Vaughan Town, Barco De Avila, Spain

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Parent Category: Travel Over There
Category: 2014 - Gap Year
Created: Friday, 04 April 2014 10:04

Vaughan Town, Barco De Avila, Spain

A little over a year ago we came across a program that interested us in Spain – Vaughan Town. Vaughan Town is operated by Vaughan Systems, an English language school in Madrid. The school offers week long immersion programs for their students where they will spend 80 hours communicating in English with a variety of native English speakers (Anglos). The English speakers are volunteers who are provided accommodation and food for the week in exchange for their services. We figured spending a week in a hotel near Madrid and speaking to Spanish people sounded fun and so we signed up.

We had no idea at the time what we were getting into, but am I glad that we did.

The experience begins with Saturday night tapas at a small restaurant. It is here that you meet the program coordinator, MC, and most (if not all) of the other Anglos. Over 2 hours you talk, drink and eat and get your briefing. For this trip we had a variety of ages and nationalities (Australian, English, American and Canadian). The following morning the Anglos and Spaniards met outside the Vaughan offices for the bus and our immersion experience. The general rule of Vaughan town is that there must always be an Anglo/Spaniard mix and the bus is no exception. For around an hour each of us talked to a complete stranger, gauging their level of English and adapting our speech to accommodate their needs. At the end of the hour we pulled into a truck stop for a quick break before continuing the journey with a new person. By the time we arrived at Gredos we were already familiar with two Spaniards.

Upon arrival there is an orientation followed by lunch (Lunch and dinner are always three courses and served with wine and water). Meals are part of the immersion experience and each table has two Spaniards and two Anglos. During the meals it is expected that everyone at the table will contribute to the conversation. Meals became an excellent way to get to know everyone and their stories.

Our week together is predominately a series of one-to-one conversations where a student and Anglo are paired for 50 minutes, a telephone conversation and a conference call, group activities, as well as a range of theatre performances. The students also had to give 10 minute presentations on any topic in English!

Vaughan Town, Barco De Avila, Spain

What makes the Vaughan Town experience extraordinary is the relationships you build. During our time here we made many wonderful new friends and were able to learn of Spanish culture in a unique and intense way.

When you are forced to communicate with someone you don’t know over a specific period of time conversations can take some strange turns. You begin by talking about who you are and where you come from, your family and all the general small talk and before you know it you talking about each other’s passions, sharing stories of triumph and tragedy, philosophy, life and everything in between. It’s not that this happens with everyone, but I found many times that the conversations became so deep it would be hard to think of these people as anything other than close friends.

Vaughan Town, Barco De Avila, Spain

In the evenings were a number of performances by the Anglos and students. Some of the performances were straight up comedy, while others were educational or musical. Everyone left their comfort zone behind and embraced the experience.

When it was over, Rina and I stayed in Madrid for the week and almost every day we met with someone from Vaughan town and shared more life together. Such is the experience and the depth of friendships that can be made through an experience such as this. If you are at all open to the idea of spending a week talking English with a bunch of passionate Spanish people and having a unique experience (there were veterans with us who told us that each and every one is different) I heartily recommend it.

Other stories from Spain:

Australia FlagGranada

Australia FlagYecla - Our Month Living in Spain

Spain Flag

Yecla - Nuestro Mes de la vida en España

Australia FlagYecla - Gastronomy

Spain Flag

Yecla - Gastronomía

Australia FlagYecla - Working without a Common Language

Spain Flag Yecla -Voluntariado

Australia FlagMadrid

 

Granada, Spain

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Parent Category: Travel Over There
Category: 2014 - Gap Year
Created: Wednesday, 26 March 2014 11:58

Alhambra, Granada, SpainWe arrived in Spain by ferry at the port of Algeciras. Passport control was unusual as they just looked at our passport and handed it back, without stamping or scanning it. There are two ways you can get to Granada from here, by train or by bus. We opted for the bus as it was the closest departure and both took approximately the same time. The bus drove us north through the hills then along the coast to Malaga, then inland again until Granada over four hours and the views were excellent while the sun lasted.

Granada is a beautiful city in the south of Spain, at the foot to the Sierra Nevada with a long history and is best known for the impressive and imposing structure of the Alhambra. Granada has been occupied since the 8th century BCE and was the last region of the Moors to fall to the Christians in 1492. Some Christian royalty kept, maintained and utilised the Alhambra after the fall of the Nasrid Emirate and Queen Isabella & King Ferdinand were even buried here for a time.

