is another man in the yard!"  So again, we radioed the Marines, called the Mobile Patrol and tried to see where the guy was going.  He was very close to the door that would let him into the building (which was again left unlocked by one of our residents).  We heard another thump outside which we think was the guy scaling the wall to escape.  He was gone by the time the Mobile Patrol arrived.  They think that it was another homeless man.
We have an outdoor shower and toilet by our pool area and we think they have been coming over the wall to use the facilities and possibly even come into the building to get warm. 

They will be installing concertina wire (razor wire) on the wall next to the vacant lot and trimming back the tree branches that hang into our yard.  They will be installing anti climb fencing on the back wall by the park.

We now make sure the pool patio door is locked when we get home from work and turn on all the outside lights.  It is a little disconcerting knowing that it is so easy to get into our yard and we are on the ground floor with all glass doors & big windows without bars.  You think you are safe and protected but then it turns out not so much.  I will feel much better once the fencing goes up!

Thanksgiving in Mallorca

We got back from Barcelona on Sunday, worked 3 days and then took off for Mallorca Spain on Thanksgiving Day to spend the holiday weekend there.  We  flew Air Algerie again on a dual prop plane.  We were sitting at the gate that the flight was scheduled to go out of when an announcement was made and a whole bunch of people got up and left for another part of the terminal.  It was about the time that our flight should have been boarding so I went to the gate agent and asked, in my very bad French, about the flight to Mallorca.  He told me, in his very bad English, that the flight had been changed to another gate and they just didn't change the information on the display boards. Good thing I asked!!  We had to take a bus from the terminal out onto the flight line where we boarded the little crop duster.   This flight was, you guessed it, also not on time!

We were scheduled to sit in the very last row....oh crap!  Thank goodness Kirk's seat didn't have a seatbelt and the flight wasn't full so we got to move up a couple of rows.  I wish I could explain the odors to you but I just can't find the words.  Not bathing every day and the spices/foods that are eaten in Algiers make for a very pungent aroma and it is hard to escape when you are on a plane!

We landed in Mallorca around 8 pm and caught a bus from the airport to a very busy square in Palma, Mallorca.  We then had to find our connecting bus, at night, in a foreign language and figure out which direction we were supposed to be heading!  Thankfully, alot of the people at the bus stop spoke English.  I was trying to pull out my Spanish but it was coming out as a mix of French, Spanish and English all jumbled together!!  I was really trying to speak Spanish but my brain was thinking in French and then my English would just come out automatically!  It was quite humorous.  I tried to say yes and this is what came out....oui, I, mean si, yes!!  Even the clerks and waiters got a laugh out of my language jumble.

We had a beautiful seaside room at the hotel with a balcony.  We were hungry so we wandered out into the neighborhood to find something.  We didn't want a big dinner so we ended up at a little tapas bar that was in a neighborhood full of signs in Russian (don't ask, I have no idea why).   We ordered cheeseburgers and fries to go and bought a cheap bottle of wine to take back to our room.  We opened the sliding door to hear the ocean and enjoyed our Thanksgiving cheeseburgers with a great view of the Mediterranean while watching NFL football telecast in Spanish!
 

I guess there are alot of German/Russian and English tourists that visit Palma in season because everywhere we went the signs and menus were in Spanish, English and German, which worked to our advantage.

We spent the first day with a map and just walked all over the city.  Palma has the most beautiful architecture and the coolest little alleys with cobblestone streets.  There were beautiful old cathedrals, castles and houses.  The shopping was fabulous!!  Even Kirk tried stuff on and even bought himself some things!  It was great to have shopping options and there was a store called El Corte Ingles which rivals Macy's.  There were Christmas decorations up and Christmas music playing in some of the stores.  We soaked it all up since we certainly won't get any of that in Algiers!

We were down by the water and found the Hard Rock Café, where we bought a souvenir glass to add to our collection.  Somehow, we started that tradition years ago, so now when we go to a new city with a Hard Rock, we have to buy a glass for our collection.  (Yes, we also bought one in Barcelona!)

The desk clerk at the hotel recommended an Italian restaurant just up the street called Il Paradiso.  WOW!!!  The building itself was spectacular and we got a table near the window overlooking the sea.  The atmosphere was wonderful, the music was relaxing (think Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett). We had a bottle of Prosecco (one of my favorite sparkling wines) and the most excellent meal I have had in a very, very long time.  We lingered for almost 3 hours and enjoyed every second.  Looking back now, I wish we had eaten there every night!!!

The next day, we decided to have a more relaxing day.  We wandered out into our neighborhood and headed toward the marina where we found a cool place called Mojo Beach.  There must be alot of English tourists who use the Marina because all the menus were translated into English and they had mostly English type breakfasts on the menu.  Most of the people eating there had British or Australian accents. We ate here both mornings and enjoyed eggs, bacon, sausage and fresh squeezed orange juice (again really enjoying the pork!!). 

