Since my last post, the world has quite simply lost it's sh*t. COVID-19 has evolved into a pandemic and caused panic across the globe, causing people to lose their minds and stock up on toilet roll, and wiping the supermarkets of everything else as well.
UAM, in line with the strict measures Madrid is putting in place in an attempt to contain the virus (after letting International Women's Day marches go ahead - a minor slip up to say the least), has closed for two weeks. I've received an email from my uni, giving students abroad the opportunity to come home, of which I was initially dismissive. But since hearing that some of my other friends here are being ordered home, and that some unis in the UK have ceased in-class teaching until September, I feel as though choosing to book a flight and come back is probably the right decision. Not to mention the fact all my other flatmates have either left/leaving/ are unable to return, so I'd be stuck on my own for two weeks, also without the possibility of seeing a physio, but that's a different story. So thanks for talking some sense in to me Mum. Hopefully Bham are okay with this, as at the time of writing they haven't actually approved my individual request of continuing my studies in the UK!
Today I've packed, went to see my good friend Juan to say goodbye, and eaten too much food in an attempt to waste as little as possible. Typical that I bought about a week's worth in order to prep for the siege and then spontaneously change my plans as a result of the government stepping up the intensity of their measures. I'll be going to bed in about three hours, as I'll be up at 03:30 in order to be in the airport in plenty of time. I'm taking no chances. FCO is currently advising against all travel to Madrid, and I don't want to be in a situation where I can no longer leave Madrid/enter the UK.
I have mixed feelings at the moment. I'm really excited the go home, but I'm also a little bit disappointed that this is the way I have to end my study abroad year; can't say I ever saw it coming. I understand the seriousness of the situation, but it's also a little bit funny.
Reflecting on my year, whilst it definitely wasn't what I was expecting, and wasn't necessarily everything I hoped it would be before I came out, I've still visited some great places, met some cool people, made some great memories, and I've also learnt a lot about myself in the past few months. I know this sounds very gap year cliché, and is what I would have described it as before actually experiencing it, but it's true. I've had a lot of time to reflect since September, and I've learnt what my priorities are, what I want from life, what matters to me, where I feel most at home, and I've built up some positive habits in the process. So for that I'm extremely grateful. So wish me luck for getting back to the UK smoothly, and good luck surviving the end of humanity.
Sunday 15 March 2020
Monday 2 March 2020
Celebrations!
It feels like it's been a while since my last post; I've just been waiting till everything calms down - it's all been fairly non-stop!
First thing to say is that I somehow I passed my exams which was a bit of a miracle. That means I've only got to pass one module this semester in order to pass the year which takes a lot of the pressure off! But I do, however, have to do two essays for Bham which actually count towards my degree alongside all my other studies, so there is a bit more to do in that sense.
Since exams, I've been to watch the Superbowl with my flatmates which was good fun! The game didn't start until 00:00 Madrid time, which meant it didn't finish until 04:00 ish. But of course I didn't last that long - especially since I didn't really understand what was going on, and it turns out there are a lot of breaks in the game-play of American football... But the half-time show made it all worth going to - it was utterly ridiculous and completely unrelated to football which I just found amusing. Shakira performed with JLo. The atmosphere was great seeing as we watched it at Dubliners which was absolutely packed with other Amercians, making for an an enjoyable cultural experience overall, even if it wasn't a Spanish one!
Valentines day was more entertaining than usual. I bought doughnuts for the rest of the flat, which they enjoyed and couldn't believe they were vegan. Taylor and Caroline bought sweets for everyone which was a lovely gesture. After an entertaining pres at the flat, we went to meet some of Taylor's friends who played a lot of techno. That should have set my alarm bells ringing but for some reason it didn't occur to me that we'd end up going to a club of a similar style. Not only was it a similar style, but it was a lot harder, louder and generally even less entertaining. So I ended up leaving pretty early and getting a fairly early night so I can't complain too much I guess.
The next celebration was for Carnaval - which I didn't really realise was a thing. Whilst we have pancake day in the UK in the build up to lent, Spain as a Catholic country celebrates for a few days before hand. José told me to dress up to go out on Friday night so I went to buy myself a costume - I ended up with a fairly mediocre viking costume which didn't brake the bank. I met him that evening and to my relief he was also dressed up (as the Pope); I was worried he was just having me on. We left his flat and went to get a quick drink before heading into town. Nobody else was dressed up in the bar - concerning, I thought, but it was quite early, and some Spaniards would still be having their tea. We set off into town, and we turned a lot of heads to say the least. I still thought that we probably wouldn't see any people dressed up until we got closer to Sol. I was both right and wrong. We got to Dubliners and I still couldn't see anybody else dressed up. I've never felt both so uncomfortable and at ease. I didn't know any of these people and would never see them again - so it was both embarrassing and extremely hilarious. We ended up at Shoko, and everyone kept asking José for pictures - but not me, thank god. Needless to say, I doubt I'll ever forget that night. José went out on the Saturday as well in the same costume, and apparently everyone else was dressed up this time - we were a day early. So thanks for that José.
A couple days later it was Tuesday 25th - my 21st birthday! My flatmate Caroline surprised me a selection of cakes from Freedom Cakes which was super lovely to come home to, especially seeing as she went quite out of the way to research where to get vegan cake and then travel to get it! That evening whilst I was cooking my banana pancakes (because it was also Shrove Tuesday), Christian had a go at unblocking the sink - a task in which he succeeded. Sort of. He unscrewed the pipe which simply let all of the pressure, and resulting water and rice which was blocking it, out all over the floor. The three of us (Caroline, Christian and me) simply stared in disbelief, and then started laughing, and couldn't stop for a good while.
The following day was Ash Wednesday, and I went with Caroline and her friend to check out the final festival of Carnaval - el Entierro de la Sardina. I'd learnt about it during A2 Spanish and so was really eager to experience it - but due to the lack of information online about it, I was a bit sceptical about whether it was going to be a waste of time or not. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong to doubt it. It was fantastic to say the least. It was the strangest thing I've seen since being here, but at the same time one of the most enjoyable. Everyone dresses up in black, and there are a select few that are the centre of the parade, carrying a little coffin which supposedly contains a dead sardine. There was a band playing music, quite a few people were drinking, and there were people dressed up in much bigger mascot costumes - of what, however, I still don't know! As the parade went on and the sunlight turned to darkness, the tone of the music changed. What was at first a celebration of the fish's life was turning into its funeral. Those in black lit flaming torches and the procession continued towards Casa de Campo. At the end of the parade, the coffin was placed in the centre of a circle, and set alight by the torches. After the flames had died down a bit, in what was another turn of the roller coaster of an evening, everyone started jumping over the flames - with no protection! Could not believe what I was watching! Kids as young as what looked like seven were doing it as everyone else cheered. This festival just confirmed to me how much the Spanish love a fiesta, and the wackier the better.
