Amandas Adventures in Spain

Still with me? Great, so now I have settled in the hotel Daniel found for me and I am wandering about and another lone female traveller comes and asks me directions as she has parked her hire car somewhere and can't find it. I explain l am as clueless as she is but l ask a Spanish guy and he is able to help. I had already decided to head south to Estapona as my good friend Joe, who is Spanish and who l met years ago in Valencia recommended it along with Mijas and Torremolinos.  Elania, who is from Lithuania is also going there, also on Sunday which is when I am due to check out of the hotel.  So I agree we should travel together and share the fuel costs as it all seems like fate working well.  That night we go to a proper Flamenco show, apparently the 'real' shows are free. It is in a room above a bar, with very few tourists, very crowded and atmospheric, with a little side room serving sherry at a euro a glass. The next day we go to a horse show which is brilliant, with various dressage, carriage driving and other displays of horesmanship.  The best bit though is when they let lots of yearlings into the arena, all galloping about and bucking, then they let the mares in and each mother and offspring unite, recognising each other immediately. After an inital show of obvious affection the year-olds try to suckle the mares, but the mares shove them away, some even roll on the ground, as if to say 'I've done my bit, now get on with your life!'.  It was amazing to see. The next day we set off at midday, Elania insisting on stopping at various places to take 100's of photos.  I explain to her that the road from Algiceras is a long long road. Anyway she won't have it, so we get to Estepona very late, she drops me near the hostel as her hotel is further away. Still, got here safely and the hostel is fine, and Estepona very pretty, and I am five minutes walk to the beach, so very happy, and am booked in till Saturday when I think I will go further along the coast.  I am also looking at various options, like signing up for Vaughschool training (that is in Madrid) or trying to find a bar where l can do my singing. But for now, happy to be by the sea again and in a lovely old town. Adios for now, lots of love to everyone x

So I have been in Spain for three weeks now but it seems longer as have travelled quite a bit. After the Vaughnschool week the coach dropped us back in Madrid, Erin and I shared the room I had booked and the next day we got the fast train to Seville.  I always wondered what the AVE stood for, found out it's Alta Velocidad Espana (High Speed Spain!).  Anyway it was great, the Atocha Station which is the main one in Madrid is beautifull with a high vaulted glass ceiling, palm trees and a fountain. Once on the train it gathers speed till it's whizzing along through the countryside of Cordoba, which is by turns fields and olive trees. It took three and a half hours l think and was very pleasant.  We had booked online for rooms at a hotel in the old part of town, which turned out to be fine. Seville is a lovely city with plenty to see, fantastic architecture, lots of bars, restaurants and cool shops, lovely squares (Plazas) with fountains and horse carriages amongst the traffic.  It has a great atmosphere and the buildings are just awesome in their grandeur. Arrived on a Saturday and stayed untill Tuesday, and having watched a Flamenco show (the dancing quite different from the Madrid one) on the Monday night Erin and I said goodbye, it was nice having each others company but we did our own thing as well as spending some time together.  I decided to keep going south so I got the train to Jerez, having booked a room for three nights there.  Note to self; do not book online in a rush... got a taxi from the station to the hostel, it was like something out of the wild west, quite a way out of the centre on a busy road with a restaurant (that's being kind) attatched.  I knew as soon as l got there that l didn't want to stay.  Luckily the guy at reception let me use his laptop to get online and cancel (mine wouldn't connect).  I incurred a fee but didn't care, what price sanity? I did stay the one night as was tired and the room itself was fine. I had to eat in the 'restaurant' as there was nowhere else around.  Apart from some depressed looking Spanish guys who clearly thought I was peculiar I was alone, apart from the flies which ate more of my 'food' than I did. It was so awfull I didn't even finish my beer (friends in UK will be surpised at that one!).  Having booked another place online off I went next day....oh dear, another cock-up, The 'hostel' was a Youth Hostel, reminiscent of San Quentin (not that I  have been there), the rooms all had high windows you couldn't see out of (I imagine to stop the 'inmates' leaping out in despair). No bar, and again on its own on a busy road, a bus ride from the centre. Dumped my suuticase and caught a bus to  the centre (about a 15 minute ride through an industrail estate) and had a wander round.  Have to say its not as pretty as Seville, seemed a bit care-worn to me...anyway I sat and had a wine and soda and a salad and then moved on for another, not sure what to do.  Being a chatty sort of person has its' advantages and I went over to talk to a reasonable-looking Spanish guy, told him my woes and he very kindly went with me to a decent hotel, not expensive but just fine and when it turned out they were full he went with me to another, where he negotiated a fair price for me for three nights.  So I took a taxi and got my stuff from San Quentin and finally was able to relax (Thank you Daniel!). That night I met a Spanish woman, Carmen, who took me to a genuine Bodega in the back streets, full of chatter and life, where I had the Manzanilla, the Spainish dry sherry, which was really nice.  Had four days in Jerez, it turned out fine in the end. Am at the end of space available for this post so will do another in a few minutes!

