Chasing Butterflies

How lovely: Look what´s come round again!

2012-06-17_1617 — A big thank you to Eva over at Healthy Glow Nutrition for my second nomination!

It´s happened again, one more thing to remind me how great the WordPress community is. It´s hard to believe that I only started this blog a few months ago; I´ve made so many new friends through the community that it seems I´ve been here so much longer!

I have to say one of the best things about blogging, apart from being able to record my life journey, is the other bloggers. When I started this blog, as I mentioned before, I did so for myself; to help me remember all the key moments in my life and to share them with others.

Now; my blog is so much more to me. My blog not only helps me focus on the positives in my life but has also opened so many doors for me, it´s introduced me to so many amazing people all over the world who, without the blog, I would never have met. So thank you, my new-found friends, for your constant encouragement and support, it means so much.

Thank you to Eva over at Healthy Glow Nutrition for kindly nominating me, it´s an honour to receive a nomination from such a lovely person. I´ve only just come to know Eva but, from what I´ve read in her blog, she is a very talented blogger and, with Eva nominated, I´m in good company with my nomination.

Seven things about me:

Number one: I´m addicted to taking photos. I´m not a very good photographer, nor am I lucky enough to have a good camera. I´m still dreaming of the day I hold a cannon digital SLR in my hands, any model will do, I´m not fussy – yet! But I love photos. I spend my whole life taking snaps, mainly because I have a terrible memory and fear I´ll forget but also because it brings me so much joy, it relaxes me. So; amateur and untalented as I may be, it makes me happy and I´m afraid I won´t give up happiness for anything!

Number two: I´m a book-worm who forgets everything I read! I´m afraid books are most likely wasted on me. I absolutely love reading, always have. I spend hours reading but sadly, I also spend hours forgetting. I wish I was one of those people who was able to retain everything I´ve read, I do try to train myself. I know my favourite books, I´ve read them over and over in an attempt to retain the content but still fail to retain it all. I will give you the jist of books but never retain the detail!

Number three: I´m a teacher. Most of you will know that but those of you who are new to my blog may not. I teach english as a foreign language: yes I´m aware that I should have a better grasp on the English language than I do, seeing as I teach it, but I´m getting there! Life is a constant learning path, what knowledge I lack now I will gain in the future but I´ll constantly be learning, nobody is perfect, nobody knows everything!

Number four: I dream of travelling the world. It´s always been my biggest dream to travel the world and some day I will! I have started in the most beautiful country so there´s no stopping me now!

Number five: I love dogs and miss mine so much! All through my childhood we had dogs, four dogs in total. Sadly they are no longer with us and I miss them so much. I wish I could have dogs again but sadly, with my lifestyle, it would be cruel to have a dog. I live in an apartment, spend a good twelve hours a day at work and at weekends I´m never at home. To have a dog you need to have time to spend with them and space for them to run about. So, for now at least, my doggie dreams are on hold but, hopefully, some day I will have them again!

Number six: I believe that you should treat everyone with the same respect you would like to be treated with yourself. Put yourself in the other persons shoes, how would you feel? If you wouldn´t like it, then why expose someone else to that kind of treatment. I´m not perfect, I´m not an angel but I do try my best to follow that step.

Number seven: I miss my friends. The only thing I would change about living in Spain is the distance between my friends and I. I´m blessed to have some great friends who always encourage and support me, especially in difficult times. So thank you for always being there for me, especially lately, you are amazing.

The blogs I have chosen to nominate:

Seeing as this is my second nomination, I have already nominated 15 blogs that I felt were worthy of the nomination, I will leave the link to the previous post here so you can see them.

Since my last nomination I have discovered some new blogs which I, for the want of a better word, stalk. However, most of these have been nominated several times for this award and feel like I would be plaguing them by nominating them again.

I have decided to mention a few, in no particular order, who have not received the award before but really do deserve it. So, if I have not mentioned you but you know I stalk you, that´s why; you already have the award!

Pseu´s Blog : a blog that has been nominated for several awards but, as of yet, not the “One Lovely Blog Award”.

What´s (in) the picture:a beautiful photo blog run by a photographer, Chris, who has the most impressive list of cameras I´ve read in a while. I´m not sure if Chris has been nominated before, I´m a new follower but admire his work.

Another day in paradise: a beautiful blog, run by a very caring woman, which has received numerous awards but, from what I can see, has yet to receive the “One lovely Blog Award”.

Lonely Girl Travels: A fantastic read, a newly discovered blog but instantly loved it, a great writing style.

Truantry: Another new add to my reading list but a good one if I do say so myself.

Have you ever received a blog award? What do you think of them?

As always, thank you for reading,

Until the next time,

Giana

xoxo

Weekly Image Of Life: Discovery

One Day At A Time: Gran Alacant.

During the week I made a shocking discovery. Jennifer over at My Sardinian Life, a great blog which you should check out, asked me where my favourite place in the world was. Automatically I answered: my favourite place is where my family is. This fact wasn´t anything new to me, I have always been one to say that but, what was new, I discovered I have never really shared my favourite place with you. I spend all my time talking about all these fantastic places that I have visited yet failed, apart from the odd photo, to share the most important place in the world to me, shocking! So when I saw that the weekly image of life theme, on Island Travelers blog, was discovery I thought this was the perfect chance to allow you to discover more about my favourite place! So sit back and relax while I take you on a journey through a magical part of Spain: Gran Alacant.

