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| My House Circled in Red This side of the roundish cow pasture. Atenas, Costa Rica |
Small Town Commercial Christmas Decorations
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| Nativity in Central Market Courtyard Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| City Hall Christmas Tree Not one in park this year like in past. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Small Local Clothing Store Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Largest Supermarket Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| In Parking Lot of Largest Supermarket Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Many Small Shops have Scooters & Bikes Lined up out front! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And for this shoe store, a sign was enough for them! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| This Chain Bakery a sign and some inside garland. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| A favorite Gift & Office Supply Store has this tree + garlands Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| This Soda settled for ceiling garlands. |
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| And a Gift Shop with an English sign! Oh no! Gringos? Atenas, Costa Rica |
For these and other Christmas photos, see my gallery: Christmas in Atenas 2017
In case you missed the Alajuela Public Tree posted earlier and
Two of the Alajuela City Mall Christmas Trees also posted earlier.
Or the disgustingly early BEFORE HALLOWEEN Walmart Christmas Decorations also in Alajuela.
CHRISTMAS IS BIG HERE! Many businesses will be closed the week between Christmas and New Years and I will have no maid or gardener that week. Home with families!
Bright Flowers & Happy People
See my photo gallery Flora & Forest for more flower photos.
Or my photo gallery People & Fiestas for more happy people.
And I just became aware of the new website for our Su Espacio Spanish Atenas Classes. Nice!
Ship That Ran Aground in Manzanillo, near where I spent a week a year ago September. It could have been weather or a sloppy boat captain (doesn’t say), but it looks like some heavy work will be needed to get it back out to sea. Click the photo in article to see it enlarged.
Paddling Across the Gulf of Nicoya is an interesting article about a group of all ages of Ticos who used paddle boards to paddle across the 17 mile wide Gulf of Nicoya near where I will be vacationing during Christmas. Here paddle boarding has become a popular substitute for surfing, especially for novices or as surfers get older, though this trip was in the relatively calm waters of a bay in the morning, 5-11 am as opposed to the open Pacific Ocean where some people use them.
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT MOVING ABROAD?
Five Things People Will Say When You Tell Them You’re Moving Abroad (Other than “You’re crazy.”)
And somewhere nearer the beginning of this blog, 2014-2015, I tried to answer every one of them.
Festival de La Luz – Christmas Lights Parade
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| The official theme was “Navidad Azul” or “Blue Christmas.” Most groups didn’t follow the theme like this one. |
For more shots of the fantastic parade and the arts & crafts fair, see my photo gallery:
Christmas in Atenas 2017.
Christmas Fair Starts Today
Happy Family Culture in Atenas
See also my photo gallery PEOPLE & FIESTAS.
Melodious Blackbird
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| Melodious Blackbird But the pink bump on the chin is not normal, so I have also posted on ornithological FB group asking about it. In my garden at breakfast this morning. Atenas, Costa Rica |
And my photo gallery of BIRDS
Banded Skipper
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| Banded Skipper Butterfly In my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Photo Gallery of Butterflies & Moths
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| Selfie of Old Man on Daily Walk Atenas, Costa Rica Strangler Fig Tree in Background |
And a gallery of Other Photos of Me for those who say I only have bird photos
New Exercise Equipment in Sports Park
Christmas Trees in the Mall
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| This one has blue elves and a train! |
There are more than these two trees at City Mall Alajuela, but these are a sample of how into Christmas people are here. Every store is of course decorated better than the others and people are starting to decorate their homes. Christmas is in the air and Christmas Carols playing everywhere, more in English than in Spanish! In Atenas our Christmas Art Festival is 14-16 December with the Festival of Lights Parade the evening of 16th. It’s really a big deal!
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| And Poinsettias grow in our yards! 🙂 |









































