Weekend Excursions- Part 1

My first two weekends here in Spain I have had the pleasure of taking two different trips, both of which were incredibly enjoyable! My first weekend I went with two other friends to the island of Tabarca, which is eight miles away from Alicante. All of us had heard great things about Tabarca from our host families  from Marisa, the Assistant Director for our program. After a little research decided making the trip would be worth it. The three of us met at 10:30 on Saturday morning and walked down to the port together. The ferry company we decided to travel with was Cruseros Kontiki as they had good reviews and good prices, 19 euros including the return trip.

The ride out took about an hour and it was a little wavy, but enjoyable all the same. We got into the port and were directed by some locals promoting their restaurants to the town part of the island. It was maybe a two minute walk, as the island is fairly small. To get into the town we had to pass under a rather old looking arch that was between two walls surrounding the sity. The city itself was fairly small as well. The main street was lined with stores selling snorkeling masks and swimsuits, and there were also a lot of fishy smelling restaurants. When we made it to the far side of the island we got to see the very clear water that Tabarca is famous for. The water was greenish blue and we could see the bottom very easily even though the sea was rather wavy. On our walk we discovered a little cove area where there were people snorkeling and enjoying the water. At this point we were all rather hungry so we decided to go to the main beach to have our picnic. We ate quickly as the wind was blowing sand our direction.

After a hurried lunch we decided to walk around the non-inhabited side of the island. The sun came out for us, making the water even clearer,. There were some truly beautiful views of the sea that are definitely worth seeing. The one thing I will be keeping in mind for my next trip is to choose a less windy day. The wind on the island itself wasn't horrible, but on the ferry ride back it became clear how windy it actually was. Thankfully, I do not get seasick, but with the boat rocking from side to side like it did there were a lot of people who did. When we eventually made it to dry  decided we deserved some icecream after that trip! We walked up La Rambla, a main street in Alicante with a lot of restaurants, and stopped at Amorino for gelato! It was delicious and a very good end to our trip!

More to come soon on my trip to Valencia, Spain this last weekend!

Coastal Hiking Adventures

On this rainy Tuesday I am going to throw it back to what I was doing last Tuesday at this time. Last Tuesday was not rainy and cloudy like it is today, it was about the exact opposite in fact. With the gorgeous weather we were having a couple of friends and I decided we wanted to go to the beach, specifically Playa San Juan, a beach that is a little ways out of the city. We got on the correct tram no problem, and planned to just get off when the other people with swimsuits and towels got off. As it turns out this plan did not work out as well as we thought it would. When we got off we followed a group of teenagers down to the coast, only to find that they had not been leading us to the beach. We ended up at the top of a hill that led down to a little cove area where there we people swimming.

We decided to go check out the little area so we walked down to the coast and dipped our toes in the warm Mediterranean water. We decided we couldn't be that far from San Juan so we started hiking along the bluffs/mountains that lined that part of the coast. We hiked along the coast for more than an hour. Along the coastline there were several people tanning and swimming and the amount of people increased the further we went so we knew we were going in the correct direction. There was so much to see as we walked! From the rocky bluffs we were on to the light house we passed, and the sea, which was absolutely beautiful! 

The best view of the whole hike came as we rounded a corner and all of the sudden the beach San Juan was stretched out in front of us. The beach itself looked very nice but it was the scenery behind it that made the view incredible. Behind the beach is the city, mainly tall apartment building and then towering behind them are several large and powerful mountains. To make the whole scene even better where the white caps that were breaking on the waves as they got close to the shore line. We stayed in the same spot for over ten minutes taking in the view and of course taking many pictures, none of which truly captured the beauty of the landscape, but do give a pretty good representation.


The whole experience was a wonderful adventure, and one I will be going on again soon! Unfortunately I am having trouble uploading the rest of the pictures, but I will try to get them up soon!

Until then don't forget that adventure is out there, especially when you least expect it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't embrace it when it comes around!

Arrival, Orientation, and Exploration!

I've been in Alicante for just over one day now. It's hard to believe that I am finally here and that I'm not at home crossing off days on my calendar. It has been a crazy couple of days, but so far everything has been amazing!

Yesterday was a pretty crazy day packed full of activities! My day started early in the morning at the Madrid airport when I got on my flight to Alicante!

The plane we took was a small one that we had to board by going outside and climbing up the steps! I felt like I was in a movie as that was the only place I had seen this done before. Once on the plane I recognized some of the other students from my school that will be also be studying in Alicante, which was very relieving.The flight to Alicante went very quickly, as it was just about 45 minutes. Coming in to Alicante the views were gorgeous! I could see the sea and next to it the city and then behind the city the mountains.

