Day 2 in Conil the weather god weren't so friendly and I woke up to west coast rain! I layer about in bed most of the morning after staying up way too late just because I could.
By the time I got showered and ready I figured it was time to go find something to eat. Eating here has been a little sporadic as there are only about 3 restaurants I've found and some don open til 12 and then they close for a few hours mis day for siesta so I'd often be SOL and end up only eating one meal a day and grabbing a few snacks.
Even in the rain I figured it was worth it to go take a walk around after all this is the last beach of my trip.
The rain started getting a littler harder as a approached the beach but figured I'm from Port Alberni and I won't rust. After just enough time to get a lot farther from the roads the skies opened up, turned black and the rain came down in sheets! Within seconds I was soaked and knew my adventures outside for the day were over. I was about a 15 minute walk from my hostel and all the local huddling inside looked at me like I was bonkers to be out in the wet stuff.
I arrived to my room dripping wet but smiling with how refreshing it all was. Time to dry off, shower again and do what you do best on holidays.....relax!
I planned my route today to catch the bus to Cadiz and then the train back to Seville. It all went according to plan and arriving in Seville I once again was greeted by the warm 22 degree sun mmmm.
Getting lazy in my last few days I opted to pay for only my third taxi of my entire trip and get a ride to my hostel since it was only about 8€ away but would take me close to half hour to walk with my bags.
The Feet up Samay hostel had the best atmosphere and immediatly I felt welcomed and love the rooftop terrace that looked over the city.
I stayed in a 4 bed female down with an ensuite and got aquatinted with my fellow bunk mates.
They even had laundry service so figured this was perfect timing to do my last attempt to be clean and smelling fresh for my travels.
With everything in order as it should be, directions ready for tomorrow I was off to sleep a little after midnight....good for me.
This morning I woke up ridiculously early for some reason so made myself lay in bed until at least 9 before wandering down for breakfast. Retrieved my clean clothes and packed in all back in order into my backpack.
Checked out at 11 and walked to the airport bus. I love when it's only 10 minutes away....10 mins with my bag feels like nothing now but once your over 20 it starts to feel the 42 or so pounds it is plus my other small bag on my front.
Checked in, got some snacks, attempted to use up the last of my Euro change as later today I land in London and will back to using pounds as their currency.
Oh Ryan air...how I both love and hate you. Everyone flys with them because they offer such super cheap prices but it's pretty much a free for all. After having my boarding pass and passport checked numouous times and waiting in line after line we were finally at the boarding gate. The flight attendants proceed to drag the metal thing that measures your carry on bag down the line and made everyone put theirs in. There's always squabbles as they only allow one bag per person....that included laptops, purses ect....only ONE so they found a few people that had to pay more to check them.
Once that fiasco is over you run for the plane as theirs no assigned seating and to me I think it takes WAY longer to operate it this way. Oh well....at least they are cheap to fly with!
I'm about an hour away from landing now and all caught up on my blog entires.
I have 2 nights, tonight and tomorrow night in London. I've opted to stay way out by London Gatwick airport (about 40 mins by train from the city) because on Thursday I'll need to check in by 4:30 am or something gross. I'm undecided if I'll be adventurous and head back into London city for the day or if I'll just explore the outskirts and the small towns. As neat as London was to see I don't really feel compelled to do it again. It was loud and busy and hectic mostly and after my southern Spain beach adventures I'm at the perfect point of travel bliss so I might just end on that note.
So I'll see you soon then!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Not ready to give up just yet
I've been stalling to write my last few "travel" blog entires and there isn't one bone in my body that wants to be done.
I'm looking forward to see my friends and family but after a week or so even that excitement will wear off and again I'll be wishing I were someplace else in the world.
Back to a few days ago....after saying goodbye to Abbey she dropped me off in Conil de la Frontera, a town about 20 mins or so from San Ambrosio where she lives.
I was told there wasn't much there this time of year as its a beachside town which quadruples in the summer time....perfect.
Nearing the end of this amazing trip I've taken time to slow down, enjoy my surroundings and really get a feel for the places I'm in. Looking back I'm glad I did it the way I did, getting to see 11 countries and put my feet in 3 different new oceans in total however it was all pretty fast. At least now I know the places I want to go back to and spend more time....mostly Ireland, Italy and Spain, my favorite 3!
Conil de la Frontera is a nice little town, painted entirely white matching the massively long stretches of white sand beaches being greeted by the great blue Atlantic Ocean. The day I arrived it was about 22 degrees so of course after settling in it was time to hit the beach! I found a great little hostel but was more like a small hotel, cost me 25€ a night but I had a private room with excellent wifi so I was in heaven.
I found a place to grab lunch, guessing at what I just ordered as none of it was in English so tried to pick the words I knew.
The restaurant was right on the bean and had a nice breeze coming in off the water. After eating I wandered down to walk along the sand and couldn't help myself to take off my shoes, squish my toes into the sand and sit down to stay awhile. There were a group of surfers exercising as a group before they hit the water, there were para surfers and the other para things with motors and people flying around attached to their seats.
It was glorious....and this is January in their lives! I've said it before but why would anyone live in the cold, wet, rain when this is a possibility hmmmm.
I've been in a slightly deflated mood after I heard back from my potential employers that a work visa would be next to impossible to get therefore the offer would need to be cancelled :( I requested a little more time, at least until I'm back in Canada and can make some more phone calls. Meanwhile I've been emailing every Spanish Consulate in Canada I can find and looking at every option to work in Spain.....wish me luck as I'm not quite ready to give up on the dream just yet!
I'm looking forward to see my friends and family but after a week or so even that excitement will wear off and again I'll be wishing I were someplace else in the world.
Back to a few days ago....after saying goodbye to Abbey she dropped me off in Conil de la Frontera, a town about 20 mins or so from San Ambrosio where she lives.
I was told there wasn't much there this time of year as its a beachside town which quadruples in the summer time....perfect.
