Where to Begin...

So now that I've been back in Spain for 2.5 months, I think it's about time to write about my new home and my new job...

I'm teaching in Lekeitio, Pais Vasco (Basque Country), Spain. Lekeitio is a gorgeous town on the northern coast of Spain, halfway between Bilbao and San Sebastian. Everyone in my town speaks Basque as their first language, and goes through a trilingual program in school, learning both Spanish and English as foreign languages. Some students even choose to take French or Latin as an elective. Language learning is just something they do here, which I think is pretty neat, as I have a passion for learning languages.

Most of the signs here are in Basque, sometimes without a Spanish translation!

However, my interest in learning languages is surprisingly inhibiting me from learning Basque, rather than aiding it. I'm a native English speaker with a high level of Spanish, began learning French from a friend last year, and have studied Mandarin Chinese with my brother in the past. Since I already have a basic foundation of two other languages, I want at least one of them to progress, for fear of losing all of them if I add a third language into my beginner's category. Plus, I live in close proximity to France, and other countries that speak the language (Belgium, Morocco), so I'm trying to set aside some time to study the language while I'm here. 

Recent trip to Belgium!

Although I haven't learned much more than a few phrases in Basque, I do really like their culture; I think it's so fascinating! I love when my students show me traditional dances, popular songs by local musicians, and tell me about their sports or traditions. Here is one band I was introduced to:

Living in the Basque Country gives me a new and rich cultural experience, while still allowing me to practice the same Spanish language with all of Europe at my fingertips.

Estadounidense en ECUADOR for a month!

I spent the month of September doing a TESOL course in Quito, Ecuador. Overall it was a fabulous month & I wish it could have lasted longer. But, alas, I had to return to Spain to work as an auxiliar again. (Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to be here too! This time I will be on the Northern coast in Pais Vasco!)

View of Quito from the terrace where we ate lunch everyday!

I had been wanting to go to Ecuador for a long time because for the past few summers, I've worked with a large group of Ecuadorian college students on an International exchange program through their university. I also lived with a host-family in Quito, so outside of my clases, I was always doing things with locals. This was my favorite part of the experience because other times I've traveled (including now), I've known very few locals, if any, upon arrival.

Grabbing coffee with a couple friends

Although it was a short period of time, I made the most of my month in Quito. I was able to visit Teleférico (a mountain overlooking the city), La Mitad del Mundo (the equator), Panecillo (a smaller mountain with a statue at the top on the edge of the city), Cotopaxi (one of the tallest, active, snow-capped volcanos), the historic center, 2 gorgeous cathedrals, go shopping, go to the movies, and try some great food (both in restaurants & homemade). And all of that was just on the weekends as Monday-Fridays were filled with 10 hours of class and a 30 min commute each way.

Hiking [part of] Cotopaxi

I don't have to have the TESOL certification for my job in Spain, but it will make my job easier. There were some things we learned that would have been helpful to use in my classes last year. Plus, the certification is good for life, so if I ever want to spend a summer abroad after I start teaching in the States, it will be much easier. And, more than anything, I just wanted an excuse to visit Ecuador :)

At Teleférico with some of my host-family

Hopefully leaving was just an hasta pronto, not a full out adios!

Wordless Wednesday 5/2

Tetouan, Morocco

Wordless Wednesdays 4/11

"La Alhambra Reflections" - Granada, Spain

Horseback-Riding on the Beach!

Two weekends ago my roommate Jessa and I went on a trip with Discover Sevilla to go to Mataslascañas Beach for a day of riding horses and enjoying the coast! It was actually the first time I went horsebacking-riding, so it was very exciting. My friend Jeanie was on the same trip, and I talked a bit with a few other travelers too, most of whom were study abroad students.

Jessa and me enjoying the playa

My friends and I were in the first group to ride the horses. My horse was really calm, and her name was Albina (she was albino!). Our trail led from the stables through Doñana National Park. At first we were just riding through the trees. As we got higher into the hills, we had a beautiful view of the beach to our left and the valleys to our right. To head back to the stables, we went down the hills to the shore and rode most of the way back along the coast! A short trail through Doñana National Park lead us the rest of the way back from the beach.

I do not have pictures from the horseback ride (can you imagine holding a camera while riding a horse?), 

but here is a short video from their webpage to give you an idea of the scenery.

It was really nice being in the first group to ride because it gave us the rest of the afternoon to relax without any interruptions. After enjoying a glass of the free Sangria provided for us, Jeanie and I headed to a seafood restaurant for lunch with one of the other travelers. We got an outside table with a view of the beach that was right in the sun. It was perfect. The local shrimp was especially tasty :) The weather that day was sunny and warm, but also had quite a bit of wind - at times it was a little chilly, but while we were at the restaurant, the building blocked the wind for us!

