SJ in Andalucia

Shannon decided to take time off from chasing rainbows in Ireland to experience the siesta fiesta lifestyle in Spain.

I was so excited for Shannon to come down and see for herself what my life had been like for the past 8 months. I try to explain and describe everything but people really just need to see and experience these place for themselves.
We spent a weekend in Sevilla and just in time for Shannon’s arrival the weather decided to turn a blistering 100 degrees. Sevilla in the spring time is absolutely gorgeous and my favorite place in Spain.
Shannon got to try the delicious churros con chocolate (remember in the beginning of the year when I tried for days to get a taste of this delicious treat?!)

She stayed for the week with me in La Palma. She met my roommate, she came to school with me and met other teachers and sudents. She got to sit in on my classes and she even helped me with lessons because all the students wanted to hear her talk and to know more about her. The student’s practiced a lot of the vocabulary and sentences they had learned throughout the year. They asked her all sorts of questions about where she is from, the things she likes, and about our family. Everyone loved her and wanted to take pictures of the 2 of us together. During the recess one day, Shannon and I walked out onto the playground and children came running from all sides and surrounded us. It was like a mob. Everyone wanted to touch her, talk to her, listen to her talk, listen to us talk to each other and watch us. Shannon almost fell down. We were surrounded by probably 50 boys and girls. Shannon’s face was priceless. I just laughed grabbed her arm and pulled her through the crowd to safety.

Shannon got to meet Guadalupe which was very important to me. Guadalupe invited us over for lunch one day and we joked that Shannon would never be able to live here because she didn’t like any of the food. We walked around my cute little town and she experienced the small town environment because all the students would yell “Hello teacher Amanda, hello sister Shannon.”
Shannon got to come to Huelva City with me for a night and meet all the American’s I had been hanging out with and traveling with over the course of the year. We went out for a “typical” Spanish night which didn’t begin until 1am and ended close to 6am. We both started the night out in heels and ended the night in the flip flops we had stashed in our purses.

When we went back to La Palma we arrived just in time to see one of the street parade’s that is traditional in my town. There are 2 rival streets and based on where your family lives you are either Calle Cabo or Calle Sevilla. This Sunday happened to be Calle Cabo. Shannon got to see men, women and children dressed in flamenco, riding around in carriages and singing typical songs. The whole town was out in the streets and as we walked along the parade route many teachers, students and parents recognized us.

Some of my favorite parts of Shannon visiting were listening to her try to speak Spanish. I give her credit for trying but she sounded like the most American girl trying to speak Spanish. It was hilarious. She would say hola but pronounce the ‘h’. She would say grass-e-ass, and she was still using her favorite word that she learned in Barcelona, bocadillo, for sandwich. But in her defense no one she met could pronounce her name correctly. The ‘sh’ sound in very difficult for them to make and then the ‘nonn’ part was impossible. Basically they could make the ‘a’ sound in the middle.



A lot of times teachers, students, and members of the community would want to talk to Shannon so they would say something to her in Spanish, I would tell them she doesn’t speak any Spanish, but they continued to talk to her. She just stared at them with a blank look on her face. When someone would ask her a question in Spanish she would look at me and I would either translate or answer the question for Shannon. I did my best to translate back and forth but a lot of the time I would accidently just repeat what they had asked again in Spanish. And then Shannon would just look at me with a blank stare. It was always quite the ordeal!

Overall the trip was very successful. We got to spend a lot of sister time together and I was thrilled to show Shannon all the reasons why I had fallen in love with Spain. It was sad to say bye to Shannon but she was headed back to Ireland where she fit in and clearly belonged. We have both found second homes for ourselves half way around the world from our actual home. I’m really proud of both of us for the adventures we have taken.

El Rocio

I have read, and throughout my traveling over the course of the year, confirmed that Andalucia is one of Europe's most strikingly colorful regions. It is known as the "mother" of the Spanish folklore: here you will live the magic of Gypsy Flamenco and bullfighting in their most authentic style, and myths like Don Juan and Carmen were born here. So, its tradition of bull fights, flamenco music and dance, and Moorish architecture, provides the strongest external image of Spain.

