Familia en España

January 6, 2012

The best Christmas gift I ever could have asked for: a visit from my family all the way in Spain! I knew my sister had been saving up to come see me, but at the last minute my parents decided to come too. We haven’t taken a “family vacation” in many years, so this is surely one we will never forget.

I flew straight from my Xmas vacation in the Canaries to Madrid to meet my family. I got in pretty late, crashed at a hostel, then got up super early to go retrieve my nervous, non Spanish speaking family from the airport! I was a bit over-prepared and anxiously waited an hour and a half for their arrival. Gina Bina was the first to come through those big glass doors, followed closely by the rents and I realized how much I had missed them all. Needless to say there were lots of big hugs.

My excellent navigation skills (Dana calls me a human GPS) got us in one piece to our hotel just outside the center of Madrid. We spent the first 2 days exploring Madrid – the palace, the gardens, the park…. then it was off to Sevilla for New Year’s. Sevilla is easily becoming one of my favorite places in all of Spain. After a day of exploring we got dressed up and went out to the main plaza to eat our 12 grapes at midnight – one for each second the bell rings. With all the chaos, shouting, fireworks, and drunk Spaniards and tourists alike, we couldn’t actually hear the bells, so we just scarfed down our grapes as quickly as possible. I had extras and obviously started throwing them everywhere and yelling “Feliz Añooo!” it was boatloads of fun.

From Sevilla, we made our way to my home away from home – Ubrique. It was so nice to share it with my family and show them where I live, the places I go, the streets I walk everyday. We walked around town, shopped for some leather goods, and stopped at all of my favorite restaurants and bars of course. One of the most memorable evenings, Pepe invited us all to dine at the hotel. We were all a little nervous about the language barrier – the fam speaks no Spanish and Pepe not a word of English other than “table” and “high-five”. Somehow, I managed to translate smoothly, with only a few hiccups here and there. We all talked, laughed and had such a good time you never would have guessed we were speaking different languages. Pedro waited on us and had a few good laughs with us too – including jokingly serving us a cardboard pizza box because that’s all Spaniards think we eat. It was really cool to see my two different worlds kind of coming together for that one night.

Our last day, mom and dad bravely got up early and ventured out on their own! The night before I taught them how to say “coffee with milk” and “hot chocolate”, so they went for breakfast on their own and even did some shopping afterward. I think they not so secretly had a little fun with it. In the meantime, Gina and I slept in to rest up for our big adventure – hiking the mountain to the Cruz del Tajo. I had made the trek with Clint once before and Gina really wanted to give it a try. It was a long, hot journey but totally worth it for the excellent view once again.

The next day, we traveled all the way back to Madrid, where we crashed in a really cozy, modern hotel for the night and got up early to depart. It was nice to have some downtime before leaving. The trip went by so quickly, and traveling with them to the airport just felt like my “vacation” was coming to an end and I was going home too. It wasn’t until we got to the airport that I realized I had to say goodbye to my family for another 5 months. “Good-byes” are always tough, I prefer “see-ya-laters.” I was very sad to see them go, but I’m looking forward to getting back to my old – well, new? – routine here in Spain.

Having caught the train from Madrid this morning, I have been wandering solo, enjoying the beautiful weather in Sevilla all day. The only bus back to Ubrique isn’t until 7:30 tonight because of the holiday. (Dia de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day is just as big as Christmas; the children receive presents from the Kings this day.) All the shops are also closed, but I can’t complain because it’s sunny and gorgeous. I’ve been taking the time to get to know the city and just relaxing in my favorite cafés and parks.

That pretty much sums up my 2011-2012 winter holiday extravaganza. It was definitely one to remember! Now to get my head out of vacation mode and back to work in my lazy little town in the mountains.

A Very Canary Christmas

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I think I am in love… with the Canary Islands. My Christmas gift to myself was to spend 5 days on my own enjoying the sunshine in Gran Canaria. I had expected nice weather, but I hadn’t expected it to become one of the best trips I’ve taken yet, again thanks to the awesome people I’ve met along the way.

First of all I need to say my stay was incredible thanks to my accommodation at El Warung in Las Palmas. There NEEDS to be more places like this for travelers! In my last minute planning, my only option was to book a hostel in the capital of Las Palmas. I was kind of bummed and thought surely the capital would be touristy and not for me, but it actually ended up being a very local experience and my stay was nothing less than perfect. The place I stayed, El Warung, was a true backpacker’s. It was more like sharing an apartment with other fellow travelers and the owners of the joint, Manuel and Christian, were very involved in the experience. I got in late the first night but already Manuel invited me and some of the other travelers to go see some live music and have some drinks. I also enjoyed the company of the others staying there from all over the world, especially since it was Christmastime and we were all lone travelers.

