Waiting my turn on the Rock of Gibraltar.
Finally, I was due for a good cleaning.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Welcome to the Rock
Waiting my turn on the Rock of Gibraltar.
Finally, I was due for a good cleaning.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Travel Time
The language school that I am studying at required intensive Spanish grammar and speaking classes for each student in their respective levels of knowledge of the language for the first month upon arrival. It was a very helpful course that got everyone back into speaking and learning the language, so after we had all just finished our exams for these classes, it was time to travel. The first trip we took together was to the provinces of Madrid and Castilla, so that included a trip to the cities of Toledo, Segovia, Madrid, and a quick stop to see the massive El Escorial (a royal palace built for Felipe II) along the way. The castle in the background is the Royal Alcázar found in Segovia. The castle was originally built by the Romans but has been remodeled many times since then. Logically, it rests upon cliffs and is surrounded by a mote thus it was not easy for enemies to penetrate. It looks very similar to the Magic Kingdom castle at Disney World and many people think that Mr. Disney modeled his castle after this exact one.
This picture was taken in Toledo, a very old an historical city that once served as the capital of Spain during the 16th century. The city stands atop a hill carved out by a bend in the River of Trajo making it a natural fortress in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula. Toledo is made up of incredible gothic architecture that can be seen in the Cathedral (the tower can be seen in the upper right hand corner) and the Saint Martin Bridge. In addition to the amazing layout of the city, Toledo was and still is highly regarded for the fine swords that are made in the city.
This is the Roman Aqueduct in Segovia, this incredible structure still remains standing since the 1st century despite being built only with solid granite rocks and nothing in the middle to keep them cemented. The purpose of this structure was to carry water to Segovia from 15 km south of the town.
After our weekend trip was over we had a couple of days before our normal classes started, so my buddies and me decided to take a trip to Barcelona for a couple of days. Here we are hanging out and enjoying the view at the famous Park Güell designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí.
Barcelona is littered with works of Gaudí including the Sagrada Familia, which is still unfinished, mostly because Gaudí was hit by a tram and died three days later during the production of the church, and to make things worse his blueprints were destroyed during the Spanish civil war of 1938. So they have been guessing the designs Gaudí would have made ever since and they are still not finished.
Here is the crew (minus three girls) that was in Barcelona. This is right after a dinner that we made in the chalet that we rented for a couple of nights.
Here I am making a feast in the chalet. Everyone was craving some spiced up Mexican food, so I made a trip to the market, found some hot peppers, made delicious bowls of fresh salsa, and quickly whipped up some burritos with the help of friends.
This picture takes place at the medieval fair at the base of the beautiful cathedral and the surrounding plazas. These are my buddies drooling from the mouth while they stare transfixed at the smoked meats. Soon after we got a couple of massive plates of Chorizo and Pork that was inhaled within minutes. In addition to the savory meats, there were a ton of local artists selling their craft along with medieval entertainment, dress, and music.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
What does that mean?
For those who do not speak Spanish,
The title of my blog is "vale" and it means "okay" or "sure" and it is the most used word by every Spaniard. Likewise, it has quickly become my favorite word to use nowadays.
I am here in Europe having the time of my life, there is so much to see and do that there is no time for little else. So my answer to questions is always "Vale" because if I say no I could be missing out on something incredible. I have to take advantage of everything/one I can while I am here.
That is exactly why I chose to have "un/a mas por favor as my URL address for this blog because it is a common phrase I am asked everyday.
It means: "one more please"
so I am often asked or I often say "un mas por favor"
"un mas ............. por favor" (one more please)
............. scoop of paella?
............ hour of dancing.
............ pint of beer.
............. time of waking up at 7 in the morning for a tour?
............. more trip to this monument?
............ chipito Johnny?
............ trip around Europe?
.................................................................
Of course the answer is always "Vale"
The title of my blog is "vale" and it means "okay" or "sure" and it is the most used word by every Spaniard. Likewise, it has quickly become my favorite word to use nowadays.