Nearing the end of this amazing trip I've taken time to slow down, enjoy my surroundings and really get a feel for the places I'm in. Looking back I'm glad I did it the way I did, getting to see 11 countries and put my feet in 3 different new oceans in total however it was all pretty fast. At least now I know the places I want to go back to and spend more time....mostly Ireland, Italy and Spain, my favorite 3!
Conil de la Frontera is a nice little town, painted entirely white matching the massively long stretches of white sand beaches being greeted by the great blue Atlantic Ocean. The day I arrived it was about 22 degrees so of course after settling in it was time to hit the beach! I found a great little hostel but was more like a small hotel, cost me 25€ a night but I had a private room with excellent wifi so I was in heaven.
I found a place to grab lunch, guessing at what I just ordered as none of it was in English so tried to pick the words I knew.
The restaurant was right on the bean and had a nice breeze coming in off the water. After eating I wandered down to walk along the sand and couldn't help myself to take off my shoes, squish my toes into the sand and sit down to stay awhile. There were a group of surfers exercising as a group before they hit the water, there were para surfers and the other para things with motors and people flying around attached to their seats.
It was glorious....and this is January in their lives! I've said it before but why would anyone live in the cold, wet, rain when this is a possibility hmmmm.
I've been in a slightly deflated mood after I heard back from my potential employers that a work visa would be next to impossible to get therefore the offer would need to be cancelled :( I requested a little more time, at least until I'm back in Canada and can make some more phone calls. Meanwhile I've been emailing every Spanish Consulate in Canada I can find and looking at every option to work in Spain.....wish me luck as I'm not quite ready to give up on the dream just yet!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
All the kings horses and all the kings men....
One week today til ill be back on Canadian soil. I cant believe how fast 3 months flew by and what an adventure ive had. So much more happened and I saw so many places I had never planned I'd see. What started out as a once in a lifetime turned into a first of many in a lifetime as I am so far from being done traveling the world. As one of my good friend said, who would have thought one plane ticket could have changed the direction on this year, and my life so much. I am beyond thrilled to start this new chapter in my life in Spain, providing everything goes smoothly with being allowed to move and work in the country. I'm feeling slightly deflated now as I've looked into the process as it doesn't look promising....but I'm not giving up! Still lots of research to be done.
Today I made myself get up early and caught the train to Jerez. After months of talking about it the day is finally here to go meet Abbey! Her parents are here visiting her and she's taking them to Jerez to watch a horse show at the Royal school of Andalusion Art and then go from a sherry tasting and asked if I wanted to join. Of course! So here I am sitting on the train en route. What a great day I have planned :)
Upon arriving at the station in Jerez with directions in my hand I was off....and as soon as I hit the first roundabout I was lost haha. Spain is notorious for having BADLY marked street signs, sometimes they are way up on the side of a utilizing or sometimes they aren't there at all. In this case I didn't see one for blocks so walked in a few circles, attempted what little Spainish I know to ask people for directions, got stuck in the middle of a very loud protest that was surrounded by cops so although I had no idea what all the fuss was about I felt safe enough to be there. Turns out they were actually heading in the very direction I needed to go. After confirming with one of the very cute, uniformed Spanish police men I was back on track.....and LATE! The show starts at 12 and I was to meet Abbey at 11:30 and it was now 11:45 and I was worried. Thankfully it was slightly cooler today as I was roasting and fed faced by the time I finally got there and found hew. Whew what a relief!
The show was beautiful, an hour and a half long program of mostly Andalusion stallions showing off their skills in Dressage, mostly Vaquero dressage. They make it look so easy!
After the show Abbey offered to drive me back to Cadiz so we headed in that direction and found a place to eat lunch by the ocean front. By then it had warmed up and again was a bright warm day!
They dropped me off closer to my hostel and said farewell until tomorrow when I'm going to meet with them again but this time down in Abbeys village by Barbate.
I got back and was very much ready for my siesta time! I just LOVE siesta....the Spanish so have it down right!
Today I made myself get up early and caught the train to Jerez. After months of talking about it the day is finally here to go meet Abbey! Her parents are here visiting her and she's taking them to Jerez to watch a horse show at the Royal school of Andalusion Art and then go from a sherry tasting and asked if I wanted to join. Of course! So here I am sitting on the train en route. What a great day I have planned :)
Upon arriving at the station in Jerez with directions in my hand I was off....and as soon as I hit the first roundabout I was lost haha. Spain is notorious for having BADLY marked street signs, sometimes they are way up on the side of a utilizing or sometimes they aren't there at all. In this case I didn't see one for blocks so walked in a few circles, attempted what little Spainish I know to ask people for directions, got stuck in the middle of a very loud protest that was surrounded by cops so although I had no idea what all the fuss was about I felt safe enough to be there. Turns out they were actually heading in the very direction I needed to go. After confirming with one of the very cute, uniformed Spanish police men I was back on track.....and LATE! The show starts at 12 and I was to meet Abbey at 11:30 and it was now 11:45 and I was worried. Thankfully it was slightly cooler today as I was roasting and fed faced by the time I finally got there and found hew. Whew what a relief!
The show was beautiful, an hour and a half long program of mostly Andalusion stallions showing off their skills in Dressage, mostly Vaquero dressage. They make it look so easy!
After the show Abbey offered to drive me back to Cadiz so we headed in that direction and found a place to eat lunch by the ocean front. By then it had warmed up and again was a bright warm day!
They dropped me off closer to my hostel and said farewell until tomorrow when I'm going to meet with them again but this time down in Abbeys village by Barbate.
I got back and was very much ready for my siesta time! I just LOVE siesta....the Spanish so have it down right!
Loving Spanish life
My first full day in Cadiz and I woke up to glorious sunshine and 20 degrees! I set out to venture the little city and knew I wanted to head to the water first. No matter what direction you head in Cadiz you'll hit the ocean on all 3 sides, both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean I believe.
