Shots from the Roads- Valladolid, Asturias and Bilbao

 

 

 

 

Seeing another side of Spain

This Saturday kicks off "Spring Break" all over Spain: next week is Semana Santa, Holy Week (2011 flashback), and the following week is just added Spanish bonus.  Seeing that this will be my last Semana Santa, I figured I really had to take advantage of the two weeks off (and full month's pay--there are some things I will forever miss about this country).

After being in Spain for a year and a half, I've realized that I have only seen half of it.  Now that sounds like I'm being a little spoiled complaining that I've only seen half of a Mediterranean country, but I can't say that I "know" Spain well if I've hardly been north of Madrid (Barcelona doesn't count here).  Yes, I'm familiar with the "traditional" sizzling, flamenco-dancing, tapa-indulging, sangria guzzling southern culture.  But up north the cultures are very distinct.  It's quite different than what one typically imagines when they think of Spain.

According to numerous travel sites and travelers' accounts, in the North it's a different Spain from what I know.

 Instead of seeing drier landscapes like this...

Murcia
(it's a lot prettier than this...I'm just not a
professional photographer)

...you see this.

Asturias
source

And instead of eating tapas like this...

Murcian marineras

...you eat this.

Basque pintxos
source

And instead of saying words like this...

castellano

...you say this.

euskera spoken in the Basque Country

On Friday Craig and I will embark on a gran viaje to get a taste of northern life.  We're heading to regions of: Castilla y León, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Navarra, and Aragón.  We're going up to Madrid to rent a car, and form there we'll hit up six cities in six days.  Here's the planned route:

Valladolid, Ovideo, Santander, Bilbao, Pamplona, Zaragoza 

(Then when we return to Madrid, we're flying to Craig's home-island Jersey for the following week.  More details, photos, and posts to follow.)

I won't have regular Internet access, but I'll do my best to try to post pictures throughout the trip.  See on the carretera!


My advice to a guiri: Take advantage of your Semana Santa and visit an unknown part of Spain.

Vacaciones

The term is over.  My contract is officially up for the year, so I'm going on vacation.  My family is coming into Madrid tomorrow, and we're starting our tour around Europe.  The itinerary looks something like this.

Madrid to Murcia; Murcia to Barcelona; from Barcelona a cruise that goes to Cannes, Toulon, Florence, Pisa, Rome, and Naples--the back to Barcelona.  From Barcelona to Venice.  Venice to some small undecided village in Germany, and Germany to Zurich and Lucerne.  

I hope both me and my camera survive.

Hasta agosto.

Ryaniar: Europe's Worst-Kept Secrets

A post dedicated to all fellow travel-lovers:


Flights to: London--20€. Madrid--7€. Paris--3€. Before I moved to Spain, other Europe-travlers told me about the wonders of the low-cost European airline, Ryanair. I didn't actually believe that any airline with over 1,100 routes across Europe would offer such economical travel prices. But when I went to the website and booked a flight to Frankfurt for a quarter of the price that major airlines were charging, I did a double take and saw the total cost of my ticket was very affordable.

Ryanair really is a great, cheap way to travel, I told myself.

But I shouldn't haven stopped doubting there.

The answer to "How can they offer such low-cost tickets and still make a profit?" was evident before I even made it to the check-in counter.

This is how Ryanair will make money from its unexperienced and unsuspecting clients:

1. Check-In Fee
Every Ryanair passenger must check-in online and print off the boarding pass within 15 days-4 hours of the flight. If a passenger show up at the airport without a printed boarding pass, Ryanair charges 40€ ($59) to have someone at the desk to print it out.

My friend Rachael on time dropped her boarding pass in a puddle in the airport parking lot, on the way to her flight. Ryanair showed no mercy and charged her the fee.

2. Name-Change Fee
Passengers must provide identification at the airport, and the name on the boarding pass must appear exactly the way it is spelled on the identification document (i.e. passport). If there is a mistake, the passenger must have the name changed at the desk for a fee of 150€ ($222).

You have to be extremely careful typing in your information when you purchase the tickets online. Without even knowing about this fee, I almost entered the wrong information twice. Good thing I triple-checked my electronic form before I submitted it.

