Semana Santa

Semana Santa has been amazing.......we've just had our Easter week off (only a week, I know, the meanies!) and I managed to jam pack all sorts, and still a bit of work, into what has been a very nice week!

Last Monday, Emma and I went to Madrid! We spent three days exploring the capital city, and what struck us both is how different it is to Almería. It's so westernised! There's a Starbucks on every corner, it has everything you'd expect of a capital city, and it made us realise quite how little and old fashioned Almería is. Not that I'm moaning, I missed Almería a lot by the end of it! It's nice to live in a city where you feel you know everything and everywhere, and as well as that it feels really Spanish. In Madrid we heard every language under the sun, and realised that we'd never have to speak a word of Spanish if we were there.

Emma and I did the tourist thing- guide book in hand we explored the hell out of Madrid;- we'd spent a lot getting there/staying there so we wanted to make the most of it! Above is the Royal Palace. We saw art galleries (Prado and Reina Sofia), palaces, shops (obviously), and many, many cafes! I had my first ever churros- churros are long thing donuts that are typical of Spain, and you eat them with hot chocolate....I'd never managed them in Almería so was determined to in Madrid- and I didn't like them! At least that's something less for me to waste calories on :) One of the coolest places we found when we were there was the Mercado de San Miguel- an amazing food/drink court, that had shops inside too.....we got sangria and walked around the shops, it was strange to feel a bit tipsy whilst book shopping.....but the food in there was amazing, from all over the world, and it was just really great to see!

What else did we do?! It was only a few days ago but I'm forgetting already........I think my favorite place the whole time we were there was the park- El parque Retiro. It's a huge huge park, with a lake inside where you can rent boats and row! We didn't get a boat, but next time I go to Madrid I will be there in an instant! The day was glorious, and walking through the park was beautiful. I very much fell in love with Madrid, and envy any of my friends who are on their year abroad there, you lucky souls :P

We came back from Madrid on Thursday.....exhausted. Our intentions to go out and fiesta were pushed forward to Saturday, we needed a lot of recovery time! On Friday, however, we went to go see the processions here in Almería. Easter is a big deal in Spain, and Andalucía (the region where I am) does the best Semana Santa in Spain, so I'm told. The processions are big, sombre affairs, and I felt so lucky to see them. I am in no way religous, but I can imagine that if you are, these events in Easter week must be just so moving, so important. If it rains, they cancel the procession, and we saw people on the television crying over this.....so yes, big deal!

I hope that video works- this is just a bit of an idea of how the processions were. ...I don't feel describing does it justice.

And that more or less brings me to today.....we went out Saturday night, which was good to let my hair down! And then last night we had Easter Dinner at the lovely lovely Manchester crews flat =) My Easter week has been very English, though Emma and I did buy a Spanish guide book, and I'm meeting with my Spanish friend tonight =) I have a lot of work on at the moment, so I'm trying to fill my daytime with work, and my night times with fun, as it breaks up the hell that is my workload a bit! Also, I am going home on Wednesday, and then back here the following Tuesday, when Richie arrives here in Almería! I just want to be at home now, I hate the few days before going somewhere, the having to pack/clean everything, and I can never concentrate because I just want to be at the destination! I'm flying via Malaga so I'm going to check it out on Wednesday before my flight.....home of Picasso =)

Hasta luego xxx

Hace calor!

It's all heating up in España. It's so warm, so warm, blue skies, no hay nubes, and I'm sat here swigging a cup of tea in the morning sun. This is indeed the life! I'm doing that thing where my list of things to do is so large, but I want to savour the moment/this cup of tea, so I've decided to ignore work for a wee while, and type....

So my week. Last weekend was lovely. Tea, Vicky, Emma and I all went on a Tapas Route around Almería. There was a festival, "Ruta de Tapas", and you received a wee map and got to go roun different establishments trying new tapas. If you spent so much money, you got one free, so it was an incentive for us to eat and drink lots! We had such a lovely time hunting out new places, I feel I know Cuatro Calles extremely well now....Cuatro Calles is four streets in the centre of town, with lots of bars, restaurants and clubs, visitors beware, you'll be spending a lot of time there =) After hunting out new places, we had a bit of a night out (I say a *bit*, we didn't go home until 5am...) and hunted out some new clubs, though it was disappointing....the music just wasn't up to home's standards, no cheese, nothing popular, just strange Spanish songs I didn't know....such is life living in Spain, I guess!

After a big late night Friday, Saturday was a sleepy mix of lazing around, watching telly, doing nothing....until about 3pm, when I met the lovely German girlies for helado by the playa =) After a bit of German banter (love that German is still around me/ that I'm still learning German in Spain...nerd!) I headed back home intending to sleep....but then Tea invited me out with her Spanish friends, and we had tapas and watched a really cool band in a tetoría in the old part of town. Tetorías are little cute arabic influenced tea houses, and the music was just my style.....a bit of jazz, a bit of reggae, it was great! Everyone else headed out into the calles for a night out, but I bailed at midnight, one all night fiesta a week is more than enough for me....getting old? Who?! Also I'd planned to go to the castle with Vicky and Emma, so I wanted to be all healthy!

Sunday morning came, and Vicky Emma and I headed up to the Alcazaba, Almeria's castle! It was really nice weather, and as we reached the castle it became increasingly hot! Thankfully no one burnt, but the weather is slowly getting stronger....and it's only the first of April today! The castle is amazing. It's the second largest Muslim fortress in the South of Spain, after the Alhambra of course! We walked around the gardens, the little buildings, and the castle's esplanade soaking in the sun and sights.

After a touristy hour or two in the castle, we walked through the little streets down to a tapas bar, where we had some lunch and then intended to go to the beach......after about 5 minutes on the beach, we realised the weather had gone from beautiful sun, to beautiful sun and gale force winds, so beach plans were abandoned.....and I went home and slept =) What a beautiful weekend!

And this week....I intended to do all the work ever to catch up....but the weather has been to nice! I managed to do the work needed for last week but my ignoring of the big summary for history I have to do by the end of the year is going spectacularly....I feel like giving up this history course....I don't need the credits, but I'm doing too many credits in case I fail something. Sometimes being a worrier is a sensible thing though, right =)

Now it's 11am and I've been quite productive so far today.....having Pizza and films with friends tomorrow night, and then Sunday Mum and Stephen arrive! I'm so excited to see them and share lovely places in Almería with them =)

Anyway, best go back to do something =) x