The was a nice breeze blowing which was wonderful as I'm certainly not used to the warm weather at the moment. Apparently it's also always windy in Cadiz since the whole city is built on a thin peninsula.
It's was fairly straight forward to navigate, I headed straight until I hit the water and then walked around the entire "island" part of it on all 3 sides.
There were people of all ages out walking about. There are beautifully manicured gardens and fountains everywhere along the way in little squares. How nice it is to sit on a park bench and take in the sights with such beautiful scenery and weather.....and in January! It defiantly made me think why anyone chooses to live in cold, rainy, dreary parts of the world when you can live in paradise all the time?
I was anxiously siting the email from my hopefully future employees so I thought walking would take my mind of it for awhile. I went down to the beach and sat on a rock for awhile just to breathe in the fresh salt water air. There was one other man playing with his dog but o,ther then that I was alone on the sand and it was so peaceful. I thought about my travels thus far and everything I've learned. I thought about how much I love Spain and that with some temperature adjusting I'm pretty sure I could make this my new home for awhile.
I was starting to get hungry as I hadn't found a place to eat breakfast along the way so opted to wait until I was ready for lunch food. I grabbed a quick bite and headed back to the hostel. Hopefully by now, a good 4 hours later my news would be sitting in my email inbox.
I opened up my email and there it was,the letter that could possibly change the directions of my life this year entirely.
I read those words as fast as I could to get the answer and like that.....I'd been offered the job! Excitement doesn't even come close to what I was feeling in that moment. I was beyond excited!!!
After squealing about it for a few minutes I thought of a few other questions I had and replied to the email accepting the offer.
But now the hard part begins! Will I be able to get a working visa for Spain!
Im told the process is almost completely unworth it if your not planning to stay for a long time. Spain has a very high unemployment rate so even though they normally only accept Spanish employees they have now opened up the field to include all the EU. So in order to get a. Ida the employer has to prove the job has been advertised locally and that I have special qualifications for the job.
So fingers crossed I can get all my documents in order, as it can also take months!
I arrive back in Canada n January 19th and they were wanting me back in Spain January 31st! I'm not sure if that's still the case once I brought up the paper work dilemma. So I was told to contact the Spanish embassy and figure out what I can get started on my end and go from there.
So.....wish me luck!!!
The was a nice breeze blowing which was wonderful as I'm certainly not used to the warm weather at the moment. Apparently it's also always windy in Cadiz since the whole city is built on a thin peninsula.
It's was fairly straight forward to navigate, I headed straight until I hit the water and then walked around the entire "island" part of it on all 3 sides.
There were people of all ages out walking about. There are beautifully manicured gardens and fountains everywhere along the way in little squares. How nice it is to sit on a park bench and take in the sights with such beautiful scenery and weather.....and in January! It defiantly made me think why anyone chooses to live in cold, rainy, dreary parts of the world when you can live in paradise all the time?
I was anxiously siting the email from my hopefully future employees so I thought walking would take my mind of it for awhile. I went down to the beach and sat on a rock for awhile just to breathe in the fresh salt water air. There was one other man playing with his dog but o,ther then that I was alone on the sand and it was so peaceful. I thought about my travels thus far and everything I've learned. I thought about how much I love Spain and that with some temperature adjusting I'm pretty sure I could make this my new home for awhile.
I was starting to get hungry as I hadn't found a place to eat breakfast along the way so opted to wait until I was ready for lunch food. I grabbed a quick bite and headed back to the hostel. Hopefully by now, a good 4 hours later my news would be sitting in my email inbox.
I opened up my email and there it was,the letter that could possibly change the directions of my life this year entirely.
I read those words as fast as I could to get the answer and like that.....I'd been offered the job! Excitement doesn't even come close to what I was feeling in that moment. I was beyond excited!!!
After squealing about it for a few minutes I thought of a few other questions I had and replied to the email accepting the offer.
But now the hard part begins! Will I be able to get a working visa for Spain!
Im told the process is almost completely unworth it if your not planning to stay for a long time. Spain has a very high unemployment rate so even though they normally only accept Spanish employees they have now opened up the field to include all the EU. So in order to get a. Ida the employer has to prove the job has been advertised locally and that I have special qualifications for the job.
So fingers crossed I can get all my documents in order, as it can also take months!
I arrive back in Canada n January 19th and they were wanting me back in Spain January 31st! I'm not sure if that's still the case once I brought up the paper work dilemma. So I was told to contact the Spanish embassy and figure out what I can get started on my end and go from there.
So.....wish me luck!!!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Travel days....yawn
There took me a little bit as I wasn't in wifi range so bear with me. Lots of new posts to read! I was writing them just couldn't post them all til now :)
My alarm was set for 6:45 and those were numbers I wasn't ready to see after only making it to bed around 2:30. However I was so excited for what today would bring. I was flying to Seville today so at least my time has Ben booked up with traveling otherwise I MIT have just drove myself crazy with clicking refresh on my email page waiting for that letter.
I walked 15 minutes or so to Plaza Espania and found my bus to the airport, checked myself in and boarded my flight. As usual I was pretty much out after I take off. I made myself stay awake and see the scenery. It was a glorious sunny morning with the clouds just rising on the horizon, the palm trees had a slit breeze to dance to and I couldn't have been happier. What a great place to live. To top it all off I'm pretty sure that was the best take off ever. It was so clear I could see into the distance and heading up to the sky we did a full 360 turn and I got to look back on all the neat little towns of Mallorca island. We flew right back over the center of Palma and got to see how much beach front and blue water surrounded the city. Did I mention I love Spain!!!!
I woke up as we started our decent and as the pressure changed I thought my sinuses were going to explode out from behind my eyes and eyebrows. I have NEVER felt a pain like that it was almost unbearable but luckily only lasted a few minutes. I made sure to pop my ears as much as possible until we hi the normal pressure of land.