Jeanie and me after lunch

I finished out the afternoon with attempted napping/sunbathing, walking along the beach, finding a souvenir seashell, and grabbing dessert with friends. 

Matalascañas Beach, in the providence of Huelva

On my horse for the day, in the morning before the ride.

Wordless Wednesdays 3/21

"Las Fallas Fireworks" - Valencia, Spain

[Almost] Wordless Wednesdays 3/14

"Springtime Spirit" - Munich, Germany

While I know it is somewhat late for a Christmas-y photo, the colorful, fresh produce does tie it into Springtime a little bit. Incase I do not get around to posting my December puentes, I wanted to share a small sample of Germany's Christmas Markets. With how warm the temperatures are beginning to get here, I am not sure I will find much motivation to post cold weather pictures after this week. 

Recent Highlights of Extremadura

Several of my posts are about traveling to other places, but I have found some pretty fun things to do in Extremadura as well! At the beginning of March, I explored the Roman theater and amphitheater here in Mérida with Doris. Two weekends before that, I went to Badajoz for a couple days with Fanchon - but it was not just any old weekend, it was carnival!

Roman ruins in Mérida

Carnaval is celebrated right before Lent in many Catholic countries. Spain has a few celebrations that are pretty large, such as the Canary Islands and Cadiz; ironically, Badajoz (Extremadura) is not too far behind!? We had a few days off at the end of February for the occasion, so I decided to take advantage of what was close to home instead of traveling far. Carnaval consists of parades, dressing up in costumes, and having a good time with friends.

Nikki and Elliot's terrace gave us the perfect view for the parade - can you see it behind us?

For the first half of the weekend, I stayed in Mérida. Last fall/winter markets had come to Mérida for the Medieval festival and for Christmas, and they were back again for carnival! I explored the markets on Saturday with my English friend Jess. While it was fun to "window shop" and admire all the interesting jewelry, I refrained from purchasing anything other than a crepe for lunch. That night I dressed up as a pirate and met up with another friend, Doris, and a few of her Spanish friends. It was really fun to see everyone in costume. Some people got really creative with a certain character or theme, and others just went crazy with ridiculous outfits, bright colors, and wigs.

A few of the market stands in Mérida, plus pony rides for the kids 

Sunday morning Fanchon and I headed to Badajoz for a couple days. After stopping for lunch, the rest of the day was spent watching the parade - it was 6 hours long!! It was really impressive - the costumes were intricate, the groups changed formation while marching down the street, and the music was good. We watched most of the parade from our friends' terrace, which was more relaxing than sitting/standing along the road for so long, and we were able to see more of the group at the same time. We also saw the first few groups up close as we were heading over to their place. I am glad we saw it both ways and definitely think the bird's eye view is best!

Monday night tons of people went out because Tuesday was a day off for most schools and businesses. Everyone, and I do mean absolutely everyone, was dressed up in a costume! There are three main plazas in the center of Badajoz, and each of them was filled with groups of friends mingling (or if you've been to Spain, think of a giant botellón). I was able to meet up with my travel buddy Taylor (her and I have been on one trip together all ready, and we have two more coming up this spring), in addition to the friends that I went with.

With friends during carnival - looks more like we're having a late Halloween celebration!

The Roman ruins are really impressive! The Anfiteatro was built in 8 A.C. to hold gladiator fights for up to 15,000 spectators. A few years later the Teatro Romano was built right next to it, and its audience can hold up to 3,000 people. Although slightly deteriorated, it is still usable and holds performances during Mérida's annual fair each September. I think it is incredible how intact both of these monuments still are. 

Me and Doris in the amphitheater 

Teatro Romano 

Sitting in the stands of the Roman theater 

Wordless Wednesdays 3/7

"Repetition" - Bilbao, Spain

Wordless Wednesdays 2/29

"Distance" - Consuegra, Spain - from my study abroad semester in 2009

*I came across "Wordless Wednesdays" on another blog & am excited to incorporate it here ...ignore the fact that Spain is already a few minutes into Thursday ;)

January Puente Part 2: Galicia

After spending the first half of the weekend in Salamanca, I continued on to Galicia. I will let the pictures do most of the talking for this one:

Santiago de Compostela:

The Cathedral: this marks the end of the Camino de Santiago routes

Sometimes in Spain, you stubble upon random performances in the middle of a street or plaza.

One of the cute streets. Lots of buildings here were made of stone or white with tan trim.

There were lots of parks in Galicia, especially in Santiago de Compostela.

La Coruña (or A Coruña in the local dialect, Galego):

One of the first parks I stumbled upon ...Did I mention how sunny it happened to be
during my visit? :)

La Coruña was beautiful! It was only a day trip before taking a bus from there to Extremadura,
but I wish I could have spent more time in this city!