Granada, SpainAlhambra, Granada, SpainGranada, Spain

Granada has a famous tapas route, gypsy caves in the Sacromonte, Flamenco dancing and much more, but almost everyone will tell you that the Alhambra is the main attraction you need to visit and with good reason.

Alhambra, Granada, SpainAlhambra, Granada, Spain

The Alhambra is an impressive complex, and is now a UNESCO site. Many parts are incredibly well maintained and the vistas from its ramparts are incredible. As we have just come from Morocco, we were able to gain a greater appreciation of the impressive craftsmanship in the Alhambra having seen many similar structures that are painted. I could post quite a few photographs of it, but this is one of those places that has been visited by so many that a quick search on the internet will reveal literally thousands of photos much better than anything I produced. I could also write hundreds of words about it, but again there are books and documentaries that would pale any words I write.

Alhambra, Granada, SpainAlhambra, Granada, Spain

*** My Advice to anyone visiting the Alhambra is to get there early, as there are a limited number of visitors for each session (morning and afternoon). Also, if you have pre-purchased, you will still have to wait in line to collect the ticket (the line does move reasonably quickly), and once you have your ticket, you may still need to wait until the gates open.

Alhambra, Granada, SpainAlhambra, Granada, Spain

The Alhambra has a permanent museum and art gallery and, while we were there, one special exhibit on the history of Al-Andalus (The Moorish name of Andulusia). The museums are free to enter and are located in the Palace of Charles V. I would heartily recommend that before you visit the Al-Hambra that you visit the museum as it contains a number of artefacts that will enhance your experience such as painted frescos or wood panels. The art gallery contains many paintings from artists in Granada since the Christian era and is well worth the look.

It is the special exhibit that is a true wonder. It contains numerous artefacts from centuries of occupation and celebrates the Moorish period very well. It was a delight to admire the many books and documents contained here including official legal documents. The exhibition is extensive and you will leave well informed to enjoy your visit to the Alhambra and other historical sites.

While we here we chose to visit the ‘El Centro Cultural CajaGRANADA Memoria de Andalucía’ museum located 10 minutes from the central district. This museum is incredible. It has been designed as an interactive educational centre. The museum is divided into eras with a panel on the rear wall retailing major events throughout pre-history until the present. There are also interactive screens in each area offering video of the eras on display, and others offering video biographies of famous individuals. There are thousands of artefacts, many displayed for people to touch or manipulate for effect. There are also multimedia displays that project history onto a physical map of Al-Andalus to show the viewer the movement of history. If you enjoy learning about the history of where you visit this museum is an extraordinarily good choice providing a comprehensive and enjoyable experience.

Tapas is a widely known Spanish delight and Granada is a great place to enjoy it. Why should you try it here? Well, at bars that offer a Tapas menu, for every drink you order you will be provided a small plate of food. This can provide for very interesting nights out as every place you go is different and there are two styles of tapas service – Traditional & Modern.

Traditional Tapas: the complexity and quality of the tapas increase with each round of drinks.

Modern Tapas has you order off a set menu with every round.

Both have their benefits with the Traditional style generally being slightly cheaper than the modern, with prices starting at 1.5Euros.

One that became a quick favourite for us was Babel World Fusion. Their tapas menu offers a range of fusion dishes served and a good range of drinks, but the real reason it became a favourite was the ambience – it was warm and inviting, the staff were great, and it was almost always full (It was also a block away from our Pension).

Granada, SpainGranada is an excellent city and I thoroughly enjoyed my time here relaxing and refreshing after Morocco. There were several things I would have liked to do but didn’t find time for this time around including Flamenco in a Gypsy Cave. Granada is geared towards visitors, providing a huge amount of information on the web and the city is easy to navigate. There are many places to visit as well as well signposted tourist walks featuring some excellent lookouts. It’s a great place to relax and catch your breath.

When we left, we took the bus north again to Murcia then changed buses for Yecla.

Other stories from Spain:

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Australia FlagYecla - Our Month Living in Spain

Spain Flag

Yecla - Nuestro Mes de la vida en España

Australia FlagYecla - Gastronomy

Spain Flag

Yecla - Gastronomía

Australia FlagYecla - Working without a Common Language

Spain Flag Yecla -Voluntariado

Australia FlagMadrid

 

Northern Morocco and Gouffre du Friouato

Details
Parent Category: Travel Over There
Category: 2014 - Gap Year
Created: Tuesday, 18 March 2014 18:29

Nor001We arrived to our hotel, located just inside the medina, in Fez as the sun was setting. The Medina is the largest and oldest in the world, the hotel staff quickly informed us, along with the areas nearby that were safe to visit at night (which was very small). We are told that the Medina is an immense sprawl that is mostly safe by day but not so much at night. There are pickpockets and various other disreputable individuals prepared to take advantage of tourists. Fez is the first place we have been in Morocco where we didn’t feel completely safe.

