Feliz Navidad from our flat in Alcala de Henares, Spain
Veselé Vánoce from Old Town Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
Veselé Vánoce "Eve" from Prague - Thanks Keely!(Check out Cory's amazing decorations on the tree - we didn't have to buy a thing
Monday, December 31, 2007
Merry Christmas - Feliz Navidad - Veselé Vánoce
Merry Christmas to you all. We are cozy in Prague, Czech Republic, loving this time with one another but missing our families. Wishing you the peace and joy that only Christ offers! More updates on our travels to come...
Feliz Navidad from our flat in Alcala de Henares, Spain
Veselé Vánoce from Old Town Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
Veselé Vánoce "Eve" from Prague - Thanks Keely!
(Check out Cory's amazing decorations on the tree - we didn't have to buy a thing
Feliz Navidad from our flat in Alcala de Henares, SpainVeselé Vánoce from Old Town Centre, Prague, Czech RepublicVeselé Vánoce "Eve" from Prague - Thanks Keely!(Check out Cory's amazing decorations on the tree - we didn't have to buy a thing
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Obrigado Portugal
So, the posse of four continued on to Portugal the next weekend. We left Madrid in another diesel supercharged economy car (we love Europe) with two bags of Jamon (ham) flavored chips, some donuts, Fanta, and Ryan's black licorice candy...only the best road snacks. The road trip was about 6 hours and full of ham scented burps that no one fessed up to. Half way through we stopped at Antonio Jesus Ramon Rodriguez 's, or AR Cerveceria as the sign said, for a quick lunch. Fifty eight euros later ($90), we found our selves with more sausage and ham in our bellies than we had planned on, and a lot less money in our pockets. Antonio, with his super fast Spanish and jolly smile, suckered us into numerous sampling plates of "the best cured ham in Spain". We left nauseous and grumpy...
We continued on our journey to Lisbon; where we found out that our magnificent cook, Ryan, is a animal at the wheel, cutting off Portuguese drivers and running through tollways without paying. We set off the tollway alarm just as we entered Lisbon..."Well, none of us speak Portuguese, we can just play tourist if we get in trouble." Our tollway adrenaline rush lead us through the windy maze of the Bairro Alto streets in Lisbon. Ryan narrowly missed hitting cars, spoke French to get directions, peeled rubber after stalling the car a few times up a crazy steep hill...and finally...parked the car in a SmartCar sized spot right outside our flat. Phew...ding free! Go Ryan!! We were all glad he was driving.
Lisbon treated us to cheaper food (yummy custard tarts), a world class oceanarium, a mix of ancient tiled buildings in the area of Bairro Alto and super modern architecture along the Tagus river. The night time brought us back to our rented bohemian decorated flat for a homemade dinner and a round of Loaded Questions (classic fav of the Lyons). Tim hit the sack early each night because he is allergic to Portugal! My husband has chronic allergies. Those of you who know him, know what I am talking about (however, he is pretty sexy when he comes to bed with those little kleenex balls in his nostrils). Poor guy.
The next day the troops were roused for a Saturday on the beaches of the Atlantic. We Colorado kids acted like we've never been to a beach before! We played this amazing game called "Chase the Wave". Feeling like we were ten, we ran after the water as it receded, and then retreated as quick as we could as the wave formed and crashed down. Cor got a little too cocky and was the first unfortunate victim to get her jeans soaking wet. All in all, the beach was amazing and we had a great time being kids with Jess and Ryan. We were slowed down on our way back to Lisbon because Allergy Tim got the car high centered in some deep sand...
A quick note about our last stop in Portugal - a town named Sintra, just northwest of Lisbon...first off, go there. Amazing. Really cool castle, lush forest and great (but expensive) food. We need to give a shout out to our waiter who was full of coarse joking and funny stories. He had a bad case of the poopy mouth, but did speak amazing English.
We returned home with leftover ham chips and black licorice candies.
