After a month in a small town in Spain, you realize what you're missing in a big city. Everything you ever expected. Don't get me wrong, I love Bilbao, but a small town provides most people with significantly more opportunities for cultural experiences.
When I first applied for the Auxiliar program in Spain, I had envisioned my life in Spain to mirror my experience in Bellver. I imagined that I would have a cafe that I would go to everyday and know everyone by name. I would have a chit-chat with everyone, have my café con leche, read my Spanish paper, and improve my Spanish in the process. Then I would head to the market and make my compra for the day. Then I would go to the field or court and play some football or basketball against some locals. Then at night I would finish dinner and have a nice glass of red wine on my balcony overlooking the quaint Spanish village in which I resided.
Instead I find myself in a bustling metropolis with a plethora of cafe's to choose from and zero interaction with Spanish speakers besides the necessary exchange between customer and proprietor. Hola. Hola. Dos con leche. Gracias. and to end it all. Me cobras. 2.80. Agur. Agur.
Also, due to Bilbao's lack of land due to its geographical location, nestled in the valley of two mountains, there are very few places to play basketball or football. No matter, even if there were land available the locals that I would meet would more than likely insist on speaking in broken English over semi-fluid Spanish.
But there's just something about the Basque country that keeps one wanting more...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The path less traveled
After my relocation to the Pyrenees mountains in northern Spain I have found myself surrounded by mountains yet again. Unfortunately, unlike my relatively cushy job in Bilbao, I find myself putting in 10-12 hour days between teaching English, planning lessons, and coaching basketball. In turn, I have little to no time to explore the abundant nature around me during our work week, so when the weekend came I jumped right on the opportunity.
After speaking to the cook at our hotel we decided to start off on a hike to the north of Bellver de Cerdanya. Luckily, when we were about to take off on our adventure, he had just finished work and was heading our way. He was kind enough to take us to the sign and explain the marks that we had to follow. When we got there, he recommended us the easier green and white trail. We began off down the road that we were expecting to turn into a path, but then Pedro stopped us and pointed up.
That's when it hit us that there wasn't going to be a clear, dirt lined path that we had imagined, but rather a green and white marked mountainside. On the bright side, at least the trail was marked. We passed 4 markers before the marks disappeared. We went left, then right, then left again until we figured that our best option was to continue up our unpaved route. After another 20 minutes we reached an area where we could see the path that Pedro was talking about. We cursed Pedro and decided that the only thing we could do to salvage the hike was to reach the flag of independence on the top of the mountain. And we did. Until next time.
That's when it hit us that there wasn't going to be a clear, dirt lined path that we had imagined, but rather a green and white marked mountainside. On the bright side, at least the trail was marked. We passed 4 markers before the marks disappeared. We went left, then right, then left again until we figured that our best option was to continue up our unpaved route. After another 20 minutes we reached an area where we could see the path that Pedro was talking about. We cursed Pedro and decided that the only thing we could do to salvage the hike was to reach the flag of independence on the top of the mountain. And we did. Until next time.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Prague
Like much of Europe, the Czech Republic has a long and distinguished history. Originally part of both the Holy Roman Empire and, the until the end of WWI, the Austria-Hungry empire. After WWI, the Czech and Slovak lands formed Czechoslovakia. Due to its location, being west of Berlin, its fate was tied to the Soviet Union and "guided" into communism. Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia dissolved into the two separate nations of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In 2004 the Czech Republic became part of the European Union, but has not yet accepted the Euro as its currency. More information can be found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic.
Prague boasts one of Europe's largest castles, the St. Charles Bridge, and an active town square. It also has a sufficient Jewish quarter, Lennon's Wall, and their own version of the eiffel tower (which is highly recommended since it offers a magnificent view of the castle and Prague). For all of you history lovers out there, Prague has a large collection of Medieval torture weapons in a museum near the bridge.
You will be well fed in Prague. Its food is heavy and the portion sizes are consistent with those of the United States. Prague's specialties consist of dumplings, meat kabobs, and goulash. What really makes Prague special, in the culinary department that is, is its beer. A large number of restaurants in Prague brew their own beer.
