Yuck yuck yuck/har har har. Some part of me just can't resist bad puns... hehe.
Happy February! January felt like a pretty long month... I've only been back in Lugo for about 35 days since Christmas break, but it feels like much longer. Not in a bad way, there's just been a lot of content.
What do I have to catch up on?? Ah I think that might be the worst part of waiting so long between posts... I'll just write about things as they occur to me.
Well, to begin with, IT SNOWED IN LUGO :D Last Tuesday. 'twas a glorious afternoon. My roommate Julia & I went out and frolicked about in it for a while:
:D :D
This is where you are when you step out our front door.
I walk around this corner about 20 times a day haha.
Plaza mayor con snow!
It was coming down in huge, wet clumps... Good snowman snow, if my memory serves me ;)
One of my favorite pictures I took that day (with a filter).
Gazebo & kiosk in the plaza mayor.
Looking towards the cathedral.
This is how covered it got!
Hehe.
Bald eagle sighting in Lugo ;)
Happy me ^_^
I have just realized there will probably be too many pictures in this post... haha. Sadly, the snow did not stick around, and by Friday it was back to rain (something that is, surprise surprise, also happening now). When Julia and I got back inside, still a-flutter with girlish excitement, we decided we should go check out one of the mountain villages where there was actually a lot of snow. The two that people always talk about are Pedrafita and O Cebreiro (Pedrafita is closer to Lugo, but apparently O Cebreiro is prettier... we opted for Pedrafita). Since neither of us work Thursdays, we set the date for then, and our friend Annie decided to come along with us. Here are, of course, too many pictures of that adventure:
I have just realized there will probably be too many pictures in this post... haha. Sadly, the snow did not stick around, and by Friday it was back to rain (something that is, surprise surprise, also happening now). When Julia and I got back inside, still a-flutter with girlish excitement, we decided we should go check out one of the mountain villages where there was actually a lot of snow. The two that people always talk about are Pedrafita and O Cebreiro (Pedrafita is closer to Lugo, but apparently O Cebreiro is prettier... we opted for Pedrafita). Since neither of us work Thursdays, we set the date for then, and our friend Annie decided to come along with us. Here are, of course, too many pictures of that adventure:
This is an example of the kind of view we had on the ride there.
(Although, honestly, the bus ride there was terrifying. The bus itself
was extremely small, and extremely old, and the driver drove extremely
fast... Through the mountains! Ay ay ay. My blood pressure was
slightly elevated, to say the least. That bus was shaking so much I
thought it might fall apart before we got to our destination... But we
made it. And the bus ride back was much better. hehe.)
The first pictures we took were not our most scenic, as they were taken from a roundabout. But we were excited ;)
Lookout area. First frolic site. Also the scene of snowball fight #1.
My reaction to throwing a snowball approx. 6 ft to the left of Julia. I'm sure I'm saying "What was that?!"
Some of the buildings closer to the main road into town.
Guess they're not going anywhere for a while.
After Round One, we ducked into a little cafe to warm up. While there,
we had some bizcocho (creme cake) and ColaCao (and also got to eavesdrop
on a lot of little old gallego men):
It's kinda like Nesquik or Ovaltine, but yummier. I don't know if it's available in the States; if not, Ima have to bring some back with me.
And then we ventured back outside, and even part-way up some little mountains:
Snow-ice
Eeek mountains!!
Part of the Camino de Santiago (either the French Way or the Primitivo) goes through the Ancares; this trail behind us led up to that path.
A trail which I attempted to hike up, but was foiled by because the snow got too deep...
Looking over some of the fields/houses... I think the colegio might even be in there somewhere.
Majestic.
On the way back into the town, I started picking up snow boulders and carrying them with me. I punted them when my gloves started to get too wet, and my friend Annie has excellent timing with a camera ;)
Whew. And that's pretty much all for my snow adventures... I don't
think I'll probably see it again in Lugo. The weather's already warmed
up a bit (like, 40s & 50s instead of 30s), and it's back to raining
non-stop. People tell me it really starts getting better in March, but
rains deluges again in April. Bleh.
