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Oh yikes, another few months have gone by without a travel blog update! I just don’t seem to have the free time here that I had in Japan!
So, another summary of recent highlights is in order methinks:
In February, the newly engaged lovebirds, Charlotte and Dave, came out to visit me for a few days and we had a FAB time soaking up the Sevillian sun!
On their first day, we had a lovely stroll around the old santa cruz area and the cathedral. We found a yummy place to enjoy some tapas and then I dropped them off at the arabian baths while I set off for work. Because I had planned such a precise schedule for their holiday here, I think they were very glad to make the most of the 4 hours of ‘free time’ that I allowed them to have during the afternoon! The next day, we got up very early (got to stick to my schedule you know!) and walked past the town towards plaza espana where we sat for ages and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine. We went to maria luisa park after this where we had a laugh trying to ride a
4 seater bicycle! The last day was just lovely as we sat outside and chatted for ages, whilst tucking into delicious italian ice cream… bliss!
Another highlight in February was watching the England football team play against Spain… the tickets were only 10 euros which I thought was a bargain to see some lovely footballers and possibly take a step closer to becoming a WAG (no, not seriously!)
Phil kept saying that Beckham would be playing but I didn’t believe him at all - he certainly wasn’t there during the first half but I enjoyed watching Peter Crouch, Ashley Cole and crew work their magic… (or not as the case was, seeing as they eventually lost 2-0!) but imagine my excitement in the second half, when it was announced that beckham was going to be playing!!! Phil was mortified that I looked more like a tourist than a hardcore footie fan as I was snapping away with my camera at every possible opportunity!
After enjoying my hip hop classes so much in Japan, I decided that I should try and learn a new dance style in every country that I visit! So what would be appropriate to learn
in Spain? … Flamenco, of course! (and not ‘Flamingo’ like a friend who shall remain nameless thought it was!) My flamenco shoes are quite simply AMAZING! Bright red, like Dorothy’s from ‘The Wizard of Oz’, with white polka dots on them! I’ll have to put a photo of them on here soon. I’m picking the steps up really quickly and it’s quite a good workout… the particular style of flamenco that we’re learning is a regional dance called ‘Sevilliana’ and there are 4 variations to learn.
I’ve been visiting some new parts of Spain as well… one particular highlight was a visit with our friends, Rakhi and Joel, to a beautiful city called Ronda. The views were just spectacular, as I’m sure you’ll see in the photos and it was so pleasant to stroll around all day long… except for a few hours when we popped into a wine museum and tasted a few local wines… then felt dizzy for the whole winding bus journey home!
More recently, Phil and I were lucky enough to find a beautiful place to stay in Marbella for Easter. Some friends of the family have a villa there and so let us
stay for free, which we were so grateful for! We were really in need of some relaxation time after our noisy Spanish kids had driven us crazy since January! Our holiday was due to start on the Friday but I had the worst luck ever on Thursday (maybe now is a good time to mention that I broke a full length mirror in my apartment a few weeks before… does it explain what happens next??!!) Because it was the last day of our teenage classes, a few teachers decided to put our classes together to watch a film. I said we could watch it in my room and so I wheeled the TV out and set it all up. I went to move it to the side of the classroom, but as I did that, the TV somehow slid off and crashed down onto the floor - landing on my big toe!!! The teachers next door ran straight in after hearing the crash and saw blood pouring out from underneath my toenail… it was horrible! They took me to the hospital where one nurse completely freaked me out and had me in tears! She said that they would have to
inject through my nail and into my toe to stop the bleeding and that I would also need another injection for tetanus… I really am not a big fan of needles, so I was extremely relieved when the next doctor I saw said that she didn’t think it was necessary! Luckily, the x-ray showed that it wasn’t broken but the doctor did say that I should rest it. Good ol’ Phil was a perfect nurse at home and cooked me lots of yummy meals (although he does that anyway actually!) but he also ticked off everything from my to-do list which included going into town and buying me lots of nice new things for my holidays!
So, we couldn’t walk around in Marbella as quickly as I would have liked, but for Phil this was perfect as he always tells me that I walk too quickly anyway! We spent a few days just relaxing on the beach in Estepona which was absolutely beautiful… it probably wasn’t that warm for the locals, but we were quick to get our swim stuff on and shiver slightly every time a cool breeze swept by! In comparison to our noisy flat in Seville, it
was great to enjoy some peace and quiet for a week and just relax completely!
The Semana Santa (Easter week) celebrations in Seville have come to an end and I’m not quite sure what to make of them really! The ‘pasos’ were really quite freaky… people dressed from head to toe in white cloaks with white hoods (resembling members of the KKK) and dragging black crosses with them - it made for terrifying viewing, especially at night! Some of the big floats were carried by a team of about 30 men underneath - and some of these ‘pasos’ even go on for 14 hours - they must have been absolutely exhausted!
The week after Semana Santa, my parents came out to Seville for another visit. It was great to see them again and we were able to explore some new places together. We had a lovely day by the beach in Puerto de Santa Maria, even though it was very windy and we nearly got swept away on a few occasions!
After the sombre Semana Santa events, the Spanish always look forward to the Feria which is held a week later… this is the time to get
dolled up in Flamenco dresses and drink and dance every single day with friends and family. Phil’s Mum came over to stay with us during this week and we enjoyed our day at the Feria grounds. The atmosphere was great - everyone singing and dancing and strutting their stuff in their latest designer flamenco dresses (some of which looked DREADFULLY tacky though!) There were horses and carriages everywhere and hundreds of ‘casetas’ (tents) which have been in families for generations where everyone spends the entire day together. I had a lot of fun snapping away with my camera as I’m sure you’ll see when you look at my pics!
So, only a month to go until we finish our contracts in Seville… and then - where to next?! I can’t give that away just yet! Another year in a new place with new adventures awaiting us is too tempting to resist… so, keep posted to find out where we’re off to! (when we’ve decided and finalised plans for sure basically!)
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Helen
non-member comment
How much have I missed
Oh my godness Miss Price, You have a fella!!! I am so sorry I lost touch for a while (well quite a while). So busy with uni, work and being a granny, I just dont have time for anything! I have now caught up,you sound very happy and enjoying yourself per usual(nasty toe business though) Your man looks very dishy well done! I will keep up to date now, speak soon Love hel XXX