But I think that living in a small town in the heart of Andalucia has shown me how rich and colorful Spain is in its culture, its people and its traditions. The weekend of El Rocio has by far been the most cultural experience I have had this year. My town was buzzing with excitement over the anticipated weekend of El Rocio. Everyone was inviting me to walk or ride in their carriages. Students were asking me which day I was leaving and in which house I would be staying at. Teachers were offering me Flamenco dresses to wear and times to meet me. I was making plans and agreeing to things right and left. Finally I had to ask Guadalupe what exactly I was getting myself into...

The weekend of El Rocio dates back to the 13th century, when a hunter from a local village discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary in a tree trunk. A chapel was built where the tree stood and it became a place of pilgrimage. Devotion to this particular version of the Virgin was initially a local affair. Then, as the years passed brotherhoods were making the trip from nearby towns, they came from all over Huelva, Cadiz and Seville, on a journey taking up to four days. Over the next few centuries, the pilgrimage of the Virgin del Rocio became more and more widespread, and these days participants come from as far away as Barcelona and the Canary Islands - not to mention tourists who travel from abroad, around Europe and even further afield.

The El Rocio pilgrimage is the most famous in the region, attracting nearly a million people from across Andalucia and the entire country. Every Andalucian city, town and village has its own pilgrimages, for its patron saint, virgin or other much-loved local figure. But the El Rocio has the biggest status, and is the most important and most colourful.

Ok now picture this: Entire towns gathering together, to walk or ride in carriages and covered wagons, to a small town in the middle of nowhere, to pay their respect to a statue. Some towns come from so far away it takes days for them to arrive and they sleep in their wagons at night. What amazes me is that in the 21st century amongst our usual busy, hectic, technological lives there is still a tradition so special, so raw that it really puts things into perspective.

My little town of La Palma only had a day hike to El Rocio. They are located 15 miles from each other considering that no major highways are taken, only back roads. Since I was still recovering from my broken foot, I walked the first 3 miles to El Rocio and bailed in the next town over. There I was picked up by Guadalupe and we drove the rest of the way. We would stop at many little towns along the way and watch as La Palma passed through each town.

What made this experience so incredible was the atmosphere. Everyone was dressed up, everyone was singing rocieras (flamenco-style songs about the pilgrimage) as they travel and clapping to the songs. We would stop to take a break and dancing would ensue right in the middle of a pack of people, The energy was constant and the wine was constantly flowing. This whole procession is very religious but I also think its just another excuse for the Spanish to party!

When we arrived to the town I couldn't believe my eyes. There were thousands of people packed into such a small space. Everyone was singing and battling to get to the front in order to touch the statue. It was all a little much for me and I hung back with a group of teachers who were singing and dancing.

The town of El Rocío is a sprawling, pretty Wild-West-style place where you tie your horse to a wooden rail with a sign saying reserved for horses. There was sand everywhere, the roads unpaved because its easier on the horses hooves. What is normally a small, quiet, town in the middle of Huelva, for one weekend every year becomes Times Square on New Years Eve. Everyone wants to be there and part of the action.

Now most people stay in El Rocio for the entire weekend but I had to return home that night because bright and early the next morning, I was heading to Sevilla to meet my sister at the airport!

Granada

Andalucía is the most populated and second largest of the seventeen autonomous communities that constitute Spain. Andalucía is divided into eight provinces named after the capital cities of these provinces: Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga and Sevilla (which is its capital). Andalucía holds a significant Moorish influence and is a fascinating place for Moorish monuments, beautiful white hill towns, sparkling blue coast and the natural beauty of its mountainous country. It is not only Andalucía's beautiful landscapes that I am attracted to, the people of this region are so kind and welcoming that I have fallen in love with Spain.

For a quick weekend getaway my girlfriends and I went to Granada. Granada preserves the most beautiful Moorish monuments, the Alhambra Palace most specifically, being the largest and most sensual building in Europe. In fact, Moorish influence is still strong in the character, language, and customs of the people.

We had to have reservations to get into the Alhambra because only a certain number of people are allowed inside each day. This was by far the most beautiful place I have visited in Spain. Not only was it a perfect Spring day but I was with great company and seeing what was becoming one of my favorite places in the world.

The Alhambra, which literally means the red, is a true expression of the once flourishing Moorish civilization and is the finest example of its architecture in Spain. The Alhambra is an ancient palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain It was the residence of the Muslim kings of Granada and their court, but is currently a museum exhibiting exquisite Islamic architecture. The palace is atop a big hill and overlooks all of the city and the Sierra Nevada's provide a perfect backdrop.
The entire palace is also surrounded by gardens. We visited at the perfect time of year because everything was in full bloom. If you ever visit Spain, Granada is one of the top 3 places you must see... In my opinion :)

Bullfight.