Qué más... Hmm. I got to talk to my friend Chad, down in Senegal last weekend. He has limited access to internet and his life is just crazy right now (he's in the Peace Corps there), so that was fun/interesting. Friday night I went out to dinner with a woman in one of my conversation groups and her husband. That was really fun. They introduced me to zamburiñas (a type of mussel... Idk if it has a name in English), and I introduced them to tequila sunrises ;)
Qué más... Hmm. I got to talk to my friend Chad, down in Senegal last weekend. He has limited access to internet and his life is just crazy right now (he's in the Peace Corps there), so that was fun/interesting. Friday night I went out to dinner with a woman in one of my conversation groups and her husband. That was really fun. They introduced me to zamburiñas (a type of mussel... Idk if it has a name in English), and I introduced them to tequila sunrises ;)
Zamburiñas. Mmm mmm mmm! The bigger version, vieiras, are the shells that you see as the symbol for the Camino de Santiago.
They're cool people; the wife (Marina) is from Málaga & her husband
(Jóse) is from somewhere in Extremadura. It was really sweet of them to
invite me out. I think they've been lonely in Galicia before, too.
Also they told me I'm welcome to come with them down to Málaga
sometime... And I just might have to take them up on that :)
So that was Friday... Oh! Saturday, Julia and I went to the mall, where I completed some top-secret shopping. And Meghan invited a bunch of the auxiliares over for a crepe dinner party. That was, needless to say, deleecious. Afterwards I met up with mis amigos españoles at the indoor botellón place, but didn't stay out super late (only 4:30 or so... jajaja). Sunday I did nothing but prepare for classes, like basically all other Sundays... and... Yeah. During the week, I taught my students about MLK Jr (because that day was the week before). Wednesday was also Peace Day (just in Spain, I think). I didn't think my school was doing anything for it, but halfway through the day, the primary kids had a little performance outside on the front lawn/patio. They sang this song:
So that was Friday... Oh! Saturday, Julia and I went to the mall, where I completed some top-secret shopping. And Meghan invited a bunch of the auxiliares over for a crepe dinner party. That was, needless to say, deleecious. Afterwards I met up with mis amigos españoles at the indoor botellón place, but didn't stay out super late (only 4:30 or so... jajaja). Sunday I did nothing but prepare for classes, like basically all other Sundays... and... Yeah. During the week, I taught my students about MLK Jr (because that day was the week before). Wednesday was also Peace Day (just in Spain, I think). I didn't think my school was doing anything for it, but halfway through the day, the primary kids had a little performance outside on the front lawn/patio. They sang this song:
It's Ode to Joy, in Spanish (Himno a la Alegría). The version that the kids sang was a lot more exciting ;) Apparently, it is the official song of the European Union.
So that was sweet. Aaaaand... I think that's all? I saw part of a Real Madrid vs. Barcelona soccer game Wednesday night at a bar with some friends, but I was exhausted & soccer is boring, so I don't know how it finished. hehe. I'm planning on watching at least some of the Superbowl this Sunday at the same bar (although not all of it... It doesn't come on till 12:30am here & I have work Monday!)
& next week will be my last one of work before Carnaval!! I am so excited for that. :D Since I normally only work Mon-Wed & those are the days we have off for Carnaval, after next Wednesday I won't be back at work till the 18th! Good grief, Spain. Julia, Lucy, & I are going to be down in Cadiz that first Saturday through Tuesday-- so stoked! Cadiz is supposed to have the best carnaval celebration in Spain, and Julia found us some ridiculously cheap plane tickets (it's going to be my first flight with Ryanair... liiiitttle nervous hehe.) So there will be a lot more to write about in about a week and a half ;) Time to see what Andalucía's like compared to Galicia... & to see the sun!!! (And maybe even wear some sundresses?! Dare I dream? haha).
<3
& next week will be my last one of work before Carnaval!! I am so excited for that. :D Since I normally only work Mon-Wed & those are the days we have off for Carnaval, after next Wednesday I won't be back at work till the 18th! Good grief, Spain. Julia, Lucy, & I are going to be down in Cadiz that first Saturday through Tuesday-- so stoked! Cadiz is supposed to have the best carnaval celebration in Spain, and Julia found us some ridiculously cheap plane tickets (it's going to be my first flight with Ryanair... liiiitttle nervous hehe.) So there will be a lot more to write about in about a week and a half ;) Time to see what Andalucía's like compared to Galicia... & to see the sun!!! (And maybe even wear some sundresses?! Dare I dream? haha).
<3
Love the pics - thanks for sharing them : )
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