Although traveling on my own, I was not alone for Christmas. One of the teachers from Ubrique, Carolina, is from Gran Canaria and had invited me to have dinner and stay at here place on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Her family lives in another town in the Northwest of the island called Agaete. Carolina and her boyfriend Niko picked me up on the 24^th and took me to her mother’s house. Aagete is so incredibly beautiful, set right on the coast against the mountains, and her family accepted me with open arms and made me feel so at home. On Christmas Eve, Carolina, her boyfriend Niko, her sister Marie, her mother and I had a delicious meal that had been prepared all day long. After dinner and lots of dessert, we listened to carols from the Canaries, Galicia and even Venezuela because there family has roots in all of these countries. We also busted out some Latin dance moves to work off that big dinner. Marie loves all types of music so we had a really great time! At midnight, as custom has it, we toasted with Cava (sparkling wine).

The next day I walked around the town with Carolina and Marie until it was time for the big feast part 2. Joined by her other sister and her husband as well, we all shared an amazing home-cooked lunch. That’s an understatement; we ate like kings. The day passed by easily –food, drinks, presents, music - and I got to see one last beautiful ocean sunset before catching a ride back to Las Palmas with a friend of the family. It was truly an unforgettable Christmas and I owe them for making me feel so special so far away from home.

When I returned back to El Warung in Las Palmas, I found that Papa Noel had come while I was away leaving truffles for everyone in the apartment! I guess it’s true that he can find the good girls and boys no matter where you are in the world.. even if you’re on an island thousands of miles from home. J

Seeing as I was on an island and I only had 5 days, I did take plenty of time for exploring and new adventures. One day I ventured on my own to the south of the island. Maspalomas is a major tourist resort where almost everyone speaks English. In fact, the next beach over is called Playa del Inglés. I embraced the endless sunshine, relaxed and walked along the sand dune beach. In the late afternoon I caught the bus to another destination I’d been aching to see – Puerto de San Mogán. This little port town was just as quaint and beautiful as I thought it would be. The little canals make the nickname “little Venice” very appropriate. I saw another amazing sunset, where I could even see Mt. Teide – the highest mountain in all of Spain – across the water on the Island of Tenerife. I also treated myelf to a delicious meal for one before catching the 2 hour bus back to Las Palmas in the North.

The other adventures I had on the island took place with the staff and other guests staying at El Warung. My second day there, a few of us took the bikes for a ride around the island, stopping for my first lesson in Free Diving. It’s like a combination of snorkeling and scuba without the gear. We donned some sweet wetsuits, goggles, flippers and snorkles, and learned to dive freely, holding our breaths and compensating for the air pressure. I only made it about 6 meters for my first time but we got to see some really cool sea life. I hear the second time you try it you can double your depth, so I’m anxious to try again sometime! On my last day on the island, some of the others were going paragliding. I didn’t think I had time because I had to catch a flight, but Christian convinced me to go to at least watch. I obviously got convinced to partake and it was AMAZING. I knew I’d be flying that day, but not like THAT! It was the best view of Las Palmas and it felt so cool to fly freely over the mountains and the sea. We got done with plenty of time to spare, so Christian from El Warung drove me to the airport, stopping for lunch, beers, and even a view of a cool tiny little beach town called Tufia. The Warung staff also took us out to see live music not once, but twice. And when I got home on Christmas, one of the guests, Stefano from Rome, had even cooked a beautiful pasta dinner for all of us. I’ve never felt more at home in a hostel. I no longer think of it as accommodation, a place I’ve stayed – it was an experience and the people I made are friends and I hope I can go back someday!

Overall, I packed a lot into such a short visit. 5 days was hardly enough to explore one island, let alone all 7. I’ve decided The Canaries are incredible and I WILL be going back, someday…. But for now, it is one of the best memories I’ve made and I’m extremely grateful to everyone that helped make the holidays so special for me. Next stop: Madrid to see my family!

London Holiday

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

London had not been a part of my plan for winter break, but it just so happened to work out beautifully. My good friend from home, Madison, had been on a group tour of England and Scotland for the last week, but she decided to spend a few extra days here afterward so I could come see her and we can explore London together. I’m so happy that she did the tour, made a lot of friends and had a wonderful experience. I’m also pumped to be back in London because I didn’t get a chance to see it all when I was here two summers ago. But most of all, it’s been 3 months since I’ve seen anyone from home so I’m just excited that I get to spend time with Madison!

Getting out of Ubrique is never an easy task, especially on the weekends when the buses leave much less often. After pulling an all-nighter to enjoy one last fiesta on Friday, I caught the 6:30am bus to Sevilla Saturday morning. I got to nap in the airport, on the flight and on the train from the airport, so by the time I made it into the city around 7pm, I was feelin’ alright! I think that travel adrenaline rush probably helped, too.

I was supposed to meet Madison at Russell Square when I got in, so I stopped at a Starbucks for a much needed coffee and to steal the internet to get myself oriented. I realized I had ended up literally right down the street so it wasn’t hard to find her and meet her at the hotel! She had just finished her tour and we were both really tired but we were troopers and went out with a bunch of the people from her tour group for one last hoorah and it ended up being lots of fun! We went to this cool bowling alley/bar where Madison scored a turkey and kicked butt. I think it was the luck of her Scottish kilt! We spent that first night in the Imperial hotel in Russell Square which was really nice.

