Ten days left in paradise!

Paradise…… the word connotes an image of white sand, clear blue water and sitting in the sunshine but in all honesty I could not have asked for a better start to 2014. This has been my paradise for three months, I have met some amazing people, become an added member of an amazing Spanish family, got to work with animals and visit some beautiful places. And when I am at the airport on the 10^th of April I am guaranteed to cry not just because I have to say goodbye to my new friends but that I have to say goodbye to this experience and deal with the questions of what now? Where are you going to work next? I do not have the answers and although this prospect is terrifying, I am also grateful to have options and not be stuck somewhere that I am unhappy. I have decided that my main aim in life is to be happy. I want to make a difference no matter how small, I want a job in which I can help people in some way and preferably this will be in the environmental/conservation or farming sector. For now I really do not know and I am going to enjoy my last few weeks not worrying about the future because the present is way more important.

Now a look at the past! Last weekend we went to Cordoba and learnt more about the history of Spain by visiting the Mezquita. This is a combination of a mosque and cathedral that has had a bad case of identity crisis throughout the years. It was a medieval mosque that was then taken over by Catholics and turned into a cathedral. We then went on a hunt for the Roman temple, all of us were very excited as we had never seen one before. We then went for tapas and a mini walking tour around the centre before finishing off with a milkshake! We went out in the nearby town of Baeza on Saturday night and got to experience a slight change of scene. Then on Sunday we recovered by having a picnic in the park.

Work has been really good this week. We had a BBQ with paella on the farm. Paella traditionally is served with seafood but because of my allergies the mum made it with chicken and pork. It was amazing and definitely one of my favourite meals so far! We really do feel like part of the family now and they look out for us. It was great to have our friends come and see where we work. This week we have even made a swimming pool for the duck and said hello to some more piglets!

My last post was about the great aspects of Spanish culture and this blog would not be honest if I did not state the things I will not miss. The first one is not having a car as the buses are at ridiculous times! Secondly is the fact that things never seem to be open when they should be! I can deal with siesta but on numerous occasions we have tried to go a specific tapas bar and museums and they are just not open!  The British person in me just cannot get over this. Overall the good definitely balances out the bad and if I could live and work in Spain at some point in the near future I would be a happy lass! 

This weekend we decided to embrace the parts of Úbeda that we have not seen yet. Yesterday we went  to eat some more of the ‘famous’ churros. Then I visited the Holy Chapel of El Salvador. This is the most famous building in the city and I must admit that I thought I had seen enough churches since I had been here but I had my portable tour guide handset by my side and I was good to go. The chapel was beautiful and was nearly destroyed during the civil war. In the afternoon we tried to visit a museum but of course it was closed! A tapas tour was chosen instead and we went to the place where the largest tapas in Úbeda are served……and it was closed. SO we went to other bars and had some of the tastiest food we have had yet! Everything always works out in the end!

On Sunday we visited the Segura de Sierra within Cazorla National Park. We went with the intention of having a relaxing day bathing in some Turkish baths. Instead we decided to go on a hike up to the castle. We met some locals who played their guitars by the church with their teddy bear dogs running around! I love our random excursions in Spain more than the days that every detail has been planned. Therefore I have no idea what the plans are for the last week but I know that I am going to have good fun doing it with new friends around me!

-Laura 

Embracing the Spanish culture!

I have not done this for a few weeks so apologies for the large amount of information!

I am really enjoying speaking Spanish now and having conversations with people. I am at a very basic level but I am going to miss trying to say something in another language and solely speaking English when I get back. Something else that has surprised me is that I have become accepting to kissing people on the cheeks (facial!) when I say hello. For the people that know me best this is a huge improvement and I am sure they will be shocked by the amount of hugs they will receive from me when I get back.

Last weekend we enjoyed more Carnaval celebrations. Originally we were going to be travelling to Cadiz as it is ‘the’ place for Carnaval in Spain but sadly the bus company cancelled the reservation the day before which left us no alternative way of getting there cheaply. Instead we went to some amazing parades locally in Úbeda and Torreperogil to celebrate the Entierro de la sardina which translates as the burial of the sardine. This is a celebration to symbolise the end of Carnaval by having a funeral procession and then the sardine gets burned. It sounds random but it was a great way to experience something new and watch something that is such a huge part of Spanish culture. The outfits were incredible and everyone had put so much effort in. I am really glad we got to experience the local festival.

We are a good looking bunch!

My favourite costume! The concept of time :) 

The best dressed man I think I have ever seen!

Burial of the sardine.

We also visited Cazorla national park again but this time we have Spanish friends who kindly drove us through the park to a hiking trail next to the River Barosa. It was beautiful!! The water was so clear and it was a hot day in which we got to enjoy the sun! The radio in our friends car was broken so we decided that a rendition of most of Queens songs were in order! All in all a good day.

Work is going well; the puppies are growing and have finally opened their eyes! We also have a new set of piglets. There has been a lot of herding and catching goats which is definitely improving my strength. They have been out in the field more recently which means plenty of photo opportunities!