Along with eating tapas and dancing flamenco, watching a bullfight is one of the activities that comes to mind when I think of Spain. The bullfight is the most traditional of Spanish Fiestas. The Spanish people consider them art forms which are intimately linked with their country’s history, art and culture. Although it is very controversial, bullfighting is Spain’s oldest and best loved national sport. It is very closely associated with Spain and can trace its origins back to 711 A.D when the first one took place in celebrations of King Alfonso VIII.

Bullfighting is certainly one of the best-known Spanish popular customs. This Fiesta could not exist without the "toro bravo", which is a specie of bull of an ancient race that is only conserved in Spain. This controversial sport is very popular in Spain with several thousand Spaniards flocking to their local bull-ring each week during the spring and summer months. Almost a million people watch bullfights in Spain every year. However, it is becoming banned in several parts of Spain, Cataluna for example, where Barcelona is. In the southern region, Andalucia, it is still abundant.

There are several bullrings in all Spain; some of the most important are located in Madrid, Seville and Ronda. Madrid's Bullring is called "La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas", it can house 25,000 people and is the most important Bullring in the world. The Seville Bullring is called "La Maestranza" Bullring it is one of the most charming bullrings. "La Maestranza" has a capacity of 12,500 people and attracts the best bullfighters of all Spain. This is where I got to see a bullfight. I was also fortunate enough to see 3 of the most popular bullfighter’s in all of Spain.

Every fight starts with "El paseillo", this is when everybody involved in the bullfight enters the ring and presents themselves to the president and public. Then, two "alguacilillos" on horseback ask for the keys to the puerta de los toriles, where bulls are waiting to go out. Then, the bull goes out to the bullring, here is when the real spectacle begins.

The faena is the most beautiful and skillful section of the fight and where the matador must prove his courage and artistry. The faena consists of running at the Matador carrying a piece of thick crimson cloth draped over a short stick, which can be held in either hand and draped over the killing sword. Usually the muleta is first held in front of the Matador to make the bull charge and is then swung across and away from the matador's body hopefully taking the bull with it.

This is a show, basically a dance with death - one wrong move and the Matador could become impaled on the horns of the bull. It is the Matador's job to make this dance dramatic and enjoyable for the audience. The faena continues until the Matador has demonstrated his superiority over the bull. Once this is achieved the bull is ready to be killed.

This was one of the most fascinating customs I have ever witnessed. Everyone at the bullring was dressed like they would on Easter Sunday; Pretty Spring dresses, big sun hats and tall heels. The cheering in the crowd was loud and enthusiastic, everything was so colorful and the more brutal the better. I was able to stomach the entire situation and enjoyed myself a lot. I thought the excitement in the crowd was enough to distract from what was actually going on. I’m very glad that I participated in this traditional Spanish custom.

Eyjafjallajokull vs. Barcelona

OK now about Barcelona.

Going into this trip I had very high expectations. Good friends of mine as well as anyone I have talked to only had high praises of Barcelona. I was very excited to finally be visiting this cosmopolitan city. After getting a good nights sleep, Katelyn and I successfully met up with my sister. The first thing we did was introduce Shannon to the Bocadillo (a Spanish sandwich). Its so simple yet so delicious, and anyone who knows Shannon knows how much she loves a good sandwich. From there we spent the first day walking through Parc Guell and visiting the various Guadi houses. Parc Guell was my favorite part of Barcelona because it was spring time and everything was in bloom. It was a great opportunity to take photos.

My first impressions of Barcelona while walking around is that it is a densely packed city that shouts style. It also appeared to be a far cry from the fiesta-siesta lifestyle of Southern Spain that I was so accustom to. Barcelona has been breaking ground in art, architecture, and style for more than a century. From the Modernista architects led by Guidi to the adventurous redevelopments of Picasso and Miró.

At the end of the day we were back at the hostel waiting for my friend Morgan to arrive. We had all planned to meet in Barcelona and spend a long weekend together. After waiting and waiting, finding it very peculiar that Morgan hadn’t arrived and that we hadn’t heard from her I went to check my email. Sure enough I had a message from her. Apparently the volcano, Eyjafjallajokull,
that erupted in Iceland was canceling flights all across Europe. Morgan was stuck in Germany.

