I'm off to Spain and Morocco
The time has come for my next journey. In just three short days I will be en route to Spain. As with Africa, I have planned an elaborate itinerary. I’m a planner, what can I say. So, jumping right in…here’s a map and brief summary of what’s to come:
(1) I spend all of February at a Spanish school in Madrid, where I will attend five hours of classes on weekdays, and have afternoons and weekends free to explore the area and attempt to use my newly-acquired Spanish. While in Madrid, I will live in a shared apartment in the center of town (with my own room and bathroom).
I’m too cheap to pay for an airport pick-up, so I’ll need to find my own way to my apartment upon arrival. Figuring it’s better try to find it electronically now rather than while lugging two big bags on minimal sleep, I typed the street name into Google Earth, and…WOW! The location is FANTASTIC. I am right in the heart of Madrid’s historic center,
within a five minute stroll from Madrid’s two main squares—Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. I am about 10 minutes walk from the Prado and countless other must-see sights. Needless to say, I am thrilled.
(2) After Madrid, I spend most of March at a Spanish school in Seville. My stay there will coincide with Seville's “Semana Santa”--a week of elaborate and dramatic processions and floats to commemorate the Easter event. Semana Santa is common throughout Spanish-speaking Catholic regions, but it’s at its most Catholically extravagant in Seville. It's a very serious affair, full of pomp and glory, and has long been on my Must See list.
The events take place in the late afternoon and evening, so I will go to classes in the morning, then wander around the festivities after school. In Seville I stay with a local family. I'll have my own room and bathroom, but I'm not sure if I am going to like this set up. We'll see.
(3) After Seville, I travel in Southern Spain and Morocco for about a month on two separate tours, plus a week on my own in Marrakech. This time I am traveling with “Explore”, a UK-based company that gives small group tours using local transportation and small, locally owned accommodation. These types of tours work well for me because they give me flexibility and a relative degree of cultural immersion, with the added comfort of not having to do it all alone.
(4) After Morocco, I go to my last Spanish school, in Granada this time. I will be here for a month, making almost three months total of Spanish study. Hopefully this will be enough study time to remember all the Spanish I learned in high school and college, but have since forgotten. I am currently planning on another homestay in Granada (since they are better for language acquisition), but if I don’t end up liking the homestay option in Seville, I will switch to a shared apartment.
(5) My last portion of the journey will be to hike the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. Since the 9th century, pilgrims have been making their way to Santiago de Compostela to see the tomb of Saint James, which according to the legend is located in the cathedral. I am going with a tour, and we are only hiking segments, not the entire route (which starts in France and goes to the far west of Spain.) Should be great exercise and a fantastic experience.
And that’s it. I fly home on June 4. After that, who knows.
(1) I spend all of February at a Spanish school in Madrid, where I will attend five hours of classes on weekdays, and have afternoons and weekends free to explore the area and attempt to use my newly-acquired Spanish. While in Madrid, I will live in a shared apartment in the center of town (with my own room and bathroom).
I’m too cheap to pay for an airport pick-up, so I’ll need to find my own way to my apartment upon arrival. Figuring it’s better try to find it electronically now rather than while lugging two big bags on minimal sleep, I typed the street name into Google Earth, and…WOW! The location is FANTASTIC. I am right in the heart of Madrid’s historic center,
within a five minute stroll from Madrid’s two main squares—Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. I am about 10 minutes walk from the Prado and countless other must-see sights. Needless to say, I am thrilled.(2) After Madrid, I spend most of March at a Spanish school in Seville. My stay there will coincide with Seville's “Semana Santa”--a week of elaborate and dramatic processions and floats to commemorate the Easter event. Semana Santa is common throughout Spanish-speaking Catholic regions, but it’s at its most Catholically extravagant in Seville. It's a very serious affair, full of pomp and glory, and has long been on my Must See list.
The events take place in the late afternoon and evening, so I will go to classes in the morning, then wander around the festivities after school. In Seville I stay with a local family. I'll have my own room and bathroom, but I'm not sure if I am going to like this set up. We'll see.
(3) After Seville, I travel in Southern Spain and Morocco for about a month on two separate tours, plus a week on my own in Marrakech. This time I am traveling with “Explore”, a UK-based company that gives small group tours using local transportation and small, locally owned accommodation. These types of tours work well for me because they give me flexibility and a relative degree of cultural immersion, with the added comfort of not having to do it all alone.
(4) After Morocco, I go to my last Spanish school, in Granada this time. I will be here for a month, making almost three months total of Spanish study. Hopefully this will be enough study time to remember all the Spanish I learned in high school and college, but have since forgotten. I am currently planning on another homestay in Granada (since they are better for language acquisition), but if I don’t end up liking the homestay option in Seville, I will switch to a shared apartment.
(5) My last portion of the journey will be to hike the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. Since the 9th century, pilgrims have been making their way to Santiago de Compostela to see the tomb of Saint James, which according to the legend is located in the cathedral. I am going with a tour, and we are only hiking segments, not the entire route (which starts in France and goes to the far west of Spain.) Should be great exercise and a fantastic experience.
And that’s it. I fly home on June 4. After that, who knows.