The Friday of that week, I went to meet my best friend Vic at the airport who was coming to stay for the weekend. We spent the evening exploring Sol and the main attractions in the 19 degree sunshine (weird for February I know) before going for food. We started Saturday by going to brunch at one of my favourite places in Madrid: Bunny's deli. Afterwards, we headed over to Retiro Park. However, disappointingly the weather wasn't good as the previous day - it was fairly cold and super windy! But that didn't stop the several jazz bands we saw from busking. In the evening we decided to go and watch 1917 at the cinema, to which we arrived late. And of course, for a country that supposedly arrives late for everything, the film started on the dot. In the evening, we cooked up a storm and made our own tapas saving some money: patatas bravas and pan con tomate. They were both so tasty and it was nice to have someone to cook with for once! On Sunday, I showed her the Rastro market before going for lunch at Punto Vegano. Next we went up the Faro de Moncloa, something I hadn't yet done myself and which we were unable to do the day before because it was so windy. The view was superb and it was so peaceful at the top with hardly any other people and no traffic whatsoever! Before taking her back to the airport, I took her to La Latina to show her round some of the prettiest streets in Madrid in my opinion. Thanks for coming Vic; it was great to see you, and I'll see you in a month for your 21st!
And that's pretty much it for this update. My Derecho Ambiental class starts in about an hour, which I haven't had for the past four weeks. So for the next ten weeks I have a two hour class every Monday and Wednesday evening. Disgusting, I know.
My next update will probably after Mum, Dad, Ruth and Jon have come to visit me (or not, depending on how quickly Corono spreads) in early April. So chao for now!
Photos to follow at some point.
First thing to say is that I somehow I passed my exams which was a bit of a miracle. That means I've only got to pass one module this semester in order to pass the year which takes a lot of the pressure off! But I do, however, have to do two essays for Bham which actually count towards my degree alongside all my other studies, so there is a bit more to do in that sense.
Since exams, I've been to watch the Superbowl with my flatmates which was good fun! The game didn't start until 00:00 Madrid time, which meant it didn't finish until 04:00 ish. But of course I didn't last that long - especially since I didn't really understand what was going on, and it turns out there are a lot of breaks in the game-play of American football... But the half-time show made it all worth going to - it was utterly ridiculous and completely unrelated to football which I just found amusing. Shakira performed with JLo. The atmosphere was great seeing as we watched it at Dubliners which was absolutely packed with other Amercians, making for an an enjoyable cultural experience overall, even if it wasn't a Spanish one!
Valentines day was more entertaining than usual. I bought doughnuts for the rest of the flat, which they enjoyed and couldn't believe they were vegan. Taylor and Caroline bought sweets for everyone which was a lovely gesture. After an entertaining pres at the flat, we went to meet some of Taylor's friends who played a lot of techno. That should have set my alarm bells ringing but for some reason it didn't occur to me that we'd end up going to a club of a similar style. Not only was it a similar style, but it was a lot harder, louder and generally even less entertaining. So I ended up leaving pretty early and getting a fairly early night so I can't complain too much I guess.
The next celebration was for Carnaval - which I didn't really realise was a thing. Whilst we have pancake day in the UK in the build up to lent, Spain as a Catholic country celebrates for a few days before hand. José told me to dress up to go out on Friday night so I went to buy myself a costume - I ended up with a fairly mediocre viking costume which didn't brake the bank. I met him that evening and to my relief he was also dressed up (as the Pope); I was worried he was just having me on. We left his flat and went to get a quick drink before heading into town. Nobody else was dressed up in the bar - concerning, I thought, but it was quite early, and some Spaniards would still be having their tea. We set off into town, and we turned a lot of heads to say the least. I still thought that we probably wouldn't see any people dressed up until we got closer to Sol. I was both right and wrong. We got to Dubliners and I still couldn't see anybody else dressed up. I've never felt both so uncomfortable and at ease. I didn't know any of these people and would never see them again - so it was both embarrassing and extremely hilarious. We ended up at Shoko, and everyone kept asking José for pictures - but not me, thank god. Needless to say, I doubt I'll ever forget that night. José went out on the Saturday as well in the same costume, and apparently everyone else was dressed up this time - we were a day early. So thanks for that José.
A couple days later it was Tuesday 25th - my 21st birthday! My flatmate Caroline surprised me a selection of cakes from Freedom Cakes which was super lovely to come home to, especially seeing as she went quite out of the way to research where to get vegan cake and then travel to get it! That evening whilst I was cooking my banana pancakes (because it was also Shrove Tuesday), Christian had a go at unblocking the sink - a task in which he succeeded. Sort of. He unscrewed the pipe which simply let all of the pressure, and resulting water and rice which was blocking it, out all over the floor. The three of us (Caroline, Christian and me) simply stared in disbelief, and then started laughing, and couldn't stop for a good while.
The following day was Ash Wednesday, and I went with Caroline and her friend to check out the final festival of Carnaval - el Entierro de la Sardina. I'd learnt about it during A2 Spanish and so was really eager to experience it - but due to the lack of information online about it, I was a bit sceptical about whether it was going to be a waste of time or not. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong to doubt it. It was fantastic to say the least. It was the strangest thing I've seen since being here, but at the same time one of the most enjoyable. Everyone dresses up in black, and there are a select few that are the centre of the parade, carrying a little coffin which supposedly contains a dead sardine. There was a band playing music, quite a few people were drinking, and there were people dressed up in much bigger mascot costumes - of what, however, I still don't know! As the parade went on and the sunlight turned to darkness, the tone of the music changed. What was at first a celebration of the fish's life was turning into its funeral. Those in black lit flaming torches and the procession continued towards Casa de Campo. At the end of the parade, the coffin was placed in the centre of a circle, and set alight by the torches. After the flames had died down a bit, in what was another turn of the roller coaster of an evening, everyone started jumping over the flames - with no protection! Could not believe what I was watching! Kids as young as what looked like seven were doing it as everyone else cheered. This festival just confirmed to me how much the Spanish love a fiesta, and the wackier the better.
The Friday of that week, I went to meet my best friend Vic at the airport who was coming to stay for the weekend. We spent the evening exploring Sol and the main attractions in the 19 degree sunshine (weird for February I know) before going for food. We started Saturday by going to brunch at one of my favourite places in Madrid: Bunny's deli. Afterwards, we headed over to Retiro Park. However, disappointingly the weather wasn't good as the previous day - it was fairly cold and super windy! But that didn't stop the several jazz bands we saw from busking. In the evening we decided to go and watch 1917 at the cinema, to which we arrived late. And of course, for a country that supposedly arrives late for everything, the film started on the dot. In the evening, we cooked up a storm and made our own tapas saving some money: patatas bravas and pan con tomate. They were both so tasty and it was nice to have someone to cook with for once! On Sunday, I showed her the Rastro market before going for lunch at Punto Vegano. Next we went up the Faro de Moncloa, something I hadn't yet done myself and which we were unable to do the day before because it was so windy. The view was superb and it was so peaceful at the top with hardly any other people and no traffic whatsoever! Before taking her back to the airport, I took her to La Latina to show her round some of the prettiest streets in Madrid in my opinion. Thanks for coming Vic; it was great to see you, and I'll see you in a month for your 21st!