I arrived safely in Seville and caught the bus to the main Santa Justa train station. I have a 2 hour train ride to get to my hostel in Cadiz for the next 3 nights. And once there you bet the first thing I'll be diving into is my trusty wifi connection to find out the news on my potential new position at Finca Es Fangar!
My alarm was set for 6:45 and those were numbers I wasn't ready to see after only making it to bed around 2:30. However I was so excited for what today would bring. I was flying to Seville today so at least my time has Ben booked up with traveling otherwise I MIT have just drove myself crazy with clicking refresh on my email page waiting for that letter.
I walked 15 minutes or so to Plaza Espania and found my bus to the airport, checked myself in and boarded my flight. As usual I was pretty much out after I take off. I made myself stay awake and see the scenery. It was a glorious sunny morning with the clouds just rising on the horizon, the palm trees had a slit breeze to dance to and I couldn't have been happier. What a great place to live. To top it all off I'm pretty sure that was the best take off ever. It was so clear I could see into the distance and heading up to the sky we did a full 360 turn and I got to look back on all the neat little towns of Mallorca island. We flew right back over the center of Palma and got to see how much beach front and blue water surrounded the city. Did I mention I love Spain!!!!
I woke up as we started our decent and as the pressure changed I thought my sinuses were going to explode out from behind my eyes and eyebrows. I have NEVER felt a pain like that it was almost unbearable but luckily only lasted a few minutes. I made sure to pop my ears as much as possible until we hi the normal pressure of land.
I arrived safely in Seville and caught the bus to the main Santa Justa train station. I have a 2 hour train ride to get to my hostel in Cadiz for the next 3 nights. And once there you bet the first thing I'll be diving into is my trusty wifi connection to find out the news on my potential new position at Finca Es Fangar!
Could Spain be my new home???
I went to bed early and woke up so excited for the day. Today was my interview at Finca Es Fangar just outside Felanitx which is about 45 minutes drive from Palma.
First I popped up to the bank to try to withdrawal some more cash from my emergency visa card with no such luck. Thankfully for me but not so thankful for her, Alisha's carpool didn't show show she came back home and was able to return to the bank with her Spanish speaking skills and this time was a success. For such a widely known name like Visa the emergency card sure makes the banks suspicious of anyone who has one....it hasn't been easy that's for sure!!
With cash in my hand I was back on track for the day. met up with the girls and headed towards Felanitx. The drive was slightly interesting but for the most part went well and we arrived in one piece. Spain sure loves their round shouts as we had about 8 or more to go through on the 45 minute drive!
Here I was.....at the entry gate of Finca Es Fangar and was greeted by a security guard that didn't speak English. I must learn some more Spanish!!
He put a call into the office and within minutes Mr. Simon was down to pick me up and take me to the office. The property is beyond impressive boasting over 1500 hectares of land that spreads as far as the eye can see. There's rolling hills, lush trees, open pastures and the vineyards, sooo beautiful.
Arriving at the office we sat down with 3 of main men for a meeting. They told me a little more about what they are looking for and I told them more of my experience. After talking for a bit I was taken down to lunge 2 horses so they could see what I was capable of. They were slightly dissapointed I didn't have my riding gear so I wasn't able to ride. Note to self...maybe throw in one pair of breeches next time you backpack Europe haha.
Overall he could tell I knew my way around a horse and had no problem pointing out anything that was out of place with the tack, horse ect.
We were set to reconvene at 12:30 so after putting the horses away I was given a tour of the farm. Took a good 20 minutes to drive around and show me the sights. There's 2 outdoor arenas with the best footing as well as an open air covered ring. There are too many fields and paddocks to count and all of the horses have sand walk outs off their stalls. Everything is still under construction as they add more and we walked through the new stallion barn which still smelled of fresh wood and new paint, the bookmark barn with every stall that's equipped with camera for fooling and the state of the art vet, farrier and breeding rooms. I was in horsey Heaven....yep this was it.
The breed mostly Hannoverians but also have driving horses and mini ponies :). I was told there are about 50 staff in total who tend to the horses, the vineyards and the olive groves.
We sat back down to discuss both of our thoughts. I loved the place and was curious to know more about the nitty gritty details. After some discussion it was decided they would email me tomorrow with a decision and a price point for my salary. And so I wait.....
After the interview it was time to say goodbye to Alissa and Sarah who were headed back to North Dakota. I felt bad for taking up most of their last day as they were waiting for me way longer thn I thought I'd be. The interview ended up being 3 1/2 hours so it was a fair wait.
We dropped them off at the airport, returned the car and headed home. I offered to take Alisha out for dinner after everything shed done so we went to a fabulous little Asian noodle place that was very yummy!
We got home a little late, had accommodations to book for tomorrow and put all my belongings back in my trusty blue backpack.
Tomorrow could be the day I find out how 2012 could change for me and I may just end up calling Spain home.
First I popped up to the bank to try to withdrawal some more cash from my emergency visa card with no such luck. Thankfully for me but not so thankful for her, Alisha's carpool didn't show show she came back home and was able to return to the bank with her Spanish speaking skills and this time was a success. For such a widely known name like Visa the emergency card sure makes the banks suspicious of anyone who has one....it hasn't been easy that's for sure!!
With cash in my hand I was back on track for the day. met up with the girls and headed towards Felanitx. The drive was slightly interesting but for the most part went well and we arrived in one piece. Spain sure loves their round shouts as we had about 8 or more to go through on the 45 minute drive!
Here I was.....at the entry gate of Finca Es Fangar and was greeted by a security guard that didn't speak English. I must learn some more Spanish!!
He put a call into the office and within minutes Mr. Simon was down to pick me up and take me to the office. The property is beyond impressive boasting over 1500 hectares of land that spreads as far as the eye can see. There's rolling hills, lush trees, open pastures and the vineyards, sooo beautiful.
