Penalara Natural Park, Spain - March 2015

In my happy place

Continuing on with my amazing weekend stories we move on to Sunday and the snowy mountain hike in Penalara Natural park which is in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range just Northwest of Madrid.  The specific hike we were doing was the Laguna de Penalara, a short jaunt through the forest to a glacial lake.  I was really excited to do this hike because I miss my mountain adventures from BC so whenever we have the chance to be surrounded by them its like coming home.

Floridian in the snow!  Who would have thought!?

Sunday morning Lloyd picked up myself, Ross, Laura and Kevin and we drove about two and a half hours to the mountain range.  It was here we were meeting Lloyds friend Ines (Ross and I had spent a few days Kayaking and adventuring with Ines last summer), her dog Rigo and Juan, who Lloyd teaches English too.  The drive there took us through some really cute old towns and gorgeous forested mountains that to our surprise were still covered in a ton of snow.  Of course I expected there to be some but this was much more than I imagined.

Its funny because it is now halfway through march and I feel like it is the first time I have really seen snow in Spain!  I know it snows in the mountains but I only saw snow in Valladolid once for about 20 minutes all winter so this was a lovely surprise.

 Juan, Kevin, Myself, LLoyd, Ines, Rigo and Laura

Ross, my love, my best friend <3

The park was full of people skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and sledding so it was insanely difficult to find parking.  It was great to see so many people out enjoying nature and the last of the winter season.  Like I said I miss home a lot so seeing this made me feel very happy but seriously longing to get back to Vancouver!  I did not bring any of my winter gear when we moved so I knew trekking through the snow would not be as pleasant as normal.

The path we took was really easy and took only about an hour and a half to make it to the lake.  The views were gorgeous!  The lake itself was frozen over (obviously) and covered in snow so we do not actually know what it looked like but I can imagine it was lovely. 

 Perfect place to spend an afternoon

 Take time to nurture your soul...

Once there we found a dry spot of grass to have a picnic we had all planned on.  Everyone brought different foods so we had a ton to eat.  Laura and Lloyd had a tortilla competition so we were all trying both tortillas to pick the best one.  I don’t want to choose sides because I thought they were both yummy.  We ate for a while enjoying the views but it was freezing cold and after some time our fingers would no longer allow us to hold food so we packed up and headed back down to the car.

 Tortilla competition!

 So many delicious foods!

Rastafarian Puppy

Being from Canada people always seem surprised when I complain about being cold.  I always hear “But you are from Canada” They seem to think that because I grew up with freezing temperatures and snow that I am somehow immune to it.  This is crazy to me.  Of course the cold and snow are not strangers but I still feel the cold!  I mean cold is cold.  And contrary to stereotypical beliefs Canada is not always covered in snow and ice, some parts never really even see snow (Vancouver I miss you). 

 In love with the mountains

After our chilly hike we drove into a small touristy town that I cannot remember the name of and went for tea and hot chocolates.  A must after a snow filled afternoon.  Hot chocolate is not the same here as back home.  Here it is like actual melted chocolate or something.  It is thick and rich and not something I can drink.  To me it seems more like something you would drizzle on a dessert.  People here really seem to like it.  I personally like Tim Hortons or Arena hot chocolate.  It is sweet and not too thick.  It reminds me of being kid and getting hot chocolate when you are ice skating or playing (watching) hockey.  I like instant Carnation brand!  My sister was kind enough to send me some instant powder in my Christmas package and I love it! 

After we parted ways with Ines, Rigo and Juan we drove through the mountains again and stopped in  San lldefonso, a small town where the royal palace of La Granja de San lldefonso is.  This "modest" palace is the former summer residence of the kings of Spain.  There are huge gardens and 26 gorgeous sculpted fountains, which are only turned on twice a year for festivals.  The fountains are sculpted to represent classical Greek Mythology.  They were incredible. 

 The modest palace

 Dragon fountains! I dig it...

Vicious sculptures.  Again I dig it.

It was a fun day with great people.  I love these trips out of town and into the mountains.  I am so grateful that Lloyd is not only able to drive here but willing to show us around and take us to such interesting places.  I look forward to more exciting adventures to come!

