El bosque?! Madre!

One thing I've learnt from my weekend in Pais Vasco is that there is Spanish time.... and then there's Brazilian time. I was only just getting used to Spanish time!! Anyway, this weekend I went on an ERASMUS trip to San Sebastian and Bilbao. It unfortunately started with a very unpleasant hour of the morning - good thing was that the bus left from right outside my flat! About an hour and a half into the journey when we were woken up for our quick cafe stop by shouts of "Vamos chicos!" I realised that patience was going to be a very important aspect of the weekend! We arrived at our hostel which was up a very big hill in San Sebastian and then were taken to another hill (it's a very weird looking city) to look at the views.

Sorry for the overload of pictures but OMG HOW PRETTY IS IT?! I can't explain how absolutely bizzare it looks, but it was just gorgeous. Luckily we had really fantastic weather on Saturday too - quite chilly but sunny. 

I don't like that I'm starting to look more and more ginger.... this was not the plan.

After a few more cries of "Vamos chicos!" (it was really getting on my nerves by this point) we walked back along the beach, past some really random blow holes and back into the centre of town. We managed to just quickly stick our heads into the Cathedral before taking the bus back up to the hostel. 

Now, we'd been told that the organisers were going to make us 100 litres of sangria for that night. I was dubious until we saw them load a trolley full of red wine, lemonade and sugar into the luggage hold of the bus - and I do mean the trolley; like, the whole thing! We then put that together with the black rubbish bin that had been loaded on to the bus that morning - and the whole thing made sense...

After some rather odd drinking games we started to walk down the hill and go out. I'm going to spare the gory details of this walk as it was basically a walk down tiny "paths" in the dark. I was really worried about ruining my new boots!! But once out of the forest we found our way to our natural habitat, the nearest club.

The next morning was tough. Sore heads and throats all round. So what did we do? See that hill behind me and Kerensa's head in the picture - we walked up it. Standard Spanish thinking. At this point "Vamos!" was making me want to be sick. Although at the top the Castle was pretty cool.

Kerensa wasn't very good at looking sad....

I did tell her that climbing on the canons would not be acceptable at any National Trust establishment in Britain. But she didn't listen.

Eventually we hit the road again and travelled to Bilbao. Bilbao was different, it's obviously a really industrial town and there were some parts that weren't that nice to look at, but lots of the old town has been renovated recently and looks amazing. We took a tour all around the old town and into the new town and the Guggenheim.

*Edinburgh people* 

Look, A TRAM!! And it works and everything!!

The Guggenheim was amazing. Obviously. Although, a little too easy to get lost in. 

So that was San Sebastian and Bilbao. Coming up soon; Barcelona with the wonderful Mari-Jane Paterson and Leon with the Oviedo troop. And not long after that HOME!!

Dear God I'm old (part 2)

Following on from that epic picture of Mum and Dad at lunch, the rest of my birthday was spent buying a very expensive pair of boots (as a present to myself) and going for dinner at a really lovely restaurant. After that it was time for the Oviedo lot to "meet the parents" so off we went to "That Robin Hood bar" as Alwyn so eloquently put it, for some more drinking. I was presented with a copy of Pride and Prejudice in Spanish - hours of entertainment to be had! The family withdrew at about midnight and we journeyed on for our classic night out in Oviedo which as always, featured a trip to BATCAVE!

Those tiny little shot glasses could be my favourite thing about Spain...

The next day (hangover in check with a healthy dose of paracetamol and caffeine) we took the train to Aviles. Our first stop was the Oscar Niemeyer centre, which is the first thing you see when arriving at the train station in Aviles, because its HUUUUGE! 

Rachael's pictures are much better obviously. But you get the idea. It's huge. It's white and yellow. It's a crazy shape. And it's built out of concrete (eh?) The idea was to make something really amazing to sit in the middle of the industrial part of Aviles -and it definitely does.

The English Lit geek inside of me was also quite impressed by the exhibition celebrating the 400 year anniversary of Don Quijote, even though I've still never read it...

