Chasing Butterflies

Summer Time at the Port!

It´s been a long time since my last post, I did try to do one sooner, but with the wrapping up of the last academic term, saying goodbye to the teachers and the commencement of a new intensive summer course; there hasn´t been a single dull moment since my last post nearly three weeks ago!

However, with things back to normal, I will be back on form with my usual two posts a week! Right, enough procrastination, time to tell you about my trip to Puerto De Santa María!

By the time Friday rolled around, after what can only be described as a hectic few weeks, it was time to down tools for the weekend, escape from the intense Córdoban heat, 48 degree temperatures on a daily basis, and breath in some much-needed fresh air! My friend and I, who for the purpose of this post shall be named Pocahontas, excitedly embarked on a weekend long camping adventure, where you might ask; none other than the picturesque Puerto De Santa María or Playa de la Puntilla to be exact!

Playa de la Puntilla is a quaint little secluded beach, completely unspoilt by tourism and high-rise buildings, which is located in the province of Cadiz. It was my first trip to Cadiz, famed for it´s sunshine and beautiful beaches, and I have to say I was overwhelmed by its ruggedness. It was nothing like I had experienced before.

Ever since I was a little girl I´ve loved the experience of going to the beach. When I was a child I was lucky enough to spent every summer in Ballybunion, a little seaside town in Kerry, Ireland. There has always been something about the sea breeze, the sound of the waves and the smell of seaweed that has had a relaxing effect on me. Ok there is a point to all this I promise, stay with me, I´m getting to it!

For me, even though I´ve been to countless numbers of beaches in my life, nothing has ever compared to Ballybunion! For those of you who know Ballybunion you probably think I´ve lost my mind but it has just always held a special place in my heart. I have so many good memories there and I just love how it has never changed, remained untouched by time, how the beach seems like it´s never going to end and how the waves crash off the cliffs as the tide comes in, amazing!

I wanted to show you an image of Ballybunion but I don´t have one, they are in Ireland. So I took this image from google. If you click on the photo it will bring you directly to the page I took it from! 🙂

Nothing until now that is! The moment I stepped foot on Playa de la Puntilla I was in love! Like Ballybunnion, the town is nothing special, pretty much like any other beach resort to be honest but the beach; the beach is something out of this world! Unlike every other beach I´ve been to in Spain this one has remained completely natural, not a single sun lounger or parasol in sight!

The beach is surrounded not only by a protected nature reserve but also a beautiful port. While you may not find sun loungers or parasols here you most definitely will find palm trees, a woodland area and a beautiful bay sounded by rocks. It is not the longest beach in the world, in fact it is actually quite short but it is definitely the widest beach I´ve ever seen, it seems to take forever to get from the entrance all the way down to the shore but it´s definately worth the walk!

Playa de las Puntillas — Playa de la Puntilla

Unlike other resorts, there are no temporary huts selling drinks and ice cream, at extortionate prices may I add, to been found along this beach. There is however the cutest little restaurant right on the beach conveniently located under the shade of an enormous tree, magical!

“El Castillito”, the restaurant, is famed for its fried fish and having tried it myself I can see why! The tuna salad was tasty and fresh, the squid was the perfect texture and the pomfret soaked in vinegar was mouth-watering! What a way to spend the weekend!

Our abode for the weekend was the beautiful campsite: el Camping Playa Las Dunas. I say campsite but in reality it was like a luxury resort. I´m new to camping, the outdoors lifestyle was something I was never a fan of, but after a weekend stay here I can honestly say I´m a convert! The pool was better than any I have experienced in any hotel I´ve been to, so clean and inviting. We had a lovely little spot amongst the trees overlooking the rest of the campsite which can only be described as a woodland area with tents and amenities carefully dotted around it! It´s peacefulness was astonishing, it felt like we were the only ones there when in reality there were hundreds of people or so it seemed when it came to checking out! The queue was never-ending!

I have to admit the trip couldn´t have come at a better time for me. It was just what I needed to catch my breath after a hectic few weeks! Although I enjoyed every minute of it there was a bad part and that was that it came to an end!

Come Sunday evening it was time to leave and it was horrible! That´s the thing with me and beaches, I never want to leave them! I suppose that can be said about everything you love in life, leaving it behind is heartbreaking! But it had to be done so; I sucked it up, put on a brave face and sang my heart out on the car journey home with Pocahontas!

But I vow here and now; I will be back, just watch this space!!

Hope you have enjoyed my post and much as I enjoyed my mini vacation! Seeing as, as usual, my words do not do Playa de la Puntilla the justice it deserves I´ll leave you with a Slideshow; enjoy!

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Have you ever been to Playa de la Puntilla? What did you think of it?

As always, thank you for reading!

Giana xoxo

There´s no place like home: Alicante!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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 — 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 — 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 fire-fighters at their best — The firefighters at their best 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! 🙂

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.

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.

View from the towers — 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.

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!

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

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