Onto this weekend, three of us decided that a trip to Seville was in order. Other people had been before or were going in the future so we set off at 5.30am to get the 6am bus to Seville. Five hours later we were there! The weather has been improving in Úbeda but Seville has had good weather the entire time we have been here and at 24° and 25°. I have been hoping that the improvement in weather would increase my chances of coming home with a tan but my skin seems to either go red or even paler because of the amount of sun cream I have to apply!

Moving on from my petty moaning…After dropping our bags off at the hostel (where I was in a 6 bed dorm on my own, lame!) we went to the Plaza de España and it is one of if not the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen! There is a moat around the outside that we explored in a rowing boat and the entire building had amazingly intricate tiles. I cannot recommend it enough as somewhere to visit. After hanging out here for hours Elysia went to meet her boyfriend at the airport and I met Eric to go for a walk around Seville. We couldn’t find his friend straight away so we decided to accidentally gate crash one of the fanciest bars ever! Everyone was in their best clothes and the man on the door in a tuxedo. With our bags and trainers we somehow managed to wangle our way in and pretend we were important for the duration of our one beverage. Later that night we all went around a few bars but called it a night early on as we had been up for a long time!

The famous Plaza!

On the Sunday me and the boys went to visit the bullring museum as I was originally hoping to see a bull fight while I was in Spain but I am here at the wrong time of year. I am undecided as to whether it is my place to agree or disagree with bullfighting as it is such a huge part of the culture here and it is such a controversial topic. Because I was unable to watch a fight to make this decision for me I decided to visit the museum and learn about something that is pretty unique and that I know nothing about besides what I have read in the media. The whole experience was very interesting and provided me with information on the history of bull fights and what they represent for Spanish people. The structure of the building was impressive and I am always keen to learn about things that are so important to other people. After this we went to visit another controversial part of Seville, the mushroom! This is a structure in the centre that some people love and some people hate. Its official name is the Metropol Parasol but is known as the mushroom. I think it looks pretty good and is something different to go and see.

This is where the important people sit. 

The mushroom. 

After this we had the best tapa that I have had in Spain yet! It was a pork chop that had been cooked in whiskey and I would go back for more every day if I could. We then viewed the biggest cathedral in the world from the outside and went to pick out bags up so we could catch our bus at 16:15. We however underestimated the walk to the bus station and Eric had to run in front and hold the bus for us. He is now considered as our hero because if we missed that bus the next one wasn’t until 22:30 and we would have not arrived back until 02:30. That would not have been a fun day at work!

So I have been having a pretty busy time in Spain and am still loving it J

-Laura xox  

Let the good times roll!

I am sure after nearly two weeks you will all be pleased to know that I have yet to receive poop in the face yay! The farm is buzzing at the moment as to add to the piglets and baby goats there are now puppies!! So many baby animals and another one of the pigs is almost ready to pop. Being surrounded by cute animals never fails to keep me happy.  I did what any other person would do and made it my mission to get a picture of a piglet and a puppy together!

We had a girl’s weekend on the 22^nd/23^rd February! Most of the boys (except Marcus who was an honorary girl for the weekend) were away to Seville, Granada and Madrid so we decided to have a relaxing time in Úbeda. On Friday night we went out for tapas and went to the only club we have found in Úbeda where people actually dance. On Saturday during the day we revisited the best hot chocolate place in town and then watched Mean Girls. On Sunday we visited the Sinagoga de Aqua which is a Synagogue of the water. It was really interesting and you would never know it was there by looking from the outside. So well hidden that is was only discovered in 2006 and now gives an insight into the Jewish culture within the local community.

This weekend just past I was in Madrid for three days and got to experience a new part of Spain.  The city is beautiful, with lots of amazing architecture and mass amounts of people! It couldn’t have been more different from Úbeda. I met some really cool people at the hostel and am gaining friends from all over the world. I went to a Fall Out Boy concert on my own and still had the best time. I grew up listening to them and still enjoy their music today. During the gig I managed to phone a few friends from home and have them enjoy the experience with me!

On Saturday me and Aaron went on a tour of Madrid and walked for around 3 hours looking at all the different buildings and possibly the biggest park I have ever been in my life. This weekend was the celebration of Carnaval and I went to watch a parade before getting dressed up to go out with the people from the hostel. It was amazing to see this bit of tradition within Spain to celebrate the beginning of lent although we still did the British tradition and made pancakes yesterday.

I promise that tiny dot is me :) 

All was adding up to be a great weekend in a new city but sadly this did not last the entire weekend. I had my phone and purse stolen while I was in Madrid but I mention this at the end because I do not want this to be the only thing people remember from my time in Spain. It was a bad experience but it is one that I have dealt with and is a blip in my travels! The thing I am most upset about losing is the names of all the people I met in the hostel and while in Madrid that I will no longer be able to keep in touch with. I would like to thank Mel for her photos from Carnaval as all of mine were on my phone! 

Overall I loved Madrid and would be keen to go back I am looking forward to what the rest of Spain has to offer and as Fall Out Boy would say ‘Let the good times roll’!

Laura xox