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped a local grocery store where we bought some fresh bread, ham, and cheese for a picnic on the beach.  We spent the afternoon laying on the beach, soaking up the sun.  My first clue that we were in Europe was that I was the only one still wearing my bikini top!  And it wasn't just the ladies enjoying their freedom...one guy gets out of the water and strips off his bathing suit to dry it off on the rocks!  We are not in Kansas anymore Toto!!  LOL

All in all, it was a great way to spend the day.  We got cleaned up and caught the bus back into the city center to walk around and find somewhere for dinner.  There was a street festival going on down at the port and we wandered around there for awhile.  I bough a glass of wine (in a solo cup) for 1 euro and bought some jewelry.  We found a steakhouse where we were so surprised to enjoy our salads so much!  We don't get much salad here in Algiers because it is such a hassle to make it (bleaching, rinsing and it is expensive).  It is funny the little things you miss or take for granted, like getting a good salad whenever you want.

The next day we did more shopping, loading up on (you guessed it), more pork, cheese and alcohol to take home.  LOL  Whatever it takes, we find a way!

We headed back to the airport, dragging our feet, because we didn't want to leave.  On a positive note, our flight was on time! 

Barcelona

We finally got to reschedule our trip to Barcelona (the one that had to be cancelled in October due to the visit of the SecState).  We were supposed to leave at 615 in the morning but found out the afternoon prior that the morning flight had been cancelled and we were rebooked on the 445 flight out.  It was disappointing to lose a full day in Barcelona but it was nice to have the morning to relax and pack without the stress.  We flew Air Algerie.  Their flights are often delayed and it is a bit disconcerting to hear the safety briefs in Arabic!  They also do them in French.
We arrived at the airport to a 10 foot sign at the door that says No Smoking....as we entered through the door, we walked into a cloud of smoke!!!  It is certainly not the States!!  The Algerians smoke everywhere.  We checked in and went to our gate, only to find that this flight was delayed more than an hour.  We started to wonder about this trip and we hadn't even left Algeria yet.  We boarded the plane, enjoyed a tuna sandwich and a water on the 50 minute flight.  At least there was no one smoking on the plane!! LOL

We took a train from the airport to Sants Estacio, a large train station, which just happened to be right next to our hotel.  There was also a Metro station there, which proved to be very handy.  It was after 8 by the time we checked in.  We upgraded to a room on the 20th floor with a super view of the city.  We went down the bar to grab a bite to eat and discovered some really great white wine.  We proceeded to drink 2 bottles.  It was called Le Perro Verde, the green dog, and the corks were bright green!  We kept the corks and added them to our collection when we got home.

The next day, we got a map from the concierge and took off to explore.  We found a bakery just around the corner from our hotel where we enjoyed our breakfast each morning.  We walked all over the city, enjoying the architecture of the buildings and the wonderful shops & restaurants.  Antoni Gaudi is a famous architect and his most famous building is called La Sagrada Familia, which is a huge cathedral that has been being built for over a 100 years by different architects.  It is from where we get the term "gaudy", because there is a whole lot going on with this building.  The style is quite unique!  But once we walked inside the cathedral, our jaws dropped.  It is the most impressive building I have ever seen.

We ate lots of ham while we were there.(since we can't get pork in Algiers).  There is a special type of ham called Iberian ham.  It is so good!!  We got lots of sandwiches, made with a baguette, ham, cheese and olive oil/tomato spread.  Yummy!  We brought a bunch home with us, along with 6 bottles of wine and a big wedge of fresh parmesan cheese!!  Thank goodness we packed a cooler bag in our suitcase! You learn to work around the restrictions in Algeria.

We walked along the beach, enjoying the Mediterranean coast line and watched the surfers.  I thought it was pretty chilly to be in the water but the surfers didn't seem to mind.  It was sunny but cool and we had jackets on.  There was a great shopping center down in the old port, along with wonderful old buildings and great statues.  There were fountains and statues everywhere. 

The main street running through Barcelona is called Las Ramblas.  It is a huge street, filled with shops, restaurants, street vendors, and street performers.  There is a section called the floral district, where all the street vendors sell flowers.  We walked this street several times, shopping and eating along the way!  We had tapas (a variety of small dishes, like appetizers) and paella.  I had some great sangria! 

There were a wide variety of street performers to entertain us, including a little dude dressed in this white fuzzy costume which made him look like a tiny version of the Abominable Snowman!  He was just following people around on the sidewalks, scaring them, posing for pictures, and stopping at the tables asking for money.  There were the people dressed as statues, just posing and waiting for you to take their picture (which they then expected you to pay for the photo).

The second day we walked around more, finding the shopping district on Avenida Diagonal.  We found a great little place to have lunch, which served the ham sandwiches along with a glass of cava (the local term for their champagne).   What better way to take a break from shopping and walking
than eating a delicious ham sandwich on a baguette with a cold, sparkling glass of cava.  We were the only tourists in the place...everyone else were locals on their lunch breaks.

We found a bullfighting arena that had been renovated into a shopping mall.  The concierge at the hotel told us that they don't do bullfighting in Barcelona any more.  The only place it is still conducted is in Madrid.

We shopped some more and then headed off the find the Magic Fountain, which is in front of the beautiful National Art Museum.  This fountain performs shows with music, lights, and lasers every evening after dark.  Kirk and I got there early and got good seats, maybe too good since we started getting mist blown on us!  It was beautiful.  There were alot of people gathered for the show.  I can only imagine what it is like in the summer! We headed back to the hotel and made reservations at the hotel, which was on the 23rd floor.  The views were stunning. 

We hopped on the sightseeing bus on our last day, to see all the sights that we didn't get to on foot.  It was a great tour of the city.  There was quite a bit more that we didn't get to see.  I guess that means we will have to go back!