3. Check-In Baggage Fees
There is a fee for all checked-in luggage. Checked-in bags must meet certain measurement requirements and cannot weigh over a certain amount (normally 15 kilograms, ~30 lbs). If the bag weighs more than 15 kilograms (~30 lbs), the passenger must pay by the kilo.

Adam and I booked flights to Madrid for December, we paid 11€ ($16.28) for both tickets, 54€ ($80) to take two suitcases with us.

4. Carry-On Baggage Requirements
Each passenger is only allowed one carry-one bag, without charge. All personal items such as purses, cameras, and laptops must be able to the fit inside of this one bag. The bag may not way over 10 kilograms (22 lbs), and it may not exceed the height, width, and depth of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. If it exceeds the measurement or weighs one gram over 10 kilograms, the passenger must pay a fee of 35€ ($52).

This is what causes the most stress for Ryanair passengers.

Because checking in luggage is so expensive, most people just take one bag. For this reason, Ryanair representatives check every bag at the gate.

First, each passenger must place his/her bag in the luggage-check box (pictured right). I understand that this is a normal procedure for most airlines. But with Ryanair, if you display the least bit of effort trying to force your bag in or pull it out of the box, a representative may take out a measuring tape to examine your bag. If it's literally a centimeter over, you have to check in your bag, pay the 35€ fee, and wait for your suitcase at baggage claim.

Second, another representative will take each bag and place it on a scale. If your bag is one gram over, you best believe you're paying a fee. Ryanair rules strictly state that you may not take out anything in your bag and place it anyone else's, even if that person is within the same travel party. Your bag is going straight into the hold on the plane, and your 35€ is going in Ryanair's pocket.

Another stressful and annoying aspect of bringing carry-on luggage is that most people opt to carry on a hand bag. Unfortunately there are not enough overhead bins for every passenger on the plane, so the last people to board the plane normally have their luggage taken below to the plane's cargo hold. These passengers do not have to pay the 35€ fee, but they have to wait at the baggage claim at the airport.

This is also a reason that most Ryanair fliers run straight the gate after going through security. There are no assigned seats on the flight, so if you don't get a good place in line, your luggage is going below.

Waiting for everyone's luggage to be situated also usually causes the plane to be delayed. Both of my flights to and from Frankfurt were delayed about 30 minutes. But my luggage did stay with me during both flights.

5. Priority Boarding Fee
Fliers can elect to pay 4€ to board the plane first.

I skipped this option. Single travelers can normally find a good seat.

6. On-Board Food and Drinks
Nothing is free on Ryanair. Not even water. Travelers may pay over 2€ for a thirst quencher.

Two hours without food or drink may sound easy to do, but by the time you wait in the boarding line and sit on the plane while the luggage gets situated you get kind of hungry...and the food smells so good.  But on my flights, I clenched onto my Euros and waited until I landed to eat.

7. On-Board Toilets
On some flights, you must pay 0.50-1€ to use the toilet.

I didn't personally see or experience this myself, but I have heard have this and have read about it on multiple websites.

8. On-Flight Merchandise
Throughout the entire flight, Ryanair advertises items for sale such as tax-free fragrances, mobile SIM cards that work internationally, lottery tickets, and more.

All of the advertisements come on through the intercom--constantly. Don't plan on sleeping during a Ryanair flight.

So if you avoid all of these plots and scams, you can successfully flight cheap. But if you decide to go back to Ryanair.com, they may get you once again with their...


9. Discreet On-Line Advertisements
Ok. Maybe "discreet" is the wrong word.

On its website, Ryanair openly advertises its current specials, appealing to the customer any way it can...especially sexually. (I almost hesitated to add these advertisements to the blog, but I think the ads are pertinent information to this post.)

These are screenshots I took directly form the Ryanair.com website. I wonder if the profits from the calendars, which feature Ryanair's very own cabin crew, really go to charity.

Keep it classy, Ryanair.

In case you are wondering about the integrity of the mastermind behind this corporation, you can check out this video of an interview with the Ryanair CEO (pictured left).

All of the stress I sensed while checking in, waiting in line for the flight, and sitting in my seat during the flight wasn't imagined. Mr. O'Leary openly admits that his company tries to take money out of its clients any way possible. It sounds repulsive, but his business is wildly successful.




So what is the lesson to be learned here? Unless you are extremely offended by Mr. O'Leary and his marketing strategies, Ryanair can be an economical way to travel across Europe. It's ideal for anyone with a budget...or for a poor university lector in Spain.