We took a tour of Fez, from ancient ramparts overlooking the city and into the medina itself. Fez was a larger more labyrinthine variation of Marrakech and it seemed that Fez was all about scale: The medina was bigger, the streets narrower, the interior decorations grander; the city which was once three towns, now one, consumed every centimetre of available land. One thing that stood out to me more than any of the other medinas was the amount of stores selling the same items. It’s a common thing you find in any market but the sheer volume made me wonder how any of them earn enough to stay open.

Nor002In Fez we were taken to a couple of buildings that stood out as impressive, but our local guide did not take us to the famous Bou Inania Medersa and museum, telling us it was currently closed to the public. He did however take us to a different restored madrasa, another restored building that sold carpets and supported a local Women’s Association, and the tannery which did not smell as bad as I thought it would. We watched a while as skins were worked, soaked and tanned, a small bushel of mint at hand in case the smell began to over power.

From my dealings with the local guide in Fez, and the style of city tour he provided, I realised that like any large city Fez as less about satisfaction than profit.

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The next day however was the highpoint of Northern Morocco for us, Tazekka National Park and the Gouffre du Friouato. The park is located east of Fez, and there several routes available including a relatively new toll road, but for the outbound journey we opted for the scenic route. Through the country side past fertile fields we drove heading back into the Middle Atlas. The road weaved along a beautiful valley then up along the mountains themselves. There were a few small villages along the way but the road was essentially deserted. The views were spectacular as we drove this lonesome narrow road, each crest more beautiful, each turn bringing a panorama grander with the Rif mountains visible to the north. Dotted periodically were national park and hiking signs, promising a difficult hike through pristine country (a promise I will take up when I return here sometime in the future).The drive was one of the best and most beautiful we had in Morocco.

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Eventually we descended from the mountains to again drive the valley floor which gradually opened to a plain dotted with houses. When we arrived at Gouffre du Friouato (Abyss of Friouato) we almost missed it. We drove up the road where there was a small office and café, and stopped for green tea with absinthe.

Nor008-CThe Gouffre office has a small selection of overalls and equipment to choose from, and an experienced guide to take you through. The cave is roughly 3 kilometres in length with broad paths and hollows. The initial descent to the grotto involves going down a steep metal staircase then a slightly less steep stone one. The grotto is broad with an incredible amount of light due to the large hole in the cave’s roof. Wherever the light reaches are mosses and lichens. Anyone can go into the grotto without equipment, which is impressive, but we wanted to venture inside.

In the extra kilometre we explored, there were only a few sections that were small or difficult to traverse. The biggest trouble people may have is that this is a wet cave, almost every surface is moist and slippery. It is a young cave filled with some beautiful large stalagmites and stalactites, but their number is smaller than in other cave systems such as those at Naracoorte in South Australia. The cave also has numerous pools being fed by the perpetual dripping of water from the roof above.

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The Gouffre is a beautiful cave, and well worth the 400MAD (for 4 people) price of entry, and for us it was truly a highlight of northern Morocco. It was also great to see the enjoyment on Barhou’s and our friend Said’s face after the experience, as they didn’t know that there were adventures like this. The Gouffre du Friouato is not well advertised, but is easy enough to find and offers a unique Moroccan experience.

Nor024We headed north to Chefchouen, our last stop on our Moroccan Odyssey. Chefchaouen is also known as the blue city, due to the number of blue buildings in the old city you can see from a distance. We wandered around Chefchouen for the afternoon and relaxed with food. It is a beautiful town but sadly after three weeks of moving place to place, experience to experience, we did not give it enough energy to make it possible to report on.

The following day we departed Chefchouen for Tangier Med to catch a ferry to Spain and the next stage of our year long journey across the globe.

 




	Nor025Other Experiences in Morocco:



	 


Marrakech
Essaouira
Marrakech to Imil
The Route of a Thousand Kasbahs
A Walk in the Dades Gorge
A Night at Erg Chebbi, the Sahara
The Middle Atlas



	 



	

		 









		

			




			

				

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