Lloyd! Thanks for being an awesome friend and tour guide!

Astudillo, Spain - March 2015

Astudillo from the Castle

We just had an amazing weekend and it began on Saturday morning with a day trip to Astudillo, a village 29 km outside of the city of Palencia.  The village has a population of just over 1000 people and our friend Daoiz is one of them!  Daoiz had told us about his home and invited us to visit for a tour and lunch with his friends at his Bodega.  Lloyd, our Australian friend, rented a car and picked up myself, Ross and Heather at 1030.  It took a little over an hour to get there, but we did take the scenic route. 

It was so great to get out of Valladolid and take a drive through the country side.  There are gorgeous rolling hills, farmers fields and old ruins that look like they would be very interesting to explore.  Since we do not have a car here and international drivers licensing sucks* we do not often get a chance to do these types of trips.

When we first arrived in the village we were not certain where to go.  Daoiz had given us an address which we quickly found but unfortunately he gave us the wrong house number so we ended up waking his neighbour, who looked like she may have had a rough night, and also couldn't really explain to us which house we needed (although we likely just did not understand her).  We wandered over to a shop and Lloyd just asked the guy if he knew where Daoiz lived.  He did and he took us over to his place.  I love that in a small village everyone basically knows everyone!  Can you imagine walking into a store in Vancouver and asking where your friend lives?  

Plaza de Abilio Calderon - The main square in the village

Once we finally met up with Daoiz he took us on a brief tour of his home that he shares with his parents.  It was beautiful, very interesting and full of antique treasures. From the outside it looks like it will be just a regular apartment but when you get inside it is huge and full of rooms, stairways, and corridors that lead to outside areas and of course the coolest aspect – the cellar!  Now I have seen what I believed to be cellars back home but being led down an ancient staircase into Daoizs cellar I knew I had never truly seen one before.  He said it was from somewhere around the 8^th century and all of the houses had them.  Apparently all the cellars used to be connected underground and they were used as not only storage but as an escape route during battles in the village. 

Daoizs Cellar

We were lucky enough to be given a personal tour through the town thanks to Daoiz and his connections!  We got to see many great cellars and Bodegas we never would have seen inside of if not for him.  He took us to visit a friend of his named Cesareo who allowed us into his private cellar/bodega and we got to see his wine collection. 

Cesareos Cellar

When we came back upstairs we all had to drink wine from a porron (a wine pitcher) which was a first for most of us.  You have to pour the wine into your mouth from this tiny spout without touching your lips.  It was challenging, but when in Spain!  Cesareo showed us how he did it by pouring the wine onto his upper lip and allowing it to flow into his mouth and said some people pour it onto their foreheads and let it flow into their mouths from there.  I don’t know if this is true or he was just pulling our legs but it was a good story either way!

 A Porron

I never got a photo of us drinking so I found this one online to give an idea of what we were doing.

One of the bodegas we saw was huge and had a great museum upstairs full of old treasures like wine jugs, wine making equipment and interesting posters for bull runs and such.  Daoiz, as I have mentioned in previous posts, is really knowledgeable and teaches us a lot about the history of Spain, all about his village, wine making, beer brewing and the Penas (social clubs) in his village.  He told us one story that I found quite amusing.  So there is this gentleman who lives in town and he is apparently crazy.  He put out bear traps (fox traps) with poison in them for the politicians!  Also he only leaves his house on Sundays for church.  I would have loved to meet this man.

 Bodega Museum

Bodega Cellar

Daoiz has a group of friends, some of whom we had met last summer during hiking trips, and some new faces we got to met this day.  Most of them do not speak English so it is challenging to communicate, however they are a wonderful group of friends who do their best to make us feel welcomed and part of the group.  I appreciate the effort they put into making us feel like we belong.  They are very kind and to me seem more like family than just friends.  They all hang out at Daoizs Bodega (It might be more than Daoizs but I am not certain) where they brew beer, they drink a lot and eat meals together.  We were invited for lunch and beer drinking and it was great!  Lunch was not vegetarian, ox tails or something, but Daoiz made us a huge salad, there was bread and delicious homemade sheep cheese.  Also a great deal of homemade Irish cream for dessert!