See some fun pics (here)...get comfy, this is a long slide show thanks to Jess' nice camera and her skills. If you'd like to speed up the slideshow, click on the link in the lower left of the slide show screen. Don't forget to click the (i) in the middle of the pictures during the slide show for a comment.
TIMandCOR
The Travelin' Posse at the palace in Sintra
Looking out our bedroom window in Lisbon...LOVE those tiles!
Chase the wave! So fun!
We continued on our journey to Lisbon; where we found out that our magnificent cook, Ryan, is a animal at the wheel, cutting off Portuguese drivers and running through tollways without paying. We set off the tollway alarm just as we entered Lisbon..."Well, none of us speak Portuguese, we can just play tourist if we get in trouble." Our tollway adrenaline rush lead us through the windy maze of the Bairro Alto streets in Lisbon. Ryan narrowly missed hitting cars, spoke French to get directions, peeled rubber after stalling the car a few times up a crazy steep hill...and finally...parked the car in a SmartCar sized spot right outside our flat. Phew...ding free! Go Ryan!! We were all glad he was driving.
Lisbon treated us to cheaper food (yummy custard tarts), a world class oceanarium, a mix of ancient tiled buildings in the area of Bairro Alto and super modern architecture along the Tagus river. The night time brought us back to our rented bohemian decorated flat for a homemade dinner and a round of Loaded Questions (classic fav of the Lyons). Tim hit the sack early each night because he is allergic to Portugal! My husband has chronic allergies. Those of you who know him, know what I am talking about (however, he is pretty sexy when he comes to bed with those little kleenex balls in his nostrils). Poor guy.
The next day the troops were roused for a Saturday on the beaches of the Atlantic. We Colorado kids acted like we've never been to a beach before! We played this amazing game called "Chase the Wave". Feeling like we were ten, we ran after the water as it receded, and then retreated as quick as we could as the wave formed and crashed down. Cor got a little too cocky and was the first unfortunate victim to get her jeans soaking wet. All in all, the beach was amazing and we had a great time being kids with Jess and Ryan. We were slowed down on our way back to Lisbon because Allergy Tim got the car high centered in some deep sand...
A quick note about our last stop in Portugal - a town named Sintra, just northwest of Lisbon...first off, go there. Amazing. Really cool castle, lush forest and great (but expensive) food. We need to give a shout out to our waiter who was full of coarse joking and funny stories. He had a bad case of the poopy mouth, but did speak amazing English.
We returned home with leftover ham chips and black licorice candies.
See some fun pics (here)...get comfy, this is a long slide show thanks to Jess' nice camera and her skills. If you'd like to speed up the slideshow, click on the link in the lower left of the slide show screen. Don't forget to click the (i) in the middle of the pictures during the slide show for a comment.
TIMandCOR
The Travelin' Posse at the palace in Sintra
Looking out our bedroom window in Lisbon...LOVE those tiles!
Chase the wave! So fun!Sunday, December 23, 2007
Barth...Colorful Barcelona
Last month, our friends, Jess and Ryan, arrived in
We took our first trip to
The city of
See pics (here) (and don't forget to click the (i) in the middle of the picture when the slideshow opens)
Our friend and professional photographer, Jess, composed these picture videos on a new site she came across. They give you a good 30 second glimpse of our trip. I feel like I’m in a photoshoot. Be prepared to dance while you watch…
Barcelona Flat (here)
Mercat de la Boqueria (here)
Gaudi (here)
On the beach...short sleeves in November!
Dining over a fabulous homemade Barcelona meal of seafood (thanks to Ryan!). This was taken at our way cool flat we rented for the weekend.
Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia still remains unfinished almost 100 years later, but it is spectacular.Thursday, November 29, 2007
Bonjour Mes Amis!
See Paris pics here.
So, I always heard that Paris was just a big, dirty city. Well, we completely disagree - we love Paris! As my co-worker from England said in her Brit accent, "There really is something special about it". We went to the City of Lights Nov. 16 - 19 and can't wait to return. We stayed in a studio apartment that we found on a super resourceful website called www.homelidays.com - great deals and full of fun places to stay. Anyways, the apartment was at the top (90 stair hike) of a 17th century building near La Porte Saint-Denis.