We first found out about the ash cloud while in the Sevilla airport because so many flights in other countries were being delayed and canceled. I just figured it was because so many flights that had to go through Iceland were backing up all the other flights. We hardly batted an eyelash as we thought there was no way it would affect us. Silly, stupid mortals. Of course it would. It would spread and settle and infiltrate its way pretty much all across Europe, stranding thousands and frustrating even more. But at the time I never thought it wouldn’t allow Morgan to get to Spain. Little did we know that Morgan not making it here was only the beginning of our Volcano troubles.

We were all very disappointed that our plans of meeting up were ruined thanks to Mother Nature but we continued with our sight-seeing. The next day I realized how Barcelona really does contain some of the world’s most bizarre architecture. We marveled at Gaudi’s still-unfolding masterpiece the Sagrada Familia church.

We did a lot more walking around and sight-seeing and also visited the Picasso Museum displaying much of his earlier work. It was this day, Saturday, that Shannon found out her return flight to Ireland was canceled. It kinda felt like we were cartoon characters being followed by a thick, ominous gray cloud because of all the bad luck we were having on this trip. Shannon was very freaked out by the prospect of not being able to return to Ireland as scheduled and even more so as we found out that airports might be closed for up to a week. I kept trying to remind her that there are much much much worse things in the world than being stuck in Barcelona for a few days extra days. Luckily she was able to stay with her study abroad friends once Katelyn and I left.

However, for a period of time Katelyn and I as well weren’t sure if we would be able to get home. All airports in Europe were closed for a short time. On Sunday the Barcelona airport was opened back up but it still showed our flight home early Monday morning as being delayed. Needless to say we were all on edge about when and how we would be getting home. A lot of time was spent on the internet looking for the latest airport updates and watching the news about all the damage this volcano, that no one can pronounce, was making.

We decided to forget about all of our troubles and go out one night. We took Shannon to a delicious paella place for dinner right by the beach. We stuffed ourselves with rice and sangria and then went out to a club and danced until morning (thats the spanish way). Shannon unfortunately ate too much paella as i mentioned in a previous entry and ended up watching Katelyn and I dance but I think a fun time was had by all.

Unfortunately most of Sunday was spent inside and trying to figure out if and when we could get home. Because of this there were lots of sights left unseen. As Sunday evening approached Katelyn and I were still unsure if our flight was departing early the next morning. We decided to go to the airport and carry on as if it wasn’t delayed and see what happens. Remember how I said the airport Katelyn and I flew in and out of was about 45 minutes outside the city? Well for us this meant catching a bus at 4 in the morning to get to the airport in time for our 6am departure time (And yes I was sure it was 6am and not 6pm this time!). In the middle of the night I said goodbye to my sister, told her to enjoy her extra time in Barcelona and to go see all the things I wasn’t able to. (One of the houses Guidi designed).

Katelyn and I headed to the airport with our fingers crossed that our flight would be on time. We both had work to be at that morning and we were cutting it close as it was. (Our flight is the only one NOT canceled!)

Finally something on this trip went our way and our flight was scheduled to take off as planned. Sitting on the plane, drifting in and out of sleep as we were flying over Spain I was realizing how much of an adventure this weekend had been. I realized that the world is so much smaller than I could have ever imagined and I also learned that good company can make a seemingly horrible and frustrating situation perfectly fine. I don’t know what I would have done without Katelyn at my side through every leg of this journey and it is always comforting to have my sister with me. So disaster or delight I can always say to Katelyn or Shannon “Hey remember that trip we took to Barcelona?!”

My LOVE/HATE relationship with Ryanair

I’m not sure how best to describe Barcelona, either delight or disaster! Don’t get me wrong the city was a delight but the traveling part of the trip was a disaster. Before I tell you about my weekend I first must explain to you the phenomenon of cheap flights via the airline, Ryanair.

