Crete

In September, my mum and I went to Crete for a week because we hadn't spent that much time together due to me being on my year abroad in Spain and then in France. We stayed in a hotel that was right next to the beach, in quite a remote little town but it was so lovely to be be abroad and not have to worry about going to work or to classes. We spent the entire week either led by the pool or on the beach and it was just fantastic to have a real relax.

It was so nice spending time with my mum and the views were beautiful, especially when the sunset over the mountains and the food was great too, I had the most amazing strawberry slush and waffle that I've ever tasted and all the staff and locals were lovely.

 

 



 
 
 
 

Arles, Les Baux-de-Provence & Carcassonne

This blogpost is very late as I've been home from France for just over 2 months now but I realised that I never wrote my post of the 2 day trips I went on in the last week of my time in Montpelier.

The first day trip I went on was to Arles and Baux de Provence. We set off from Montpelier in the morning and once we arrived in Arles we went on a tour of the city. We first went to the Arles Roman Amphitheatre which was built in 90AD and was used to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and hand to hand battles but it now mainly only used during festivals.

We then went and saw the crypts where the Romans stored food and used them as escape routes if the city was attacked. Next we visited l'espace Van Gogh, which is the area that Van Gogh visited and we saw the real life places that have featured in some of Van Gogh's most famous paintings including 'Cafe Nuit' and 'Garden of the Hospital in Arles.' The tour guide gave us a lot of information on Van Gogh including the fact that the people of Arles made a petition to remove Van Gogh from the city because they didn't like him.

 


After visiting a food market where we bought some lunch, we went to see a Roman theatre and then got back on the coach and went to another place called Les Baux-de-Provence.




Les Baux-de-Provence is a commune which is located in the Alpilles mountains and therefore has some fantastic views of the surrounding French countryside.

The following day, we went on a day trip to Carcassonne to visit the medieval fortified city. The fortified city consists of two outer walls with 53 towers to prevent an attack from the surrounding city, as it was occupied by the rich. It was very interesting to find out the history of the city and visiting a place that looks like it has come straight out of a film was amazing.

Marseille

On Sunday I took a day trip to Marseille, which is the second biggest city in France, with the school I'm studying at.  We set off at 8.30 am from the train station and on the way I finally got to watch the infamous French film, "Intouchables."

When we arrived gave us lots of information on the history of the city while we made it to the top of a hill where the Notre-Dame de la Garde is situated. Notre-Dame de la Garde is a basilica with a beautiful interior and a fantastic panoramic view over the city and port of Marseille.

We then went down to the old port and had some free time in which we ate and took photos of our reflections in the huge mirror by the port. After lunch we went to a cathedral and then went to see the huge forts of Fort Saint-Nicolas and Fort Saint-Jean. Fort Saint-Jean was built in 1660 by Louis XIV and was built to protect Marseille from the many attacks it received throughout history. We walked along the bridge which links the fort to the port which was built in 2013 when Marseille was the Eueopeen Capital of Culture.  The bridge gives great views of the clear blue Mediterranean. 

Finally we got to try famous drink from the region although I have no idea what it was called but I do know it was awful. We then got back on the coach where practically everyone fell asleep on the way back to Montpellier.

La petite Venise du Languedoc

Yesterday, I signed up to go on an excursion to a city called Sète or "La petite Venise du Languedoc'' which is about 45 minutes from Montpellier. After arriving we went up to the top of Mont St-Clair which is a hill that gives a panoramic view of the city and the Mediterranean. At the top out guide expalined the history of the city and how many had dreamed of connecting the Mediterranean to the Atlantic to provide a safe inland route and to avoid having to go around the Iberian peninsula where there were storms and pirates. They had a lack of money to do so but in 1662 a man called Pierre-Paul Riquet made it his goal to complete the canal and so Louis XIV gave him 10 years of funding to complete it. However, after 10 years it was incomplete and so the funding stopped and so he borrowed money from the banks to finish his work and eventually finished in 1681 but then the stress of repayments killed him. In 1996 the Canal du Midi was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Church that was on Mont St-Clair

After we had a tour around the city where the guide told us that it's known as "La petite Venise du Languedoc" or "Little Venice" due to all the canals that run through the city and explained the major sport of water jousting which is where two teams on rowing boats joust. It is such a pretty city and it did remind me of Venice.  

After we had some free time to have a look around and do some shopping and then we got back in the bus and headed to a wine shop where we got to sample 5 different wines from the region as it used export huge amounts of wine to Algeria. All the wines were delicious and I especially loved the experience because I love wine and got to try 3 different types of white wine which were all lovely despite me thinking I didn't like white wine. We then headed back to Montpellier where we got dropped off at the train station. I had a great day and it was nice to see a city that I would never have thought to go and see if it wasn't advertised at the school. 

France

 After finishing my time in Spain, I had to find somewhere to go in France. I originally decided to be an aupair but after speaking to some families I realised that I probably wouldn't get to speak as much French as I'd have wanted. I wanted somewhere I could practice my other language after speaking a lot of English while in Spain so I decided to study and found a school called LSF in Montpellier for 5 weeks. I also wanted to do something where I don't have any responsibility over anyone else after teaching. This first week has gone relatively fast and although I do like my classes, I'm hoping the next 4 weeks fly by. 

