I have never given much thought to how the weather makes you fell more or less the Christmas Spirit but, since I've been in Almeria I have come to realize that Christmas without wrong, I love warm weather, but I just realized only when I came back to Sardinia that we really are in December!!! I can't help remembering when I lived in Trento. I remember that it was way too cold, but I loved going out for Xmas' markets and drinking a hot cup of hot apple cider or mulled wine, which I love!!!
However, I have enjoyed Almeria during December because of all the beautiful Xmas decorations and the Spanish traditional sweets and food for this particular Holiday. The main point where you can admire the enormous Christmas Tree and the markets is the beautiful main street "Calle Federico García Lorca", also know as "La Rambla". The street is a lovely wide boulevard with trees on either side where you can take a gentle stroll and enjoy the fountains and the statues as you go. West of the Rambla is the Paseo de Almeria, an older street but very busy shopping venue. At the north end of Paseo de Almeria is Puerta de Purchena, the city's real focus, a busy junction groaning with traffic, but also bustling with life. All these locations are the very core of Almeria and during Christmas time they are completely crowded and only then you remember that in Almeria live more than 200.000 inhabitants.
Nevertheless I introduced my Spanish friends to a classical Italian 'bread' called PANETTONE. It seems that many of them had seen it in the grocery stores but none of them has ever bought it or tried it since they didn't know what it was. I think that after they tried it, they were pretty much n love with it, and how could you resist such lovely and sweet Panettone? Ok, I might admit that I'm crazy about it, but even more I love the Pandoro!
Before I left Almeria, my sister best friend, Belen, has given me some products to bring home that are especially produced in Almeria, due to the tropical weather that you can find nearby. She game me this particular kind of tomatoes called "tomate raf" and a tropical fruit called "chirimoios". Needless to say that my family has appreciated a lot all these goodies!!!!
