Search results for: spain

Daily Wanderlust: Seville, Spain

It’s no secret my heart belongs to Spain. After all, it is the one country I spent the most time in during my long-term travels, bopping in and out more more than a handful of times before I risked deportation. In fact, Spain is the one place I can imagine myself staying long-term … itContinue reading “Daily Wanderlust: Seville, Spain”

Daily Wanderlust: the ancient Queimada ceremony in Spain

During my time in Spain, I spent two separate weeks with the Vaughantown program teaching English to Spaniards. The first round was in an old and gorgeous village, Valdelavilla — the only English-speaking town in Spain. The second stint was in the beautiful and scenic Monfrague National Park during the heart of the Spanish spring.Continue reading “Daily Wanderlust: the ancient Queimada ceremony in Spain”

Benidorm – the most British part of Spain

Benidorm. A city with towering hotels stacked 60 floors high above the multi-colored umbrellas lining the beaches which are packed with people. If you are familiar with Benidorm at all, then you know it is a British hotspot. Fish and chip restaurants next to fish and chips restaurants, lobster-red people roam the sidewalks, white sandsContinue reading “Benidorm – the most British part of Spain”

Getting pricked in Spain

I stood in the back office of the pharmacy off of Francisco Silvela, arm sleeved rolled up, fist clenched.

“No me gusto,” I said to the pharmacy technician as she prepared removed the shot from its white box.

“Si,” she said, sympathizing with me (?).

And then I felt the needle break the skin. Then, it was over.

“Gracias,” I said, smiling with relief. “Hasta luego.”

“Adios,” she responded.

I gathered my belongings and headed out the door back into the overcast Madrid day.

That was shot numero dos, Hepatitis A.

The only English-speaking town in Spain

Tucked into the Soria region of Spain is a little mountain village is Valdelavilla — a place completely isolated from the rest of the world, where Spaniards trek to learn English through intensive language immersion programs. It’s the only place in Spain where English is the first language.

Other than people participating in the program and the few staff on hand to take care of the property, there is nothing.

There are no stores. There is no cell phone service. The restaurant is located in an old villa. The bar has no stools and doubles as the “internet cafe.” So does the bench outside reception. And, the wifi is about as speedy as an old-school dial-up connection. The more people pow-wowing online at Valdelavilla, the slower it goes.

Despite these things, I fell in love with the town at first sight.

Beach Bliss and Villa Mercedes in Puerto Vallarta

The humid air hits me on the jetway, causing a smile to remain plastered to my face from immigration to crossing the street outside of the airport to get a taxi (hint: it’s cheaper if you grab a cab off airport property). I hop in the front seat of my taxi and produce the addressContinue reading “Beach Bliss and Villa Mercedes in Puerto Vallarta”

Sea Monkey and Sunsets

The surf pounds the well-packed sand, littered with seaweed. I sit, toes buried deep where the water meets the shore. Behind me, local vendors run a sales rotation at Puerto Vallarta’s Sea Monkey, a beach bar with a handful of tables and umbrellas nestled on the coastline. They sell everything: Drawings. Jewelry. Marionettes. Clothing. Massages. As eachContinue reading “Sea Monkey and Sunsets”

Seven Years After Solo Travel

“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” the ticket agent said to me before we hung up the phone on that winter night in Atlanta in 2010. Pure joy shot through my veins after we disconnected. Sitting in my apartment in the 100-year-old house, listening to the cars pass my house on their wayContinue reading “Seven Years After Solo Travel”