Leaning into Spanish Life
Since posting the last update, I feel like my life here in Santander has really bloomed! I've transitioned from simply settling in and starting to feel comfortable, to having a routine I love and taking advantage of all the amazing things in this city. This blog is a little late since Elena, her college friend Jaden and I had such a jam-packed weekend, but I am excited to share what all happened last week!
The weather Monday was not conducive for outdoor activities, so I decided to spend my day off doing some shopping and making my room feel more like home. I visited a vendor at the market near my apartment and got some local veggies, cheese and bread. I also picked up two new plants! They definitely spruce up my balcony space and I love looking at them in the morning while I eat my breakfast oats :)
On Tuesday, I traveled outside of the city to a smaller seaside town called Santoña to do a solo day hike. I got really lucky with a lovely sunny day that made for some stellar views of the coastline and surrounding mountains. There were a ton of French tourists and several Spanish school groups on the route and it was nice to not feel alone on the trail.
I must have looked like a tour guide because I was asked four separate times about the route, how far it was back to Santoña and how dangerous the terrain was. Honestly, I was just happy to practice my Spanish and pretend I knew what I was talking about. Also, being mistaken for a Spaniard is a new experience for me this year and I'm taking it to mean my language is slowly but surely improving :)
I decided to take a slight detour from the circular route to see el Faro del Caballo (a lighthouse) that was down closer to sea level than the trail was. In order to reach it, I had to descend 761 rock stairs (there was a sign...I didn't count them) that were in differing states of disrepair. The views over the ocean on the way down made the side mission worth it, but WOW was the way back up tough.
The French tourists I had previously passed were on their way down as I was huffing and puffing up the steep terrain and we shared some laughs about how sweaty I was. I also think some of them reconsidered going all the way to the lighthouse after seeing me.
After leaving the wooden path, I found the perfect spot to eat my packed lunch at the edge of a gorgeous beach. This stretch of sand was one of the widest I had ever seen and it made me feel so tiny walking around it. I also got to watch surfers catching some decent sized waves which made for great lunchtime entertainment.
When I returned to Santoña I still had a few hours before my bus so I finished up my book on a park bench overlooking the ocean. It was truly the perfect day trip and I think Elena and I will be headed back together sometime before Christmas break!
Wednesday was the start of my second work week and I got acquainted with some new students and teachers. During my lunch break, I read a little story about zoo animals to the five-year-old students. They were very excited about it but they are not very good at sitting in their seats, especially during lunchtime, so it was a very chaotic 15 minutes.
After work, I headed to Elena's so that we could do some trip planning and get some things booked for further on in our fall. We have decided to take a road trip to Santiago de Compestela for a long weekend in December. We were hoping to go to Belgium or Austria for some of the Christmas markets during that time, but the flight prices were outrageous so we decided to stay in Spain. I’m still hoping to make it to a colder country during December to see some Christmas markets, but I'm not sure where just yet!
On Thursday, Elena and I met up to go for a walk with some other language assistants who we hadn't met yet. We went to a park near the university and got to discover a new part of the city while talking to our new friends. I definitely clicked with a few people and I’m really hoping to see them again soon. Maybe for some Saturday night dance lessons!
After our little excursion, Elena and I split up, got ready and quickly met back up for a drink before going to a bachata class. There’s a bar in the city center called Samoa that has a one hour dance class every Thursday night from 11:00 to midnight. Elena is definitely the more dance-inclined of the two of us, but I was excited to see what it was all about and to learn some new moves.
We ended up having so much fun and I cannot wait to go back! However, I did have to demonstrate a new dance sequence with the instructor in front of the entire class, and that was a very humiliating and humbling moment for me. But all in all it was a great night and we met a lot of new people from all over including Italy, France, Brazil, and Columbia.
After wrapping up work on Friday, I had a great catch-up walk and talk (on the phone) with Victoria, one of my friends I met last year in Motril doing this program. It was so nice to chat with her and to see how well she's doing! On my way home, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some goods so I could make dinner for me and Elena. She had been surfing all day so I offered to cook for the two of us :)
We got ready to go out after dinner and we walked to speakeasy that I’ve been meaning to try for a while. There, we met up with a bunch of different languages assistants and got some funky themed drinks. It wasn’t the best environment for meeting new people since the music was too loud and the seating wasn’t ideal. However, we continued the evening at karaoke bar where the night turned around for the better. Elena and I ended up having a really great time dancing and singing with some new Spanish friends Andres and Paula!
Elena's friend Jaden had just completed the Portuguese route of the Camino and had taken a 9 hour bus from Santiago de Compostela to Santander. Her bus didn't arrive until 2:45 am so the three of us didn’t get back to my apartment until quite late and we definitely startled Pana (the dog) out of a deep sleep. I think he was really scared about being woken up and did not like that there were strangers in the house with me. However, once he calmed down, we all went to bed right away.
The weather on Saturday, Spain's National Day, was absolutely gorgeous and after we visited el Centro Botín, an art museum in the center, we took advantage of the sun by going for a walk and sitting near the ocean. After we had soaked in all the sunshine we could, we went back to my apartment and got ready for dinner which was absolutely delicious. Elena and I had decided to bring Jaden to our favorite pizza spot and it did not disappoint!
We met up with Elena's roommate Laura after our meal and the four of us had a quick drink before heading to the apartment of our friends, Sergio and Samuel, who we met our first day in Spain. It was a SUCH a Spanish night that didn’t end until 5:00 am, but we had a really good time and I’m so glad that Jaden was able to experience a real slice of Spanish life.
Sunday was off to an even slower start since we wanted to get some good sleep, but we were again blessed with amazing weather so we lounged in the Magdalena park all day and took a nice coastal stroll. We did a few errands and re-convened at a Moroccan restaurant for some of the best food we’ve had since being there. It was so nice to have vegetables on the menu that weren’t fried and to experience some different flavors.
On Monday, Jaden and I got to hang out since Elena was working but I had to run around all morning trying to get my paperwork in order for my identity card appointment. I need this card to be able to stay in Spain longer than three months since my visa expires after this time. It was a bit stressful since things kept going wrong at first, but everything ended up working out and once I was at the appointment, it all went smoothly.
I got a nice impromptu call from Emma Sab as I was leaving my fingerprinting appointment and it was SO great to talk to her! We chatted for my whole walk to meet Jaden at the beach and only paused when I had to step in while an older Spanish man emerged from the sea and was trying to communicate with Jaden...he was really a character.
The three of us rejoined forces after quick lunch and we all had a very relaxing afternoon before our sendoff dinner for Jaden. We had decided that her last meal had to be very Spanish and we went to a restaurant called Bodega Fuente Dé that looked like it could’ve been out of a movie. The food was really typical and tasty, although there was not a lot of meatless options, but it was a great way to celebrate her last night in Spain!
It was really fun getting to show Jaden Santander this weekend and I cannot wait for friends and family to come visit me! I’m really looking forward to showing off this amazing city and all the things that make it feel like home for us now.
Jessica. Don't do everything your first month in Northern Spain. Save some for your mon and dad. Just kidding. Have a blast. Sounds like that's what you are doing. Need a pic of your dog. Who cares for it when you are gone? Hugs x 100. GR
You’re a star, Jess! Looks beautiful :)