Tower of Hercules- The trail leading up to the tower had some great views of both the city
and the ocean. Unfortunately the tower itself was closed; it would have been neat to see
everything from higher up!

This is one of the lovely views of the city I was just talking about.

This region is also known for their seafood, especially the pulpo, so I made sure to sample some before I left. Galicia is a really interesting part of Spain, and I am very glad I was able to enjoy some time there! 

January Puente Part 1: Salamanca

It's about time I start updating on the trips I have been able to take :) I will start with the most recent, then write about older trips as I have time. A couple weeks ago we had a puente, so I traveled around Spain a bit to Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, and La Coruña.

In the Plaza Mayor

It was great to catch up with my friend Natalie. We had not seen each other for awhile, so it was fun to spend the weekend traveling together. Salamanca is a great city - it has a lot of history, I love the architecture, and we ate lots of delicious tapas :) I also met an auxiliar who was in Mérida last year and is now teaching at an English academy in Salamanca. It was interesting to compare stories of our experiences from the same location.

Stained glass window overlooking the city inside the the Art Nouveau Museum

Unfortunately, the weather was terrible for our first day in Salamanca - a wintery mix of rain & snow, wind, and very chilly temperatures. We attempted to make the most of our time anyway and braved the cold in our scarves, hats, gloves, and a map showing the suggested tourist route around the city. As the morning went on, we began popping into more and more cafes and stores trying to escape the cold for a few minutes (the wind was the worst part!). We quickly switched our agenda to seeing as many indoor attractions as possible. This resulted in visits to the Art Nouveau Museum, Civil War Museum, a poetry reading, and the Salamanca Museum of Fine Arts, interspersed with more shopping. Although it turned out way different than we had planned, it was still a very fun and interesting day.

On a walking tour of Salamanca

Weather the next day was much better, so we finished seeing the rest of the outdoor sights we had missed the day before. We started the day with a guided walking tour around Salamanca, including the Old and New Cathedral, the University, and the Casa de las Conchas (shell house), among other things. Our tour guide was friendly and the information was interesting. The tour was in Spanish, as were the plaques in the museums the day before, so we actually practiced our Spanish a lot over the weekend. After the tour we enjoyed a few more hours in the city before heading to the bus station.


Next entry... Galicia! (The post would get too long if I continued it here)


But first, here's a photo from a little town I visited with 2 other Mérida auxilares earlier in the month:

A little plaza in Zafra, located in Southern Extremadura

Jessa, Fanchon, and I took a day trip to Zafra during one of our free Saturdays in January. The city is small and all of the main sights are very close together, so our "day" trip was really just a few hours. After exploring the cute city we found some great croquetas de jamón before heading back to the bus station. One of the great things about living abroad for almost a year is that you can take short trips to nearby cities that are not well-known and that would not be part of a quick visit to Spain. Buses and trains are fairly convenient and inexpensive here. On this topic, I think my favorite lesser-known cities have been Plasencia (in Northern Extremadura) and Ronda (a little north of Marbella in Southern Andalusia (from my study abroad semester)). So, if you happen to be near either of these locations, I highly recommend scheduling a visit!

Spanish TV

Television over here is a little different in the states. Sure, overall it is pretty similar, but the differences that are there are easily noticed.

For one, they do not take commercial breaks as often, and when they do break, the breaks are in random, illogical spots. Always in the middle of a scene, and it is not unusual to occur mid-sentence.

The commercial breaks are looooong. However, they do warn you ahead of time. "6 minutos y volvemos." Sometimes they throw another commercial break in back-to-back before returning to the show.

They periodically let you know how much time is remaining in the break
between commercials.

These breaks are convenient for cooking, cleaning, or completing any other task that you should be doing instead of watching TV. When the show is something you really want to see or you do not have something to do in the meantime, they can get annoying. Otherwise, it is nice to know you have time to be productive.

Also surprising is the list of American shows they play. ANY mystery/detective series is probably aired - CSI, Law and Order, Cold Case, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds... Other familiar shows I have noticed are Friends, Modern Family, Sex and the City, and the Simpsons. There may be a few others, but these seem to be the ones most played. Some of these shows I NEVER would have expected to be International.

Spain of course has their own assortment of programs too. I do not watch too much TV here, so I will have to wait and fill you in on those later. The other things I have mentioned were quicker to pick up. ...For now, I just needed something to do during one of those 6 minute commercial breaks. But I can say that the Spanish movie I am watching with one of my roommates tonight seems pretty good :)

Since last writing, I have taken trips to Málaga + Munich, Bilbao + Santander + Burgos, returned to the USA for 3 weeks, and spent a day each in Madrid and Sevilla. Check back soon, more updates are coming now that I am settled in again!

Visiting with my sister over Christmas break!