A few final thoughts, Valladolid Spain - April 2016

I will miss Peacocks in Campo Grande 

As I knew it would, the inevitable has happened, we have reached the final few days of our life here in Valladolid.  As the day of departure grows nearer I am filled with a mix of emotions.  I find myself smiling and full of excitement about seeing my family but also crying and sad that this journey is over.  There are moments of trepidation and anxiety because this door is closing behind us and thrusting us into a world of unknowns and insecurities.  However, the emotion that stands out most is a feeling of gratitude and appreciation for having had such a wonderful opportunity.

This was my first time overseas and of course I need to do everything to the extreme so I didn’t just come for a visit but instead sold everything we owned and moved here. When we got off the plane in Madrid I was exhilarated and full of wonder.  Everything was new with endless possibility.  Then our taxi driver left us on the side of the street in front of a locked hostel door (I questioned whether it even was a hostel because it looked abandoned) the panic crept in and I cried.  Standing on the side of the road with our backpacks unsure what to do and unable to speak the language to even ask for help. This is when I first felt the fear and wondered if we had made the right decision coming here.

Our first day in Madrid 

Of course we eventually figured it out (that was a frustrating hour) and everything was fine, clearly we are still here two years later. Throughout our two years we have learned what it is like living in a foreign land where everything seems way more complicated than necessary.  We have certainly not been on a two-year holiday (as some people like to believe) we have lived our lives here.  We do everything we would do back home – pay rent, deal with bills, fix broken toilets, attempt to interact with the people of our city in very poor Spanish, go to the doctor, etc. – we just do these normal life things in Spain instead of Canada.

It is no secret that Valladolid has not been my favourite place to live, in fact Spain in general is simply not the country I feel most at home but regardless I have had an incredible time being here despite the many challenges we faced.  We, for the most part, overcame the issues of being foreign and made a life here.  We have friends, jobs and favourite cafes.  There were of course moments I hated being here.  I felt lost, alone and embarrassed by my lack of Spanish skills.  I questioned myself over and over and had to face my anxieties head on.  But through it all I learned so much about myself and the world and those are life lessons and experiences I would never trade.

http://canadianinspain.blogspot.com.es/2014/12/language-barriers.html

(Just as valid today as when I wrote it a year and a half ago – although my Spanish is slightly improved)

One of our favourite patios in the summer

Being here has also of course offered us an invaluable opportunity to travel and explore Europe together.  I have seen places and things that only existed in books and photos for me and I cannot express the gratitude I feel for having the chance to not only have these experiences but to be able to share them with Ross.  I know that not everybody will have the ability to do the things we have done or go to the places we have and I do not ever take the privilege we have for granted. 

 London

 Amsterdam 

Paris

Going back to Canada is something I very much look forward to.  I cannot wait to be reunited with my family and see their faces in person instead of skype.  Im so excited to enjoy all the things I have missed from home like having an actual selection of deodorant at Shoppers and adult sized tea to go!  (seriously if I never see roll on or spray deodorant again that would be great)

Aunt Linda and I

But going home also means not knowing what we are doing or where we are headed in our lives.  In a couple days from now we are both jobless and homeless (thanks for taking us in Mom and Dad).  It is scary but I know within a few weeks (fingers crossed) we will have a new plan and a new direction and I very much look forward to starting over – again. The fear and anxiety is real but I would not change the decisions we made in moving here.

The best family 

We both feel that what is important in this life is to be happy and to do the things that bring you the most joy.  For us that means traveling, exploring and experiencing new things.  Sure we could have stayed in Vancouver and been really happy there but we would have missed out on a whole world of wonders and not met the people who are now such an important part of our lives. At the end of the day Vancouver is our home and in our opinion the best place on earth.  Lucky for us it will be there when we get back (Please let us find jobs in Vancouver).

http://canadianinspain.blogspot.com.es/2015/04/vancouver-year-since-we-parted-april.html

(My thoughts on Vancouver)

My home

Living abroad wasn’t always easy but that’s life.  It doesn’t matter where you are there will always be challenges, hard times and stress.  Ross and I go for walks and talk about our decision and whether or not we would do it again knowing what we know now and the answer is always yes. 

http://canadianinspain.blogspot.com.es/2015/03/feeling-grateful-in-valladolid-spain.html

(Some more of my thoughts on travel)

I know we will both miss it here, not so much Valladolid itself, but what it represents for us.  It has been our home for two years and how can one not miss home at least a little?

