Food – A Secret Joy of Travelling!

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This pastry, a Carolina from Bilbao, was so sweet it nearly killed me, but I ate it all anyway.

Food. Along with sleep, it is a constant in our days. When you travel, it’s no different, we all still have to eat. Yet when we travel it can become something more interesting, or on the other end of the spectrum, more difficult. Continue reading “Food – A Secret Joy of Travelling!”

Easter in the North – Part 3: Seaside San Sebastián

 

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Just before the rain started, but it didn’t dampen my spirits!

So the last stop on my Easter tour was San Sebastián. Like Bilbao, I had about a day and a half to explore the city, but these are two very different cities. Bilbao is an urban city, with a hardworking and serious vibe, though very cultured and interesting. Bilbao is the CEO of the Basque Country, it keeps it working and looks important. San Sebastián is the trophy wife, the beautiful model that everyone admires. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in Spain, and well worth a visit. Continue reading “Easter in the North – Part 3: Seaside San Sebastián”

Easter in the North – Part 1: Visiting my Spanish Cousins in Cantabria

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In Santillana del Mar

So here in Madrid, from the 12th – 22nd April, we have our Easter Holidays. This works out to about 10 days of freedom from little children. I love my kids but we all need a little time away from each other, and by Thursday 11th I was READY for a break. Continue reading “Easter in the North – Part 1: Visiting my Spanish Cousins in Cantabria”

Wandering around Buitrago de Lozoya

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The river and the castle, two key parts of this little town.

For the last six months, I’ve travelled day to work in a little town called Buitrago de Lozoya. By bus, it’s about 1 hr 40 mins from Madrid, by car its about an hour. The bus is the bane of my existence, and I don’t think I would survive my near-daily journeys if I didn’t love my school so much.  Continue reading “Wandering around Buitrago de Lozoya”

Taking advantage of Free Tours

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The beautiful Basilica de Nuestra Señora Pilar, a key sight in Zaragoza and one of our stops on the tour.

I am a big fan of free tours. Since I started travelling without my family at 18, they have been a staple of my travel itinerary. They are a great way to get a feel for a city quickly, for finding your feet and for getting recommendations. As I have mostly done day trips or I’ve been with people who know the city we were visiting well, I hadn’t gone on a free tour since arriving in Spain. However, I knew I would have a bit of time in Zaragoza, and knowing nothing of the city, I decided to book one. Continue reading “Taking advantage of Free Tours”

My first solo trip – Zaragoza

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At the Aljaferia Palace in the sun

March was a busy month for me. I had my friends visiting the first weekend, then I visited the Valley of the Fallen. The next weekend I had another set of visitors, my aunt and uncle, who I loved having visit me. To round it off, I decided to volunteer at VaughanTown again as a native English speaker, which took up the last weekend in March. Continue reading “My first solo trip – Zaragoza”

The Valley of the Fallen

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Trying to enjoy this strange place

Once again, our motley little crew got together for another adventure. It was Ellie’s birthday, and she decided she wanted to go to see the monastery at San Lorenzo del Escorial for the day. With Cathy coming too, we decided to use her prior experience to tie that in with a trip to the Valley of the Fallen, or Valle de Los Caidos. Continue reading “The Valley of the Fallen”

Metro and Friends

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I know its not on the metro but it’s a cute photo

During my last year of university, I had the joy of living with my friend Kayla for the year. It was fantastic and made even better by the fact my friend Cathy visited us all the time. As a result, when I moved here in October, it was weird living with strangers after having such a cosy home the year before. Though the girls had always talked about coming to visit, from the moment that they confirmed they were coming in early March, I was so excited about their trip. Continue reading “Metro and Friends”