And that's pretty much it for this update. My Derecho Ambiental class starts in about an hour, which I haven't had for the past four weeks. So for the next ten weeks I have a two hour class every Monday and Wednesday evening. Disgusting, I know.
My next update will probably after Mum, Dad, Ruth and Jon have come to visit me (or not, depending on how quickly Corono spreads) in early April. So chao for now!
Photos to follow at some point.
Wednesday 22 January 2020
New year, fresh perspective
After a well-needed (though not for my figure) and super-lovely two weeks off for Christmas at home home, I'm back in Madrid to do semester one all over again, though this time I know what I'm getting myself into!
Been back for two weeks now, which have both gone really quickly, probably something to do with having exams rather than normal classes: meaning that I've been procrastinating sufficiently so that revision hasn't turned my brain to complete mush. I'm actually not to sure how my exams have gone, we'll just have to wait and see. Though it's definitely safe to say that Spanish exams are very different to what I'm used to at Bham! Rather than a two hour exam consisting of two essay questions, most of my exams have been multiple choice tests with incorrect answers losing you half a mark - which is why it's so hard to gauge how well (or badly) I've done, especially when the answers are so similar! However, what's even more different than the content is the process. I showed up for my first exam (after having to ask at the main admin desk the room because we hadn't been told in advance (unless I missed it because of my lack of Spanishness which is a possibility)) in plenty of time, only to find it full of all the students revising and chatting in groups (as opposed to the strict UK entry and seating procedure). The first member of staff showed up 20 minutes after the exam was supposed to start, and after another 10 minutes of shuffling to separate students, then exam finally started... And all of my others have been of a similar informal nature.
In other news, I've got two new housemates! Two girls from the US have moved in to replace the two lads that moved out before Christmas. They both really easy to get on with, and I've got a feeling that this semester is going to be a lot more of a house rather than hotel vibe! Though the kitchen is as cold as it always is, making it kind of hard to remain in there for social reasons... We're thinking of investing in a little heating though, so hopefully that won't be an issue for much longer!
As I'm writing this, I've finished all my exams, and I should be getting ready to catch my bus to Bilbao for a couple days of sightseeing, but I feel like utter crap meaning I'm coming down with something. So I've decided (as painful as the decision was due to my foolish decision of booking non-flexi/refundable tickets and accommodation) to not go, as four days walking in the cold and possibly rain isn't going to make me any better, nor will feeling like rubbish make my experience as enjoyable as it should be. With five days off before second semester starts, I've now got plenty of time (so no excuses) to start thinking about my year abroad essay and be hella productive without the weight of other uni work to do. But that starts tomorrow. Promise.
I've applied to change two of my classes for the second semester (again) as I've realised how naive I was when picking Spanish Civil Law as a 9 credit class. So if I get my choice of International Relations Theory, then term two should be a lot easier on my brain, even if I have already studied the subject.
Just as a final thing to note, this has been the quickest blog post I've written thus far: taking about half an hour. Go me.
Nos vemos x
Been back for two weeks now, which have both gone really quickly, probably something to do with having exams rather than normal classes: meaning that I've been procrastinating sufficiently so that revision hasn't turned my brain to complete mush. I'm actually not to sure how my exams have gone, we'll just have to wait and see. Though it's definitely safe to say that Spanish exams are very different to what I'm used to at Bham! Rather than a two hour exam consisting of two essay questions, most of my exams have been multiple choice tests with incorrect answers losing you half a mark - which is why it's so hard to gauge how well (or badly) I've done, especially when the answers are so similar! However, what's even more different than the content is the process. I showed up for my first exam (after having to ask at the main admin desk the room because we hadn't been told in advance (unless I missed it because of my lack of Spanishness which is a possibility)) in plenty of time, only to find it full of all the students revising and chatting in groups (as opposed to the strict UK entry and seating procedure). The first member of staff showed up 20 minutes after the exam was supposed to start, and after another 10 minutes of shuffling to separate students, then exam finally started... And all of my others have been of a similar informal nature.
In other news, I've got two new housemates! Two girls from the US have moved in to replace the two lads that moved out before Christmas. They both really easy to get on with, and I've got a feeling that this semester is going to be a lot more of a house rather than hotel vibe! Though the kitchen is as cold as it always is, making it kind of hard to remain in there for social reasons... We're thinking of investing in a little heating though, so hopefully that won't be an issue for much longer!
As I'm writing this, I've finished all my exams, and I should be getting ready to catch my bus to Bilbao for a couple days of sightseeing, but I feel like utter crap meaning I'm coming down with something. So I've decided (as painful as the decision was due to my foolish decision of booking non-flexi/refundable tickets and accommodation) to not go, as four days walking in the cold and possibly rain isn't going to make me any better, nor will feeling like rubbish make my experience as enjoyable as it should be. With five days off before second semester starts, I've now got plenty of time (so no excuses) to start thinking about my year abroad essay and be hella productive without the weight of other uni work to do. But that starts tomorrow. Promise.
I've applied to change two of my classes for the second semester (again) as I've realised how naive I was when picking Spanish Civil Law as a 9 credit class. So if I get my choice of International Relations Theory, then term two should be a lot easier on my brain, even if I have already studied the subject.
Just as a final thing to note, this has been the quickest blog post I've written thus far: taking about half an hour. Go me.
Nos vemos x
Saturday 21 December 2019
End of first semester reflections
It's a little surreal sitting here writing this post knowing I'll be going home tomorrow. This first term has consisted of a plethora of experiences, with fun times, a few hard times, and a lot of cultural appreciation along the way! Whilst it's fair to say I haven't particularly enjoyed all of my classes at uni, resulting in the second half of the semester dragging to a certain extent, at the same time it feels like yesterday that I first arrived in the blazing sunshine and 30 degree temperatures. Since then, walking the same route to my faculty each day from the train station I've witnessed the seasons wizz by and watched the trees change the colour of their leaves before shedding them. To me this daily journey has acted as a metaphor for my experience since arriving in September: in the same way that the weather changes from day to day, life keeps moving forward and a particularly rough day will eventually be replaced by a better one.