I am here in Europe having the time of my life, there is so much to see and do that there is no time for little else. So my answer to questions is always "Vale" because if I say no I could be missing out on something incredible. I have to take advantage of everything/one I can while I am here.
That is exactly why I chose to have "un/a mas por favor as my URL address for this blog because it is a common phrase I am asked everyday.
It means: "one more please"
so I am often asked or I often say "un mas por favor"
"un mas ............. por favor" (one more please)
............. scoop of paella?
............ hour of dancing.
............ pint of beer.
............. time of waking up at 7 in the morning for a tour?
............. more trip to this monument?
............ chipito Johnny?
............ trip around Europe?
.................................................................
Of course the answer is always "Vale"
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A glimpse of the start
Hola Amigos!
I am writing to you from the gorgeous city of Granada nestled in the providence of Andulucia in the south of Spain. The group of us (8 guys and 34 girls) arrived to the city on August 30th, 2008 after we had a three day excursion in London which included: a trip to Big Ben, a viewing of the changing of the guards, and a visit to a dirty English pub. On our ride from the airport to the drop-off spot we were quickly briefed on where are new families apartment was located, who are roommate was, and were given a few do’s and don’ts. I soon met the lady that would be my motherly figure for the next three and a half months. She is an extremely nice lady that does not speak a word of English, and happens to only stand 4 feet 2 inches off the ground, so she has to stare up at my roommate who is about 6 feet 5 inches and I am a sturdy six feet flat. She cooks us three massive meals a day and even when we tell her too give us smaller portions she snuffs at the idea and tells us we are to skinny and we need to feed our tall frames. Even though her authentic Spanish cooking is very delicious it is not nearly as tasty as my Mothers. I do not have a picture of my Spanish mother, but when I get one with the whole family in it I will be sure to share.
This is my city!
I took this picture from atop a lookout point at the Alhambra. We went to visit the Alhambra the first Saturday after we arrived, and it was magnificent. We woke up at 8 AM to take a tour of the monument and most of us had not gotten much sleep that week, because we were enjoying the fruits of being in Europe. Nevertheless, it was easy to see why it is one of Spain’s most celebrated monuments and on the list of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. The apartment I am staying is not in view, but in the middle of the picture you can see a large structure coming out of the smaller buildings, and the is the cathedral of Granada. A group of us enjoy sipping on a drink while we sit on the steps and stare in amazement at the intricate façade, and we are often serenaded by a local playing his Spanish guitar.
This is the Alhambra looking back on it from the beautiful Gardens. The Muslims built it in the 13th century and they occupied it until the Christians invaded Granada in 1492 and instead of knocking it down, like they did with most Muslim inspired buildings, they added onto it. So there is this really cool Muslim architecture and right next to it towers and enormous overpowering Roman building. The religions are very contradictory, so this is one of the only places in the world where the two are mixed. I plan on returning for a couple of more visits.
This is me posing in front of the area where the Sultan’s giant chair would sit in the Alhambra, this is where he would lounge, give orders, and meet incoming guest while his many wives surrounded him. I think I would have enjoyed living as a Sultan.
We took this picture at the Basilica de San Juan de Dios a church built in the 18th century with a beautiful altarpiece with some of the pieces actually being made of real gold.. After the rest of the group moved on to another room on the tour my friends and me were feeling very religious, so we thought we should pretend to pose as the priests for the moment. There is a contest for best picture at the end of the term and right now I think this has a good chance to win.
This is me and my buddy intently fixed on the bull fight in front of us. We were waiting for the inevitable outcome. Many people abroad and here in Granada think that the bullfights are cruel animal punishment, but I feel that it is part of their culture, so I embraced the culture took part in the event. They are going to eat the bull anyways, so why not give it a chance to get back on the slaughterer. It truly is a great experience and I recommend it to anyone visiting Spain. This is a day after the Rays won the AL East so I had to represent. Unfortunately, my buddy sitting next to me is wearing his Boston Red Sox shirt. But what he has not realized yet is that the Rays are about to beat the Red Sox in the ALCS, and when that happens he is going to have to take a certain someone out for a night on the town, all expenses paid.
