Just like previous years this has again been a good year.

We became aunt and uncle!!! Really nice. I have already seen and held the little Annabel. Ana will have to be a bit more patient. Probably the next year when we will be bonded in matrimony and there will be a big celebration in Madrid. I ask Ana to marry me during our vacation in La Palma. After climbing a volcano I went down on my knee, got a nice ring from by backpack and asked the question. I was happy to hear Ana’s reply, a ‘Si’.

We are generally doing okay. Every now and then we get some visits from family or friends (that normally stay in the south) and we like to pass by and visit. This year for our holidays we went to Holland and to Scotland. Scotland is a beautiful country. We really enjoyed it there. We saw a lot of castles, very nice nature and visited a whiskey brewery and drink quite some tasty pints.

My Spanish has improved and is reasonably fluent. This year I passed the official Spanish language exam and I’m thinking about getting a higher level next year. Ana keeps working in the hospital and managed to get some big grants for projects involving hereditary cancer research. A very interesting field of research where there are still lots of things to discover.

We wish everyone a fantastic 2010! A year filled with health, luck, relaxation and new experienced! Here in Spain the tradition is to eat twelve peeled and pitted grapes. One for every sound of the clock at midnight. Each grape represents a month in the new year, filled with luck and prosperity. Afterwards we drink champagne and we toast for prosperity for our friends and family.