As for the touristy aspect, a visit to Prague is worth it. One of the top destinations in Europe, Prague is 5th most visited city in Europe. Due to its reputation, it can be crowded, but it also means that people who work in some form of a public service (waiter, tour guide, street vender) speak English. However, if you want to get a good picture of St. Charles Bridge without people, try it at 6 am.
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| St. Charles Bridge at dawn. |
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| Prague Castle at dusk. |
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| View from the "eiffel tower". |
You will be well fed in Prague. Its food is heavy and the portion sizes are consistent with those of the United States. Prague's specialties consist of dumplings, meat kabobs, and goulash. What really makes Prague special, in the culinary department that is, is its beer. A large number of restaurants in Prague brew their own beer.
Visit Prague if you like getting your moneys worth, filling your belly, and rich Bohemian architecture.
Don't visit Prague if you don't like walking, you want to take pictures without people in them, or you don't want to gain some extra weight.
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| Lennon's Wall. |
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| $1=18CK |
I hope this is helpful in deciding whether or not to visit Prague. Stay tuned...
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Awards
After visiting 7 countries, 10 cities, and countless tourist attractions, here are my bests and worsts of the trip.
Best country: Austria
Even though both the Czech Republic and Germany have always been two of my favorite countries and Italy surprised me, I have to go with Austria. When you combine the pristine lakes with the backdrop of rocky, rolling green mountains, you can't lose.
Worst country(ies): France & Switzerland
It was bit unfortunate for France that the only city we visited was Mulhouse (the dirtiest and most unkempt city in France). This coupled with the outrageous prices for the less than mediocre food that we were served made me dislike France. Switzerland, on the other hand, is just ridiculously expensive. When it costs $37 to get 5 items at McDonalds, something's wrong. Also, we were unfortunate to not see any of the Alps due to the bad weather that we had.
Best city: Salzburg
The creators of the classic film the Sound of Music did a wonderful job selecting such a picturesque city for the backdrop of their masterpiece. Everywhere one looks they may find nothing less than magnificence. Breathtaking landscapes, impressive buildings, and marvelous gardens captivate its visitors and force them to come back for more.
Worst city: Mulhouse
Just a hole in the wall. Buildings in the old town being patched up left and right. Garbage scattered throughout the city. Its beautiful main square and efficient tram provide the city with potential, but not enough to look past its obvious lack of effort to upkeep the city.
Most touristy city: Prague
Streets, bridges, and restaurants are filled with hoards of tourists and everyone speaks English. However, Prague is worth the struggle.
Least touristy city: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Its a nice little city nestled in foothills of the Bavarian Alps. It seems as though it plays host primarily to German tourists, although there was a British film company filming while we were there.
Stay tuned...
Basic Spanish: vino tinto - red wine
Advanced Spanish: Capullo - idiot (literal translation - cocoon)
Basque: N/A
British English: N/A
Best country: Austria
Even though both the Czech Republic and Germany have always been two of my favorite countries and Italy surprised me, I have to go with Austria. When you combine the pristine lakes with the backdrop of rocky, rolling green mountains, you can't lose.
It was bit unfortunate for France that the only city we visited was Mulhouse (the dirtiest and most unkempt city in France). This coupled with the outrageous prices for the less than mediocre food that we were served made me dislike France. Switzerland, on the other hand, is just ridiculously expensive. When it costs $37 to get 5 items at McDonalds, something's wrong. Also, we were unfortunate to not see any of the Alps due to the bad weather that we had.
The creators of the classic film the Sound of Music did a wonderful job selecting such a picturesque city for the backdrop of their masterpiece. Everywhere one looks they may find nothing less than magnificence. Breathtaking landscapes, impressive buildings, and marvelous gardens captivate its visitors and force them to come back for more.
Just a hole in the wall. Buildings in the old town being patched up left and right. Garbage scattered throughout the city. Its beautiful main square and efficient tram provide the city with potential, but not enough to look past its obvious lack of effort to upkeep the city.
Streets, bridges, and restaurants are filled with hoards of tourists and everyone speaks English. However, Prague is worth the struggle.
Least touristy city: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Its a nice little city nestled in foothills of the Bavarian Alps. It seems as though it plays host primarily to German tourists, although there was a British film company filming while we were there.
Basic Spanish: vino tinto - red wine
Advanced Spanish: Capullo - idiot (literal translation - cocoon)
Basque: N/A
British English: N/A
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