Blogs from Ourense, Galicia, Spain, Europe

My time in Ourense is coming to an end. My program, and coincidentally my lease, are over today, so I’m moving on out. This summer, after a short stop in Barcelona, I’m going to be improving my English teaching skills by working for a non-profit organization in Italy called ACLE. They teach English at 1- or 2-week summer ‘camps’ all over the country. ‘Tutors’ like me are hosted by families in each village or city, so it’s going to be a great immersive experience. All that traveling means I’m just taking a traveling backpack for 3.5 months (with a 10kg plane weight limit)! A new challenge! I’ll also have limited access to internet (not really sure how much) and no laptop, so bear with me on updates. After the summer, I’m moving to the coastal Galician ... read more

It’s been a while since I’ve posted something. I’ve gone on a few trips (which just might be posted about soon), but a lot of my life has been more just hanging around Ourense. So, I wanted to write about this 8-month home I’ve got. I’ve spent the vast majority of my time in Galicia, so it’s difficult for me to compare this area to the rest of Spain, but one of the things I love is what Galicia is known for in the rest of Spain—the precipitation. It really hasn’t been that rainy here—unseasonably dry/warm weather most of this winter—yet the traditional stone buildings and stone walls are often covered with plants and moss. There’s something about moss-covered stones that’s just so beautiful. While I’m on the topic of precipitation, I’ve never lived in an ... read more

This one is about my arrival in Ourense and that tricky transition period of beginning a new life in another country. On September 23, I took a train from Porto to Vigo, Spain. It was a way shorter ride than I expected. I took a nap, and suddenly we were there. Luckily it was the final stop, because we were somehow an hour early. I had booked my next train--to Ourense--a bit later in case there were any unexpected delays, so I had four or so hours to waste in the train station. I could have walked around the city, but I didn’t feel like hauling all my stuff. I ordered a green tea (in Spanish) in the station café and got it, in the first test of my Spanish abilities in real life. Then I ... read more

Depois de um mês acordando cinco e tantas da manhã, caminhando entre 20 e 30 km por dia e carregando a “vida” nas costas, precisávamos de um pouco de descanso e fomos busca-lo no melhor lugar possível: na casa dos Abuelos (do Fe), ali mesmo na Galícia. No estado em que nos encontrávamos, uma simples noite de sono em uma cama macia com lençóis limpinhos e mantas quentinhas, num quarto silencioso, escuro e privativo, após um longo e revigorante banho com água quente e abundante, encerrado com uma toalha felpuda e um pijama cheirosinho já era tudo com o que sonhávamos! Mas na casa dos abuelos, isso foi só o começo. Numa missão clara de voltar a rechear nossas bochechas, trazendo de volta nossos quilinhos perdidos, além de garantir dois novos fanáticos pela deslumbrante gastronomia galega, ... read more