When we arrived at the airport the six of us Spanish Studies Abroad students who arrived on the same flight all went together to find our luggage. After waiting around for awhile we finally figured out where our bags were! We headed out into the waiting area and were greeted by Marisa, the Assistant Director for Spanish Studies Abroad, who had a huge smile on her face! We all chatted for a bit and met a couple more students who had arrived around when we did, and we also got a large folder full of information about our schedules for the upcoming weeks! From there we split into groups and took taxis into the city.

 

I was greeted at my home with large smiles and a very welcoming attitude by my host parents Lirios and Pepe. The apartment I am living in is very nice and spacious! It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, plus a living and dinning room. There is more than enough space for all of us. Besides having a lovely spot to live these next four months, I can already tell that I will be living with a great host family!

 

Upon arriving I unpacked, showered, and then participated in the Spanish tradition of siesta, which is the tradition of taking an afternoon nap. After a refreshing two hour nap I had a brief lunch and then chatted with my host parents for the next couple of hours until we left for our first orientation session.

 

The orientation session consisted of getting to know the other Spanish Studies Abroad participants and eating tapas! The food was delicious! Out of all of the different dishes we had I would have to say that my favorite was the croquetas. Not only was the food good, but so was the information we got from Pepa, the director of the program.

 

 

 

I woke up this morning incredibly well rested and feeling great. My day got even better when for breakfast I had toast with olive oil and cheese, a very typical Spanish breakfast. It was so simple but yet incredibly delicious! I would be just fine having the same meal for breakfast these next four months.

 

The rest of the morning was spent at another orientation session where we discussed specifics on our individual programs and went over details about insurance and housing. After the orientation we walked back and relaxed at home for a bit. For lunch we ate gazpacho, which is a cold tomato soup (but fresher and lighter), french fries, chicken, and we had fresh fruit for desert! After eating I once again enjoyed a nice afternoon siesta.

 

After siesta I got in contact with some of the other students from the program and we decided to go exploring. We met at the Plaza de los Luceros, which is in the middle of the downtown area, and also one of our meeting spots during orientation.

We decided to go check out the beach so we headed down, which as my host mom told me the first day will always take you to the coast. When we got to the port, after a unexpectedly short walk, and turned left on to the Explanada, which is a beautiful walking area lined with palm trees and wave designs on the path.

 

We  quickly made it to the beach (Playa del Postiguet), which is just as beautiful as the pictures I had seen on Google Images months before. The sand is incredibly soft and there were no shells in sight so we all kicked off our shoes and dug our toes into the sand. The beach and water were both very crowded, and for good reason as it was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit! We walked the shore line getting our feet wet and enjoying the cooling affect of the water. We spent about an hour at the beach before we decided to continue exploring.

We made our way back up on La Rambla, another prominent street in Alicante. We passed some very tasty looking ice cream shops and restaurants, but decided not to buy anything. We eventually made our way to one of the Cortes Ingles department stores to do some shopping and take advantage of the air conditioning. We went to the super market section of the store and bought ourselves some of the things we needed like shampoo and conditioner.

 

Once back at the apartment I unpacked my things and relaxed in my room a bit before dinner. For dinner we had grilled cheese, made with very good cheese not the Kraft slices I use at home, and one of the most delicious salads I've ever eaten!

 

Even after one day here I feel very comfortable in Alicante. It feels like a very safe city, it is very clean, and it is surprisingly easy to get around. Some more exploring is in store tomorrow as we get to tour the University of Alicante where we will be taking classes! I've heard great things about the campus and I am very excited to see it in person.

 

 

Hasta pronto!




Ready...Set....Just Kidding I Still Have a Month

There is around a month and a half until August 28^th. But what is so important about August 28^th you may ask, that is the day I leave for my semester in Alicante, Spain. After months of wishing for this day I cannot believe how close it is. After months of plotting, planning, and preparing my departure day is drawing ever nearer. As many people do, I have many hopes for where this adventure will lead me, but my biggest hope is that I will be able to learn a lot. I want to learn more Spanish, about Spanish culture, about the people of Spain, how to be a well seasoned traveler, how to be more responsibly engaged in the world, and also about myself.

                With the preparation I’ve done I feel that I have a base knowledge of what to expect for what is coming, yet after hearing what Spain is like from friends, I still don’t know what exactly to expect. I have lots of questions about what life is like in Spain and what a typical day will be like. One of my biggest concerns or questions is what school will be like and how different it will be. Even with the concerns and questions I have, I’m incredibly excited to discover all of the answers as it is part of the learning process! As the day for departure comes ever closer and I begin preparing more things I