Sorry dudes, haven't even finished recounting the trip to Andalucia, haven't started trying to recount the Pueblo Inglés one, and am about to take off on another - provided the cloud of volcanic ash doesn't have other ideas.
So, guess it's gonna be a while before this gets updated!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Hello Mudda... Hello Fadda (Camp Grenada)
Well, I enjoyed myself, and certainly was not asking to be taken home. Didn't get eaten by a bear, either. Then again, I didn't go out in the forest.
Here is one of our first views of Granada, with the Sierra Nevada in the background. Pretty choice.
First evening, we pretty much just went to our host family's place (ours was lovely!), ate (lots of great food... and good chats), and slept.
Next morning, it was a guided tour of the Albaicin suburb in what I guess could be called old Grenada. Definitely a charming area.
We were also supposed to go up the Sacromonte, but ran out of time (although we did get about halfway).
Had some awesome views from the Mirador de San Nicolas, although the photo below was taken slightly before the lookout point.
The big castle-ish building which you can see in the background is la Alhambra. Well, more specifically, I think the part we can see is the Generalife. Despite having an audioguide (and in English, too) I shamefully still didn't manage to take in much information about the place. From what I can gather from my wee book on Andalucia, it's basically a Muslim palace (and gardens).
Ah, here is another cute house in Albaicin, just near the San Nicolas lookout.
On our way to the Alhambra, we passed this float, parked up and most likely ready for an outing later in the day. For those who haven't yet heard about it, Spain is amazing in the Semana Santa (Holy Week... ie leading up to Easter) as there are multiple 'processiones,' representing parts of the Bible, in each town. There will be more photos in my other blog entries, but you can also find out more here.
Next on the list, a visit to la Alhambra, which I think was one of my highlights. As I have absolutely no grounding in Arabic architecture, this was all new, and fascinating, and very, very impressive. Plus there were nice gardens around it.
Having a lot of water around was apparently like heaven for the Muslim faith as, coming from such dry countries, it was a major gift! However, it was also practical for bathing before prayer - although I have to check my facts here, but I believe that's what we were told.
This next photo was taken in the Generalife, looking down on some former 'baths.'
After this visit, we needed to get back to Sacromonte. Spanner in the works: there was a procession (and therefore a huge crowd) which makes it impossible for us to cross the street we need to cross.
Fortunately, after a bit of zig-zagging, we got across the street and could carry on our merry way. Came across another float just setting off... note that these floats don't run on horsepower, but rather manpower.
Eventually made it to Los Tarantos - and without losing anyone! This meant that we could sit down, relax, and enjoy our flamenco show.
As you can see, pretty cool atmosphere in the place, as we were all crammed in, and people were sitting right next to the dancers, singer and guitarist.
I have to say that I don't really think flamenco is my thing, but I can appreciate it, and all involved were clearly passionate about it! Lots of warbling/wandering/improv-style singing, and foot-stomping, hand-clapping, cries of 'mira-mira-mira-mira!' and skirt-swishing from the dancers. It definitely made me think of when VOLVER is sung in Almodovar's movie of the same name!
At the end, a couple of our students got up to join in when audience participation was invited. Later, Rodolphe (other English teacher on the trip) told me he had tried to tell the lady to pick me as, being from the land of the haka, I already had a grounding in this kind of dance. I guess his Spanish must have let him down, as I didn't get asked. What a shame...
Here is one of our first views of Granada, with the Sierra Nevada in the background. Pretty choice.
First evening, we pretty much just went to our host family's place (ours was lovely!), ate (lots of great food... and good chats), and slept.
Next morning, it was a guided tour of the Albaicin suburb in what I guess could be called old Grenada. Definitely a charming area.
We were also supposed to go up the Sacromonte, but ran out of time (although we did get about halfway).
Had some awesome views from the Mirador de San Nicolas, although the photo below was taken slightly before the lookout point.
The big castle-ish building which you can see in the background is la Alhambra. Well, more specifically, I think the part we can see is the Generalife. Despite having an audioguide (and in English, too) I shamefully still didn't manage to take in much information about the place. From what I can gather from my wee book on Andalucia, it's basically a Muslim palace (and gardens).
Ah, here is another cute house in Albaicin, just near the San Nicolas lookout.
On our way to the Alhambra, we passed this float, parked up and most likely ready for an outing later in the day. For those who haven't yet heard about it, Spain is amazing in the Semana Santa (Holy Week... ie leading up to Easter) as there are multiple 'processiones,' representing parts of the Bible, in each town. There will be more photos in my other blog entries, but you can also find out more here.