Although I don't agree with all of O'Leary's tactics, I do admire him for lowering the airfare for travel-addicts like myself. But I must admit, as a feminist, I do wonder whether or not I should book my next flight through Ryanair. I despise Ryanair for hungrily eyeing my wallet, delaying all of my flights, and objectifying its employees for money, yet praise it for getting me to Madrid for 5€. ...I guess we could add "making me feel like a hypocrite" to the "despise" list too.

Flying affordably and efficiently through Ryanair is possible, especially if you avoid the previously mentioned marketing traps. Just be prepared for a few hours of tension and peer pressure. If you have booked a flight through Ryanair but have never experienced the swiftness of its pickpocketing fingers, hopefully this post will help you cling to your Euros and allow you to explore Europe with full pockets.

February Trip Continued: Warsaw, Poland

Following my trip to Trier, Germany and Amsterdam, I went to visit my friend, Steph, and her family in Warsaw, Poland.  (I mentioned her in a previous post.)  As my babysitter 18 years ago, Steph continues to take good care of me whenever I visit her, her husband, Steve, and children, Kate, 4, and Stephen, 3.  I spent a week waking up to pancakes and coffee, playing with trains and dolls, visiting numerous museums, and ending the day with "late-night" chats with Steph and Steve.

But before I go any further describing my lovely stay in Warsaw, I must describe the voyage from Amsterdam because it wasn't nearly getting to Warsaw wasn't so lovely.  My time with the Orloski family was hard-earned.


The journey

Here is a break-down of my expedition to Warsaw:

- I boarded the train to find that I was placed in a sleeper cabin that was smaller than what I paid for.  When I tried to explained my problem to the Polish attendant, he told me in broken English, "There is nothing else."  The car was empty all for except one man.

- That one man, the only other person in the entire car, was seated in my cabin.

- When I started to walk into the cabin, the man gave me a wide, impish smile.

- I turned right back around and snuck into third-class.

- I sat next to guy my age.  He started to tell my about Polish trains and how his mother was recently on a train and gassed by thieves.  The passengers were left unconscious, susceptible to theft. Being locked in a sleeper cabin with a strange man started to sound safer.

- The conductor announced that there was no food service for the 14-hour trip.

- An hour later, a German attendant woke me up, asking for my ticket.  When he saw I was supposed to be in a sleeper car, he told me I had to move, despite the numerous empty seats around me.  I explained to him how I felt uncomfortable as a single-woman traveler.

- He sympathized with me for a third of a second, escorted me to my cabin, and locked me in with the strange man.

- I fell asleep with my heavy purse by my side and ready to swing.

- About two hours later I realized I had to use the toilet.  Unfortunately the door was locked from the inside, and my new cabin mate was fast asleep and couldn't help me.

- My mind tried to convince my body that it could sleep with a full bladder.

- It failed.

- The next two hours were followed by me periodically getting up and attempting to unlock to door, each time determined to find a hidden lock of some sort.

- Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound.  The train violently shook and came to a stop.

- I was elated as my cabin mate woke up in a panic and then showed me how to open the door.

- I ran to the toilet, saved by the death of some poor creature that the train had hit.

- I came back to the cabin and talked to the man.  It turned out he was just British and awkward but friendly.

- The train resumed its slow pace and I peacefully fell asleep in my cabin.

- A short hour later the awkward cabin mate and I woke up to a strange smell.  Then an alarm started to ring.  The Polish attendant began pounding at the door yelling, "Fire!  Fire!"  Despite his orders not to gather my things, I packed my suitcase and started making my way to the next car in the direction that he pointed me.

- As I rushed down the corridor with the alarm screaming on every side, I was wondering how I was going to evacuate the fire while the train was still moving.

- Frantically I barged through the door to the next car only to find sleeping passengers who seemed annoyed that I had woken them.   No screeching alarms or funny smells.

- I sat down in third class, where I had wanted to remain all along.  Another attendant came over to explain that her colleague lacked the English vocabulary to tell me, "There is a problem with the heater."  So naturally, he resorted to "fire."

- The train docked and I kissed the Polish land beneath my feet.


