{"id":3494,"date":"2022-01-19T10:45:47","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T09:45:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/?page_id=3494"},"modified":"2022-01-19T10:45:47","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T09:45:47","slug":"week-51-christmas-in-alicante-and-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/?page_id=3494","title":{"rendered":"Week 51: Christmas in Alicante and in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The main event in the week leading up to Christmas was our trip to New York to see our son for the first time in two years and to celebrate the holidays with him and our daughter-in-law. Before that, I continued to enjoy Alicante during the festive season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>51_1<\/strong>:<br \/>\nOn December 21st, my wife and I walked down to the beach to see the winter solstice sunrise. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating, and there was hardly any sunrise to be seen:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_1.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1106\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_2<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_2.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1108\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_3<\/strong>:<br \/>\nPeople continued to flock to the nativity scene on Plaza Monta\u00c3\u00b1eta:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_3.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1098\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_4<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_4.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1102\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_5<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThe large nativity scene on the Esplanada remained a popular spot for selfies:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_5.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1112\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_6<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThe building housing the local college of architects is nicely decorated:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_6.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1113\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_7<\/strong>:<br \/>\nTwo pictures illustrating the economic impact of the pandemic. First, a nightclub that has gone out of business:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_7.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1116\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_8<\/strong>:<br \/>\nOn the other hand, Covid has spawned new businesses:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_8.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1115\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_9<\/strong>:<br \/>\nAnother pair of photos, with contrasting fortunes. Here, a woman wearing fancy clothes:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_9.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1118\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_10<\/strong>:<br \/>\nNot far from there, a homeless man uses a fountain to wash himself. This is strictly speaking forbidden in Alicante and is punishable by a 100 Euro fine, but for obvious reasons this rule is not enforced very much:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_10.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1117\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_11<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThe vestibule of our local supermarket continues to provide me with photos of cute dogs:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_11.jpg\" alt=\"R006807\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_12<\/strong>:<br \/>\nI continued to enjoy my cycling, knowing that I would be taking a 2-week break during our trip to New York and Puerto Rico:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_12.jpg\" alt=\"1020030\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_13<\/strong>:<br \/>\nOne morning, there was mist and Busot was shrouded in fog:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_13.jpg\" alt=\"1020036\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_14<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThe square of the village, decorated:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_14.jpg\" alt=\"1020042\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_15<\/strong>:<br \/>\nIn the morning of December 24th, we drove to Madrid, from where we flew to New York, arriving late afternoon local time. Our son met us at JFK, we picked up our rental car and followed him to Weehawken, New Jersey, where he lives. We had booked a hotel 5 minutes walk from his apartment. Once checked in, we walked to his place and met our &#8220;grand-pets&#8221; for the first time. Monica loved Euclid:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_15.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1132\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_16<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThis is the other grand-pet, Watson. Moses and Myrela adopted him in late 2020:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_16.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1134\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_17<\/strong>:<br \/>\nAfter a lovely, low-key Christmas Eve with our son, daughter-in-law and the pets, we walked back to the hotel, enjoying this view of Manhattan along the way:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_17.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1140\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_18<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThe next day, Christmas morning, the weather was not nearly as clear as the night before:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_18.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1141\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_19<\/strong>:<br \/>\nWe had agreed with my son to do the gift exchange around noon. In the morning my wife and I drove to the neighbouring town, Hoboken, to buy a few last-minute things. I was fascinated by the utility boxes on the main street, adorned with positive and uplifting messages:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_19.jpg\" alt=\"R006819\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_20<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_20.jpg\" alt=\"R006818\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_21<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_21.jpg\" alt=\"R006817\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_22<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_22.jpg\" alt=\"R006816\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_23<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_23.jpg\" alt=\"R006815\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_24<\/strong>:<br \/>\nI am not sure how this plays vis a vis the establishment clause of the US Constitution, but the Hoboken town council seems to be hedging their bets:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_24.jpg\" alt=\"R006812\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_25<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThen we got together with Moses, Myrela and the pets at their apartment. Moses wore the only red shirt he owns, which pleased me very much:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_25.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1152\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_26<\/strong>:<br \/>\nEuclid is a Samoyed, a big and active dog. But he is still a puppy and likes to play, often by ripping paper:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_26.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1148\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_27<\/strong>:<br \/>\nOr by hiding under the sofa as best he can:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_27.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1167\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_28<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThen we started the gift exchange. Moses and Myrela are avid readers, and so books featured prominently as presents:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_28.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1163\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_29<\/strong>:<br \/>\nMonica scored a couple of new games for her Nintendo Switch:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_29.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1157\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_30<\/strong>:<br \/>\nThe pets also received presents:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_30.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1176\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_31<\/strong>:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_31.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1170\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_32<\/strong>:<br \/>\nWatson guards the presents:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_32.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1187\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>51_33<\/strong>:<br \/>\nWe finished the festivities by taking the &#8220;official&#8221; Christmas portrait of the family, using the tree in the main hall of the apartment building as the backdrop:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"uploads\/2021\/51_33.jpg\" alt=\"DSF1194\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The main event in the week leading up to Christmas was our trip to New York to see our son for the first time in two years and to celebrate the holidays with him and our daughter-in-law. Before that, I continued to enjoy Alicante during the festive season. 51_1: On December 21st, my wife and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3141,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3494"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3494"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3499,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3494\/revisions\/3499"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}