I have been feeling really happy with life! I got another two students this week for private lessons, so that raises my purpose factor as well as my money intake. Monday was Valentines Day, and Fran my supervisor bought me a rose, and our school gave everyone red carnations, so I got two flowers that day! The next day I recieved an e-card from mmy Grandma, a REAL card from my mom in the mail, a package in the mail from Olivia, which simply contained a belated Christmas card and two boxes of Cheez-its, which made me so happy! Also, we are trying to figure out if Laurie can visit me in May, which would be wonderful. On Wednesday I took a trip with some of the classes in my school to the near-by Cabra to see a play that was actually pretty funny, even though I only understood about half of what was going on. I have also started looking for jobs at home, mostly in International Programs offices at some universities, which I really hope works out! I would love to travel some more but I really need to start paying for my student loans, unfortunately. Oh well, I'll get to go home and see my family and friends for awhile before I decide how to set off on my next adventure.
Also on Wednesday I went out to lunch for the first time in a LONG time with my roommate. We went to this restaurant right down the street, and for 9.50 euros recieved soup, salad, a drink, a HUGE portion of barbequed chicken, fries, wine, and a dessert. It was a great deal and DELICIOUS! I feel like I need to get out there and eat more local cuisine, and now that I'm making a little bit more money, I can.
I should be more embarassed about this upcoming story but I really just think it's hilarious. Last week I was walking home from school, and I wasn't watching where I was going because I was looking down at the first year students attempting to play volleyball, which seemed to be a huge struggle for them just to get it over the net... and then BANG, I walked right into a pole! I was not expecting it AT ALL, and my knee and chest took most of the impact, while my arm flung around the pole because my body was still trying to move past it and hadn't realized what happened. I'm just thankful that it wasnt my FACE that took most of the impact! After I realized what had happened, I listened closely for outbursts of laughter but didn't hear any, so perhaps that means that no one saw me. As I continued my walk home limping slightly, I began hystarically laughing at myself the entire way home and into my apartment, and could barely talk to my roommate when I got there! I wish I could have seen myself do that!
Besides all that, not much has been happening lately. I have been sick for the past few days and finally feel better today, so mostly I have been just sitting around my apartment. I have started this sort of scrapbook thing for my adventure her in Spain, so that has been taking up a lot of time too, which is great. Also, today I skyped with my mom and grandma and we began booking places and formulating our plan for our Italian adventure in April. I am even more excited now... it seems so much more real and I can't wait!!!! I hope you are all doing great, I miss you and I will see you in less than 4 months... don't know really how I feel about coming home, but I know that it will be great to see all my family and friends again :)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Almeria and Dream Hotel Rooms
This past weekend Magda and I decided to get out of Priego (finally!) and go on an adventure. This adventure turned out to be in Almeria, which is 2 bus rides and about 3 and a half hours from Priego (not including "layover" time in bus stations). Almeria is on the coast and is an old port town for Spain. Magda and I were just excited to be going somewhere new and to the beach!
We got there around 2:00pm on Friday afternoon, and the first thing we did was find our hotel so that we could drop off our things. The second thing we did was sit in the sun outside at a restaurant and order a couple drinks and recieve a few free tapas (just like in Granada!). It was SO WARM sitting in the sun... it was the first time that I could remember being able to sit outside in a t-shirt and feel comfortable. Magda and I couldn't stop smiling as we drank our wine and beer and scarfed down our tapas. After we were done relaxing there, we moved on to another bar for another drink and another tapa. It was the perfect introduction to Almeria.
After that second bar we had intended to leave for the beach but instead caught a glimpse of a huge statue of Jesus Christ on top of a hill, so of course we started a short pilgrimage towards him. We couldn't see a direct path up, so we decided to make our own path. Just as we were beginning up the hill through the grass and random garbage, someone called out, "RUBIAS!" (BLONDES!) Hearing our eternal nickname, we turned and a guy was motioning to us towards a different path. We looked to where he was pointing and saw some stairs, so we took his advice and followed the path more travelled, waving to him and yelling our gracias.
When we got to the top, not only did we find Jesus, but we also saw the castle, which looked a little similar to La Alhambra, but not as amazing. It was a spectacular view though... we could see the harbor and some huge ships out at sea, and the expanse of Almeria (which in terms of architecture is not that impressive... it's the beach that makes Almeria so beautiful). We had fun taking pictures and looking at the view for awhile, and then headed back down towards the beach. There's a boardwalk all along the ocean and the beach is wonderful... it was warm and sunny and the water was unbelievably clear and blue. We were beaming with happiness.
