There´s no place like home: Alicante!

Acting like a child on one of the many beautiful beaches that Alicante has to offer!

As I prepare myself for my eight and a half hour bus journey back to Córdoba tonight, I can´t help but feel sad. I love Córdoba, don´t for a second think I don´t, and I´m looking forward to going back but; there is just something about Alicante that makes me want to stay here forever! It most likely is because I have family here, who I miss terribly while I´m in Córdoba, or perhaps it´s just because, to me, Alicante is home! It´s an incredible city with so much to offer, as is Córdoba, but they couldn´t be more different from each other even if they tried! Perhaps that is why it was so easy for me to fall in love with both of them!

While Córdoba is a traditional city where the people are proud of their culture and traditions and of course proud to be Spanish, Alicante is much more cosmopolitan. Alicante, while proud of its roots and traditions, is very much influenced by other cultures and nationalities. It is not as old-fashioned or as quaint as other cities in Spain but it definitely has character.

Even though thousands of tourists flock to the beaches of Alicante every summer it has failed, unlike other beach resorts in this area for example Benidorm, to let tourism ruin its beauty! It has something to offer everybody, whether you enjoy basking in the glorious sunshine, visiting museums, castles, the old quarter or if shopping or a glamorous nightlife is what you´re after then Alicante is the place for you! The only downside, well for me anyway, and probably the main reason as to why I chose to live in Córdoba is that it´s virtually impossible to speak Spanish here! Strange as it may sound, seeing as it´s a Spanish city in all, but everyone here speaks english! No matter how hard you try to speak Spanish here the people always respond in english!

Anyway, seeing as I have limited time and also because I don´t want to bore you to death with my love for everything Spanish, I´m going to leave you now with some snapshots from one of my favourite places in Spain; Alicante! Enjoy, I hope the photos bring you as much joy as the city brings me!

Acting like a child on one of the many beautiful beaches that Alicante has to offer!

Have you ever been to Alicante? What did you think of it?

Hope you´ve had a fantastic Sunday and, as always, thank you for reading!

Giana xoxo

Las Hogueras- Lets set the world on fire!

Las Hogueras 2012

I´ve been blessed this week with the chance to visit some of my family here in Alicante. Not only have I got to spend some much-needed quality time with my loved ones before I start into working on a three-month long intensive course but I´ve also been lucky enough to be here, in one of my favourite cities in Spain, to celebrate the arrival of summer with the Bonfires of San Juan.

 Alicante is one part of Spain which will always have a special place in my heart. I´ve been coming to Alicante for the best part of thirteen years now and have always felt that it´s my home away from home and now, seeing as I have family here, it is my home! And honestly I couldn´t have picked a better time to come home than now!

The Bonfire on the Explanada

Every year Alicante celebrates the arrival of the summer with the Bonfires of San Juan. The Bonfires of San Juan is a truly spectacular event in which the people from Alicante and it´s surrounding areas take to the streets of Alicante in there droves in order to ring in the summer in the only way they know how – with a party. Las Hogueras are a celebration of music, colour, art, fireworks and extravagance in which, in my experience anyway, only Spanish people can pull off with such class! 

You have to hand it to Spanish people they really know what life is about! They enjoy life to the full and appreciate even the little things in life, such as the subtle move from spring to summer, and pay tribute to them in the most joyous of fashions.

a closer view of some of the figures which were part of the bonfire on the Explanada

The Bonfires of San Juan were traditionally celebrated in the countryside with a festive dinner and bonfires which people danced around in order to celebrate the start of summer. Now however, due to the influence of Las Fallas in Valencia, they are so much more than mere bonfires! Now Alicante celebrates this event in style with incredibly expensive and artistic figures replacing the once ugly-looking traditional wooden bonfires. You can easily spend hours walking from one figure to the next in awe of the artistic talent that has gone into each one and laughing at the wit and good humor that seems to surround each one! I don´t know about you but I know if I was involved in creating such masterpieces I´d cry at the thought of my work going up in flames! But in true Spanish style it´s all in the name of fun!

Las Hogueras

Other things that you can expect to find here, apart from the enormous figures, are barracas or large tents which are located beside each figure. In these tents you can expect to find hundreds of Spaniards dressed in traditional clothes dancing, singing, drinking and eating the night away! Typical food you will find are figs and pastries filled with tuna, onions and pine nuts! Yummy! 

Typical food that you´ll find in the barracas

As I mentioned in the barracas you will find hundreds of Spaniards dressed up in traditional costume, why you may ask? Well the answer is simple! Throughout the festival there are several parades such as the international folkloric dance parade in which hundreds of proud spanish people show off their extravagant costumes and walk for miles in the greatest of spirits showing the world how it should be done!