The visit

But as I mentioned, the train ride was worth every uncomfortable moment.  As always, I had a wonderful stay with the Orloski family.  They are some of the best hosts and tour guides have to offer.  Here are photos of Stephen, the Orloski family representative, and I touring the city...and lounging around in PJs.

One of my two nuggle buddies

Yoga with Stephen 

(Unfortunately my other little tour guide, Kate, seemed to be at school during the times I had my camera out.  But check out Steph's blog in order to see both of her darling children.)

The typical travel blogger's comment about how wondering a city is

I never thought Poland would be a country I would want to visit, but it turned out to be one of my favorites.  Don't let my horror train story sway you--only positive Polish experiences followed.  I would highly recommend Poland to any traveler in Europe, especially any history lovers.  Warsaw has an amazing history.  It was one of the few cities under Nazi regime to revolt.  As a result, the Nazis annihilated the city.  (Click around this site to see how it Warsaw in complete rubble.)  With literally 80% of its buildings destroyed, Warsaw rebuilt itself after World War II in less than 60 years.  Poland seems to embrace its dismal past yet a hopeful future with a sense of pride.

I've never been one to carry around a tour book when I travel to a new city, but I didn't leave the house without it Warsaw.  I wanted to learn as much about the city as possible, surveying buildings for remaining bullet holes, commemorative plaques, and patriotic architectural features.

I won't go all Travel Channel on you, but here are some cultural and educational recommendations related to Warsaw:

1. Watching movie The Pianist.

2. Reading Rising '44 by Norman Davies

3. Listening to some Chopin

4. Visiting Poland--but arriving by plane

The conclusion


Despite the obstacles on the train (and hit by the train), I had a memorable trip to Warsaw and with the Orloski family.

Oh, and go visit Poland.

University exams are finally a time for celebration: Germany and Amsterdam

I'm finally back in the writing groove.  The next couple of posts are going to stray from my "Poco a Poco" theme and wander beyond the border of Spain.  But I have to appease all my readers asking me, "So when are you going to update your blog about Amsterdam and Poland??"

Answer: Now.

This is a post I wrote two weeks ago, being a good blogger and keeping up with my current travels.  Then life picked up, and I didn't get around to uploading pictures until now.  So here you go, circa February 2:

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I've been on a three-and-a-half-week break since the middle of January.  The ocassion?  Exams.

In Spain, and throughout many other countries in Europe, students go through a 3-week period of studying for and taking final exams.  And this is usually in Germany.  Fortunately (extremely fortunately), I didn't have an responsibilities during exams, so naturally I planned a trip.

I talked to my friend Rachael in Germany again, and she suggested that we meet up and go to Amsterdam.  (I know what you're thinking.  Stop right there.  Let me clear up any misconceptions from the start.  We only strolled through the Red Light District once, and we did not visit any "Coffe Shops" or "Smart Shops."  There.  Now I'll continue.)

So last Wednesday I flew back to Frankfurt, Germany, and took a bus to Rachael's new home in Trier.  I spent a couple of days there roaming through the town and touring museums while Rachael was at work. 

Then on Friday we took a late train to Amsterdam.  We arrived at 11:35pm with no hotel reservations, so for almost two hours we went from hotel/hostel to hotel/hostel looking for a safe, clean, cheap place to stay.  Apparently Amsterdam is always full and always booked, so we had a bit of trouble in this department.  (I'm often criticized for planning too much and not be spontaneous enough, my but my feet were tired and my wallet was hurting after finally found a hotel.  Note to self: Next time book a hotel in Amsterdam.)  But after nearly contracting an illness from just walking into hotel lobbies, Rach and I found an adorable, clean, and safe Dutch hotel.

The next day we toured the city like all the other tourists--by bicycle.  In 20 degree (F) weather we crusied around to the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank House, and any cafes or restaurants we saw along the way.  Here are some pictures from our adventures:

Amsterdam

After Amsterdam, I embarked on a journey to Poland by myself.  And that deserves a post all on its own...

Snow-Covered Germany

If you ever have the chance to travel to Germany in the summer or winter, I would highly recommend packing your heaviest sweaters and opting for the winter. I don't think roaming Christmas-decorated streets and drinking hot chocolate next to a burning fire has ever been more charming than in Germany.

And sleeping in always feels better when it's 15°F.