 Some of Daoizs friends

 Cutting the Homemade sheeps cheese

Inside the Bodega

The bodega itself is built into a hillside which has a castle on top of it (No big deal just another beautiful old castle!!) It is one of the coolest man caves ever!  The entire hill, as well as the castle, is full of these bodegas and so there are, I assume, may penas who hang out in this village.  I feel like I smiled all day from the beauty and interesting charm of Astudillo.  I mean we were walking on a hill that was the roof of a bodega! 

 Standing on the hill above the bodega

Castle on the hill

I should also mention they were having their St Patricks day celebration that day/night so there were many green hats and shirts (If only we had known!).  We ended up going to a few bars before lunch for some Guinness.  I mean its tradition.

As we were leaving Daoiz took us back to his house to give Lloyd some of his fresh eggs.  He took us through his house out to another area I didn't see the first time we looked around where they have a loft with chickens!  I got to feed them from my hand which was really cool.  I only got pecked a little.

It was a fun day with some great friends old and new.  I love exploring these ancient towns and learning the history and traditions of the area. I hope we can return to Astudillo again to enjoy more celebrations with these lovely people!

*When moving here we were able to get an international driving permit however it was only valid for one year.  Also bonus fun stuff: Spain will only recognize the permit for 6 months after which you must get a Spanish license.  This is of course not a simple task.  You must take driving lessons, no matter how long you have had your Canadian license, and only when the instructor believes you are ready can you take your driving test.  This all of course costs a lot of money and is all in Spanish.  We just didn't think it was worth it to pay since we are only here for 2 years but we do miss road trips.

Feeling grateful in Valladolid Spain - March 2015

Last night I had a dream that Ross and I were back home at a Safeway with my sister Ashley (for those of you who do not know Safeway is a grocery store – my second favourite grocery store. Sorry not sorry I am a whole foods girl).  We were grabbing a few things and talking about how we couldn't believe it had been two years already.  Then the cashier started talking to me and I began to cry.  Of course my sister was concerned and inquired as to why I was so upset.  I told her that it had been so long since I had been in a store where I could communicate, and as much as it was a relief, I was sad because I knew there would not be anyone asking me “Quieras bolsas?” (Do you want bags?).  I felt this longing for something different then the place I felt so familiar and comfortable. 

When I woke up it took me a moment to realize that I was in fact in my bed in Spain and that I still had a year before I would be in my safe and comfortable environment buying groceries.  And as much as I thought I should be upset I actually had a wave of happiness wash over me.  This means I still have a year of exploration and adventure ahead.  It means that I can continue to learn and grow and meet new people.  It means as much as I miss my home, my family, my friends, I am actually in a place mentally where I am realizing just how much this experience means to me.

When I was growing up I always knew I wanted to travel.  I wanted nothing more than to see the world, experience and learn as much as possible about everything.  My dream was to work for National Geographic, to write and photograph the strange and interesting places and people I would encounter in the world.  Clearly this is not how life panned out for me. 

I never was able to travel when I was young, my family didn't have a lot of money and by the time I had enough of my own I had developed a fairly debilitating anxiety disorder so the thought of travelling was now scary to me.  I still wanted to but didn't feel like it was in the cards for me.  I would always hear about my friends trips, watch TV shows about travel and adventure and they seemed so exciting and so exotic but something other people do.  I wasn't the person who would ever go anywhere; I would never see these things others saw. 

Not my image but a favourite quote of mine

The first time I even left Canada I was 27 and all I did was take a bus to New York for a weekend (which was amazing).  I never even took a plane until I had moved out to Vancouver and had to fly back to Ontario to visit my family.  Once I met Ross everything started to change.  We took trips all the time, nothing crazy but we travelled all around BC, went into the States numerous times for road trips and camping, we have driven from Vancouver to Barrie and from London Ontario to Vancouver via Route 66.  We have done Vegas, the Grand Canyon, San Francisco etc.  It has been so much fun the last few years with him. 