Traditional Costumes

Fireworks are another important part of this celebration. Not only are there firework displays every day, from the 20 to the 24 June, at two o clock but also they are key to the high point of the festival: the burning of the Bonfires. Before the bonfires all set alight, at midnight, you can witness the beautiful palm tree fireworks along the Explanada. While the bonfires blaze away the atmosphere is electric. Filled with merriment, singing and dancing while the fire-fighters try their hardest to get the right balance between putting out the fires and also showering the crowds with water which is traditionally known as the banyá. Such fun!

The firefighters at their best last year
After the banyás last year!

Obviously, seeing as this part of the festival is not until tomorrow, I won´t get to witness the burning of the bonfires this year, which is such a pity! I have been apart of it in previous years and I have to say you get so caught up in the atmosphere and the merriment that it makes you feel like a child again! I would really recommend it to anyone of any age! You´re never to old to be a child and, if you ask me, we all need a little bit of child-like fun in our lives every once in a while, it´s what life is all about!

I hope you´ve enjoyed reading about Las Hogueras. Sadly, as usual, my words do not do the festival the justice it deserves; thankfully I have some photos that I took on my phone to show just how amazing this event is! So sit back and enjoy!

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I hope you´re having a great weekend wherever you are and as always thank you for reading!

Giana xoxo

As promised…Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

So I promised in one of my posts, while on a high from my little adventure, that I would write an individual blog on the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos for you. And, seeing as I hate to disappoint, here it is! I only hope that my words manage to do it the justice that it deserves. However, if they fail, as I´m sure they will, then the slideshow at the end should do the trick! So sit back, relax and enjoy your trip! 🙂

Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos from the roadside

 The Alcázar is one of the most important monuments in Córdoba. Why you might ask, well the answer is simple really! The Alcázar is one of the only buildings here in Córdoba that retains fragments from practically all cultures that have passed through here from the Roman period to present day. It is a great representation of each of the cultures and provides an interesting insight into how Córdoba has been moulded into the beautiful historic city it is today.

The view from one of the towers

Even before I entered the grounds I knew I was going to be blown away by what lay before me. The grounds outside the main entrance are beautiful, especially as they are set against the beautiful sandstone main walls and entrance. As you go through the main gates you are greeted not only by several european flags and friendly staff members but also by the prestigious sculpture of King Alfonso x el Sabio, wonderful! Located just behind him is the entrance to the main Gallery which is situated in the main building between the two towers; La torre del homenaje and la torre de los leones.

One of the towers

Located on the first floor of this building is the salón de los mosaicos. The salón de los mosaicos is home to the most beautiful mosaic artwork which was extracted from the Corridera and brought here to be put on display. During the period of Roman rule here in Córdoba the Corridera was home to the Roman circus and the mosaic artwork that can be found in this room dates back to this period. On the ground floor you can explore the once famous royal baths and take a wander through the Morisco patio which leads you to my favourite part of the Alcazar; the gardens.

Salón de los Mosaicos

It has to be said the gardens are magnificent. They manage to capture the true splendor of the Califal period and in my opinion put the botanical gardens to shame! We all know I enjoyed the botanical gardens but seriously they weren´t a patch on this perfectly manicured piece of heaven! I have no words to describe just how beautiful they are but all I will say is it´s the perfect place to go to relax and lose yourself in beauty!

The gardens

In summing up, the Alcazar is well worth a visit whether you´re interested in history, culture, architecture or gardens there is definitely something there for everyone and for all ages! It´s a historical gem which reflects the positive aspects of each culture that resided there! It has also been the home to many important events like in 1486 when Christopher Columbus had his first audience with the monarchs Elizabeth and Ferdinand before he was granted permission to set sail and discover America!

The statue of Columbus and Elizabeth and Ferdinand

As I expected, my words fail to capture just how great the Alcázar is. So I leave you now with a photo slideshow in the hope that my photos will capture what my feeble words failed to express!

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As always Thank you for Reading and I hope you´ve had a fantastic Sunday!

Giana xoxo

How lovely: What goes around comes around!

The Lovely Blog Award

So as most of you know blogging is relatively new to me. I basically started blogging as a way of recording and sharing my experiences with my family and friends. I wanted to record the happy times in my life and I figured what better way to do it than through a blog. I must admit I love it. It can be difficult, at times, to find the time to create a post but once I start writing one I become filled with joy and excitement, I just love it. However, when I started this blog, I was completely unaware of the blogging community and how supportive and encouraging they are. Obviously I had read blogs before I started writing one myself but I had no idea how great readers can be. I´m truely blessed with the readers that visit my blog and the readers who constantly support me and come back and read my work time and time again, thank you, your support does not go unrecognised. You keep me motivated and inspired.