The past few weeks have been a lot easier than the start of middle of term (thankfully!) due to only having a few assessments left to complete. I've reached the end of my first 15 weeks having managed to somehow pass all my seminars meaning I can present myself (unlike one or two unfortunate students!) at the looming exams at the end of January. Looking back on my goals I set myself before leaving the UK, thus far I've successfully completed goal five: pass. It's also fair to say I've achieved goal two: travel. Since arriving, I've made three short day trips to Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial, and three longer weekend excursions to Granada, Seville and Valencia, alongside getting to know the wonderful city of Madrid itself! And I've made plans to visit Bilbao and San Sebastian in my free few days between my January exams and the start of second semester classes. I've also smashed goal three: eat out. I've been to 24 different restaurants and cafes, establishing some firm favourites to which I've returned a number of times! This week I've a sublime pumpkin quiche with cashew cheese and a delicious blueberry and lemon scone at the artisan and tranquil Bunny's Deli and a superb buddha bowl and incredible tiramisu at the fairly hippy and buzzing Vega. Goal one and four, on the other hand, are a very different story... I've definitely not spoken as much Spanish as I naively hoped I would and as of yet I'm still no extrovert. But hey, baby steps right?
On a different note, I have noticed an improvement in my swimming, which I've been doing 2-3 times a week to stop me from going insane without my bike to ride.
This past week I went to check out the Christmas lights at the Botanical Gardens which were lovely and visited the extremely underwhelming Christmas market in Plaza Mayor (the German Christmas markets in Birmingham are tens times better in my opinion) which sold a lot of cheap Christmas tat which I imagine you'd find a lot cheaper in a pound shop. Though thinking about it I've not seen any of those in Spain, so maybe Spanish citizens have to wait 11 months before having the opportunity to spend their pennies on useless capitalist pieces of rubbish manufactured in China and that break after two uses. Anyway I seem to have wondered off on a tangent... I finished the semester on a high last night, going out with three of my best friends here: Juan, Jose and Pedro, and in typical Spanish fashion dancing the night away until the Metro re-opened at 06:00.
So for the last time of 2019, hasta luego!
The past few weeks have been a lot easier than the start of middle of term (thankfully!) due to only having a few assessments left to complete. I've reached the end of my first 15 weeks having managed to somehow pass all my seminars meaning I can present myself (unlike one or two unfortunate students!) at the looming exams at the end of January. Looking back on my goals I set myself before leaving the UK, thus far I've successfully completed goal five: pass. It's also fair to say I've achieved goal two: travel. Since arriving, I've made three short day trips to Toledo, Segovia and El Escorial, and three longer weekend excursions to Granada, Seville and Valencia, alongside getting to know the wonderful city of Madrid itself! And I've made plans to visit Bilbao and San Sebastian in my free few days between my January exams and the start of second semester classes. I've also smashed goal three: eat out. I've been to 24 different restaurants and cafes, establishing some firm favourites to which I've returned a number of times! This week I've a sublime pumpkin quiche with cashew cheese and a delicious blueberry and lemon scone at the artisan and tranquil Bunny's Deli and a superb buddha bowl and incredible tiramisu at the fairly hippy and buzzing Vega. Goal one and four, on the other hand, are a very different story... I've definitely not spoken as much Spanish as I naively hoped I would and as of yet I'm still no extrovert. But hey, baby steps right?
On a different note, I have noticed an improvement in my swimming, which I've been doing 2-3 times a week to stop me from going insane without my bike to ride.
This past week I went to check out the Christmas lights at the Botanical Gardens which were lovely and visited the extremely underwhelming Christmas market in Plaza Mayor (the German Christmas markets in Birmingham are tens times better in my opinion) which sold a lot of cheap Christmas tat which I imagine you'd find a lot cheaper in a pound shop. Though thinking about it I've not seen any of those in Spain, so maybe Spanish citizens have to wait 11 months before having the opportunity to spend their pennies on useless capitalist pieces of rubbish manufactured in China and that break after two uses. Anyway I seem to have wondered off on a tangent... I finished the semester on a high last night, going out with three of my best friends here: Juan, Jose and Pedro, and in typical Spanish fashion dancing the night away until the Metro re-opened at 06:00.
I've got lots of revision (i.e. learning the content for the first time) to do before my January exams, but I'm giving myself Christmas off. Looking forward to a proper break, Christmas baking and riding my bike!
So for the last time of 2019, hasta luego!
Sunday 8 December 2019
Seville and Valencia
Long post alert consisting of my last two weekends sightseeing and experiencing some other parts of Spain!
Seville with Pedro
We got the train on Friday night and, after eventually finding and checking in at the extremely poorly signposted hostel, had time for a drink to start off the weekend.
On Saturday morning we visited the cathedral, the girada viewing tower and the alcazar in the lovely sunshine and real feel temp of 20 degrees even though it was the last day of November. Not sure if this is typical Seville weather or just climate change, but either way we weren't complaining too much. After a quick bite, we headed over the other side of the river (which reminded me of the bridge in Cologne for some reason), and checked out the Triana market. Whilst most of the stalls had finished for the day and were beginning to pack up, we still got a great idea of the atmosphere, since there quite a few people were eating and drinking at the bars there, just without the busyness of the market that would have been present earlier in the day. And yes I know that was an extremely poorly worded sentence but I can't think of another way to say it. We next headed back over the river to visit the museum of fine arts before heading for an earlyish tea which served meat for Pedro whilst I had some overpriced yet still very tasted stir fry smoked veg. The main event was still yet to take place - the Flamenco show which we'd booked before we came. It was absolutely super! Everything was just so Spanish I can't even give it justice with my mere description in words. The guitarist was incredible, the singers had such distinctive voices, the dancing itself was filled with passion and noisy stamping, and all of the men had long black hair. Everything worked so well together, and the locals in the crowd got quite involved shouting out "¡Olay Ramón!" very frequently. I was blown away by how fast he moved his feet. We finished the night off in typical Spanish fashion with a couple of beers and plenty of greasy crisps.
Sunday we visited the setas, which is a bizarre wooden structural moment in the centre of the city, where you can get the lift to the top and see some mediocre views of the city, especially because it was super cloudy and grey when we went which was a shame. By the time we arrived at Plaza de España things had brightened up, and we walked round the nearby gardens before heading for lunch. We spent the last hour in Starbucks hiding from the torrential downpour before catching the train home.
Valencia on my tod
I arrived on Friday morning because it was a fiesta meaning I could take advantage of the puente (long weekend). My first impressions were shaped by the 40 minute walk to the futuristic city of arts and sciences - if I'm being honest I thought it was a bit of a dump. But this impressions were soon dismissed as I arrived at the modern museums which struck me as very similar to how I imagine Sydney in Australia to be. I enjoyed the science museum a lot more than I thought I would because I'm not really the sciency type. It had a super interesting section about the brain and its ability to learn languages with lots of information and interactive activities and there was also a section about space exploration to Mars, which merely reinforced my opinion that space travel is an absolute waste of time and money. With night temperatures of -70, low levels of gravity, high levels of cosmic radiation, not to mention the lack of oxygen or water, it wouldn't exactly make for a homely environment in my opinion. But each to their own I guess. Anyway I digress. I next headed for lunch at a vegan restaurant called Nomit, where I had a fantastic lentil apple and cinnamon burger. Yes you heard me correctly and yes I was initially sceptical as well but I'm glad my curiosity won me over. After lunch I headed to the centre of the city where it struck me that it has fantastic infrastructure for cycling, with an abundance of bike lanes and places to hire bikes! At Mercat Colón gastro market I tried the local speciality of orxata and coca de llanda - a plant milk with a lot of sugar added tasting of liquid rice pudding and a simple but tasty loaf cake. My next destination was the Torre del Micalet which provided a reasonably challenging climb to the top and stunning views of the city. I next found myself getting lost in the beautifully narrow and twisty streets on the way to the famous Torres de Seranos. Before tea I spent a fair amount of time in the museo de bellas artes working up an appetite attempting to figure out what on earth artists in the late medieval period were looking at when they were painting because it certainly wasn't real people as we know them today. Good job I burnt all those calories standing and not appreciating most of the paintings because I had a super greasy burger for tea with some amazing alioli to dip my large portion of fries into. Mmm. After checking in at my hostel, I headed out to Jimmy Glass jazz club for a drink and some live jazz, which was unfortunately wasn't really to my taste so I didn't stay long.