I don't know if they selected certain parts of the novel to use in these sculptures but I like the idea that "amigos" just ended up on the edge like that by accident!

The rainbow coloured bridge which led into Aviles itself also gave ample opportunity for posing...

See, cause we're all wearing green. Cool innit?

And cause Dad was wearing purple. Coooooool? 

So even though we had a great time at the Nieymeyer Centre, I'm pretty sure that the one thing that my family will be able to tell you about Aviles whilst reflecting on their trip is "There was nothing to eat." This is true. For some reason Aviles was empty. Now I know what a Spanish Town during siesta looks like, but this was no siesta! We couldn't find food for love nor money. Eventually we managed to locate a little cafe who made us bocadillos (which were inhaled more than eaten) but there was obviously something going on in Aviles on Saturday that nobody told us about...

On Sunday we went to Mass at the Cathedral - it turns out that there is no "Big Mass" in Oviedo, as 11.00 was just as quiet as all the others. Afterwards we took a little walk into Old Town to watch the bagpipers play in Plaza de Espana. I was going to upload a video of the pipers but for some reason it's not working properly so I can't. I wanted to get some Scottish opinions on what exactly it is that's different between their bagpipe music and ours. We thought that maybe it was the beat, or the rhythm; I don't think anyone would march into battle against the English to the sound of Asturian pipes!

And kilts are obviously much more manly...

We're still getting along.... promise!

We then took a trip to Gijon and had a walk around the town and along the sea front. For some reason the weather was unbelievable on Sunday so we got to have a wander around in the sunshine!

On Monday morning Rachael came to school with me and was interrogated by my two first year classes, who didn't really know what to say to her, although one boy: was a legend.

George: "Rachael, do you disco in Falkirk?"

Rachael: "No, I don't."

George: "Okay, I have another question. This question is for Rebecca only, do you disco in Edinburgh?"

Me: Yes George I do.

Leg-end!

For the rest of Monday we walked around Oviedo again and had a look at the Cathedral Museums and Cloisters, which were worth a look. And kind of creepy because it was getting dark! After that we went for a drink in "the sparkly bar" as I have dubbed it, which is the cutest bar ever with lots of fairy lights and bottles hanging on the walls. And then finally it was time to say goodbye....

And although this didn't happen over my birthday weekend, I want to tell you about it anyway.

So my first years found out that I speak Spanish today, and proceeded to interrogate me in Spanish - which let me tell you, is just stressful. They also asked me to sing to one of them who's birthday it was. 

Not to mention, last night I got a note from two of the girls (via Holly who tutors them) regarding the state of their love lives. 

I LOVE THIS CLASS!!

And, I might make them some scones soon, but only if they keep being this awesome! 

Dear God I'm old. (part 1)

This weekend was indeed my 20th Birthday and so I have lots and lots of exciting things to write about, and PICTURES!  A replacement camera (its purple and so much cooler) was my birthday present and so once again the Brits of Oviedo are cowering in fear of my lens and my tagging obsession!

A week ago today I received a lovely surprise from the Bilingual Department and Alfonso II when they brought out a birthday cake for me during our weekly meeting and sang Feliz Cumpleanos. Epic.

They also bought be a pendrive... its a running joke that I always rock up to classes with my laptop and thne it never works with whatever technology they have in the classroom. Although funnily enough, the next day I went to class with the pendrive, and it wouldn't work either. Talk about the irony.

Then on Thursday evening the Sweeney Wells's arrived from Madrid at half past ten (note to the Hotel Iiiiiibis, as according to my disgruntled taxi driver, that's how to say it!) and I met them at the hotel and then got on with the very important task of showing my parents just how many different types of alcohol I know how to order in Spanish!

Friday morning was my birthday and I stayed at the hotel with the family. I was given my presents, the awesome new camera (including matching purple case!) a "Keep Calm and DFTBA" t-shirt from Rachael, which I might have got a little bit too excited about and lots of cards from the family back home. They also gave me a Harry Potter from page to screen book which I think must have been most of their luggage allowance. And what did I do? I told them to take it home and put it in the freezer (Friends Reference) because really I'm still in denial that Harry Potter has finished and that book might just kill me. 