To find food, we simply had to walk down the boardwalk and check out the menus at the restaurants. We finally decided on one because their lasagna was pretty cheap, but the waiter told us that they were out of lasagna, so we ordered a plate of fried seafood. There were 2 trout-like fish... I think they were just thrown into the frier alive, because they were completely intact, and a bunch of little anchovies that I believe came to the same fate. There was also calamari and some kind of white fish (which looked nothing like the animals they came from, thank God), which I could actually allow myself to eat. After our fish we treated ourselves with some crepes with ice cream... Delicious!
By now the sun was setting and it was getting a little cold, so Magda and I headed back to our hotel room. We ADORED this room. It was simple: two twin beds, a mini fridge, a desk, a mirror, and a bathroom. The reason we adored it was because A) There was a heater, and B) We had a seemingly infinite supply of hot water in our shower that we didn't have to pay for! This room was a luxury to us after months of freezing bedrooms and 4 blankets on my bed and heating myself with a hot water bottle and my hair dryer... All I had to do in this room was flip a switch and it was perfect! I only needed ONE blanket, and not because I needed to be warm, but because I liked having a blanket on me. At one point I was TOO HOT, and I said to Magda, "Whoa. I am TOO HOT. I need to remember this feeling." Additionally, the hot water that I didn't have to pay for or worry about running out was almost a shock. I took full advantage of this situation by taking about a half an hour shower. Just because I could. I know, save the environment and everything, but I feel like I do that enough in my apartment in Priego, that I could allow myself a long, hot shower. I think we fell asleep around 10:00pm.
The next day we got up relatively early to catch a bus to a nearby town, San Jose. We rode the bus through a very desert-like landscape and arrived in the town within an hour. It is very small, and we just started walking once we were there. We ended up on a back road and a trail that led to some beaches that were BEAUTIFUL and warm! I even was just wearing my bikini at one point... it was amazing. After we relaxed next to the ocean for awhile, we walked along the beach and ended up at the foot of this rather large hill, which of course we decided to climb. It was quite the hike but being up on top of that hill was breathtaking... We could see the CLEAR blue water of the bay we were just in, and the edges of San Jose. The ocean stretched out for miles and we were on top of it all. I could have stayed there all day! But unfortunately hunger overtook us so we began the long hike back into town, where we ended up at a restaurant next to the harbor. Our waiter liked us so he gave us a free chupito (little glass) of Peach liquor, and offered to show us around and go out with us that night in Almeria since he lived there. He seemed really nice so we accepted, and he gave us his phone number so we could call him.
After dinner we went and found a supermarket and bought a can of beer each, and went and sat on the beach and talked and watched the waves and kids playing with their parents until it got too cold to be there anymore. We then went and found a bar to sit at until our bus came to take us back to Almeria. When we finally got back to our hotel room, we took more long, hot showers, and fully intended to go out... we just wanted a little nap first. That little nap turned into sleeping all night, which I really didn't mind. I only had so much time in that hotel room and I wanted every minute I could get! ;)
The next day we checked out and sadly headed back to Priego. The bus schedule sucks on Sundays so we ended up having to stay in the Granada bus station for 4 hours before our bus back to Priego finally came. We entertained ourselves by reading, listening to music, eating, and playing a sort of football game with coins... we were veeerrry bored. But now I'm back in Priego, in my cold apartment, teaching yet again. Almeria reminded me just why I adore being in Spain (TRAVELLING!), and about the many opportunities I have coming up in the near future. I have to take advantage of every remaining moment here! Four months from yesterday, I'll be home. Not sure if I'm happy or sad about that, but I think I'll be ready.
We got there around 2:00pm on Friday afternoon, and the first thing we did was find our hotel so that we could drop off our things. The second thing we did was sit in the sun outside at a restaurant and order a couple drinks and recieve a few free tapas (just like in Granada!). It was SO WARM sitting in the sun... it was the first time that I could remember being able to sit outside in a t-shirt and feel comfortable. Magda and I couldn't stop smiling as we drank our wine and beer and scarfed down our tapas. After we were done relaxing there, we moved on to another bar for another drink and another tapa. It was the perfect introduction to Almeria.