Saturday began by being described as looking 16 by a Venezuelan man staying at the hostel - not the worst I've heard to be honest. Good job I had some fantastic vegan pastries for my breakfast from Manchegos to improve my mood. First on my list of things to see was the famous central market and it did not disappoint. Possibly the biggest market I've ever been to, with stalls for literally everything under the sun, including buy not limited to, bread, pastries, fresh fruit and veg, meat, fish, cheese, alcohol, tea and coffee, herbs and spices, nuts, beans and legumes, jams and preserves, turrón, tapas and breakfast food, and merchandise. It was so busy but the atmosphere was incredible! And that's their daily life. I next visited the UNESCO heritage site La Lonja and enjoyed earwigging a middle-aged British couple Mary and her husband trying to orientate their tourist map and attempting to pronounce Valencian names. The obligatory cathedral visit was better than most, with a really interesting free audio guide explaining the difference between the gothic, rennaissance, baroque and neoclassical styles to the building, and some cool bits about how the main alter piece is hidden behind a fake alter piece which opens up and a ritual of pregnant women walking around the cathedral 9 times, made all the more intriguing by being lucky enough to see a pregnant woman doing just that! I'm also glad I checked out the cathedral museum because I was pleasantly surprised by the archaeological site underneath the building which consisted of a roman burial site and sewers. Upon leaving the cathedral, I was lucky enough to stumble across some traditional Valencian dancing in la plaza de la virgen which was both awful and entertaining. After visiting the natural history museum which was basically a fossil museum and exploring the surrounding gardens, I decided to walk to the beach because I had some time to kill and it was 19 degrees. In December. Marvellous I know. I had another orxata and enjoyed watching a black cat and some surfers before walking back to grab some food and a coffee before my train home. I walked a total of 70,000 steps over the course of the weekend, which I reckon is about 50km. Not quite sure how I managed to walk this distance in 12 hours at the age of 14 on a Scouting hike challenge called Fenland 50. I was shattered by doing it over the course of two days.
In sum, Seville was a cross between Granada and Cologne and Valencia was a cross between Seville and Sydney. I would definitely recommend visiting both!
Seville with Pedro
We got the train on Friday night and, after eventually finding and checking in at the extremely poorly signposted hostel, had time for a drink to start off the weekend.
On Saturday morning we visited the cathedral, the girada viewing tower and the alcazar in the lovely sunshine and real feel temp of 20 degrees even though it was the last day of November. Not sure if this is typical Seville weather or just climate change, but either way we weren't complaining too much. After a quick bite, we headed over the other side of the river (which reminded me of the bridge in Cologne for some reason), and checked out the Triana market. Whilst most of the stalls had finished for the day and were beginning to pack up, we still got a great idea of the atmosphere, since there quite a few people were eating and drinking at the bars there, just without the busyness of the market that would have been present earlier in the day. And yes I know that was an extremely poorly worded sentence but I can't think of another way to say it. We next headed back over the river to visit the museum of fine arts before heading for an earlyish tea which served meat for Pedro whilst I had some overpriced yet still very tasted stir fry smoked veg. The main event was still yet to take place - the Flamenco show which we'd booked before we came. It was absolutely super! Everything was just so Spanish I can't even give it justice with my mere description in words. The guitarist was incredible, the singers had such distinctive voices, the dancing itself was filled with passion and noisy stamping, and all of the men had long black hair. Everything worked so well together, and the locals in the crowd got quite involved shouting out "¡Olay Ramón!" very frequently. I was blown away by how fast he moved his feet. We finished the night off in typical Spanish fashion with a couple of beers and plenty of greasy crisps.
Sunday we visited the setas, which is a bizarre wooden structural moment in the centre of the city, where you can get the lift to the top and see some mediocre views of the city, especially because it was super cloudy and grey when we went which was a shame. By the time we arrived at Plaza de España things had brightened up, and we walked round the nearby gardens before heading for lunch. We spent the last hour in Starbucks hiding from the torrential downpour before catching the train home.
Valencia on my tod
I arrived on Friday morning because it was a fiesta meaning I could take advantage of the puente (long weekend). My first impressions were shaped by the 40 minute walk to the futuristic city of arts and sciences - if I'm being honest I thought it was a bit of a dump. But this impressions were soon dismissed as I arrived at the modern museums which struck me as very similar to how I imagine Sydney in Australia to be. I enjoyed the science museum a lot more than I thought I would because I'm not really the sciency type. It had a super interesting section about the brain and its ability to learn languages with lots of information and interactive activities and there was also a section about space exploration to Mars, which merely reinforced my opinion that space travel is an absolute waste of time and money. With night temperatures of -70, low levels of gravity, high levels of cosmic radiation, not to mention the lack of oxygen or water, it wouldn't exactly make for a homely environment in my opinion. But each to their own I guess. Anyway I digress. I next headed for lunch at a vegan restaurant called Nomit, where I had a fantastic lentil apple and cinnamon burger. Yes you heard me correctly and yes I was initially sceptical as well but I'm glad my curiosity won me over. After lunch I headed to the centre of the city where it struck me that it has fantastic infrastructure for cycling, with an abundance of bike lanes and places to hire bikes! At Mercat Colón gastro market I tried the local speciality of orxata and coca de llanda - a plant milk with a lot of sugar added tasting of liquid rice pudding and a simple but tasty loaf cake. My next destination was the Torre del Micalet which provided a reasonably challenging climb to the top and stunning views of the city. I next found myself getting lost in the beautifully narrow and twisty streets on the way to the famous Torres de Seranos. Before tea I spent a fair amount of time in the museo de bellas artes working up an appetite attempting to figure out what on earth artists in the late medieval period were looking at when they were painting because it certainly wasn't real people as we know them today. Good job I burnt all those calories standing and not appreciating most of the paintings because I had a super greasy burger for tea with some amazing alioli to dip my large portion of fries into. Mmm. After checking in at my hostel, I headed out to Jimmy Glass jazz club for a drink and some live jazz, which was unfortunately wasn't really to my taste so I didn't stay long.