There was a metro/bus strike while we were there, a protest of Sarkozy's new plan to reform retirement rules for civil servants, so, we were forced to walk everywhere in the cold, cold Parisian Air. Compared to the warm, blue skies of Madrid, Paris was like Antarctica, seriously cold. However, this gave us the chance to really see the city. We, of course, saw the Louvre, Eiffel Tower all lit up, Musee d'Orsay, Norte Dame and St. Chappelle. The food in France was so great - we loved every minute of it: cafe au lait, patisseries, fromage, et vin - amazing (especially compared to Spanish food, which is not our favorite so far). Tim's life is now complete too after enjoying the beloved, un croque-monsieur, a meal he had a dreamed about since middle school French class.
Paris is lined with quintessential cafes and outdoor flower shops. And the people really do ride around on their bikes with a basket loaded up with bread and a bouquet of flowers! I know - I saw it! If you get the chance to go to Paris - go! But be prepared to spend an arm and a leg. It's incredibly expensive!
See Paris pics here.
P.S. We've commented on the pictures. Click the (i) on the first picture in the slideshow to read them.
In front of The Louvre (remember the scene from DaVinci Code?)
Flower market (they had fresia, berries and kale!)
So, I always heard that Paris was just a big, dirty city. Well, we completely disagree - we love Paris! As my co-worker from England said in her Brit accent, "There really is something special about it". We went to the City of Lights Nov. 16 - 19 and can't wait to return. We stayed in a studio apartment that we found on a super resourceful website called www.homelidays.com - great deals and full of fun places to stay. Anyways, the apartment was at the top (90 stair hike) of a 17th century building near La Porte Saint-Denis.
There was a metro/bus strike while we were there, a protest of Sarkozy's new plan to reform retirement rules for civil servants, so, we were forced to walk everywhere in the cold, cold Parisian Air. Compared to the warm, blue skies of Madrid, Paris was like Antarctica, seriously cold. However, this gave us the chance to really see the city. We, of course, saw the Louvre, Eiffel Tower all lit up, Musee d'Orsay, Norte Dame and St. Chappelle. The food in France was so great - we loved every minute of it: cafe au lait, patisseries, fromage, et vin - amazing (especially compared to Spanish food, which is not our favorite so far). Tim's life is now complete too after enjoying the beloved, un croque-monsieur, a meal he had a dreamed about since middle school French class.
Paris is lined with quintessential cafes and outdoor flower shops. And the people really do ride around on their bikes with a basket loaded up with bread and a bouquet of flowers! I know - I saw it! If you get the chance to go to Paris - go! But be prepared to spend an arm and a leg. It's incredibly expensive!
See Paris pics here.
P.S. We've commented on the pictures. Click the (i) on the first picture in the slideshow to read them.
Torre Eiffel (en espanol) - it was pretty sweet to see and a lot larger in real life.
In front of The Louvre (remember the scene from DaVinci Code?)
Flower market (they had fresia, berries and kale!)Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Our Camera and the North
It's been a month since our last entry and there is plenty to talk about. First and foremost, there are pictures from our last entry about El Escorial and the beautiful vineyard we went to, to harvest grapes and taste wine. Crush them grapes! See those pics here.
In wondering about the Spanish ability to stay up late and rally the following morning for work, we learned some interesting facts. Although on the surface it appears that this beast never sleeps, we found out that it does, in fact, rest during working hours. Supposedly, Spain's workforce has the greatest number of working hours in Europe but has the lowest productivity, go figure! Now I understand. As a teacher of English, my classes are full of these slackers, showing up late, talking the class away with their friends, and often playing hooky. To make my job easier, Spain has a number of four day weekends they call a puente (bridge). Many holidays are on Thursdays and the mentality is "well, we had Thursday off, we mine as well take Friday off too!" Hence the puente from Thursday to the weekend. All that to say, Cor and I have had a chance to travel a fair amount because of this.