Rose garden next to our apartment 

I look very forward to sharing our final journey to Ireland with you in a few weeks once we return from life abroad!

Besos,

Melissa 

 Venice 

Simancas

The South of Spain - April 2016

Granada has been a city we have wanted to visit the entire time we have been here but we never found ourselves in a position to make it down that way.  Luckily for us our friend Lloyd wanted to make sure we had a great final adventure here in Spain so he planned a super fun weekend away.  So last Friday Lloyd, Kevin, Ines, Ross and myself embarked on a road trip south.

We rented a car here and drove for just over 7 hours to Ronda which was the first city on our tour.  Though the drive is long once you get a few hours out of Valladolid the scenery is spectacular.  Rolling green pastures and mountains line the highways.  All of us but Ines live in Valladolid so she flew from Madrid to Malaga and took a bus to meet us at the flat in Ronda.  As usual we had issue with our rental.  We ended up being put up in a different apartment then we rented, however because of the issue we were given less of a charge so that worked out nicely.

Ronda is a gorgeous mountain top city that is situated above a cavernous gorge (el tajo). The views from the Vantage points (mirador) are superb.  You see the valley villages and the mountains which surround them. It seems like endless nature and gives such a sense of serenity. Many famous authors have spent a considerable amount of time in the city and their romantic and powerful writing has influenced tourism in the area.  Ernest Hemmingway, Orson Wells and Rainer Maria Rilke are among the most notable.

“I have sought everywhere the city of my dreams, and I have finally found it in Ronda”

(“He buscado por todas partes la ciudad sonada, y al fin la he encontrado en Ronda”)

 As written by Rilke.

We stayed in the city center which made it very convenient to go out for late night tapas and drinks.  My favourite place we stopped at was El Lechuguita (the little lettuce).  It was a “charming” tapas bar with cheap snacks so you couldn’t go wrong.  There were even some actual vegan options for me!  It is famous for the lettuce tapa which is basically a quarter of a head of lettuce dressed with oil and garlic and honestly it was the best lettuce I have ever had. 

In the morning before continuing the road trip we explored Ronda in the daylight.  It was filled with narrow alley ways, interesting old buildings and the famous Puente Nuevo (new bridge) which connects the city across the gorge.  The construction of the bridge began in 1751 it took 42 years and 50 workers deaths before its completion in 1793.  It is said that many prisoners were thrown to their death from the bridge during the Spanish civil war. 

After Ronda our journey took us first to the ancient ruins of Acinipo (also known as Ronda la Vieja – Old Ronda – although it has a separate origin and history) This ancient city was erected over 2000 years ago for Ceasars retired soldiers.  If you are in the area it is definitely worth a look.  It is only 20 km from Ronda and the drive is lovely. 

We continued on from here towards Sentinel de las Bodegas for a quick tour and lunch.  This small town (pueblo) is very famous because it is built in a canyon along the Rio Trejo (Trejo River).  Many of the buildings themselves are built right into the rock and therefore have interesting cave walls and ceilings inside. 

The more modern Sentinel has evolved from a fortified Moorish town but historians believe that with the evidence they have from cave dwelling societies nearby that the area was likely inhabited more than 25000 years ago.  I have never seen anything quite like it.  It was the perfect place to have lunch and then post lunch shots and cookies.  Be prepared however to do some serious walking here.  The city is steep and slippery so wear good shoes! 

