It´s been a while................ apologies.
To some up the last month in a few words:
Flash floods, paella, granada, work, salsa, Halloween, Halloween 2, cazorla, work, Bonfire Night, salsa night, theatre, work and finally, salsa night.
The last month has been really good and I´m still really enjoying myself here.
A couple of days after my last post, there was a storm in Linares. It rained all night and when I woke up the next morning it was still raining. I looked out of my window at around 8.30am and everything was fine.... looked out again at 9am, just before I had to leave for work, and the entire street was flooded. Up to your knees flooded! It was incredible. What made it even more incredible was the fact that once it stopped raining, after about an hour all the water had gone. Noone would have know it had ever flooded if they hadn´t have seen it. Luckily, since then, it hasn´t rained (not that I´ve seen anyway) and I hope it won´t flood again, it wasn´t nice.
The night after the flood Sarah, Rachel and I, cooked a paella. For a first attempt, it wasn´t bad at all. I was quite proud of us!
The following morning we left for Granada and had an amazing time. We stayed there til Sunday. The pictures are great and it´s such a beautiful city and to top it off, it was sunny! We went to the Albycin which had incredible views of the Alhambra and of Granada itself. On Saturday evening we took a walk down the paseo de los tristes which was beautiful, very romantic. We spent Sunday in the Alhambra. The Alhambra is amazing, stuning buildings and beautiful grounds.
Work is still going well. They still seem to like me after 7 weeks so that´s gotta be a good sign!! I´ve started giving more private lessons and those are also going well. Salsa too is so far so good. It´s getting more difficult as we´ve learnt so many steps that I´ve forgotten the names of most of them! Not good lol!! But it´s good fun.
Halloween was split into two parts. On Friday night, Nardi held a Halloween party for the language assistants and english teachers in the area. It was good fun. I was dressed up as a witch (typical i know, but whats a girl to do). On Saturday night we also all got dressed up again and headed out into town. Another very good night out.
Also, a couple of weeks ago we went hiking. We went to a place called Cazorla National Park. Another very beautiful place. We spent the day walking and didn´t arrive back in Linares until 11pm that night. We were going to have something to eat in the town itself but at 8pm everything was shut, something unthinkable in Spain!!
Bonfire Night was a pretty quiet affair. The school enjoyed the day I think as we made a guy fawkes with the kids and the teachers got to try Parkin (which apparently is only a Northern thing).
In the past couple of weeks we´ve discovered El Pequeño Saltamontes, a bar where on a tuesday and sunday night they hold salsa nights. It´s so much fun, the music, the dancing, the atmosphere. We now go there quite often, it´s good fun.
Last friday night I went to the theatre. I went to see a piece about Miguel Hernandez and it was directed by the headteacher of my school and some of the actors were my students. It was really nice and they all did really well.
The last week I haven´t really done much but in the coming weekends I have quite a bit planned. Next weekend Jenny is coming over so a trip to Granada for me, the weekend after is the big puente Madrid, Toledo, Segovia here we come, the weekend after I´m heading up to Madrid again to see Fiona and then that leaves one more weekend and then I´ll be home.
I´m looking forward to seeing everyone at home at christmas. Hope you´re all well!! Speak soon xxx
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