                                                               The Grand Canyon

Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco 

When the opportunity to move here to Spain arose it seemed like something we had to do.  As I have written about in other posts, we had nothing tying us down so what better time to experience something completely different.  We are now coming up on the one year mark since we left Vancouver (in 2 weeks) and a year since we arrived here (April 24^th).  It is no secret that this has been a difficult transition for me.  I have had my share of smiles and tears, incredible moments and terrible loneliness.  There have been days, mostly the first few months, that I wanted to just pack my bags, tell Ross I was sorry but I just couldn't do it, and go home.  I know I came close but I never said the words because once you say it you cant take it back.  I knew we came here together and this wasn't easy for him either.  So I have remained here despite believing I could never be happy and I am so glad that I did.

As challenging as this has been for me it has been an unbelievable experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.  No, Spain is not my ideal place to spend my life and yes I miss Vancouver every single day but I have seen things I never dreamed I would see and been to places I only thought I would see in movies.  I have been to Fucking Paris!  I know to a lot of people that might not mean much because you have been fortunate enough to travel a great deal in your life but for many of us who never thought we would ever leave Barrie Ontario, or whatever towns we grew up in, it is mind blowing.

Again not my image but YES Audrey Yes!

These Vancouver sunsets though...

This experience is giving me an understanding of the world that I did not possess before.  I am seeing that although this world is huge and things seem so far away, it is entirely possible to travel and explore them.  I mean this planet is big but within reach if you have the desire to branch out and take hold of the opportunities presented to you.  I am seeing how life works in other places and learning first hand that books and school only teach you so much.  Experience is key.  I am so grateful for this chance to do something different and live a life I always dreamed of.  

I bought myself this card many years ago and it still sits out so every day I can see it and know I am doing the right thing

I never wanted an ordinary life.  The thought of never doing something different, something exciting has always been a huge source of my anxiety.  Stagnation will be the death of me I am certain!  People are always asking where I want to go next?  And my answer is everywhere.  

My forest home 

 My two loves Nature and Ross

I always believed I belonged to nature and to the earth and the more of it I see the more tightly I hold onto that belief.  Someday I will settle down and have a family somewhere (hopefully Vancouver) but right now I want to enjoy every moment being somewhere outside of my comfort zone and to continue to challenge myself and my ideas of the world.  Not every moment will be amazing but that is how I will grow and discover not only the world but myself.

Always growing, always evolving ... Zen

Nobody better to grow with...

Sevilla (Seville) - February 2015

Happy to be in Sevilla!

I had heard from many people that the south of Spain was a gorgeous place with a more liberal and artistic population.  It had been recommended that I would likely enjoy the south more than where I am currently living.  Now of course everyone always has their own opinion about beauty and culture so in the spirit of research Ross and I decided we should explore Sevilla (Seville to English speakers).  I was also told that summer was not the time for me to go as I cant handle the heat and it gets ridiculous there so winter seemed like a more appropriate time. 

Kevin, Ross and Laura ... models?

I had mentioned the trip to our friends Laura and Kevin and they were keen to go as well.  And as it so happened our friend Lloyd was also looking to head down for Carnivale in Cadiz so this became a road trip for the five of us!  We rented a car on the Friday and drove for about five hours to Sevilla.  Car rental made more sense cost wise for all of us as the train was pretty expensive and we could make stops as necessary as well as drive to Cadiz for the Carnivale parade.

Gorgeous colours and scents

The first thing I noticed once we arrived was the scent of oranges in the air.  I had no idea that the streets were lined with orange trees so this was an amazing surprise.  I have never been somewhere that has orange trees and I must say given the option I wouldn’t hesitate to move somewhere like this.  The smell in the air is so delicious and calming.  I loved the city before we even got out of the car!

Orange deliciousness

Our hotel was located quite close to the river and right next to a great tapas area so we were able to go out for drinks and tapas each night and the crowds were lovely.  Being in a different region of Spain means different tapas and that worked out very well for Ross and I since we do not have a whole lot of options in our city (#vegetarianproblems).  There were several options for us here though.  We had a dish (more than once) which was steamed spinach and chick peas in a slight curry tasting broth; It was delicious and super healthy which I love.  There were also vegetable pistos, pesto mushrooms and grilled cheese with balsamic and honey drizzled on it…Yum.  Sevilla wins for awesome tapas selection.