Saturday began by being described as looking 16 by a Venezuelan man staying at the hostel - not the worst I've heard to be honest. Good job I had some fantastic vegan pastries for my breakfast from Manchegos to improve my mood. First on my list of things to see was the famous central market and it did not disappoint. Possibly the biggest market I've ever been to, with stalls for literally everything under the sun, including buy not limited to, bread, pastries, fresh fruit and veg, meat, fish, cheese, alcohol, tea and coffee, herbs and spices, nuts, beans and legumes, jams and preserves, turrón, tapas and breakfast food, and merchandise. It was so busy but the atmosphere was incredible! And that's their daily life. I next visited the UNESCO heritage site La Lonja and enjoyed earwigging a middle-aged British couple Mary and her husband trying to orientate their tourist map and attempting to pronounce Valencian names. The obligatory cathedral visit was better than most, with a really interesting free audio guide explaining the difference between the gothic, rennaissance, baroque and neoclassical styles to the building, and some cool bits about how the main alter piece is hidden behind a fake alter piece which opens up and a ritual of pregnant women walking around the cathedral 9 times, made all the more intriguing by being lucky enough to see a pregnant woman doing just that! I'm also glad I checked out the cathedral museum because I was pleasantly surprised by the archaeological site underneath the building which consisted of a roman burial site and sewers. Upon leaving the cathedral, I was lucky enough to stumble across some traditional Valencian dancing in la plaza de la virgen which was both awful and entertaining. After visiting the natural history museum which was basically a fossil museum and exploring the surrounding gardens, I decided to walk to the beach because I had some time to kill and it was 19 degrees. In December. Marvellous I know. I had another orxata and enjoyed watching a black cat and some surfers before walking back to grab some food and a coffee before my train home. I walked a total of 70,000 steps over the course of the weekend, which I reckon is about 50km. Not quite sure how I managed to walk this distance in 12 hours at the age of 14 on a Scouting hike challenge called Fenland 50. I was shattered by doing it over the course of two days.
In sum, Seville was a cross between Granada and Cologne and Valencia was a cross between Seville and Sydney. I would definitely recommend visiting both!
Wednesday 27 November 2019
Countdown to Christmas!
Bit of a longer gap between this and my last post - mainly because of fewer significant things to note and being busier with uni! Saying that, I've still found myself making time every Sunday to go to a café for some brunch or just a coffee and cake! My favourite is a little place called Chillin Café which does a really good chocolate and banana bread, followed by a close second of La Colectiva Café which also does great food and coffee but tends to be busier and with less pleasant staff.
Just a short post today - although I think this every time so don't hold your breath... I'm well into term now and there's less than a month to go till Christmas which I'm really looking forward to! I've already done the equivalent to a semester at UoB which also includes a reading week so no prizes for guessing I'm starting to lag with my enthusiasm for uni work (if there ever was any). Can't remember if I've spoken about essays and assessments here at UAM yet (?) so a quick overview as to how it compares to UoB. Most of my assessments are 'tipo test', which is essentially a multiple choice test. I remember comparing Spanish uni to UK sixth form and this type of assessment definitely follows suit. However, this doesn't make passing any easier, especially in my law modules where I still have no idea what's going on - because there is a right or wrong answer which I'm not used to! Nonetheless, I've found myself scraping passes. The essays are a totally different story. So far I've written a few 2000 word essays which you get a week to write, compared to UoB where you have on average one 2000 word essay per module and essentially have the whole semester if you start earlier enough. I'd heard about the standard of marking being lower before I came out, and was hoping that it was true. It certainly is. On the two essays that I've had back so far, which I'd put a semi-decent effort in, but only citing around seven sources (not getting you very far in the UK), I've been given tens (out of ten). If that doesn't tell you enough already, ones of the teachers gave a light telling off to some of the class for plagiarising Wikipedia in their essays... If you did that in the UK, you'd be in a bit of a pickle to say the least. In relation to the feedback, it's crap. Do not expect any form of constructive criticism in order to do better next time. Simply do better next time. I also still hate the teacher of Teorías de democracia - she sucks the life and soul out of me for 3 hours every week.
Outside of class but still at uni, I've started swimming because my ankles can no longer hack running apparently and I need to burn some calories in order to eat the amount I'd like to! Actually quite enjoying it - just frustrating that it's not as cheap as running.
Outside of uni, I've been to Segovia and the super small tall of El Escorial with Aluni. It was raining ALL day in Segovia which made it really miserable. I'm normally okay with rain, but it was also super cold, and once you get cold and wet, it's hard to get warm and dry again. I did not successfully get warm and dry again until I got home. The town itself is rather like Toledo, though I much preferred Toledo. So if you have to visit one, I'd recommend giving Segovia a miss. El Escorial has a huge monastery where some of the recent Spanish monarchs are buried - though being the former residence of the kings and queens it's no surprise that it's actually more like a palace than a monastery. It was very pretty and worth the six euros student entrance (but probably not the 12 euros non student entrance). I was also told before I went how cold and windy it is, but I still underestimated this. I can't remember the last time I experienced such bitterly cold wind! So if you go, go dressed as a snowman.
This weekend I'm going to Seville with Pedro for two days which I'm looking forward to! Just hoping he doesn't get too frustrated with me having to hunt out vegan food... And I'm going to Valencia solo the following week which I'm super looking forward to - Valencia is supposed to be the third most vegan populated city in Spain following Madrid and Barcelona! Updates to follow in my next post, which will probably be in three weeks or so to wrap up the first semester!
So here we are at the end of another post, yet again having written more than I anticipated.
Just a short post today - although I think this every time so don't hold your breath... I'm well into term now and there's less than a month to go till Christmas which I'm really looking forward to! I've already done the equivalent to a semester at UoB which also includes a reading week so no prizes for guessing I'm starting to lag with my enthusiasm for uni work (if there ever was any). Can't remember if I've spoken about essays and assessments here at UAM yet (?) so a quick overview as to how it compares to UoB. Most of my assessments are 'tipo test', which is essentially a multiple choice test. I remember comparing Spanish uni to UK sixth form and this type of assessment definitely follows suit. However, this doesn't make passing any easier, especially in my law modules where I still have no idea what's going on - because there is a right or wrong answer which I'm not used to! Nonetheless, I've found myself scraping passes. The essays are a totally different story. So far I've written a few 2000 word essays which you get a week to write, compared to UoB where you have on average one 2000 word essay per module and essentially have the whole semester if you start earlier enough. I'd heard about the standard of marking being lower before I came out, and was hoping that it was true. It certainly is. On the two essays that I've had back so far, which I'd put a semi-decent effort in, but only citing around seven sources (not getting you very far in the UK), I've been given tens (out of ten). If that doesn't tell you enough already, ones of the teachers gave a light telling off to some of the class for plagiarising Wikipedia in their essays... If you did that in the UK, you'd be in a bit of a pickle to say the least. In relation to the feedback, it's crap. Do not expect any form of constructive criticism in order to do better next time. Simply do better next time. I also still hate the teacher of Teorías de democracia - she sucks the life and soul out of me for 3 hours every week.