I have 3 and a half hours of classes every morning and free afternoons. The classes are great as they are entirely in French and the teachers don't speak much English so we have to talk and explain ourselves completely in French. It's very strange to be hearing French after such a long time where I neglected the language, but I'm surprised how quickly it comes back. Although there are 2 Spaniards in my class who flip between the 2 languages which sometimes hurts my head. 

I'm also living with a woman in a host family which is taking a bit of getting used to as it is very different from sharing a flat with people my age. 

So far I've found Montpellier extremely hot but it's a nice city with really interesting buildings and a lot of green spaces. I'm here for 4 more weeks so I'm hoping to explore some of the nearby areas and hoping I quickly get used to the heat.    

Has My YA Changed Me?

After being home from the first part of my YA in Spain, I reflected on if my time abroad has changed me before I head off again to France in a month or so.

Before my year abroad started I heard and read of so many people saying that your year abroad completely changes you and you come back a different person with different interests and now find yourself bored with the things that used to interest you.

While thinking about this at first I thought I hadn't changed much at all. I mean I still like the same things I did, I still act like I did and I still have the same hopes as I did. However, when I started thinking about it I guess I have changed more than I would have thought. 

Before my YA I'd never flown alone, never travelled alone, never had to deal with bureaucracy alone, never lived anywhere that wasn't my family home and certainly never taught a bunch of teenagers. 

This year has seen my fly alone and deal with trains and public transport as well as travelling to different cities solo. These things at first were hard but during the 9 months it has become much easier and things I don't really think about before doing any more. I've always been shy and always had someone to ask for things for me. However, this year I've not only had to do this myself but I've had to do it in Spanish. So in theory if I can do it in Spanish, I should have no problem in England where I don't have to think about how to ask the question in another language first. 

Another thing I've had to deal with is Spanish bureaucracy in getting my NIE and setting up a bank account. This is particularly hard in a country that shuts up in the early afternoon, where they have no idea what urgency is and see absolutely no need to rush anything. These experiences have not only tested my patience but made me vow to appreciate the British way of doing things. 

I've definitely become more confident and independent which after dealing with teenagers everyday was probably inevitable. I trust my instincts more and do more things that I never had to do back home. I've learnt to cook new things and I've learnt how to use a washing machine and actually have to do washing. So I guess I have changed albeit not in obviously huge ways. I'm definitely the same person with regards to my interests but aspects of my personality have changed which I guess is inevitable after 9 months in a different country.

The Year Abroad Tag

After being home for a few days I decided to reflect on my time abroad. I saw this tag in a YouTube video before I came to Spain and as I was looking through my photos I saw the screenshot I took of the questions and so decided to write a post on it.

1. Most memorable moment/ encounter with a native person?

When I spent about an hour or so talking to two Spanish people. Despite being drunk, they understood everything I said and it was probably the most amount of Spanish I had spoken in one go. 

2. Proudest moment speaking the language?

When in Alicante Airport the guy in the shop responded in Spanish, which probably isn't the greatest achievement ever, but they'd always spoken in English despite me speaking Spanish and it was nice when they finally replied in Spanish. 

3. Biggest culture shock?

Definitely the lack of urgency Spanish people have when I'm used to having something done when I want but Spanish people don't rush anything and nothing is so important that it can't wait until tomorrow. 

4. Favourite aspect of the foreign culture?

How friendly everyone is when they see you and greet you. After a long weekend they greet you like they haven't seen you in ages and they're generally very friendly and chatty. 

5. Best memory?

My last class with my E12 group a it was lovely that they said they'd miss me and they had all enjoyed me teaching them as it made me realise I did actually make a difference which is a great feeling. 

6. What did you miss most about home? (not including people/places)

The fact that people respect your personal space in England. You don't need to be stood an inch away from my face when you're speaking and you definitely don't need to keep touching my arm during a conversation. 

7. Best night out?

Either the night when my two friends came to visit from home which was hilarious or the night I went to watch Valencia play Barcelona as I've always wanted to watch Barcelona play and it was a really good game and atmosphere, plus Barcelona which only about 20 away fans and myself were happy about. 

8. Most memorable plate of food/ food discovered?

Food definitely has to be Patatas Bravas which even though it's not the most exciting food, as a vegetarian I can't eat a lot of famous Spanish food and the massive plate I got in Sevilla was the most memorable food I've had here. 

9. Favourite photo?

This one from when my two friends came to visit as it was the happiest I've been while been here and it was so great having them in Valencia with me. 

Or if I'm cheating, this one from Take That which I technically saw whilst on my year abroad even if I returned to England to watch them, plus they were absolutely fantastic and I couldn't not mention them. 

10. Number one piece of personal character development?

Probably confidence and independence as I've managed to live without my family and not die and I've successfully dealt with Spanish bureaucracy and kept teenagers under control in the classroom.