Summer 2015

     I have been to many regions of Spain but Galicia is by far my favorite, a hidden gem, located in the Northwest corner of Spain, above Portugal. When I applied for the language assistant program my first choices were Madrid and La Rioja and I ended up with my third choice, Galicia. The people of Galicia are incredibly welcoming and it doesn't hurt that I'm now more outgoing and less shy. I don't feel like a tourist and I'm not treated as a foreigner. I went to a birthday party the other week and although I only knew two of the girls, no one asked me where I was from or asked me silly questions about my life here. I don't travel very much because I enjoy living life to the fullest with the friends I have made here. And why would I leave when I live in paradise? I'm currently on vacation and apart from a few local trips I'm staying in Vigo until the end of July. I enjoy the variety of festivals that this region has to offer, often showcasing the local cuisine. Learning languages is one of my passions and therefore the fact that the language of the region, Galego, is all around me doesn't hurt either.

     In August I will be an au pair in a mountain village a few hours from Barcelona and in October I will move back to Vigo and start my teaching job and hopefully a masters program. So for now, I am exploring interesting beaches in my area, searching for the best terraces, festivals, seafood and live music in Vigo and the surrounding areas.

    I have learned so much during these past nine months while working and living in Vigo and am so grateful that I can continue living the sueño español. Because growing up is growing up no matter where you live, but at least I can celebrate the end of everyday with a glass of albariño and some mouth-watering cuisine no matter how successful the day.

Class trip to France

I will add more photos later:)

     Flashback to February in Galicia. Around 15 students in 3 ESO (I think the equivalent would be sophomore in high school) and two of the Spanish teachers from France came to CPI de Panxón. One of the days the students were there, the students at my school in 3 ESO had an exam in English, so one of the teachers at my school asked me to plan some activities in English to do with the French students, while the Spanish students were taking their test. I entered the library, where I teach my classes and the students and the two teachers from France were waiting. I felt uncomfortable at first because everyone was obviously speaking French, which I don't understand. I started speaking and the students were confused because they know more Spanish in English, so they asked me if we could do an activity in Spanish, so as I began the lesson I translated the lesson to Spanish as I went.

     Several days later I was in a village called Xinzo de Limia (a village located 2 hours from Panxón) with a group of friends. My plan was to stay with my American friends for a while and then take the bus to Ourense to meet up with a group of my Spanish friends for dinner. As I was walking to the bus station someone said my name. As it turns out it was one of the teachers from France. They had two cars and one empty seat, so they invited me to go to two other villages for Carnaval, before dropping me off in Ourense. At midnight we all ate dinner (this is Spain, and normal) and my coordinator suggested that I ask the principal of my school if I can go to France when several of the students and teachers at my school go on the trip.

We arrived to Fecámp, Normandy late at night, so the next morning we went to school.

school lunche

We explored the rocky beaches of Fecámp and had a delicious dinner of fried duck and delicious pate.

We visited a cathedral and went to a calligraphy class on Friday.

       On Saturday, we went to Le Havre, because the principal of the school was taking us out to eat at a beachside restaurant. After visiting his wife's school for a festival we went to a beautiful village called Étretat. We ended the day of sightseeing by having a drink at a beachside bar in Fecámp with the principal's family. When we arrived to the house we didn't have wifi, so one of the teachers I was with found the CD of Kendji Girac (half French, half Andalusian (Southern Spain) and we danced for hours.

Le Havre:

Étretat:

On Sunday we went to the landing beaches in Normandy (World War 2) We visited a museum which played a powerful video and walked along the landing beaches (very windy.) We then went to the American Cemetery which included a museum.

Overall thoughts on my trip to Normandy: It's very windy. The cheese is amazing as are the croissants and basically everything. French music is amazing.

Tapas

      Everyday of the week I meet friends for a drink or at least get a coffee, during my break at school. One of the reasons why I love Spain, and especially Galicia is the culture of going to a bar or cafe with friends regularly. The atmosphere seems more relaxed to me, because the waiters and waitresses are paid at least the minimum wage, so tipping isn't necessary and you don't find overly anxious wait staff. It isn't uncommon for me to go to six places in one day on the weekends. Alternating between coffee, water, beer, and wine while having snacks, meeting with friends, exploring different parts of the city, and searching for the best free tapas isn't such a bad way to pass the time. And the fact that the wine is no more expensive than 2.25€ makes this a fun and cost effective way to make the best out of the weekends.

       The word tapa is said to come from the verb "tapar" which means, to cover. In order to prevent flies and other insects from getting in the wine, people put a small piece of bread over the wine. As time went on people realized that people consume more drinks if they have a snack to eat, especially if that snack is salty. 

      The tapas differ from a savory to sweet depending on what you order. If you order coffee, tea or hot chocolate you will get something sweet. If you order soda, beer, wine or a bottle of water you will get a savory tapa, which can be anything from potato chips, olives, nuts, soap, bread and cheese, bread and meats, empanadas and many other foods!

bread with honey, cheese and coffee grounds

Sometimes the tapas are really unhealthy. This assortment includes; Empanada, pizza and some type of hotdog in cooked dough.

The cafe in Panxón that I go to almost everyday when I have my breaks. The coffee is always served with churros.

This was at a bar on one of the first days of class. I was studying my schedule.

The tapas I have pictured all came with a consumption.

Paseo en Panxón

The town I teach in is very beautiful, so whenever I have a break (and it isn't raining....too hard) I go for a walk. The beach is two minutes away from my school, and even though I can come here a few days a week, I will never grow bored of these views.