Outside of class but still at uni, I've started swimming because my ankles can no longer hack running apparently and I need to burn some calories in order to eat the amount I'd like to! Actually quite enjoying it - just frustrating that it's not as cheap as running.
Outside of uni, I've been to Segovia and the super small tall of El Escorial with Aluni. It was raining ALL day in Segovia which made it really miserable. I'm normally okay with rain, but it was also super cold, and once you get cold and wet, it's hard to get warm and dry again. I did not successfully get warm and dry again until I got home. The town itself is rather like Toledo, though I much preferred Toledo. So if you have to visit one, I'd recommend giving Segovia a miss. El Escorial has a huge monastery where some of the recent Spanish monarchs are buried - though being the former residence of the kings and queens it's no surprise that it's actually more like a palace than a monastery. It was very pretty and worth the six euros student entrance (but probably not the 12 euros non student entrance). I was also told before I went how cold and windy it is, but I still underestimated this. I can't remember the last time I experienced such bitterly cold wind! So if you go, go dressed as a snowman.
This weekend I'm going to Seville with Pedro for two days which I'm looking forward to! Just hoping he doesn't get too frustrated with me having to hunt out vegan food... And I'm going to Valencia solo the following week which I'm super looking forward to - Valencia is supposed to be the third most vegan populated city in Spain following Madrid and Barcelona! Updates to follow in my next post, which will probably be in three weeks or so to wrap up the first semester!
So here we are at the end of another post, yet again having written more than I anticipated.
Monday 21 October 2019
Granada!
I'm currently writing today's update in the kitchen (which doesn't have heating) with a jumper and bobble hat on, warming my hands up with a cup of tea. It's absolutely freezing. It was 5 degrees for most of today and I'm really not sure where that came from... I can't even warm up in bed at the moment because my room is just as cold if not colder. I've probably got damp so my door has been open all day to get rid of the smell, which is just fantastic really. Most of today's post is going to be about Granada where I went at the weekend, but beforehand, just a couple of noteworthy things to have happened within the past two weeks.
I had my first seminar for International Public Law, and the case we had to read for it was absolutely huge. It contained a number of different conventions and court rulings which I tried in vain to find in English (don't judge me, it takes ages and I still don't understand anything more by the end than I did at the beginning), and also 10 questions about the case which need arguments grounded in legal theory/practice in response. To make matters worse, we had a class test on the case - but in a pleasantly surprising turn of events, the teacher said I could use a dictionary and essentially said I could ask him anything I didn't understand! So he must realise that I am struggling which takes a little bit of the weight off my shoulders!
I attended the Madrid student welcome day. And what a waste of time that was. The event, unknown to me beforehand, was essentially a massive freshers fair which had loads of information about housing and trips and bank accounts. This would have been useful information before I came to Madrid, or within the first 2 weeks at most, but 6 weeks into term...?
I went to a fair for the National Day of Spain which wasn't a waste of time. It was just like a crappy amusement park on the British coast which reminds me of home so enjoyed it. Also reminded me of my time spent in Spain when I was little with my grandparents going to do the hook a duck in the evening! And of course what's not to love about churros every 10 metres. One thing that did make me chuckle was how many teenagers were there drinking - I know botellón is a thing but this was a different level of young people encountering their first experiences with alcohol! One or two had had one too many shall we say...
The library is getting very full now which I do not appreciate. And yes I am aware of how selfish this is.
I've finally registered as a resident of Spain! An appointment eventually became available and so that's one less thing on my long-term to do list.
And since my last post I've had my first menú del día at Punto Vegano, which included pumpkin soup to start, spinach ravioli as my principante (I haven't had ravioli in so long because shop-bought stuff always has meat or cheese in and it was heavenly) and pumpkin cake for dessert! I've also been to Delishvegan to try one or their donuts and it was the best I've ever tasted including non-vegan ones! They have so many more flavours to try so I'll definitely be going back. And I accidentally discovered a Spanish fast food chain that serves vegan options - it's called Pans and Company. I had their bbq huera (mock chicken) bocadillo and I was actually considering sending it back at first because I was so convinced they had given me real chicken one it was so realistic...
As usual I've ended up writing more than I was planning on, but nevertheless on to Granada! Got an early train Saturday morning and arrived about 11:00. The trains are super comfortable, which probably helps to explain their extortionate prices... I thought UK trains were expensive! But since learned that you can get a discount card for 50 euros which gives to 50% off tickets if you book a month in advance, which still would have been cheaper than what I paid for a return annoyingly. Anyway, my morning consisted of visiting some Catholic places of worship, starting with the Basilica de San Juan de Dios. Not really sure what I was expecting, but I was absolutely blown away! Words cannot describe how much gold there was, and with an audioguide included for 4 euros it was definitely one of the highlights of the day to my surprise. This was a slight shame because it made the Real Monasterio de San Jerónimo and the Capilla Real de Granada were quite disappointing in comparison. I went to a place called El Ojú for lunch. Now Granada is the home of Spanish tapas, known for its generous portion sizes, but I had no idea of the extent of this. With every drink you get a free tapa from a choice of eight, so for the price of 7.40 euros (the price of a starter in the UK?) I had 2 drinks, a mock chorizo sandwich, a roasted veg sandwich, and a massive slice of chocolate banana cake and I was absolutely stuffed. Didn't even need to order a main! Next I went to visit the summer house of Frederico Garcia Lorca, one of whose plays I studied for A-level Spanish and came to resent the name just like you do with anything to revise for hours and hours of end with, but naturally I had to make the visit regardless. A lovely lady gave a tour of the house and had loads of interesting information, even though I can't remember much of it now. I next walked to one of Granada's viewpoints to experience the amazing views that the city is known for. I think this was either one of the lesser well-known ones, or just the fact that it was a bit further away and more of an effort to get to. I was not disappointed! The views were gorgeous and a German lad was playing some peaceful acoustic guitar to his girlfriend which added to the tranquil mood and sunset lighting. On my way to tea, I hunted out some of the streets I'd previously looked up before coming - Granada has some really artistic graffiti and I'm glad I made the effort to find it! I had the hicuri burger (beyond burger with vegan bacon, vegan cheese and turmeric and orange bread) at Hicuri Vegan Restaurant for tea which came with chips and some absolutely banging garlic alioli. Afterwards it was getting pretty dark and so I headed up to the more well known (and closer) viewpoint to see the city (and the Alhambra) lit up. Even though it was pretty, the sheer amount of tourists (like myself, I know I'm a hypocrite) killed the mood slightly. I finished off the evening with some mango gelato which I enjoyed in a plaza a short walk from my hostel. Whilst people watching, I German hitchhiker came over and offered my some wine as he didn't want to drink alone and we got chatting for quite a while which topped the evening off. I do enjoy travelling alone because I can go my own pace but it is nice to talk to somebody every once in a while! Sunday morning began with another early start as I'd learned the previous day that if you get to the Alhambra early enough, you can buy the leftovers of what haven't already been sold online for that day. So I took my chances and checked out of the hostel at 07:00, had a fantastic beetroot houmous and avocado bagel for breakfast at Wildfood Vegan which conveniently opened super early, and walked for half an hour in the cold, dark and rain to the ticket office. And I got a ticket! The only downside was that my time to enter the actual Palace was at 13:00 which I wouldn't be able to make because I had to catch my train home that afternoon. But I still got to see the Alcazaba (military fortification with some of the best views of the city), the gardens, and the Generalife which all were fantastic! Afterwards I had an hour to kill and some did some window shopping in the city's middle-eastern themed shops due to the city's Arabic heritage, before having lunch at Paprika, which served some good but albeit overpriced quinoa steamed rolls. Overall, an absolutely fantastic city which thoroughly exceeded my expectations!
