Sports are a huge part of life here, but as we found out from our coworkers, it’s not always about winning. Jorge from Tereos told us some legendary stories about the local team, Real Zaragoza. Back in 1995, they were on top of the world after winning the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, but those days are long gone. Jorge admitted that the team is “pretty shit” now and they’ve been stuck in the second division for years. Because of this, many people in the city also support Real Madrid, simply so they have a team that actually wins some trophies.

But it’s not all about football. Jorge invited us to go climbing at a local indoor climbing gym. Even though Juan (who is a very experienced outdoor climber) couldn’t make it in the end, we still decided to go. The gym was huge, with many different walls and various difficulty levels. I was quite impressed with myself as I managed to complete a few routes with a difficulty of 5. The workout was intense. Later, two of Jorge’s friends joined us, and we spent about two hours climbing and pushing our limits. Juan had previously told us that the region around Zaragoza, Aragon, is world-famous for rock climbing because of the amazing limestone cliffs, and after this session, I can see why people here are so hooked on it. Even though my forearms were burning, it was a great way to clear my head after a day at work.

The best part of the evening came after the workout. Jorge invited us to his place, where he made homemade tacos. It was the perfect “post-workout” meal. We sat down, ate, and talked about everything from work at Tereos to life in Spain. It was cool to see that even after a long day of working with pumps and motors, they still have the energy to stay active and be such great hosts.