New Year's Day 2015

Thursday, 1 January, 2015:

After a long Noche Vieja, I slept in until well past 10:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

After starting a load of laundry, watching Spanish TV and working on yesterday’s blog post, I opted to take a late afternoon paseo through Murcia’s city core.

The Typical Paseo Scene

The streets were relatively quiet but there were still plenty of folks out stretching their legs and things to see.

The proper Paseo protocol must be noted and, of course, followed to the letter. First, stroll, i.e., walk very, very slowly. Always walk abreast, the more the better to block the sidewalk. Talk about any and everything as you truly enjoy other people’s company. Ladies, if possible, wear a vintage fur coat.

Do these things and you will be seen as a local, I guarantee it.

I need to keep Laurie away from

this street as much as possible

The Three Wise Men

arrive via camel on Tuesday!

The BVM

A Quiet Woman

A Random Church

Verónicas Market

Built between 1914 and 1917, this is Murcia's huge central market. I'm going to have to get up early and down to see it in action some time soon.

Murcia has Reliefs . . .

. . . Lots of Reliefs

Another Random Church . . .

. . . with a nice mural

And a Third Random Church . . .

. . . I thought He owned all of these churches

Another Museum to visit soon

Cool Dome

Homage to Girl Scouting

Laurie was a cute Brownie as a youth.

Hey, a Swedish Reference

Happy New Year to all of the Hässleholm Hurricanes!

A Cabbage Patch

No babies though.

Interesting Building in

the Jardin El Salitre

What is it?

It’s Murcia’s Bull Fighting Museum

This is another interesting place for me to visit in the near future. I know that I just went to the Bull Fighting Museum in Valencia but I can’t get enough about this controversial part of Spanish culture.

Many Ganadería Brands

Miura Ganadería Brand

This ganadería produces what many considerate be Spain's  biggest and most dangerous bulls.

Have I mentioned that Murcia had a strong Republican, i.e., leftist leaning during the Spanish Civil War.

Maybe it still does . . .

. . . maybe . . .

San Pablo, a MODERN church?

Inside it said that it was built in 2000.

2000 A.D.

This may be, other than Barcelona’s ongoing Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the only church in Spain built after 1834!

Homer elevated to Don status

I’m watching The Simpsons in Spanish as I write this.

Fun Loving Boys I'm Sure

I’ve got to see a Murcia futból match soon!

So far, no college Bowl games to watch . . .

Damn!!!

Wait, Davide Giuliano in Catania, Sicily just sent me a link to a live streaming of the Rose Bowl Game, Oregon vs. Florida State.

GAME ON!!!