I had my first seminar for International Public Law, and the case we had to read for it was absolutely huge. It contained a number of different conventions and court rulings which I tried in vain to find in English (don't judge me, it takes ages and I still don't understand anything more by the end than I did at the beginning), and also 10 questions about the case which need arguments grounded in legal theory/practice in response. To make matters worse, we had a class test on the case - but in a pleasantly surprising turn of events, the teacher said I could use a dictionary and essentially said I could ask him anything I didn't understand! So he must realise that I am struggling which takes a little bit of the weight off my shoulders!
I attended the Madrid student welcome day. And what a waste of time that was. The event, unknown to me beforehand, was essentially a massive freshers fair which had loads of information about housing and trips and bank accounts. This would have been useful information before I came to Madrid, or within the first 2 weeks at most, but 6 weeks into term...?
I went to a fair for the National Day of Spain which wasn't a waste of time. It was just like a crappy amusement park on the British coast which reminds me of home so enjoyed it. Also reminded me of my time spent in Spain when I was little with my grandparents going to do the hook a duck in the evening! And of course what's not to love about churros every 10 metres. One thing that did make me chuckle was how many teenagers were there drinking - I know botellón is a thing but this was a different level of young people encountering their first experiences with alcohol! One or two had had one too many shall we say...
The library is getting very full now which I do not appreciate. And yes I am aware of how selfish this is.
I've finally registered as a resident of Spain! An appointment eventually became available and so that's one less thing on my long-term to do list.
And since my last post I've had my first menú del día at Punto Vegano, which included pumpkin soup to start, spinach ravioli as my principante (I haven't had ravioli in so long because shop-bought stuff always has meat or cheese in and it was heavenly) and pumpkin cake for dessert! I've also been to Delishvegan to try one or their donuts and it was the best I've ever tasted including non-vegan ones! They have so many more flavours to try so I'll definitely be going back. And I accidentally discovered a Spanish fast food chain that serves vegan options - it's called Pans and Company. I had their bbq huera (mock chicken) bocadillo and I was actually considering sending it back at first because I was so convinced they had given me real chicken one it was so realistic...
As usual I've ended up writing more than I was planning on, but nevertheless on to Granada! Got an early train Saturday morning and arrived about 11:00. The trains are super comfortable, which probably helps to explain their extortionate prices... I thought UK trains were expensive! But since learned that you can get a discount card for 50 euros which gives to 50% off tickets if you book a month in advance, which still would have been cheaper than what I paid for a return annoyingly. Anyway, my morning consisted of visiting some Catholic places of worship, starting with the Basilica de San Juan de Dios. Not really sure what I was expecting, but I was absolutely blown away! Words cannot describe how much gold there was, and with an audioguide included for 4 euros it was definitely one of the highlights of the day to my surprise. This was a slight shame because it made the Real Monasterio de San Jerónimo and the Capilla Real de Granada were quite disappointing in comparison. I went to a place called El Ojú for lunch. Now Granada is the home of Spanish tapas, known for its generous portion sizes, but I had no idea of the extent of this. With every drink you get a free tapa from a choice of eight, so for the price of 7.40 euros (the price of a starter in the UK?) I had 2 drinks, a mock chorizo sandwich, a roasted veg sandwich, and a massive slice of chocolate banana cake and I was absolutely stuffed. Didn't even need to order a main! Next I went to visit the summer house of Frederico Garcia Lorca, one of whose plays I studied for A-level Spanish and came to resent the name just like you do with anything to revise for hours and hours of end with, but naturally I had to make the visit regardless. A lovely lady gave a tour of the house and had loads of interesting information, even though I can't remember much of it now. I next walked to one of Granada's viewpoints to experience the amazing views that the city is known for. I think this was either one of the lesser well-known ones, or just the fact that it was a bit further away and more of an effort to get to. I was not disappointed! The views were gorgeous and a German lad was playing some peaceful acoustic guitar to his girlfriend which added to the tranquil mood and sunset lighting. On my way to tea, I hunted out some of the streets I'd previously looked up before coming - Granada has some really artistic graffiti and I'm glad I made the effort to find it! I had the hicuri burger (beyond burger with vegan bacon, vegan cheese and turmeric and orange bread) at Hicuri Vegan Restaurant for tea which came with chips and some absolutely banging garlic alioli. Afterwards it was getting pretty dark and so I headed up to the more well known (and closer) viewpoint to see the city (and the Alhambra) lit up. Even though it was pretty, the sheer amount of tourists (like myself, I know I'm a hypocrite) killed the mood slightly. I finished off the evening with some mango gelato which I enjoyed in a plaza a short walk from my hostel. Whilst people watching, I German hitchhiker came over and offered my some wine as he didn't want to drink alone and we got chatting for quite a while which topped the evening off. I do enjoy travelling alone because I can go my own pace but it is nice to talk to somebody every once in a while! Sunday morning began with another early start as I'd learned the previous day that if you get to the Alhambra early enough, you can buy the leftovers of what haven't already been sold online for that day. So I took my chances and checked out of the hostel at 07:00, had a fantastic beetroot houmous and avocado bagel for breakfast at Wildfood Vegan which conveniently opened super early, and walked for half an hour in the cold, dark and rain to the ticket office. And I got a ticket! The only downside was that my time to enter the actual Palace was at 13:00 which I wouldn't be able to make because I had to catch my train home that afternoon. But I still got to see the Alcazaba (military fortification with some of the best views of the city), the gardens, and the Generalife which all were fantastic! Afterwards I had an hour to kill and some did some window shopping in the city's middle-eastern themed shops due to the city's Arabic heritage, before having lunch at Paprika, which served some good but albeit overpriced quinoa steamed rolls. Overall, an absolutely fantastic city which thoroughly exceeded my expectations!
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