After that second bar we had intended to leave for the beach but instead caught a glimpse of a huge statue of Jesus Christ on top of a hill, so of course we started a short pilgrimage towards him. We couldn't see a direct path up, so we decided to make our own path. Just as we were beginning up the hill through the grass and random garbage, someone called out, "RUBIAS!" (BLONDES!) Hearing our eternal nickname, we turned and a guy was motioning to us towards a different path. We looked to where he was pointing and saw some stairs, so we took his advice and followed the path more travelled, waving to him and yelling our gracias.
When we got to the top, not only did we find Jesus, but we also saw the castle, which looked a little similar to La Alhambra, but not as amazing. It was a spectacular view though... we could see the harbor and some huge ships out at sea, and the expanse of Almeria (which in terms of architecture is not that impressive... it's the beach that makes Almeria so beautiful). We had fun taking pictures and looking at the view for awhile, and then headed back down towards the beach. There's a boardwalk all along the ocean and the beach is wonderful... it was warm and sunny and the water was unbelievably clear and blue. We were beaming with happiness.
To find food, we simply had to walk down the boardwalk and check out the menus at the restaurants. We finally decided on one because their lasagna was pretty cheap, but the waiter told us that they were out of lasagna, so we ordered a plate of fried seafood. There were 2 trout-like fish... I think they were just thrown into the frier alive, because they were completely intact, and a bunch of little anchovies that I believe came to the same fate. There was also calamari and some kind of white fish (which looked nothing like the animals they came from, thank God), which I could actually allow myself to eat. After our fish we treated ourselves with some crepes with ice cream... Delicious!
By now the sun was setting and it was getting a little cold, so Magda and I headed back to our hotel room. We ADORED this room. It was simple: two twin beds, a mini fridge, a desk, a mirror, and a bathroom. The reason we adored it was because A) There was a heater, and B) We had a seemingly infinite supply of hot water in our shower that we didn't have to pay for! This room was a luxury to us after months of freezing bedrooms and 4 blankets on my bed and heating myself with a hot water bottle and my hair dryer... All I had to do in this room was flip a switch and it was perfect! I only needed ONE blanket, and not because I needed to be warm, but because I liked having a blanket on me. At one point I was TOO HOT, and I said to Magda, "Whoa. I am TOO HOT. I need to remember this feeling." Additionally, the hot water that I didn't have to pay for or worry about running out was almost a shock. I took full advantage of this situation by taking about a half an hour shower. Just because I could. I know, save the environment and everything, but I feel like I do that enough in my apartment in Priego, that I could allow myself a long, hot shower. I think we fell asleep around 10:00pm.
The next day we got up relatively early to catch a bus to a nearby town, San Jose. We rode the bus through a very desert-like landscape and arrived in the town within an hour. It is very small, and we just started walking once we were there. We ended up on a back road and a trail that led to some beaches that were BEAUTIFUL and warm! I even was just wearing my bikini at one point... it was amazing. After we relaxed next to the ocean for awhile, we walked along the beach and ended up at the foot of this rather large hill, which of course we decided to climb. It was quite the hike but being up on top of that hill was breathtaking... We could see the CLEAR blue water of the bay we were just in, and the edges of San Jose. The ocean stretched out for miles and we were on top of it all. I could have stayed there all day! But unfortunately hunger overtook us so we began the long hike back into town, where we ended up at a restaurant next to the harbor. Our waiter liked us so he gave us a free chupito (little glass) of Peach liquor, and offered to show us around and go out with us that night in Almeria since he lived there. He seemed really nice so we accepted, and he gave us his phone number so we could call him.
After dinner we went and found a supermarket and bought a can of beer each, and went and sat on the beach and talked and watched the waves and kids playing with their parents until it got too cold to be there anymore. We then went and found a bar to sit at until our bus came to take us back to Almeria. When we finally got back to our hotel room, we took more long, hot showers, and fully intended to go out... we just wanted a little nap first. That little nap turned into sleeping all night, which I really didn't mind. I only had so much time in that hotel room and I wanted every minute I could get! ;)
The next day we checked out and sadly headed back to Priego. The bus schedule sucks on Sundays so we ended up having to stay in the Granada bus station for 4 hours before our bus back to Priego finally came. We entertained ourselves by reading, listening to music, eating, and playing a sort of football game with coins... we were veeerrry bored. But now I'm back in Priego, in my cold apartment, teaching yet again. Almeria reminded me just why I adore being in Spain (TRAVELLING!), and about the many opportunities I have coming up in the near future. I have to take advantage of every remaining moment here! Four months from yesterday, I'll be home. Not sure if I'm happy or sad about that, but I think I'll be ready.
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