I would like to mention http://penguinsmachine.wordpress.com in this post as she is a perfect example of just how amazing my readers are, she nominated me for the lovely blogger award and since then I have remained speechless, something that is completely rare for me I must add! Her support means the world to me as I truly admire her blog and aspire to be as talented and as dedicated to my blog as she is! If you haven´t checked her blog out yet I truly recommend it, you won´t be disappointed. Right enough of my rambling, sorry it comes hand in hand with being Irish, and onto the point!

So ill proceed to copy/paste the rules that come with accepting this nomination:

* Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post
* Share 7 things about yourself
* Nominate 15 or so bloggers you admire
* Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know

Let the rambling commence, I hope you enjoy learning some more about me, I´m quiet excited to share!

Number one: I´m overly optimistic. I must say I have my parents to thank for this quality. My parents are the most amazing people I have ever met. I realise everyone says that about their parents but it´s true. My parents are my role models, no matter how hard things get in their life they remain positive, strong and happy. They stick together and fight whatever lies ahead of them with a smile on their face and some laughs along the way. They never give in, never let life beat them, they just carry on fighting and do it with such grace; it´s unbelievable. Thankfully, they have brought me up with the same the glass is half full attitude and through them I have learnt that if you can´t be positive and optimistic then you´ll never find the happiness you deserve! So the only thing I have left to say on this one is; thank you mum and dad.

Number two: I´m a perfectionist. This one is probably a negative quality. I´m a high achiever, everything that I set my hands to has to end up perfect, and as everyone knows nothing can ever be perfect! I have to give 100% of me at all times and, believe me, it´s tiring and emotionally draining! The saying I wear my heart on my sleeve couldn´t me more true when it comes to me but it motivates me and keeps me going. It´s just how I am!

Number three: I´m an only child. People automatically assume that because I´m an only child I´m spoilt and sheltered; I´m not. I´m an adventurous person just like my parents. I´m always curious about people and life and because of this I crave experiences and have never been sheltered or protected from experiencing the world.

Number four: I love to talk. I have my quiet moments, like everyone, but in general I´m a talker, in fact I rarely shut up! If I´m excited about something then I turn into a child, talk a million miles a minute and most likely will jump up and down in the process! Some of my closest friends refer to me as a rambler; I just consider myself Irish! It´s funny when I lived in Ireland I never realised how open we are as people, how much we talk and share with people but, since moving away, I´ve come to discover that Irish people are one of the most talkative nationalities in the world, well at least my friends and I are anyway, and I love that!

Number five: My favourite film; Beauty and the Beast. On the rare occasion that I´m down and find that I need to pick myself back up again the one thing that never fails is Beauty and the Beast. Since I was a child I´ve loved this film, it´s not exactly an intellectual film but it´s definatly an uplifting one! What better message than no matter what your faults are there is someone out there who will accept them and love you regardless…amazing!

Number six: I´m a dork. I love being silly, doing stupid things, being awkward! When I was younger I was embarrassed by my dorkiness but now I´m come to accept it´s part of who I am and I love it! You´ll always find me doing ridiculous things, cartwheels, dance offs, jumping around, basically anything to burn off the energy that´s built up in my body.

Number seven. I´m an obsessive coordinator. Everything I wear has to match, don´t know why! I match my nails with my eye make-up and both of those to my clothes, shoes and handbags! A bit weird I know but hey it makes me who I am!

Now time for my nominations! Each blog I´m going to nominate I truly believe is great and think that you should most definitely check out. They are not done in any particular order and I do not prefer one over any other they all are equally great and worth checking out!

1:http://penguinsmachine.wordpress.com

2: http://walkedthru.com/

3:http://drevets.com/

4:http://21stcenturylovetriangle.wordpress.com/

5: http://miramiandmog.wordpress.com/

6:http://thingsishouldkeeptomyself.wordpress.com/

7: http://katcameronillustration.com/

8:http://littlegreybox.wordpress.com/

9:http://iheartmondegreens.com/

10:http://wanderlustfernweh.wordpress.com

11:http://expatedna.com

12:http://simplisticways.wordpress.com

13: http://thehappilysinglechick.wordpress.com

14:http://hikingphoto.wordpress.com

15:http://thirdeyemom.com/

There are so many more blogs that I think are incredible but sadly this post only asks for 15. Thank you again to all my readers and I hope you´ve managed to stay awake during my post and even manged to enjoy finding out a few things about me!

Hope you´re enjoying your Sunday wherever you are!

Giana xoxo