Then it was time to take my case (full of presents and other goodies from back home) to the flat and show them around Oviedo. We started with the classic Spanish lunchtime event - Menu del Dia, and I took advantage of my new camera.

I love this picture. 

Lots more happened but I have to go to the Gym now, so I'll finish the weekend later!

Gijon and other adventures

I must apologise for the lack of information on my exciting Spanish life... but that's because it hasn't really been that exciting over the past week. Unless anyone would like to know about my lesson plans or lack there of?

But wait! This weekend we took a trip en masse to Gijon which is the biggest city in Asturias (I think, at least that's what Google Maps says). Luckily the appalling weather which had plagued us for a week disappeared and we had a beautiful sunny day! And even more luckily, the lovely Frankie has sent me some of her pictures from our day trip to make this post a little less boring!

Just in case we forgot where we were, the Spanairds put a massive sign up to remind us!

And the Brits being Brits - we take a picture inside it!

I think the world is aware that Spanish food is amazing. What the world may not know is that the best Spanish food ever comes in tiny baguettes. Pinchos is their name and being tasty is their game! On arrival in Gijon we were all a little peckish but pinchos to the rescue!!

Can't explain how good they are!! That and a cafe con leche and we were good to go.... to the beach!

Basically we spent most of our day in Gijon either eating, drinking, or lying on the grass at the top of a hill and talking about how sunny it was. It's cause we're hardcore party animals like that! The city was absolutely beautiful and just walking around it was enough for our first visit. 

I look really tiny in this picture... I promise they aren't really that tall! It's probably just Alwyn's sunglasses making her look bigger!

My favourite picture of the day has to be this! Which was taken outside a tourist shop - everyone had to get a picture and so a poor six year old Spanish boy was forced to wait while 6 twenty-somethings posed inside a Knight's Head. 

(For Jacqueline - TO CAMELOT!)

So that was our day out to Gijon, can't wait to go again! Hopefully should have some more adventures to recount soon, although the biggest plan I have right now is to wait for the Dairy Milk package that's on it's way from Falkirk!

No aqui, alli.

Aqui means "here" and Alli means "there." They are my two favourite Spanish words as its possible to create an entire conversation only using the two of them!! I'm obviously getting really good at this language...

So, my classes at school are going really well. The kids seem lovely. My favourite class so far though, I only met yesterday (due to last weeks holiday) and I LOVE THEM! Mostly because their questions began, "Do you like football?" From that point on I knew we were going to get along well.
"What team do you support?"
"Roma, because Scottish teams aren't very good...."
*They all giggle* "But what Spanish team?"
"Barca"
Half of the class "Yay!" the other half "Boo!"
"Who is your favourite player?" asks a boy at the back who I'm convinced was asleep until football was mentioned!
"Well," I said - suspense - "It used to be Fernando Torres, but now he plays for Chelsea... so I can't like him anymore" he and all the other boys in the class nod enthusiastically, "So probably Messi." Big grins all round.
"Did you watch the match between Scotland and Spain?"
"Yes I did. But we're not talking about that otherwise we won't be friends okay?"

So yeah. I love that class.

I've had to buy a blazer. Because I liked the colour? Yes. Because it was cheap? Yes. But mostly, because I was feeling really weird being in a school and not wearing a blazer!! Although I keep going to get things out of my pockets... my blazer doesn't have pockets...

One major thing I've noticed about Spain is that you cannot, and I mean CANNOT reply with a simple "yes" to any question.
The answer must be, "Si, si, vale, vale, vale, bueno bueno."
Which roughly translates as "Yes, yes, okay, okay, good, good."
Otherwise they don't believe that you really mean it!

Podemos surf?

Having just been shouted at by my Dad for not blogging I thought I better write something!
Unfortunately I think I got sand in my camera at the weekend and its broken so these blogs might be picture-less for a little while!

