Family, Travel, and Friendship: A Personal Journey
Cherished Moments with Family and Friends
The best days for me are when I’m with my family and friends. Usually, we like to invite them to our house for lunch or dinner. My wife and I plan the menu a few days before. We always like to prepare a surprise for them, which may be food or drink. We enjoy watching television programs that teach new dishes and then cook for family and friends. Sometimes we have to improvise a little during the dinner. At dinner, we talk about the new menu of the day, and if they like it the most, we write the recipes in the cookbook to repeat them in the future. During dinner, we usually make plans to do some tour together, to see some city or some sights, but it is becoming more difficult; someone always has that day busy.
Introduction: Eduardo from Spain
Hi Peter,
My name is Eduardo, I’m from Spain, and I live in a town in Madrid, Collado Villalba. I’m married; my wife’s name is Ruth, and I have a son, his name is Juan Carlos, he is sixteen years old. I’m an electronic engineer, and for my work, I travel around the world, so I’m studying English. I have a brother and a sister; I’m the youngest of the three. My brother lives in a town in Madrid, Vicalvaro, but my sister does not live in Madrid; she lives in Valencia, where the Fallas take place. My father died in 2009, and my mother lives in Madrid.
Please write soon.
Best wishes,
Eduardo.
Trip to Milan
I went to Milan last July with my wife and my son. I drove my car to France and was very tired, so we slept in a little town near Marseille. I don’t speak French, and I can’t speak with the people. I don’t speak the language, but we haven’t had problems for the basic things, eat, sleep, etc. The next day, we went to visit Marseille; it is the most important commercial port of Provence. We visited one of the most important districts, Le Panier, full of craft shops, nice, very touristy, and we bought some gifts for our family from Milan. In the evening, I drove again to Milan; the journey was good, little traffic, and good roads.
My Best Friend, Alberto
My best friend is Alberto. He’s 50, and now he lives in Carbonero near Segovia. We studied together for many years. He has short fair hair and grey eyes. He’s a good athlete, and we practice many sports together. He likes DIY and home repairs. He has patience for those things. He is married and has two daughters, one is 12 and the other 14 years old, and his wife and my wife are also good friends. Many times we go camping together; we relax in the mountains. Despite the distance and the obligations, we talk almost every week on the phone. He works at home that allows him to have more flexible hours, but he is constantly looking for work. He is self-taught and often studies.
Visiting Valencia: A Letter to Isabel
Dear Isabel,
Here I am in Valencia. The weather is great! Hot and sunny during the day, and we go to the Malvarosa beach everyday. I love water sports, and this place is ideal for that. We are staying at the Melia Plaza Hotel, which is a four-star complex situated just opposite City of Science, “Ciudad de las Ciencias,” ten minutes from the beach. In Valencia, there are many tourist places like Museum Marqués de dos aguas, Museum Fallero, the albufera, etc. But the most wonderful modern place of all is the Ciudad de las Ciencias and a particularly nice aquarium, the Oceanographic. Well, the food is really tasty, especially the baked rice, “Arroz al Horno”, and all kinds of rice, black rice, paella, red rice, although I really like the Fidegua. I had never seen such a relaxing place, and I was very impressed. I´m going back next week end. I recommend you come here because Valencia is a wonderful and beautiful city.
Send my love to everyone.
Hotel Booking Request: A Letter to Mrs. Beneitez
Dear Mrs. Beneitez,
I am planning to go to Germany with my family this summer, and I would like to book a room with a private bathroom in your hotel starting from the 15th of July to the 5th of August. I would like it to have a single bed and a double bed. I would also appreciate an Internet connection in my room. Could I know if there is a car park where we can park our car? Please, could you send me information about the price of this reservation. I would be very grateful.
I thank you in advance, and I am looking forward to your response.
Yours,
Eduardo Arqueros