In early November we travelled from Madrid an hour or so to Toledo. As a former capital of the Spanish empire, it had many historical sites, but was most interesting due to it's coexisting Christian, Jewish, and Moorish cultures and the influence it had on the architecture. Thanks to Delta, though, we don't have many pics, just me playing with a sword, Cor's favorite marzipan snacks, and some new friends of ours from Arkansas, Chris and Melissa. (see those pics here)
We also made it to the Spanish provinces of Austurias and Cantabria in the north. For this adventure, we traveled with our French made Renault Megane, diesel, six-speed. Let's just say this road hog went 900 km on 50 liters of gas. You do the math and then go buy a Volkswagen TDI. Amazing gas mileage. We were equally impressed with the Picos de Europa on our way north. The Picos are an impressive mountain range near the coast. They brought us back to our Coloradoan roots...cool air, fall colors, down jackets, and hats. Fall was in full effect and so were the crowds. I think because of the puente, people headed for the hills for a holiday to see the beautiful colors. A two hour drive from the Picos we made it to the Cantabrian Sea and the coastal towns of Llanes and Poo. Yes Poo! We came prepared to camp and put up our little tent overlooking one of the many coves at a campground. Camping is definitely popular here but more in the context of car camping, manicured campsites placed over a large area by the hundreds. So needless to say, we had a few neighbors. It was still tons of fun and cheaper than staying at hotel. Llanes also treated us to some great cheese and cider houses. I can't really explain their cider-drinking traditions because I don't understand the whys, but it was pretty dang funny. Picture one hand holding the cider bottle at arms length above your head, the other hand holding the glass at arms length around your waist trying to match where the cider is falling. You want to create as many bubbles as you can in the glass and then drink all that is in the glass except for a small backwash portion that you just pour out on the floor. It sure was fun. We saw some interesting art from a local artist out on a pier in the form of 8-foot by 8-foot blocks of crumbled cement and moseyed around on the sand in the numerous, beautiful coves. We headed back to Madrid only to stop for the night in Salamanca. We didn't have much time here but did get to watch Barcelona beat up on Lazzio in a soccer match. Sooner or later we will get to a live game. Other adventures ensued in Novemeber but we'll write that in the next entry. Hopefully in the next few days. Talk to y'all soon.
pics of the north (here)
p.s. Pics were taken with a disposable, but good news, we have accessories for our digital camera now and will be uploading better pictures soon!
T*C
In wondering about the Spanish ability to stay up late and rally the following morning for work, we learned some interesting facts. Although on the surface it appears that this beast never sleeps, we found out that it does, in fact, rest during working hours. Supposedly, Spain's workforce has the greatest number of working hours in Europe but has the lowest productivity, go figure! Now I understand. As a teacher of English, my classes are full of these slackers, showing up late, talking the class away with their friends, and often playing hooky. To make my job easier, Spain has a number of four day weekends they call a puente (bridge). Many holidays are on Thursdays and the mentality is "well, we had Thursday off, we mine as well take Friday off too!" Hence the puente from Thursday to the weekend. All that to say, Cor and I have had a chance to travel a fair amount because of this.