From here we drove for around 2 hours to do a short but lovely hike in a nature reserve in the Sierra del Torcal mountain range which is just south of the city of Antequera. The hike, called El Torcal de Antequera, was so interesting because of the landscape.  I have never seen rock formations like this before.  I learned that the limestone here is from the Jurassic age (so about 150 million years old) I felt like I was on another planet or that in the very least I should see a dinosaur. 

It was great to get out of the car for a good leg stretch and see the views from the lookouts.  We could see all the way to the sea from certain points and that always makes my heart happy.

After the hike it was back to the highway to get to Granada before sunset.  We stayed in a hostel in the city center called Dreams Room.  If you are a hostel stayer it wasn’t bad so I would recommend looking it up.  Ross and I stayed in a private room, which yes is a little more expensive but for me personally sharing a room with strangers is not something I am willing to do (I don’t even like sharing a room with people I know).  I like my privacy.

Once we were checked into the hostel we dashed up to the Miraodr de San Nicolas (Saint Nicholas lookout) to watch the sunset with the perfect view of The Alhambra.  The mirador is on top of a hill in the ancient Moorish district of Albaicin/Albayzin.  This area is one of the oldest centers of Muslim culture in Granada.  It is a maze of steep winding streets surrounded on either side by shops and traditional houses which are separated from the street by high walls and often have a garden.  So after we had our fill of breathtaking sunset views we wandered through the neighbourhood towards dinner.

The streets were full of people enjoying tapas, playing music, selling crafts and generally just enjoying the beautiful evening.  The main strip we wandered down, where we found some dinner at a Moroccan restaurant, was Caldereria street (calle de la caldereria nueva) also known as Little Morocco.  Here there were a myriad of touristy shops, Moroccan tea houses and craft shops. 

Then it was out for tapas and drinks.  Something I like very much about the south is that when you order drinks (even water which is all I have) you get a free tapa.  Now usually it is not something vegetarian or vegan but I love that this tradition stands.  It makes going out for drinks in the evening more exciting and means you could forgo dinner all together and just survive off deep fried treats with your drinks. 

Our last day began with Ross, Ines and I taking an early morning hike up the hill to The Alhambra which is a palace and fortress compound.  Words cannot describe the beauty of this place.  Its ownership has exchanged many hands throughout its history from Romans to Moors to Christians and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This palace is one of Spain’s most notable tourist destinations and has the county’s most significant Islamic architecture.

The palace has a theme described as “paradise on earth” with columns, fountains, reflecting pools and gorgeous gardens filled with orange trees, roses and wisteria covering the arches.  The rooms all have arched windows and doors which lead to beautiful courtyards and offer an incredible view of the city and mountains.  The walls and ceilings are carved stucco and stone in geometric patterns and Arabic writing.  It is incredible. 

We spent several hours marvelling over everything before heading back down the hill towards the Moorish district again to have tea and falafels. After which we met up with Lloyd and Kevin where they were having tapas and we wandered towards the area of Sacromonte.

Sacromonte is an interesting area with incredible views of The Alhambra, the mountains and the river Darro.  It is characteristically inhabited by Gypsies, bohemians and Flemish artists, but it was the Gypsies/Gitanos/Romas who first settled in this area in the 15^th century.  The hillside is lined with stark white buildings built into the hill and many houses are in actual caves. 

Here is a better explanation from Rick Steves

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/granadas-sacromonte-district

It was a really neat place to spend a hot sunny afternoon exploring. 

After a relaxing lunch then post lunch pastry and coffee we set off on our journey back to Valladolid, with a quick stop in Madrid to drop Ines off.  We left Granada around 530 and made it back to Valladolid just after midnight.

I had an amazing time and truly appreciate the people I was able to share these experiences with.  Like I have said in previous posts I have met some truly incredible people here in Spain and I value all the time I have been able to spend getting to know them and enjoying life in Espana. 

This country has been my home for the past two years and I feel like I have experienced a great deal and learned so much about it. A lot of that is because of the people I have met who have shown me wonderful places and taught me so much about the history and traditions.  I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.

Until Next time,

Besos xx