During the rest of my winter vacation in Germany, I took full advantage of admiring the snow--through the window while wrapped up in a quilt next to the furnace. Each morning Rachael and I woke up to the eleven chimes of the bell tower across the street, kindly reminding us that we had received enough sleep. Then it took us about thirty minutes to finally crawl out from underneath the layers of quilts and blankets. We shuffled downstairs just to spend another hour in front of a heater trying to decide what to do over a cup of coffee.

Then at about 4:00, our day finally started.

Most evenings we drove through various villages, meandered through Christmas markets, sipped on hot glühwein, and explored corridors of a castle.

Here are pictures to encapsulate the sequence of our days, from waking up to roaming about...and to prove that winter is the best season for visiting Deutschland:

The Perfect Time to Leave Spain

There are two reasons I gave this post the above title:

1. After my last post, it's probably pretty obvious that I needed a break from Spain. Don't get me wrong: I love Spain. I love Murcia. I love my job. I wouldn't trade it for anything right now. But after the debacle of at the university office and after spending close to 40 days of constant language processing, which can get quite tiring, I really started missing home. I started missing the American efficiency...and language.

This weekend is a long weekend in Spain (I only work Thursday next week), so I took full advantage of my time, packed my bags, and came here to visit my friend Rachael in Ramstein, Germany.

It turns out Ramstein is the perfect dose of America that I needed.

In previous years when I have traveled and/or studied abroad, I refused to associate myself with anything remotely American. I attempted to learn languages while avoiding English, I tried going to as my local restaurants as possible--and I refused to enter any McDonalds or Starbucks.

But through my own experience I've learned that living in a foreign country is completely different than visiting or even studying in one. When you visit or study, there are aspects you don't have to deal with like arguing in another language with people at the payroll office, sorting out documentation to establish your residency and national identity, and setting up utility accounts. Again, I want to clarify that I'm happy where I am and I'm happy that I get to experience these challenges. It builds knowledge and confidence. But sometimes it gets exhausting--especially when the culture is the polar opposite of your own in some aspects. You start missing parts of home that you realize you won't have for a while.

This getaway to Germany was one of the best 200 euros I've spent and at the most perfect timing. Here I have my one of my best American friends. I have a bedroom with heat. I have hot showers that I don't have to turn off in between lathers. I have two cats that cuddle and remind me of my own two cats back home. And I have access to an American Air Force base--an American expat's paradise complete with supermarkets with American food products, bowling alleys, non-dubbed Hollywood movies, franchised restaurants, super-casually dressed people--sweatpants, Uggz and all--and ENGLISH.

Last night Rachael and I signed me into the Refuge, and we ate at Chili's, where she works. I felt relaxed and at home as I ate greasy Tex Mex, asked for refills, spoke English without feeling judged, and paid my bill in dollars. Who would have thought that one of my favorite vacations would be in a Chili's?

But after my American indulgences, I woke up this morning ready to explore Germany. When Rachael worked this evening, I meandered through Kaiserslauten, a town that's a 30-minute train ride away. With neither a map or a plan, I wandered around the city, appreciating the chilled air, snow covered buildings, and traditional holiday decorations.

And for the first time this season, I felt the thrilling anticipation for Christmas. I stumbled upon "K-Town's" Christmas market (I find that the best travel moments normally involve "stumbling"). I admired the elaborately decorated stands, bought a cup of hot schoko, and savored it in front of a fire while listening to a live jazz band play carols.

Not only was it the perfect time to leave Spain, but it was the perfect time to visit Germany.

(See below for pictures of my German Christmas evening.)

I've strayed a bit from my original focus.

So that was the first reason this vacation was perfectly timed.

2. Forty-five minutes after my plane left the Madrid airport, there was a major national strike among airport controllers that caused eight airports to close, including the one in Madrid. More than 200,000 people were stranded.

I just feel like need to retype this: FORTY-FIVE MINUTES BEFORE MY PLANE LEFT THE MADRID AIRPORT

The airports finally reopened today, and officials are expecting everything to be back to normal in 48 hours. I'm here until Wednesday, so even if these officials are running on Spanish time and it takes 96 hours, I should be OK.

If you want to learn more about the strike check out this site and this video. The video shot is in the very airport I left from.

But I made it to Germany with 45 minutes to spare.

God knew I needed this vacation.