Sunday we took our time and slept in. Maddie was grateful and I was too! We moved our things to the hostel which was super cozy and really convenient- much different than any hostel I’ve stayed in before, because it was set in a quaint old home. We kept the sightseeing to a minimum and didn’t go into the main city center this day. We did explore the area and have lunch at a cafe. We visited the British Museum which is always awesome because it’s huge and free. It was my second time there and I STILL don’t think I saw EVERYthing! The Rosetta Stone and the mummies were my favorite part. After that we ventured to Abbey Road and attempted to recreate the infamous Beatles album cover, but it was really hard with the immense amount of traffic and the sun already going down around 4pm.

The next two days consisted of double decker bus tours, seeing the sights, taking lots of pictures and being tourists. We saw the river Thames, Big Ben and Parliament, toured Westminister Abbey and Shakespear's Globe Theater, and of course had a photo shoot with the infamous red phone booth. Maddie and I also got in touch with our inner child at Madame Toussauds house of wax figures- our favorite part was most definitely the 4D superhero movie.

Tuesday night, our last night in London, we were whooped and opted to relax with a real British meal and a bottle of wine. Maddie had the steak and ale pie and I opted for the fish and chips. After stuffing ourselves and downing a bottle of vino, we met up with my friend Jonathan who lives in London. He took us to a quaint little wine bar that we never would have discovered on our own. Unfortunately he couldn’t stay long… leaving Maddie and I to finish a second bottle of wine ourselves. Needless to say we got a case of the giggles on the way home and even missed one of our metro stops. Somehow, it made for one of the most memorable experiences of the week.

On Wednesday morning I took Madison to the airport this afternoon after sleeping in. It made me sad to have to say goodbye but I’m so happy we got to share this experience together. I had some time to kill so I met Jonathan again for lunch and a pint before he took off to visit family for Christmas. After lunch, I took advantage of Starbucks for the second time, sat and used the wifi and just watched the people go by for a really long time. There was something oddly soothing about sitting and relaxing among the hustle and bustle of the Christmastime rush. Though I have an unconventional Christmas this year, I’m really looking forward to making some new Holiday memories. That night, I made a friend and walked by the Thames to take some pictures; London is absolutely beautiful at night. The cool air, the Christmas market and the carolers in Trafalgar Square helped put me in the holiday spirit too. I’ve got a flight to catch bright and early then it’s off to the Canaries for Christmas!

Hasta Pronto, Ubrique

Saturday, December 17, 2011

My last week in Ubrique for the year 2011 was bittersweet. Everyone is traveling for the holidays and won’t be back until after the New Year. Many of the Americans are flying home to the states or visiting with family, the other teachers are getting ready to go back to their home towns, and I opted to spend the break traveling.

This week was pretty easy at school since many of the students only had exams and stuff. The only serious task I had was to help the second level kids with a speaking presentation in science class. They get really nervous about speaking (a problem we have with in-class participation!) but many of them ended up doing really well with the activity which made me happy and very proud of them.

Seana and Clint were the first of the Americans to leave for break. They each caught a different bus around 3:30 after school Thursday and headed off to their destinations. Kendra, Javi and I grabbed a coffee with Sean and saw them off. I know it’s only 3 weeks, but it’s gotten to the point where this place is like my home and these people are like my family. Moving to a new place, especially on your own, you get to know people quickly and form a special kind of bond with those sharing a similar experience. Not to be a debbie downer but it made me think about how terribly awful it’s going to be when –  or if… - we all go our separate ways next June. I can’t believe when I get back to Ubrique it will be 2012 and I will only have 5 more months there (considering I don’t reapply for next year... it’s still up in the air). Only 3 months into the program and if I haven’t said it enough I will say it yet again - this has been the most incredible thing I’ve done in my mere 22 and a half years on this planet. I can’t help feeling like I’m in the right place at the right time, and I hope it’s just the beginning of more good things to come.

Anyways, I had plans to rest up and leave bright and early Saturday morning but Friday just so happened to be our favorite bartender’s birthday, so needless to say we went out with a bang. Kendra, Alysha and I ended up staying out with the birthday boy until 5 am (early by Spanish standards).  Our friend Lobato gave our drunk butts a ride back to my place and the girls helped me finish packing (aka took a nap on my bed while I threw last minute things in my bag) and then they saw me off to the station at 6:30am. True friends right there. Kendra also borrowed my radiator while I was gone so you can imagine her slightly intoxicated self hauling that thing down the street at nearly 7am, I’m sure it was quite a sight. Overall, it was an excellent night and the lack of sleep made it nice and easy to take naps on the bus and in the airport.

12 hours of traveling and waiting later and I made it to my first stop - London - in one piece! My super packed holiday travel plan currently includes: 5 days in London with my friend Madison, followed by 5 days including Christmas in the Canary Islands, then meeting my family in Madrid, spending New Years in Sevilla, giving the fam a tour in and around Ubrique, then back to Madrid to see them off…. and somehow making my way back down to Ubrique before I have to work the next Monday. It sounds crazy, but I love it. I think it’s safe to say I’ve got an incurable case of the travel bug…  

For now, it’s time to go take on London with the one and only Madison Lynn. Look out for blog updates on these crazy adventures. I’ll try to keep up with them as I go along, but no promises... fun first, blog later!