Laid back in Nerja!

I just couldn’t have chosen better… Nerja was the perfect place to lie back and enjoy the very finest of the traditional Costa del Sol! There were lovely golden coves, beachfront tavernas, whitewashed buildings, fantastic sunshine and a backdrop of the dusty hills of southern Andalucía – it was a picture postcard of everything I could’ve hoped a coastal town in the south of Spain to be!

I truly loved every second of my time in Nerja. After visiting so many of the larger, bustling cities of Andalucía, coming to Nerja was a wonderful, peaceful, relaxing breath of fresh air. Everywhere you go you can see Nerja’s heritage as a sleepy fishing village, with low-rise, white washed villas, cute mosaic patios, palm trees, and a lovely traditionally Spanish high street, where every store name ends in ‘–eria’ J … the panaderia, ferreteria, dulcerias, zapaterias, pescaderia… you won’t find ugly, neon clad chain stores in Nerja. It was charming and wonderful! Yet you still have absolutely everything you need, and if you were really and truly desperate for a big city ‘fix’, Malaga (which I spent a day in and really liked!) was only 40 minutes away!

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Exploring Granada one Adventure at a Time!

Mexican poet Francisco de Icaza wrote…

“There is no greater sorrow than to be blind in Granada.”

I cannot think of a better way to describe this magical city. There is never a dull moment in Granada! The history and culture of this incredible city is visible everywhere. It is so easy to discover new things in Granada that it is an adventure to live and study there.

I just returned from studying Spanish in Granada and I have taken away so many life-changing memories from my experience there. I stayed with a wonderful Spanish host family on the main commercial street in Granada, Calle Recogidas. I really enjoyed my easy walk to the school in the cool of the morning as I could see the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range in the distance. I would always take the long way to school by navigating my way through the maze of narrow cobbled streets. In fact, if you look close at the little metal posts along the sidewalks, you will see that the tops are cleverly carved into the shape of una granada (a pomegranate).

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Uno, dos, tres…Flamenco!

Studying Spanish in Seville was the experience of a lifetime! What an unbelievable city with stunning landscapes, glorious weather, and a new adventure around every corner. I just returned from Seville and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a true Spanish cultural experience!

My sightseeing journey around Seville began with the impressive Cathedral, which is the third largest in the world (after St. Peter’s in Vatican City and St. Paul’s in London)! I didn’t want to settle for a picture from below so I decided to climb the ramp to the bell tower, La Giralda, to capture the essence of this architectural brilliance. From here, I got a breathtaking view of the city and of the Cathedral. Looking below I could see the magnificent Gothic-style buttresses surrounding the tranquil Patio of Orange Trees (El Patio de los Naranjos). Capturing the view of the citrusy, sunny glow shining upon the courtyard was well worth the climb and the sound of the huge bells unexpectedly ringing in my ears!

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Why I can’t wait to go back to Madrid!

There is just one word I can use to describe Madrid – Perfecto! It is an amazing capital city with so much great history and culture – there is always something to do! I really enjoyed studying in Madrid because I got to watch the bustling city go about its business – try walking around Gran via mid-day – just a crazy amount of energy in the air-so many people around, shopping, eating… walking… being a city girl myself I fell in love with it! I have so many fabulous memories of the people I met and the places I saw in Madrid.

I spent many afternoons after class eating yummy tapas with my friends before we studied again. My favorite tapas restaurant was an amazing place called “ 100 montaditos ”. It is so cool there – they sell tiny little sandwiches, with whatever you’d like in them! I enjoyed tortilla de patatas in mine! All for the bargain price 1€ each! The first time I went there I ordered just one, thinking that it would be a full size sandwich. I didn’t realize that montadito translated into small sandwich!

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The Sky is the Limit in Barcelona!

WOW! I would give anything to be able relive my amazing experience in Barcelona! I just recently returned from my Spanish course there, and I already feel that I want to go back and live there one day. There is just so much to see and do that it leaves you wanting to do it all over again! From stunning beaches to bustling commercial centers and incredible architecture to picturesque parks, Barcelona has it all…and more!