In early November we travelled from Madrid an hour or so to Toledo. As a former capital of the Spanish empire, it had many historical sites, but was most interesting due to it's coexisting Christian, Jewish, and Moorish cultures and the influence it had on the architecture. Thanks to Delta, though, we don't have many pics, just me playing with a sword, Cor's favorite marzipan snacks, and some new friends of ours from Arkansas, Chris and Melissa. (see those pics here)
We also made it to the Spanish provinces of Austurias and Cantabria in the north. For this adventure, we traveled with our French made Renault Megane, diesel, six-speed. Let's just say this road hog went 900 km on 50 liters of gas. You do the math and then go buy a Volkswagen TDI. Amazing gas mileage. We were equally impressed with the Picos de Europa on our way north. The Picos are an impressive mountain range near the coast. They brought us back to our Coloradoan roots...cool air, fall colors, down jackets, and hats. Fall was in full effect and so were the crowds. I think because of the puente, people headed for the hills for a holiday to see the beautiful colors. A two hour drive from the Picos we made it to the Cantabrian Sea and the coastal towns of Llanes and Poo. Yes Poo! We came prepared to camp and put up our little tent overlooking one of the many coves at a campground. Camping is definitely popular here but more in the context of car camping, manicured campsites placed over a large area by the hundreds. So needless to say, we had a few neighbors. It was still tons of fun and cheaper than staying at hotel. Llanes also treated us to some great cheese and cider houses. I can't really explain their cider-drinking traditions because I don't understand the whys, but it was pretty dang funny. Picture one hand holding the cider bottle at arms length above your head, the other hand holding the glass at arms length around your waist trying to match where the cider is falling. You want to create as many bubbles as you can in the glass and then drink all that is in the glass except for a small backwash portion that you just pour out on the floor. It sure was fun. We saw some interesting art from a local artist out on a pier in the form of 8-foot by 8-foot blocks of crumbled cement and moseyed around on the sand in the numerous, beautiful coves. We headed back to Madrid only to stop for the night in Salamanca. We didn't have much time here but did get to watch Barcelona beat up on Lazzio in a soccer match. Sooner or later we will get to a live game. Other adventures ensued in Novemeber but we'll write that in the next entry. Hopefully in the next few days. Talk to y'all soon.
pics of the north (here)
p.s. Pics were taken with a disposable, but good news, we have accessories for our digital camera now and will be uploading better pictures soon!
T*C
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Tren Sin Servicio Y "Heroes"
I don't know about you all but I will have nightmares because of "Heroes", the critically acclaimed t.v. show on NBC. If you haven't seen it yet I don't recommend. Cor and I are scared to go bed right now so we decided to update the blog. Happy for you! Internet TV is pretty amazing though.
Unfortunately, our camera accessories are in some distant land with our missing baggage so there are no local picture updates. There are, however, some pictures of our dog Chauce and his new friend Baxter (jk jon)! Baker and Chauce are having a blast in Greeley, Colorado at our friends the Hoppins. We are so grateful, Jonny and Heather! It makes us really happy.
So in Spanish news I have picked up a few more teaching gigs. My favorite is a 12 year old boy named Alvaro who loves the Denver Nuggets. He knows more about the team and schedule then I do which makes our hour class go by pretty fast when he brings up the latest news on Mellow and A.I. And Speaking of sports...How bout' those Rockies! Go on you Rockies, win a World Series! I'm honestly not a baseball fan but I got super excited following their streak. I also teach a 35 year old women, a 13 year old boy, a 19 year old boy, and two business men from a company based in Madrid. Teaching English has been pretty enjoyable and compared to my teaching job back in the States, it's like a quarter of the work. Cor says like an eighth! No grading, no classroom management, and not a ton of planning.
Last week I finished my TEFL classes and after completing 40 hours of "internship" I'll receive my certificate. It's kind of funny though that most of my jobs haven't even asked to see the certificate. English teachers are in great demand here! On Friday we met up with Mr. Jim of Young Life Madrid and learned of the happenings Young Life style in Spain. Very cool. We also made three new friends through Jim and later on sucked down some Beamish Stout and Newcastle with them at a Pub in the city (I can only drink so much Mahou). I became a fan of Rugby that night, as well, watching Argentina upset France in the World cup Runner-Up match. Later that night we found out the train returning to our hometown of Alcala had shut down. Around midnight they are "sin servicio" so we were forced to put our Spanish to the test and find a bus. We got back here at like 3:30 am and were so tired. We're obviously not accustomed to the lifestyle yet seeing that most of the town was still up. Crazy Spaniards stay up all night! I don't know how they do it.
This weekend we're off to Toledo. More blogging to come and greetings to all...