Arriving at the office we sat down with 3 of main men for a meeting. They told me a little more about what they are looking for and I told them more of my experience. After talking for a bit I was taken down to lunge 2 horses so they could see what I was capable of. They were slightly dissapointed I didn't have my riding gear so I wasn't able to ride. Note to self...maybe throw in one pair of breeches next time you backpack Europe haha.
Overall he could tell I knew my way around a horse and had no problem pointing out anything that was out of place with the tack, horse ect.
We were set to reconvene at 12:30 so after putting the horses away I was given a tour of the farm. Took a good 20 minutes to drive around and show me the sights. There's 2 outdoor arenas with the best footing as well as an open air covered ring. There are too many fields and paddocks to count and all of the horses have sand walk outs off their stalls. Everything is still under construction as they add more and we walked through the new stallion barn which still smelled of fresh wood and new paint, the bookmark barn with every stall that's equipped with camera for fooling and the state of the art vet, farrier and breeding rooms. I was in horsey Heaven....yep this was it.
The breed mostly Hannoverians but also have driving horses and mini ponies :). I was told there are about 50 staff in total who tend to the horses, the vineyards and the olive groves.
We sat back down to discuss both of our thoughts. I loved the place and was curious to know more about the nitty gritty details. After some discussion it was decided they would email me tomorrow with a decision and a price point for my salary. And so I wait.....
After the interview it was time to say goodbye to Alissa and Sarah who were headed back to North Dakota. I felt bad for taking up most of their last day as they were waiting for me way longer thn I thought I'd be. The interview ended up being 3 1/2 hours so it was a fair wait.
We dropped them off at the airport, returned the car and headed home. I offered to take Alisha out for dinner after everything shed done so we went to a fabulous little Asian noodle place that was very yummy!
We got home a little late, had accommodations to book for tomorrow and put all my belongings back in my trusty blue backpack.
Tomorrow could be the day I find out how 2012 could change for me and I may just end up calling Spain home.
Sick day :(
I woke up early, got myself showered and fed and put my laundry outside on the line to dry. No one has clothes dryers around here....suppose because it's usually nice and hot outside so the fresh air does a fine job, just have to wait a little longer during the winter months.
I got ready so once the girls got up we could venture to the airport and see about that car. They slept in til about 11 and I didn't want to wake them.
By the time everyone woke up and we discussed it a few times we decided we were just going to keep the car and see how it works out.
I was feeling pretty sickly today and opted to just hang out on the couch and watch some movies. They have this awesome website in Spain where you can stream any movies for free....like all the new releases and everything so I ended up wasting some time on watching Water for Elephants.
The girls had a fun day planned to go to the castle and venture to the beach front but with tomorrow being an important day I just wanted to rest and attempt to make myself feel better in the slightest.
I got ready so once the girls got up we could venture to the airport and see about that car. They slept in til about 11 and I didn't want to wake them.
By the time everyone woke up and we discussed it a few times we decided we were just going to keep the car and see how it works out.
I was feeling pretty sickly today and opted to just hang out on the couch and watch some movies. They have this awesome website in Spain where you can stream any movies for free....like all the new releases and everything so I ended up wasting some time on watching Water for Elephants.
The girls had a fun day planned to go to the castle and venture to the beach front but with tomorrow being an important day I just wanted to rest and attempt to make myself feel better in the slightest.
Look out world...we rented a car!
We woke up and had breakfast and walked to the market to pick up some groceries. Alisha was going to take us to a cool place by Orient and go on a hike to caves and waterfalls. I wasn't feeling too good and knew it would be a challenge but I so wanted to see the countryside so off we went....in the car again and my not so calm self.
It doesn't help the roads are so narrow and with very little parking people try to park on every inch of the road there possibly is so it basically turns every 2 way street into a one way.
Once we hit the highway things were fine and we were about 40 mins away from our destination.
As we got closer the roads got windier and smaller again. Ohy!
We finally got to where we were going and back to nature....thank goodness! We went on about a 4 or 5 hour hike. The scenery was stunning and the weather was perfect. My lungs on the other hand felt like they were going to pop out of my chest with all the climbing we were doing and my coughing was getting worse. We stopped for lunch on top of a giant rock facing out over a canyon below with mountain goats around us climbing the hillsides. It was so beautiful. We carried along our way towards the caves. After about another hour we faced a much bigger climb. The caves werent apparently that much farther so i opted to hang back and sit tight as I knew if I wasn't going to make it back where we'd already come from then there was no way I'd make it up another steep face the way my sickness was taking hold and I wasn't breathing well.
They were gone for about an hour but I was content taking pictures and attempting some Spanish words as others would pass by and try to talk with me.
The sun was starting to set when I met back up with the girls and continued our grueling hike back to the car. Needless to say we were all pooped but so enjoyed the day. I would have been totally more game if I wasn't so sick. It was defiantly worth it but not the smartest thing to tackle when I was feeling the way I was.
When we got home I pretty much ate dinner and went to bed. I was exhausted and not feeling well at all. Tomorrow I was hoping to go try to attempt to return our rental car and find a company that had an automatic. After being nervous about someone else driving it I wasnt feeling overly confident that I'd be able to drive it to my interview the next day.....
It doesn't help the roads are so narrow and with very little parking people try to park on every inch of the road there possibly is so it basically turns every 2 way street into a one way.
Once we hit the highway things were fine and we were about 40 mins away from our destination.
As we got closer the roads got windier and smaller again. Ohy!
We finally got to where we were going and back to nature....thank goodness! We went on about a 4 or 5 hour hike. The scenery was stunning and the weather was perfect. My lungs on the other hand felt like they were going to pop out of my chest with all the climbing we were doing and my coughing was getting worse. We stopped for lunch on top of a giant rock facing out over a canyon below with mountain goats around us climbing the hillsides. It was so beautiful. We carried along our way towards the caves. After about another hour we faced a much bigger climb. The caves werent apparently that much farther so i opted to hang back and sit tight as I knew if I wasn't going to make it back where we'd already come from then there was no way I'd make it up another steep face the way my sickness was taking hold and I wasn't breathing well.