As you can see I am having a blast learning the language and embracing the culture.
But this is only a mere glance of my time here in Spain.
There will be much more to come
Hasta luego!
Johnny
I am writing to you from the gorgeous city of Granada nestled in the providence of Andulucia in the south of Spain. The group of us (8 guys and 34 girls) arrived to the city on August 30th, 2008 after we had a three day excursion in London which included: a trip to Big Ben, a viewing of the changing of the guards, and a visit to a dirty English pub. On our ride from the airport to the drop-off spot we were quickly briefed on where are new families apartment was located, who are roommate was, and were given a few do’s and don’ts. I soon met the lady that would be my motherly figure for the next three and a half months. She is an extremely nice lady that does not speak a word of English, and happens to only stand 4 feet 2 inches off the ground, so she has to stare up at my roommate who is about 6 feet 5 inches and I am a sturdy six feet flat. She cooks us three massive meals a day and even when we tell her too give us smaller portions she snuffs at the idea and tells us we are to skinny and we need to feed our tall frames. Even though her authentic Spanish cooking is very delicious it is not nearly as tasty as my Mothers. I do not have a picture of my Spanish mother, but when I get one with the whole family in it I will be sure to share.
This is my city!
I took this picture from atop a lookout point at the Alhambra. We went to visit the Alhambra the first Saturday after we arrived, and it was magnificent. We woke up at 8 AM to take a tour of the monument and most of us had not gotten much sleep that week, because we were enjoying the fruits of being in Europe. Nevertheless, it was easy to see why it is one of Spain’s most celebrated monuments and on the list of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. The apartment I am staying is not in view, but in the middle of the picture you can see a large structure coming out of the smaller buildings, and the is the cathedral of Granada. A group of us enjoy sipping on a drink while we sit on the steps and stare in amazement at the intricate façade, and we are often serenaded by a local playing his Spanish guitar.
This is the Alhambra looking back on it from the beautiful Gardens. The Muslims built it in the 13th century and they occupied it until the Christians invaded Granada in 1492 and instead of knocking it down, like they did with most Muslim inspired buildings, they added onto it. So there is this really cool Muslim architecture and right next to it towers and enormous overpowering Roman building. The religions are very contradictory, so this is one of the only places in the world where the two are mixed. I plan on returning for a couple of more visits.
This is me posing in front of the area where the Sultan’s giant chair would sit in the Alhambra, this is where he would lounge, give orders, and meet incoming guest while his many wives surrounded him. I think I would have enjoyed living as a Sultan.
We took this picture at the Basilica de San Juan de Dios a church built in the 18th century with a beautiful altarpiece with some of the pieces actually being made of real gold.. After the rest of the group moved on to another room on the tour my friends and me were feeling very religious, so we thought we should pretend to pose as the priests for the moment. There is a contest for best picture at the end of the term and right now I think this has a good chance to win.
This is me and my buddy intently fixed on the bull fight in front of us. We were waiting for the inevitable outcome. Many people abroad and here in Granada think that the bullfights are cruel animal punishment, but I feel that it is part of their culture, so I embraced the culture took part in the event. They are going to eat the bull anyways, so why not give it a chance to get back on the slaughterer. It truly is a great experience and I recommend it to anyone visiting Spain. This is a day after the Rays won the AL East so I had to represent. Unfortunately, my buddy sitting next to me is wearing his Boston Red Sox shirt. But what he has not realized yet is that the Rays are about to beat the Red Sox in the ALCS, and when that happens he is going to have to take a certain someone out for a night on the town, all expenses paid.
As you can see I am having a blast learning the language and embracing the culture.
But this is only a mere glance of my time here in Spain.
There will be much more to come
Hasta luego!
Johnny
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