Such a lot has happened since I arrived in Madrid, and the time has gone so fast, I have only just got my notebook out today, there is no mobile signal out here but there is intermitant wi fi so here goes.... My good friend Carol managed to take time out to come with me from the UK which was a lovely bonus, so we had four days together in the city.  I had booked us a twin room at a hostel near the Atocha station, it had good reviews on tripadvisor and was very cheap (10 euros each per night) but I was prepared for it to be pretty rough, but in fact it was fine, with clean sheets on decent single beds and a reasonable bathroom. We gratefully left our cases in the room and went off for a beer in one of the nearby bars, it was great to sit outside and people watch and relax after our journey from Shropshire.  The hostel wasin the centre of the city and right next to the Reina Sophia Museum, which we later visited and saw a great collection of Miros and Picassos plus many more (tip for anyone visiting Madrid, entrance is free after 8pm). Later we walked aound the city and had tapas. I have never been to Madrid before and  neither had Carol, we agreed it has a lovely vibrant atmosphere and yet it is very laid back and the people are very friendly. We fitted a lot into our four days, including watching the changing of the guards at the Royal Palace, which was a great spectacle, an evening watching fantastic flamenco, a walk in the fabulous Retiro Park which has a beautiful lake and a final day at a Spa Hotel where we enjoyed the jaccuzi and pool.  After Carol left I took at taxi to the Eurobuilding Hotel where I was to meet the other Vaughnschool participants.  So I had two days wombling round the Orense region, which is the business area of Madrid. The room there was fine, with a patio area and a nice bathroom, kitchen and living room, a little apartment really. Last Saturday all the 'Anglos' (English volunteers) met up for drinks and tapas at the hotel, English, Canadians, Australians and Americans, all very nice people. The journey up to Valdelavilla (where I am now) took four hours. I knew the place was remote from the info on the net, but none of us realised just how remote.  It is in the middle of nowhere....miles and miles from anything in the Soria region. It is an abandoned village and we are in shared houses set around cobbled streets.  I have been sharing a house with Scott and Norman, very nice Americans and Jose, a Spanish guy. Every day we have been having 'One to ones' with the Spanish.  It means you sit and talk for an hour at a time and includes using phrases pinned up on a board.  It can get a bit intense ( anyone who knows me will appreciate that I don't have a problem talking!), because you go from one session to another. My Spanish has not improved because we are not allowed to speak any Spanish, we are here to help the Spanish improve their English. We have all got along with each other very well and many friendships have been struck up.  The leaders, Carmen and Peter have been great and the food really good too,  with wine at lunch and dinner. Yesterday we had tapas and sidre (the Spanish cider) outside in the sun, the weather has been great, sunshine every day. In the evenings we have been entertaining each other so I got to sing some songs and play guitar, which I am happy to say went down well!   Tommorrow we go back to Madrid and then I will have one night at the same hotel then am going with my new friend Erin (she is from Seatle) to Seville. So I will post agian from there.  Lots of love to friends and family in the UK and to anyone else reading this.  I am so happy to back in Spain X