At the weekend I went to Las Salinas, near Aviles with a big group of British Council people - we're really not doing a very good job at the whole speaking Spanish thing...
It was ridiculously hot! We all got a little bit burnt as we were all doing that classic British "I never see the sun, I'm not covering up!!"
Some people frollicked in the water, I did not. Although the paddling conditions were superb!
Surfing had been the idea of the day, but as we went on a Sunday, Spain was closed. Its annoying like that!
Speaking of Sundays, I went to Mass at the Cathedral on Sunday and couldn't find the congregation. Ten o'clock Mass was not the social event that it is back home and Mass was being celebrated in a side chapel. A side chapel that was bigger than St. Francis and completely filled with marble and stone statues, stained glass windows and tapestries. They do religion rather well here!

I started work at my school on Monday. The classes all seem nice. As nice as a bunch of teenagers being forced to speak in another language can be!
They seemed interested in haggis because its like morcilla and the bagpipes because they play the pipes in Asturias. They did not understand how a drink could be bright orange. Irn bru fail. Although once I know them better I might make them watch the Fizzy, Ginger, Phenomenal, advert.

Tonight I'm watching Scotland play Spain with a bunch of English people and two Americans... something tells me I may have to go watch it by myself at some point.
Its a holiday in Spain tomorrow (when is it not?!) so we're off to the beach again and to speak Spanish to a French girl. Sounds like a good day!

No yo quiero agua, yo quiero bebida

Orientation took place in Madrid this weekend, basically that involved three free days in Madrid and not a lot of work!
Madrid is really different from Oviedo, obviously they are totally different places, but its a lot busier and stressful. It was really nice to come back home to Oviedo yesterday and have a lovely chilled out Sunday, sitting drinking cider (not through a straw Guides) and eating another massive Menu del Dia!

So after arriving on Thursday and getting our first free meal - hint to vegetarians, don't apply to be language assistants in Spain! - we had thought about sitting in and drinking 56 cent wine from cartons, but instead we decided to brave Madrid's nightlife! I'm glad we did. After a very lovely cocktail in a bar we found a little pub in a side street. The owner, after discovering he had two Scots in his pub, offered us Beefeater Gin with a special tonic.

Oh was I glad that he did! He poured the tonic in with a special spoon and it made it all flat. It was literally the best G+T I have ever had!!

On the Friday, which was out intended night out, we went a little more traditional. Moondance Club near the Plaza del Sol - free entry and a free shot. Epic.
And the characters we saw! Apparently boys in Madrid like to wear really tight white trousers - who knew?
The bottles of Don Simon Sangria and the 56 cent white wine that we chugged on the metro really added to the class of the whole evening!

We also managed to get some masks from somewhere.... there were no questions asked.

So, I'm off to school tomorrow for the first time! Wish me luck!!

These shoes weren't made for walking....

Day one and I walked. Like miles. Holly and I went on a little jaunt that ended up taking us halfway around Oviedo and we got lost, luckily we found a bus that took us back to the flat!

We started off by walking through Parque de San Francisco to where my school is.

Its nice isn't it? 

These are the photos I took on our walk.

Yes that is a statue of some naked people.  

I <3 Spain.

The guy in the Cafe that I'm using for internet just walked past and said "Coca Light, si?" I've been here once and I'm known!! It took me a year in the Starbucks in Bruntsfield to get that!! I could be convinced to drink Coca Light with that kind of treatment!!

One thing that I don't have enough pictures of is the Cathedral, the ones I have are kind of rubbish so I'm going to wait to take some more. They do have Mass four times on a Sunday including one at 1 o'clock though - lie in on a Sunday? Yes please.

So I went shopping today, at the end of the LONGEST WALK EVER! Did I mention that I walked really far...
I thought I should start with the essentials...

How could I live without these!?

Finally a kind of sign that I took to mean that this year is going to be awesome - I found this outside my flat today 

The Camino de Santiago goes right past my flat, what more needs to be said....?