Having made my shocking discovery on Wednesday night I decided to wake up early on Thursday morning and rectify it by going on a photo mission. I should really learn not to make plans; when I woke on Thursday it was raining! Good intention gone out the window, not one to let things get me down, I made the most of the day and spend it indoors relaxing with my family. That´s one good thing about Spain, rain will never get you down because you know it will never last too long!

I was right, I woke this morning to find the sunlight dancing through my bedroom window, fantastic! I told P and J my plan for the morning, I thought it would be a nice break for P to get out and about and the route I was planning on doing is one of his favourites, before he got sick he used to walk this beautiful route at least four times a week! So we made a morning of it!

Seeing as the route isn´t suitable for wheelchairs we drove, stopping every now and again to soak up the atmosphere and take some snaps on my phone, I feel I have been neglecting Fotoroom since I got it so figured I´d make the most of it today!

Gran Alacant is a beautiful area, it has everything going for it, with the best of both worlds: beach and mountain. If you want a commercial holiday its newly developed area has a variety of bars, restaurants, shops and nightclubs to satisfy all your needs. However, if you are like me and prefer something a little more original, then its protected area is what you’re looking for!

I remember when I first came to this area, thirteen years ago now, it was nothing like anything I had ever experienced before. As we drove down this extremely narrow roadway, the scenic road from Santa Pola to Gran Alacant, I must have caught at least a hundred flies with my mouth, it was so wide open with surprise. It´s called the scenic route for one very good reason; its views of the mountains to your right and the sea to your left are like something out of a movie. As one of my family members has said about the area: it´s like stepping into a wild west movie, and that´s exactly what it is. Miles of unspoilt, preserved beauty. Something that´s very hard to find nowadays here in Spain.

What I love about it is, even after thirteen years, every time you explore this area you discover something new. Its got a number of little grottos and churches dotted along the roadway, some fantastic pants and trees, dunes, cliffs, the sound of the waves crashing off the rocks and the odd few paragliders who make their way from the cliff tops by the lighthouse to the wide open areas by the sea. As I said it´s got everything!

Another fantastic thing about this area is, for all those birdwatchers and animal lovers out there, the natural reserve which is home to many endangered animals in this area. It is an area where birds, snakes, and other animals are left to roam safely in their natural environment without cages. What more could you ask for?

So much has to be said about nature. All the fabulous architecture in the world can´t compare with areas like this. I could spend hours in this rugged area admiring its natural beauty, in fact, I have spent hours there. To me, the best thing about it is that it´s wild, untouched and always will be. No one has put a stamp on this area apart from nature.

One thing that I will never understand about people who visit Gran Alacant is why they never explore this route. The majority, not all, of the people who visit here don´t even know this area exists. It remains a hidden treasure, one that is only appreciated by locals and a few cyclists that visit the area. To me this adds to its beauty, the fact that it´s undiscovered, that it´s a secret!

I feel I´ve done enough rambling for today’s post. My words are most likely ruining the beauty that I am trying to convey. So without further delay I will leave you with some photos which should show you, better than my words can, what I love about the area. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, so why ruin this area with any more of mine, I´ll let the pictures do the talking instead! Enjoy!

To see other bloggers interpretations of the theme check out Island travelers blog here.

Have you ever been to Gran Alacant? What did you think?

As always, thank you for reading,

Until the next time,

Giana

xoxo

Travel Theme: Red

So this is a week of firsts for me; I took on the weekly photo challenge, I visited Cartagena and now I´m going to give Ailsa´s travel theme a go. This week, if you hadn´t guessed from the title, the theme is red! A perfect travel theme for Spain! So come with me as I show off Spain at its best, lets paint the country red!

Red theme one: Love.

One thing has to be said about Spanish people; they really do love their country, and who can blame them really? What´s not to love?

The only thing that they love as much as their country, if not more, is football. So you can only imagine what happens when you combine the two in lets say an event like, o I don´t know, something small like…the world cup for instance. Now that´s when you see their love for both at its finest, there is so much love it´s contagious! The following images were taken in “Las Tendillas” in Córdoba just after Spain’s world cup win! The atmosphere was just electric. I feel that these images capture their pride, their joy and their love for their country perfectly.

Spain; world cup win! — There was honestly no better place to be than Spain when they won the world cup, the Spanish really do know how to celebrate a victory!

Red Theme two: Passion.

Another thing the Spanish are famous for is their passion. Whether it´s the latin blood pumping through their veins that causes it or not I don´t know but to me, as long as it´s not over powering, passion is a great quality to have.

One of the best demonstrations of their passion is through the world of Flamenco. Flamenco is an emotionally intense style of Spanish guitar music which is always accompanied by either dancers or singers. They say that Flamenco means “to have the quality of fire”, in my eyes, there is not a better explanation of passion than this!

The following photos, taken at a show near Quesada, capture the emotional intensity and the passion of this dance.