They were gone for about an hour but I was content taking pictures and attempting some Spanish words as others would pass by and try to talk with me.
The sun was starting to set when I met back up with the girls and continued our grueling hike back to the car. Needless to say we were all pooped but so enjoyed the day. I would have been totally more game if I wasn't so sick. It was defiantly worth it but not the smartest thing to tackle when I was feeling the way I was.
When we got home I pretty much ate dinner and went to bed. I was exhausted and not feeling well at all. Tomorrow I was hoping to go try to attempt to return our rental car and find a company that had an automatic. After being nervous about someone else driving it I wasnt feeling overly confident that I'd be able to drive it to my interview the next day.....
Island, beaches and palm trees oh my!
Boarding my flight to Mallorca I was excited for what would unfold next. I had spoken with Lutz at Finca ES Fangar and had confirmed an interview for Monday morning at 10 am. The plan was to rent a car for a few days but ith not having a hardcopy of my license (only a photocopy) I knew I'd need some help. Luckily my new friends Alisha, Alissa and Sarah were game.
I landed in Palma after what seemed like the quickest 40 min flight ever and was excited for the day....it was sunny and warm and I had my feet planted firmly back on an island.....ahhhh bliss.
Grabbed my luggage and waited for the girls.
They were an hour late and I was starting to panic after no one was answering their phones ect.
But they came and after a bit of cunfuzzle with renting the car we were off.....they didn't have any automatics so a standard it was!
I'm a nervous passenger on a good day but with people I don't really know, who haven't driven standard in awhile in a foreign place....nervous was an understatement. I was trying to calm myself in amounts my bouts of being a front seat driver lol.
We got the car home and opted to have a nap. Both the girls and myself didn't get much sleep the night before so a nap sounded like exactly what I needed.
We woke up later in the evening and went out for dinner and a little walk around town. We were wanting to go to the market and pick up some food for tomorrow but it was a holiday so everything was closed.
We figured we'd have a quiet night and get a good start on the day for the morning.
I landed in Palma after what seemed like the quickest 40 min flight ever and was excited for the day....it was sunny and warm and I had my feet planted firmly back on an island.....ahhhh bliss.
Grabbed my luggage and waited for the girls.
They were an hour late and I was starting to panic after no one was answering their phones ect.
But they came and after a bit of cunfuzzle with renting the car we were off.....they didn't have any automatics so a standard it was!
I'm a nervous passenger on a good day but with people I don't really know, who haven't driven standard in awhile in a foreign place....nervous was an understatement. I was trying to calm myself in amounts my bouts of being a front seat driver lol.
We got the car home and opted to have a nap. Both the girls and myself didn't get much sleep the night before so a nap sounded like exactly what I needed.
We woke up later in the evening and went out for dinner and a little walk around town. We were wanting to go to the market and pick up some food for tomorrow but it was a holiday so everything was closed.
We figured we'd have a quiet night and get a good start on the day for the morning.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
It's Barcelona Baby
It has felt so good to stay in one place for a week! It's nice learning your way around and actually feeling like you know where your going for once.
January first I said goodbye to Chels and headed on my way. I checked into Sant Jordi Familia hostel and quickly made myself at home. It's a beautiful big hostel with a super fun atmosphere.
I picked up seem groceries and made myself some dinner and had a fairly quiet evening.
Day 2 of being here two girls moved into my 4 bed dorm room, Alissa and Sarah from North Dakota United States. They were really vibrant and fun and just on holidays for a week. Their energy to explore was infectious so the next few days were filled with all kinds of fun adventures!
I find it so interesting how the universe unfolds as well as within a few minutes of talking they told me their friend was coming to join them and she lives on Mallorca island, and they were going back with her to visit. Wellllll.....turns out thats where I just booked a flight to as I'm going to meet with a state of the art Dressage stable there for an interview as they are looking for a barn manager/trainer. How exciting and what a neat surprise! So I felt I was on the right track!
The following day I headed to explore and went on a walking tour while the girls waited for their friend to arrive. I meandered through the narrow windy streets of the old town Gothic quarter and eventually made my way around the shops of La Rambla. I picked up a super nice Barcelona polo shirt that I'd been bordering with the guy for 2 days about. Got it for half price so I was pleased :)
When I returned back to the hostel the girls had headed out for dinner and it wasn't long after their friend (who was hours and hours late) finally arrived. It gave us time to talk and get to know one another. Just like Sarah and Alissa she was super happy, outgoing and fun. I picked her brain about living on Mallorca and what she thinks of being in Spain. We hit it off so well she offered me to crash with her the girls for the time I'm there! Soooo nice of her! I had a hostel booked but paid for cancellation protection, just incase, and look what unfolded! YAY!!
When the other 2 came back after dinner we visited and headed downstairs to join the Tuesday Crazy Party night put on by the hostel they do every night. Barcelona nightlife is something else! You can head to the pubs ect around 11 but don't bother showing up at a club before 1 as its dead!!! From there they party til the weeee hours of the morning.
We went to a quaint little pub first where it was 3.50 to pour your own drink which often ended up in mostly alcohol with very little mix haha. They served little bowls of popcorn and we got to meet people from the other Sant Jordis hostel. We partook in some floppy cup and had a great time! From there we went to a little Spannish place and then onto a club. The names always tend to become a blur and remembering the, is no easy feat haha.
We found our way home around 5 am....this being an early night! Partying here takes stamina, something I clearly don't have, especially when I'm still battling this damn cold bug.
After being up so late as we didn't go to bed right away when we got home the girls and I slept most of the next day away haha. I think we finally pulled ourselves out from under the covers around 2 pm. Our room has these blinds that totally black everything out so it makes it way too easy to sleep in!
After getting ready and getting some food we headed back to La Rambla to walk around and head to the beach.