A cool tapas area

Another great thing about the bars here was the attitude of the patrons.  Everyone seemed incredibly happy and laid back.  I don’t think I even saw anyone without a smile.  At one bar we went to there was a guy just sitting playing Spanish guitar (One of my favourite sounds) and he was surrounded with people singing and dancing.  It was beautiful and exactly what I had pictured Spain being like before coming here. 

One thing that I did notice here however was that smoking rules seemed a lot less enforced.  There were clear signs on the door that said No smoking but there were so many people smoking I had to drink outside because I actually couldn't breathe inside.  However I still loved the bars and the music so I didn't get too upset about it (this time). 

So happy to have a Starbucks

The city itself was gorgeous.  The colours of the buildings were different more oranges and yellows then the red you find as you get farther north. Streets lined with orange trees, a huge river full of people kayaking, giant cathedrals, interesting narrow streets with cool shops (Starbucks!!) and busy plazas full of tourists and horse drawn carriages!  I would have loved to see the city from a carriage but I am cheap and of course I wouldn't pay for that.  It is not a very large city so it is totally walk able if you have a day or two you can see everything.  Also the most gorgeous Plaza Espanas I have ever encountered.  It is worth visiting the city just for that place. 

 Rio Guadalquivir

 Cathedral

The plaza is in Parque de María Luisa (Marie Luisa park) and was built in 1928 for a worlds fair held in Spain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibero-American_Exposition_of_1929

 Plaza Espana

Valladolid ... One of 50 provinces in Spain

There is a gorgeous little river (man made) to sail boats around, more horse drawn carriages and an elaborate buildings which are mainly government.  There are numerous bridges over the water which represents the four ancient kingdoms of Spain and surrounding the buildings are small tiled alcoves that represent all the provinces of Spain.  I did attempt to learn them all but I'm sure if I was quizzed I wouldn't do very well.

On the Sunday we drove to Cadiz for the Carnivale celebrations and of course as an excuse to dress up Ross in a lovely purple wig and tutu!  Cadiz is a very small town on the ocean which I honestly do not think would be that interesting if Carnivale was not happening.  Because Carnivale was happening though it was super fun and full of interesting people who all just wanted to drink and have a good time.

 My most handsome man

Celebrations in the streets of Cadiz

There were many street vendors with candy and other treats, noise makers and confetti.  There was so much confetti in the streets the hippie environmentalist in me had a mild panic attack but I know that getting upset about it will not change it and as much as I think it is a huge waste of paper and fills the streets with trash it was fun and beautiful and I am in the habit lately of learning and enjoying other peoples traditions and cultures so I put my judgement aside and had a wonderful time.

Gah my OCD, Anxiety and Environmentalist attitude are struggling...

Most of the bars had tapas and drinks available in the streets so everyone was just wandering around eating and drinking, there were people singing and playing instruments around each corner and crazy costumes everywhere.  I have said before that one of the things I love most about Spain is its party atmosphere.  When there is an event happening its like the whole city gets involved and everyone wants to have fun and celebrate.

 Some sweet costumes

The parade was actually the best parade I have ever seen!  There were so many interesting floats and dancers – Ballet, hip hop, Michael Jackson tributes, Can-Can, Flamenco, Fire jugglers, horses, men in gorgeous drag, beautiful woman in traditional flamenco costumes showering us with more confetti, traditional Carnivale dancers and of course the best part was the heavy metal float complete with chicks in leather corsets dancing, smoke machines, huge demon creatures walking around on stilts and Slayer playing.

Best float I have ever seen!

Overall it was a great weekend and I am so happy we could experience it with such great friends!  I hope to be able to make it to the south again and experience more of the beauty and culture that does differ from the north quite a bit.  I love that within our first year here in Spain we have been able to see and do so much.  I am looking forward to our final year here and the adventures we will have!

So happy to have met and become friends with these people