Spanish Dance — An emotionally intense preformance in Quesada

The next photo was taken in Córdoba in July 2011 at the launch of the guitar festival.

Theme red 3 — The launch of the guitar festival in Córdoba 2011.

Red theme: Powerful.

Imagery, religion and love for thyself and thy neighbour are all important parts of the Spanish culture, here is a festival that incorporates all these elements into one celebration:

Las Cruces, or Crosses, is a popular competition of crosses which is held every year in Córdoba. In this competition each barrio dedicates time and money in order to create these beautifully artistic floral crosses. Each cross is a representation of the pride and spirit in the barrio and are typically surrounded by potted plants and flowers in colours that complement the unique attributes of each zone. The crosses bring the community out in force in order to honour the work that has gone into making these elaborate and colourful crosses while also delighting in the possibility that their cross could earn them the much sought after title of Best Cross! To find out more about this years competition click here and here!

One of the elaborate crosses in this competition!

Theme red 11 — One of the many beautiful crosses on display in Córdoba this year!

Red Theme: Joy:

The last few images I have decided to share with you show the joyful, fun side of the Spanish culture, a side that is often forgotten about or ignored. Spanish people are an amazing group of people filled with love, passion, sensitivity, joy, vigor and romance. Some of the greatest most interesting people I have met are Spanish, so this last part is to share the joy.

Theme red 4 — One of the beautiful sweet stands at one of the many medieval markets held around the country!

Theme red 12 — An unusual party I attended in Alicante where the remains of one of the hogueras was hanging from the ceiling and live bands preformed around it!

Theme red 2 — The last image is to remind you to smile!

To see other bloggers interpretations of the theme check out Ailsa´s blog here.

Have you ever been to Spain? What did you think?

As always, thank you for reading,

Until the next time,

Giana

xoxo

One Day at a Time: Cartagena, Spain.

From a beautiful traditional mountainous village to an attractive cosmopolitan naval city; our next stop on our “One Day At A Time” adventure brought us to Cartagena. Cartegena is a city that seems to have it all. This port city, located in the Murica region, is lucky enough to be bordered by several coastal mountain ranges which means, like in Finestrat, no matter where you stand in this beautiful city you are blessed with the most wonderful backdrop of sea and mountains, fantastic! So you are probably wondering what else does it have to offer besides panoramic views? Well put on your walking shoes, grab some water and come explore the city with P, J and I; Lets go!

Cartagena is a charming, compact little port city with a huge naval history. As you wander through the narrow streets of the old town this fact becomes very apparent. It is a city that is very proud of its naval history, which dates back to the 18th century, and the streets are filled with monuments paying tribute to its heritage. These monuments range from a simple iron statue of a lone sailor on his way home to a grand monument located near the city hall which pays tribute to several important naval figures from the past.

Apart from its huge naval heritage, Cartagena is famed for its Roman influences. Cartagena was an influential city during the roman times with its huge port and major silver mines making it a very profitable city. Today this past is very much alive through its well maintained ruins, its Roman theatre and skeletons of mining machinery that are dotted around the city and surrounding villages, they are a main focal point in the area. Clearly, Cartagena is a city that is proud of its roots.

Another interesting fact about Cartagena is that it was a walled city up until the 20th century. Today these walls are a prime feature of the old town adding character and a sense of history to the area. It certainly is a city that has been influenced by several eras in history, each leaving their own stamp on the area making it truly unique.

Today Cartagena is still an important city. Holding on to its naval roots, it is home to an important naval shipyard. It´s also a major cruiser destination making the area highly touristic. There are several noteworthy churches, museums and archaeological sites which cater to the needs of these visitors. Our visit to Cartagena was a flying one, and when I say flying I really mean flying; Ps wheelchair decided that it didn´t want to go in its usual straight direction instead opting for the more enjoyable out of control, into the wall route which made the journey all the more difficult, poor P as if getting around wasn´t hard enough without having a wheelchair with a mind of its own to add to it! Don´t worry, the wheelchair went back this morning and was replaced with a shiny new one so hopefully this won´t happen again! Anyway, my point; seeing as this was a flying visit, in more ways than one, we didn´t get to explore the museums and the archaeological sites, sadly, so I can´t give you any insight into them, but based on the history of the area I would imagine they are well worth a visit!

So, all in all, it was another great trip. However, which is probably a little obvious from my lack of anecdotes in this piece, while Cartagena is an amazing city with lots of monuments, unusual buildings and beautiful scenery, there was something about it that left me a little underwhelmed and I´m not sure why. Maybe it was because I had heard so many great things about the city, maybe it was our limited time there or maybe it was our difficulty with the wheelchair but whatever it was, Cartagena didn´t capture our hearts. It puzzles me really as it has so much to offer, and I would go back again, but it just didn´t leave me with the feeling I want to stay here forever!

All that´s left for me to do now is show you the slideshow. So sit back and relax, while Cartagena didn´t capture my heart it most certainly is a beautiful city, it´s definetly worth checking out the slideshow! Enjoy!

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Have you ever been to Cartagena? What did you think?

As always, thank you for reading,

Until the next time,

Giana

xoxo

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