After our day out I opted to have another night in as my cold is really cramping my style and I need to love myself better!
The girls were flying to Palma tomorrow, Thursday and I will meet them there on Friday. Thankfully I met them too as all along my plan was to rent a car since the barn I need to et to is almost an hour away from where I fly into....completely forgetting I no longer hold my drivers license because it was amounts my things that got stolen. The lovely Sarah offered to run to my rescue and rent the car for me, so with a little coordinating this should all unfold with ease.....I hope!
I have 4 days to spend on the island and at the moment my interview is scheduled for Monday. So wish me luck! Not sure what will come of it, if they are interested in going through the proces of hiring someone internationally or if they will be willing to wait for me to return home to get my things in order before returning to start to work....but it's a step in the right direction. I love Spain and think it would be amazing to spend some time living here and practicing up on learning some Spanish!
I'll keep you posted as to how things unfold the next few days :)
Hope all is well back home....miss you all and I only have 13 travels days left if I'm home on the 19th!!!
See you soon then :)
January first I said goodbye to Chels and headed on my way. I checked into Sant Jordi Familia hostel and quickly made myself at home. It's a beautiful big hostel with a super fun atmosphere.
I picked up seem groceries and made myself some dinner and had a fairly quiet evening.
Day 2 of being here two girls moved into my 4 bed dorm room, Alissa and Sarah from North Dakota United States. They were really vibrant and fun and just on holidays for a week. Their energy to explore was infectious so the next few days were filled with all kinds of fun adventures!
I find it so interesting how the universe unfolds as well as within a few minutes of talking they told me their friend was coming to join them and she lives on Mallorca island, and they were going back with her to visit. Wellllll.....turns out thats where I just booked a flight to as I'm going to meet with a state of the art Dressage stable there for an interview as they are looking for a barn manager/trainer. How exciting and what a neat surprise! So I felt I was on the right track!
The following day I headed to explore and went on a walking tour while the girls waited for their friend to arrive. I meandered through the narrow windy streets of the old town Gothic quarter and eventually made my way around the shops of La Rambla. I picked up a super nice Barcelona polo shirt that I'd been bordering with the guy for 2 days about. Got it for half price so I was pleased :)
When I returned back to the hostel the girls had headed out for dinner and it wasn't long after their friend (who was hours and hours late) finally arrived. It gave us time to talk and get to know one another. Just like Sarah and Alissa she was super happy, outgoing and fun. I picked her brain about living on Mallorca and what she thinks of being in Spain. We hit it off so well she offered me to crash with her the girls for the time I'm there! Soooo nice of her! I had a hostel booked but paid for cancellation protection, just incase, and look what unfolded! YAY!!
When the other 2 came back after dinner we visited and headed downstairs to join the Tuesday Crazy Party night put on by the hostel they do every night. Barcelona nightlife is something else! You can head to the pubs ect around 11 but don't bother showing up at a club before 1 as its dead!!! From there they party til the weeee hours of the morning.
We went to a quaint little pub first where it was 3.50 to pour your own drink which often ended up in mostly alcohol with very little mix haha. They served little bowls of popcorn and we got to meet people from the other Sant Jordis hostel. We partook in some floppy cup and had a great time! From there we went to a little Spannish place and then onto a club. The names always tend to become a blur and remembering the, is no easy feat haha.
We found our way home around 5 am....this being an early night! Partying here takes stamina, something I clearly don't have, especially when I'm still battling this damn cold bug.
After being up so late as we didn't go to bed right away when we got home the girls and I slept most of the next day away haha. I think we finally pulled ourselves out from under the covers around 2 pm. Our room has these blinds that totally black everything out so it makes it way too easy to sleep in!
After getting ready and getting some food we headed back to La Rambla to walk around and head to the beach.
After our day out I opted to have another night in as my cold is really cramping my style and I need to love myself better!
The girls were flying to Palma tomorrow, Thursday and I will meet them there on Friday. Thankfully I met them too as all along my plan was to rent a car since the barn I need to et to is almost an hour away from where I fly into....completely forgetting I no longer hold my drivers license because it was amounts my things that got stolen. The lovely Sarah offered to run to my rescue and rent the car for me, so with a little coordinating this should all unfold with ease.....I hope!
I have 4 days to spend on the island and at the moment my interview is scheduled for Monday. So wish me luck! Not sure what will come of it, if they are interested in going through the proces of hiring someone internationally or if they will be willing to wait for me to return home to get my things in order before returning to start to work....but it's a step in the right direction. I love Spain and think it would be amazing to spend some time living here and practicing up on learning some Spanish!
I'll keep you posted as to how things unfold the next few days :)
Hope all is well back home....miss you all and I only have 13 travels days left if I'm home on the 19th!!!
See you soon then :)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
All the best for 2012!!!!
I've been in Barcelona now for 3 days....what a great place!! It's been a wonderful 18 degrees and nothing but sunshine :)
We got to our first hostel with no problems. It was right close to La Rambla markets so we walked along and took it all in. Everything from street performers to market stands with food and gifts and people galore!! We followed it all the way down to the water. The beach!!! It's sooo nice to be in a big city but be able to escape to the outskirts and find water. There were many surfers out enjoying the water and loads of people just laying and relaxing. Yep I love it here. Has a super hip vibe and the people are really nice. You still need to watch your belongings closely but it's much cleaner and more open here then Greece.
We headed to a little Spanish place for dinner and engulfed in some Paella....yummy.
We only booked one night in that hostel as Chelsea had arranged some couch surfers for us for the next two nights. So we checked out and wandered in our new direction.
We met David at his flat and Jonathan joined us a little later. It's was a beautiful place near Catalunya (sp?).