T*C
Pics of the boss, here
Unfortunately, our camera accessories are in some distant land with our missing baggage so there are no local picture updates. There are, however, some pictures of our dog Chauce and his new friend Baxter (jk jon)! Baker and Chauce are having a blast in Greeley, Colorado at our friends the Hoppins. We are so grateful, Jonny and Heather! It makes us really happy.
So in Spanish news I have picked up a few more teaching gigs. My favorite is a 12 year old boy named Alvaro who loves the Denver Nuggets. He knows more about the team and schedule then I do which makes our hour class go by pretty fast when he brings up the latest news on Mellow and A.I. And Speaking of sports...How bout' those Rockies! Go on you Rockies, win a World Series! I'm honestly not a baseball fan but I got super excited following their streak. I also teach a 35 year old women, a 13 year old boy, a 19 year old boy, and two business men from a company based in Madrid. Teaching English has been pretty enjoyable and compared to my teaching job back in the States, it's like a quarter of the work. Cor says like an eighth! No grading, no classroom management, and not a ton of planning.
Last week I finished my TEFL classes and after completing 40 hours of "internship" I'll receive my certificate. It's kind of funny though that most of my jobs haven't even asked to see the certificate. English teachers are in great demand here! On Friday we met up with Mr. Jim of Young Life Madrid and learned of the happenings Young Life style in Spain. Very cool. We also made three new friends through Jim and later on sucked down some Beamish Stout and Newcastle with them at a Pub in the city (I can only drink so much Mahou). I became a fan of Rugby that night, as well, watching Argentina upset France in the World cup Runner-Up match. Later that night we found out the train returning to our hometown of Alcala had shut down. Around midnight they are "sin servicio" so we were forced to put our Spanish to the test and find a bus. We got back here at like 3:30 am and were so tired. We're obviously not accustomed to the lifestyle yet seeing that most of the town was still up. Crazy Spaniards stay up all night! I don't know how they do it.
This weekend we're off to Toledo. More blogging to come and greetings to all...
T*C
Pics of the boss, here
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Vino, La Finca, & Segovia
Hard to believe we have been here almost three weeks! We have had a busy week with work and school, however, on either end of our work weeks we have our three day weekends! We are loving these long weekends because it gives us time to explore and travel. Last weekend we went to a vineyard with Tim's classmates from his TEFL course. The vineyard was delightful - picturesque! We helped harvest garancha grapes (depleting their supply as we sampled some from every vine!), attended a wine tasting, and then went to "La Finca", the farm. This farm was located in beautiful rolling hills, seemingly in the middle of no where. We dined on Sangria (chilled red wine mixed with fruit juice and chopped fruit), local Spanish dishes (such as blood sausage and many other "sausage mysteries", garbanzo beans, and figs), and were serenaded by fabulous flamenco musicians and a drum circle. We had a great time!!
This weekend we took a day trip to Segovia, a charming city with tight streets, plenty of history and boasts of their delicious cochinillo (roasted suckling pig...sad). The city is also home to the Alcazar, an enormous cathedral and Roman Aqueducts. The Alcazar is a ancient Muslim castle dating back to the 1200s. The castle reminded me of my favorite Disney movie...taking me back in time:) Turns out it was the castle that inspired the Walt Disney movie Sleeping Beauty!
The hunt continues for a place to stay for the year. Meanwhile, we fully enjoy our current spot right in the middle of town with our friend Karin. There are some pics from a Medieval Festival that took place this last week in Alcala de Henares (the long-named town we are living in) celebrating Cervantes, their local hero/author.
Hasta Luego!
Timmy and Cor
Segovia Pics, click here
Medieval Festival Pics, click here
Roman Aqueducts...we were told that they were originally constructed without the use of any mortar.
Huge moat. Scared Tim. Where's Cor?
Ancient Barrel Racing Attire, apparently very rare in Spain. This one's for you, Mama.
This weekend we took a day trip to Segovia, a charming city with tight streets, plenty of history and boasts of their delicious cochinillo (roasted suckling pig...sad). The city is also home to the Alcazar, an enormous cathedral and Roman Aqueducts. The Alcazar is a ancient Muslim castle dating back to the 1200s. The castle reminded me of my favorite Disney movie...taking me back in time:) Turns out it was the castle that inspired the Walt Disney movie Sleeping Beauty!