Next on the list, a visit to la Alhambra, which I think was one of my highlights. As I have absolutely no grounding in Arabic architecture, this was all new, and fascinating, and very, very impressive. Plus there were nice gardens around it.
Having a lot of water around was apparently like heaven for the Muslim faith as, coming from such dry countries, it was a major gift! However, it was also practical for bathing before prayer - although I have to check my facts here, but I believe that's what we were told.
This next photo was taken in the Generalife, looking down on some former 'baths.'
After this visit, we needed to get back to Sacromonte. Spanner in the works: there was a procession (and therefore a huge crowd) which makes it impossible for us to cross the street we need to cross.
Fortunately, after a bit of zig-zagging, we got across the street and could carry on our merry way. Came across another float just setting off... note that these floats don't run on horsepower, but rather manpower.
Eventually made it to Los Tarantos - and without losing anyone! This meant that we could sit down, relax, and enjoy our flamenco show.
As you can see, pretty cool atmosphere in the place, as we were all crammed in, and people were sitting right next to the dancers, singer and guitarist.
I have to say that I don't really think flamenco is my thing, but I can appreciate it, and all involved were clearly passionate about it! Lots of warbling/wandering/improv-style singing, and foot-stomping, hand-clapping, cries of 'mira-mira-mira-mira!' and skirt-swishing from the dancers. It definitely made me think of when VOLVER is sung in Almodovar's movie of the same name!
At the end, a couple of our students got up to join in when audience participation was invited. Later, Rodolphe (other English teacher on the trip) told me he had tried to tell the lady to pick me as, being from the land of the haka, I already had a grounding in this kind of dance. I guess his Spanish must have let him down, as I didn't get asked. What a shame...
Monday, May 2, 2011
Toledo
I believe we arrived in Toledo at about 5am, or something ridiculous, after driving all night. Thankfully, as we had quite a while until brekky, they stopped the bus and we got a couple of hours sleep.
Next: trek up the hill into Toledo itself (bus wouldn't have coped well with those narrow streets) for a hot drink, croissant, and churros. Here's where we ate, in the Plaza Zocodover.
And here is a narrow street that we passed through on our guided tour, of which I heard more or less nothing, as I was at the back of the group.
There seemed to be many of these protruding balconies in Toledo, but I especially like this picture because of the ceramic tiles on the bottom of the balcony. Ceramic tiles were another thing we saw a lot of in Toledo!
From what I can gather from major zooming on the sign, this place is a called the Monastery Restaurant - another thing we passed on our tour. Anyway, I thought it was cool-looking, so I snapped it.
After our picnic lunch, we checked out the town cathedral. I didn't realise I was such a good photographer... way to cut off the tower.
It was huge, and impressive, but a little bit too big for me, really. One of those cathedrals that really feels like a tourist attraction, as opposed to a place of worship.
Also, thanks to my handy-dandy brochure, here are a few facts:
- Construction started in 1227, but on the site of the 'Visigoth cethedral of the 6th century, which was used as a Mosque.
- It's 120m long and 60m wide!
Was particularly impressed by the Sacristie, as the whole ceiling was painted (work of Luca Giordano). Awesome. I'm sure I read all the signs but I honestly can't even remember what the room was for.
Also, outside the cathedral, there was an amazing cellist busking in the street. At one point he launched into a Bach Cello Suite which is reputed to be extremely difficult.
After this, everyone was pretty ready to get back into the bus! Luckily for us, our drivers accepted to take us for a wee tiki tour down past the river and to a lookout point, where we could take photos of this amazing view.
And, without further ado, we were on our way to Granada.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Eup-la
Oh dear, I've descended to the level of making bad puns in French... but I enjoy the occasions when I actually have sufficient linguistic knowledge to do so!
The lady I did a language exchange with here, Francoise, invited me to her house, which was in a little mountain village called Eup. And here's what it was like...
View out the window of the guest room: awesome!
I suppose you could call this the main street.
Other villages nestled in the valley.
Just a casual stone wall.
Little creek running through the village.
Lunch for La Retirada
Fideua (a word I can not for the life of me remember how to pronounce) that we had as a main.
Yet more musical entertainment, this time by Hector, the effervescent Cuban!
Around Saint Go
Phone box I normally receive calls from the parents in. And my flash bike next to it.
Trying to get a pic of nice flowers and prove you can easily see the mountains from St Go.
View out my window this morning!
Marmite sandwich, in a possie with a view of the Pyrenees.
Ecole de Musique de Guy Lafitte Concert
Atelier de salsa and orchestre d'initiation jazz playing at Labarthe-Inard.
Atelier de salsa
Fluting away
Brave people starting the dancing to Occitan music
Dancing to Occitan music
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