Ryanair claims that it is the best thing to happen to the British consumer since sliced bread. This is quite a strong claim by the company many hate but still fly. I am one of those people. I absolutely despise Ryanair but without it I would not have become quite the jet-setter I have the past year. Ryanair may have revolutionized the pricing of planes and therefore how we travel around Europe but it definitely has its downside. The truth is never quite what it claims and the prices are never quite what they seem. Pay 5 euros for the flight and the outrageous, rip-off of taxes, credit-card processing, and baggage handling will ramp up the costs before you can say 1-2-3.
As long as everything goes perfectly from the very beginning, the moment you choose your flight, then you can get from point A to point B easily and cheaply. I know this for a fact because I have successfully flown with Ryanair to London, Italy, Ireland, and Valencia. But as soon as you have a tiny problem (ie. you can’t print your boarding pass, you can’t fit all your luggage in a small enough carry on) then small fees start to incur. Basically the only thing they aren’t charging you for at this point is to pee during the flight but there is actually a rumor that the charge is being implemented. So what’s next? Paying for your seatbelt or oxygen mask?
It is not uncommon to be sitting at your gate for a Ryanair flight and seeing people all around you putting on 3rd and 4th layers of clothing just so they can get away with only having the one carry on luggage limit (I always picture Joey in the friends episode where he puts on all of Chandler's clothes and says "Could I be wearing any more clothes?"). On numerous occasions I have seen passengers have to fork over 35 euros at the last minute because their luggage exceeds the small luggage limit that is allowed. It is also not uncommon to see people lining up at the gate for their flight up to an hour ahead of time because it is first come first serve seating, similar to Southwest Airlines in the US.

I have to admit I have either fallen victim to many of Ryanair’s ridiculous fees or I have been seen wearing 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, a winter coat, and 2 scarfs, just so that I can board the plane. But the worst thing that has happened to me when preparing to board a Ryanair flight is discovering that my flight number didn’t match the one that was leaving. When arranging my plans to fly to Barcelona my friend and I were booking our tickets online. Barcelona has one airport right in the city that is very convenient but more expensive to fly in and out of. Not only that, but Ryanair doesn’t fly into this airport. Ryanair uses the 2 airports Reus and Girona, that are at least 45 minutes outside the city. This doesn’t have to mean an expensive cab ride because there is also a bus into the city that directly correlates with the flights.
So let me put this into perspective for you. First, I found an incredible 5 euro flight to Barcelona and an equally incredible one from Barcelona back to Sevilla. After clicking on the flight I am immediately charged 15 euros for taxes. That is no big deal, 20 euros each way, 40 euros round trip. Still a better deal then I could find on any other airline. At this point as long as I check in online, on time, have all my information correct on my boarding pass and don’t have an oversized carry on bag, then I’m still only paying 40 euros. What they don’t tell you is that the bus each way from the airports out in the middle of nowhere are 10 euros. And in my friend and mines case, if you miss that bus in the middle of the night then you are stranded at a deserted airport or you are forking up 100 euros for a taxi.

Anyways, back to realizing I had the wrong flight number on my boarding pass. My boarding pass had been stamped and approved, I had been given the go ahead to make my way through security, when I realized my flight information was not matching up with my friend Katelyn’s. How did the lady miss this? I ask the lady at the Ryanair check in desk about it and she rips the ticket from my hand, yells at me that my ticket is for a flight that left that morning, and tells me I can’t get on this flight. That is another thing about Ryanair, they have no customer service. So I can’t get on this flight, I have a woman screaming at me, and all I can think about is how my sister will be waiting for me in Barcelona the next morning. I completely shut down. Luckily for me though, my friend Katelyn takes charge. We find out that NO I can’t just exchange my ticket for a different one, no I can’t pay in cash to book a spot on this flight, no I can’t give them my mom’s credit card number to pay for the flight....WAIT how much are you charging me for this flight? It turns out that the incredible 5 euro ticket deals are only offered for a limited time and can only be purchased online. If I want to get on this flight, I need to pay the full ticket price, which is about 15x what I originally paid. Katelyn and I take care of it. The ticket is paid for. I can’t not get on this plane.
Now supposedly what happened is I wanted to book at ticket for the 10pm flight to Barcelona but somehow booked the 10am one that had already left that morning. What’s completely ridiculous is after everything this year, living in a foreign country, dealing with the language barrier and getting by on my Spanish skills, what this error came down to was an error of numbers, which are the same in every language.
After having time to think about this and even researching into Ryanair a little online. I have read many horror stories of similar and worse situations happening to passengers at the last minute when they are attempting to fly Ryanair. Because when forced to make a decision at the last minute, who wouldn’t pay to get on the flight? Who would turn around, go home, and cancel all their travel plans? So I will never know if it was my error because I was rushed and nervous when booking the ticket or if I fell victim to another one of Ryanair’s schemes to get money from its passengers?