I fell in love with the intricate and clever designs of all of Antonio Gaudi’s architectural projects around the city: Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milá…and most especially Parque Güell. I could really see how groundbreaking Gaudi’s work must have been when the park opened almost 100 years ago…I was in awe with the brightly colored mosaics that cover the park terraces, the remarkable dragon fountain that greets you at the entrance, and the breathtaking view of Barcelona from atop the world’s largest park bench!

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Hidden Treasure in Salamanca!

There is no better place on Earth to study Spanish than in Salamanca! The city’s majestic architecture, cultural history, and linguistic purity are unique characteristics that, for me, make Salamanca a city of hidden treasure.

Due to its lavishly decorated sandstone cathedrals and university buildings, Salamanca is so distinctively called La Dorada (“The Golden City”). Not only does the sun bathe Salamanca’s landmarks in resplendence right before sunset, but the city is rich with local legends and stories.

I tagged along a guided tour of the city and learned about the cleverly hidden “lucky frog” (“la rana de suerte”) on the main façade of the Universidad Civil building. According to legend, university students received good luck for a year with their studies if they found the frog without help. Nowadays, tourists will gaze upward for an hour in the hopes that they find the frog and are then blessed with one year of good luck. If you go to Salamanca, this is a must-do before you leave!

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Suntan and Spanish in Malaga!

I arrived in Malaga in September, full of expectation, a bit unsure of my high school Spanish but with an eagerness to learn much more… and within just a month of my arrival, I truly felt like a resident of Malaga, part of the scenery, one of the locals… even though I’d only been there for a few weeks!

My apartment was lovely, and just a minute’s walk from both beach and school! I chose a shared apartment, and was happy to find out that I was living with girls from Italy, and Sweden, who also happened to be in my class.

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Don’t Panic in Barcelona!

I think it is about time that I tell you my genteel readers and loyal audience (yes I am talking to those two people actually reading this 🙂 ) about my living arrangements here in Barcelona. I, like many others here, am sharing a flat. We are four of us at the moment with two Spanish girls who work, a French girl who is currently learning Spanish and wants to soon start a semester at a university in Barcelona and myself.

Luckily the French girl speaks very good German, so that makes my life easier. One of the Spanish girls does not speak any English, the French girl is only a beginner in Spanish and my reading is much better than my understanding, but with six languages between the four of us (Spanish, English, Bask, Catalan, French, German and a few words of Arabic and Italian thrown in) and a bit of arm waving and miming we manage to communicate surprisingly well! I might not start discussing astrophysics with the girls anytime soon, but then when does this ever come up in casual conversation with native German speakers?

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Chocolate and Culture – Barcelona’s sweet side ;)

As I mentioned before, I was expecting to get many visitors here during my ‘exile’ in Spain. And indeed they came, or at least some of them. My mother visited me some weeks ago. Although I had to work most of the time when she was here  we tried to get the most out of our time together. I am not really into the touristy things but for my mum’s sake I tagged along and now feel as if I have fulfilled my quota of cultural activities for this year.

The first place we went to was the Parc Guell, which is quite close to the flat I live in. Being very famous it was absolutely packed on the particular day we choose to go, but I have to admit it was impressive. How impressive? Well my mum decided to finally find out how the camera on her mobile phone works (my mum has a better phone than me!) just so that she could take a few pictures including a fantastic view of the city. This is quite something, as my mum usually regards mobile phones and such as unnecessary technical gimmicks!

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Live it, see it and taste it all in Barcelona!!!

I have been at the school for two weeks now on the intensive course and i love the teachers. The weather has been great so we had classes in the school garden which was great. it was nice to be out in the lovely garden and learning spanish.

In two weeks I havent done everything because there is just so much to see and do in barcelona, that its so good to stay here a long time so you can really get to know the city but for a short time you also get a great taste for how it is here. Barcelona has so much to offer. also im staying in the student resudence which is amazing and right in the centre.

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