We went out the first night we met the, to a club called Sotavento I think it was. The defiantly know how to party around here! Don't even plan on going to a club before 1 as it's pretty quiet but after that it gets bumpin. And once two o clock rolls around there give you a stamp so you can wander out onto the beach and then get back in again. What an interesting place out there! There are numerous people walking around selling beers for 1 euro, sandwhiches, drugs....everything imaginable. Strange concept but kinda fun to buy beer for 1 euro instead of outrageous club prices! I'll drink to that :)
We headed home around 6 am...yawn I am not built to party like that...wiped me right out!!! Talked to mom on Skype and climbed under my covers at about 7 :30 am haha.
Waking up I wasn't at all hungover but now my cold was ways worse! I have had this darn couch pretty much my entire trip and now I'm pretty sure it's in my chest so might have to go seek out some antibiotics today.
Don't think the smoke machines in the club helped much at all. I slept most of New Years eve away as I tried to pull myself back together. I had planned to meet up with the others for the nightly celebrations but just wasn't feeling it.
So I happily stayed in, with a beautiful house to myself, made some food, planned the next part of my trip and took care of myself! Usually I'd feel down not going out on New Years but maybe it's just me growing up. I was way more content hanging out, not drinking and catching up on some thought provoking YouTube videos.
I thought about what intention I wanted to put out for 2012 and the countless directions I could choose to go in.
I stood on the balcony at midnight and watched the fireworks explode from every angle and the eruptions of screams and noise flow from the houses and streets. At that moment cars were no where to be seen but within minutes after it was back to the insane traffic you get used to seeing.
So this was it....good bye 2011 filled with so many milestones, life lessons, ups and downs. It defiantly wasn't the easiest year for me but I feel it allowed me to grow a lot and expand myself.
I hope 2012 will be equally as exciting, maybe slightly easier on me woud be nice but I know that everything happens for a reason and there is nothing I'm not ready to face....or will at least learn how to move through it.
January 1st 2012....the first time I wrote those words! What a good morning. It's soooo nice to start the year NOT hungover. I'm well rested, feel good and ready for the next adventure.
Chelsea and I are going our separate ways today. It's time and we both need to continue on our paths. It's been great traveling with her and we've had a lot of fun and great conversations but with everything that happened in such a short time in our friendship we need to move on and do what we need to do for ourselves.
I did my laundry so my clothes are clean, put on my makeup, packed my bags and off I go! Only 18 travel days left and I'm going to make the most of them!!!
18 days....wow that's not much time at all....I'm ready to see family but I'm so not ready to be done my travels! Please universe help me find a way to continue this crazy adventure of life through traveling the world I've come to love so much :)
Amen!
We got to our first hostel with no problems. It was right close to La Rambla markets so we walked along and took it all in. Everything from street performers to market stands with food and gifts and people galore!! We followed it all the way down to the water. The beach!!! It's sooo nice to be in a big city but be able to escape to the outskirts and find water. There were many surfers out enjoying the water and loads of people just laying and relaxing. Yep I love it here. Has a super hip vibe and the people are really nice. You still need to watch your belongings closely but it's much cleaner and more open here then Greece.
We headed to a little Spanish place for dinner and engulfed in some Paella....yummy.
We only booked one night in that hostel as Chelsea had arranged some couch surfers for us for the next two nights. So we checked out and wandered in our new direction.
We met David at his flat and Jonathan joined us a little later. It's was a beautiful place near Catalunya (sp?).
We went out the first night we met the, to a club called Sotavento I think it was. The defiantly know how to party around here! Don't even plan on going to a club before 1 as it's pretty quiet but after that it gets bumpin. And once two o clock rolls around there give you a stamp so you can wander out onto the beach and then get back in again. What an interesting place out there! There are numerous people walking around selling beers for 1 euro, sandwhiches, drugs....everything imaginable. Strange concept but kinda fun to buy beer for 1 euro instead of outrageous club prices! I'll drink to that :)
We headed home around 6 am...yawn I am not built to party like that...wiped me right out!!! Talked to mom on Skype and climbed under my covers at about 7 :30 am haha.
Waking up I wasn't at all hungover but now my cold was ways worse! I have had this darn couch pretty much my entire trip and now I'm pretty sure it's in my chest so might have to go seek out some antibiotics today.
Don't think the smoke machines in the club helped much at all. I slept most of New Years eve away as I tried to pull myself back together. I had planned to meet up with the others for the nightly celebrations but just wasn't feeling it.
So I happily stayed in, with a beautiful house to myself, made some food, planned the next part of my trip and took care of myself! Usually I'd feel down not going out on New Years but maybe it's just me growing up. I was way more content hanging out, not drinking and catching up on some thought provoking YouTube videos.
I thought about what intention I wanted to put out for 2012 and the countless directions I could choose to go in.
I stood on the balcony at midnight and watched the fireworks explode from every angle and the eruptions of screams and noise flow from the houses and streets. At that moment cars were no where to be seen but within minutes after it was back to the insane traffic you get used to seeing.
So this was it....good bye 2011 filled with so many milestones, life lessons, ups and downs. It defiantly wasn't the easiest year for me but I feel it allowed me to grow a lot and expand myself.
I hope 2012 will be equally as exciting, maybe slightly easier on me woud be nice but I know that everything happens for a reason and there is nothing I'm not ready to face....or will at least learn how to move through it.
January 1st 2012....the first time I wrote those words! What a good morning. It's soooo nice to start the year NOT hungover. I'm well rested, feel good and ready for the next adventure.
Chelsea and I are going our separate ways today. It's time and we both need to continue on our paths. It's been great traveling with her and we've had a lot of fun and great conversations but with everything that happened in such a short time in our friendship we need to move on and do what we need to do for ourselves.
I did my laundry so my clothes are clean, put on my makeup, packed my bags and off I go! Only 18 travel days left and I'm going to make the most of them!!!
18 days....wow that's not much time at all....I'm ready to see family but I'm so not ready to be done my travels! Please universe help me find a way to continue this crazy adventure of life through traveling the world I've come to love so much :)
Amen!
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