The hunt continues for a place to stay for the year. Meanwhile, we fully enjoy our current spot right in the middle of town with our friend Karin. There are some pics from a Medieval Festival that took place this last week in Alcala de Henares (the long-named town we are living in) celebrating Cervantes, their local hero/author.
Hasta Luego!
Timmy and Cor
Segovia Pics, click here
Medieval Festival Pics, click here
This is the enormous cathedral in the center of Segovia.
Roman Aqueducts...we were told that they were originally constructed without the use of any mortar.
Huge moat. Scared Tim. Where's Cor?
Ancient Barrel Racing Attire, apparently very rare in Spain. This one's for you, Mama.Monday, October 1, 2007
We made it to Espana!
Que tal?! We are lovin' this place already! It is good to finally be in Spain after much prep, plannin' and dreamin'. Our plane got in on Tuesday morning, the 25th, and we have been going since we landed. We had a flew glitches along the way - lost luggage (still M.I.A) and a little scare with Tim's visa...but here we are!
We are living in Alcala de Henares, which is an old and charming Spanish university town. It is FULL of life and energy! We have dined on wine and tapas every night since we got here. If you can believe it, there are some places where a glass of wine is cheaper than a bottled water!
We have been staying in the center of town in a building that is over 500 years old! This is just our temporary home as we look for a permanent and barato(cheap...a key word for us) place to live for the year.
Our transition has been made VERY easy thanks to some new friends. Karin (aunt of our friend Katie Robinson), whom has been our hostess and has so graciously put us up; and Matt (hubbs of my oldest friend, Emily Shoup), whom has been our translator and Spain tour guide. They have made our lives nearly carefree. However, Matt flew back to the States today, so the true test comes this week as we hop into the language by ourselves!
As most of you know, I am here at an international language school for Spanish, and Tim is getting his TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)license and will be teaching and earnin' a livin'. Much to our surprise, however, we both landed jobs the third day we were here. We didn't have to go searching for them; these jobs actually came to us! The country is desperate for English teachers, so we will be teaching children (ages 4 - 13...Tim is the one with the 4 year old!) English. So, that part is done!
Day trips to Madrid and El Escorial (beautiful and huge palace/monastery/cemetery) are pictured on the blog. Both places are loaded with history, culture and art. We can't wait to dive into this country even more! Just so you know, our posts won't normally be this long. Thanks for reading!
Wine, tapas, y amor...
T & C
We are living in Alcala de Henares, which is an old and charming Spanish university town. It is FULL of life and energy! We have dined on wine and tapas every night since we got here. If you can believe it, there are some places where a glass of wine is cheaper than a bottled water!
We have been staying in the center of town in a building that is over 500 years old! This is just our temporary home as we look for a permanent and barato(cheap...a key word for us) place to live for the year.
Our transition has been made VERY easy thanks to some new friends. Karin (aunt of our friend Katie Robinson), whom has been our hostess and has so graciously put us up; and Matt (hubbs of my oldest friend, Emily Shoup), whom has been our translator and Spain tour guide. They have made our lives nearly carefree. However, Matt flew back to the States today, so the true test comes this week as we hop into the language by ourselves!
As most of you know, I am here at an international language school for Spanish, and Tim is getting his TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language)license and will be teaching and earnin' a livin'. Much to our surprise, however, we both landed jobs the third day we were here. We didn't have to go searching for them; these jobs actually came to us! The country is desperate for English teachers, so we will be teaching children (ages 4 - 13...Tim is the one with the 4 year old!) English. So, that part is done!
Day trips to Madrid and El Escorial (beautiful and huge palace/monastery/cemetery) are pictured on the blog. Both places are loaded with history, culture and art. We can't wait to dive into this country even more! Just so you know, our posts won't normally be this long. Thanks for reading!
Wine, tapas, y amor...
T & C
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