Look! I'm in Italy! And you're reading abut it! How cool is that??
Not very, I know. But you should really be here. We've visited a town straight out of the medieval times with some of the tallest towers I can see from my window right now (hehehe...). We've seen lizards, counted stairs, eaten ice-creams, stargazed, swam, explored, and that's only the first day!! We've got a whole eighteen more of these to get through! The skies are completely cloudless and the pool is just the right temperature, and we're miles from any main roads - bliss!
Today we visited this amazing town where the rival factions in the town tried to get one up over each other by building towers taller than the others - Well, beats fighting, I guess! Tomorrow we hit Siena on our way to the villa where we'll spend the rest of the holiday, but for now I'm about to head outside and have a glass of coke under the canopy outside. Life doesn't get much better!
Can't promise I'll be able to update this as often in future, but stay tuned for more action and antics in the full diary when I return! Until then, arrivederci!
Jack
Friday, 14 August 2009
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Day 6 - The Many Gates Of Tedium
Hey everyone!
So, after a long and excruciating wait, here it finally is. The conclusion to my Madrid work experience diary! I won't waffle on too much, as I'm sure you're eager to get this over and done with so things can return to normality. Enjoy!
Today, our final day in Madrid, was also one of our busiest. After waking and making sure absolutely everything was packed (the usual "check under the beds, check in the shower, check on the balcony" routine), I met up with Vanessa and the teachers, and together we grabbed a bite to eat. As Maddy and Emily didn't have to work today, we allowed them a little time to lie in, and set off for the shop ourselves.
Not much had changed since our last visit, and again we were required to stock up the food shelves from the secret underground base. On top of this, we were also on the hunt for some non-edible bric-a-brac amid the myriad boxes and shelves. Eventually, with the help of another lady whose name I can't remember, we managed to recover most of the things on the list, and these we took to the displays upstairs. Having sorted this, we engaged in a few regular organising tasks again, like re-stacking their T-shirts in size order (the 4-year-old ones were so tiny!) and arranging some more books. That was quite satisfying, if not particularly action-packed.
After a little while, we were let out for a tea break! So we left the store, went 'round the corner to a cool little cafe, ordered drinks and sat outside and people-watched, all on our own! How's that for independence?! We even got mini blue cheese sandwiches and crisps to go with the drinks! So yeah, that was an experience. Some random builders were unloading some kind of metal framework from a lorry, so that was quite funny to watch. Builders are always funny.
So, having enjoyed a glass of Fanta Limon (they don't have proper Lemonade here, it's Sprite or Lemon Fanta), we made our way slowly back to the shop, and set about the task of finding photos to fit in all the shop's picture frames! It was quite good fun going through all the random magazines and cutting stuff up. The little things! So time flew by remarkably fast, and before we knew it we were being collected for the final time. Vanessa made some last-minute purchases, and I was inclined to do the same, but by now I had made up my mind to get a CD from the Fnac, and I was starting to get low on cash.
So we headed back to Sol, and returned to the buffet restaurant from the fourth (Chroniclers will correct me!) night. It was the same old spread, and I filled up knowing that this would probably count for lunch AND dinner. Having done so, and contributed my share to la cuenta, I disappeared into the toilet and returned ina superhero-like manner in a completely different set of clothes! HaHA! With a more relaxed outfit, I rejoined the others, and said goodbye to the twins, who were going to spend even longer in Spain with their family! Lucky people...
Anyway, that left Vanessa and I with enough time to hit the shops again, and though Vanessa managed to get a CD for her Dad, the music I'd had my sights on had gone! As it happens, this was probably just as well, as I Spotified the group when I got back and they weren't all that great after all! Instead, I compromised in buying an Avril Lavigne DVD of her live in Seoul, which you can't get in the UK, I don't think. It has a load of stuff from her second album, which is awesome.
Having completed our final shopping spree, we jumped on the metro which took us right into the heart of the airport! Things were fairly straightofrward, we got into Departures without any problems and managed to spend the last few euros on something to drink, some sweets and a newsaper. Perfect! So we settled down to wait for the plane and soon enough they told us which gate to go to. Well, anyway, when we got there, it was normal enough, only quarter of an hour later, they were still not letting anyone in! It was then that the TV screen decided to tell us that the gate had been swapped with another plane which was going to... somewhere in Germany, I think. So we walked briskly to our new gate, frustrated but otherwise OK.
Another fifteen minutes or so later, it turns out we now had to go to a different gate AGAIN! Not only that, but the new gate was right the way down the other end of the terminal!! Ironically, they had defibrilators stationed at regular points in the new section of the terminal (I think Madrid is the first airport to have them), and I imagine you'd need one if you'd just walked all the way from one end of the building to the other! So, once there, we formed an orderly but disgruntled queue to board the plane... which wasn't even there yet! So more and more time passed, and we got more and more tired, and outside it got darker and darker, until EVENTUALLY, the plane pulled in, calm as you like, and the passengers strolled off at a leisurely pace, and only THEN were we finally allowed to board.
Once free of the melee of boarding, we waited another fifteen minutes while the crew got their act together, and then we were cruising out onto the runway again. Safely in the air, Vanessa and I started watching Indiana Jones, but to be fair I don't think either of us was that interested. In fact, maybe part of it was to do with tiredness, but the middle hour or so of that movie is excruciatingly boring. Everything from the mildly intriguing chase through the university up to when Indy is forced to stare into the skull is just a load of Harrison Ford muttering to himself about some random legends. I mean, in essence, that's what Indy is, and if you've got the patience to persevere then I suppose it's fairly interesting, but it's not as "intense" as Bond or Iron Man. It's more like a Smartie, all the hard, crispy action at the beginning and the end, and just soft chocolate in the middle.
Anyway, as I say, we were both dead on our feet by that stage, and somehow we managed to drag ourselves off the plane and through customs. Through bleary eyes we were finally reunited with the faces of our families. Though everyone had enjoyed the week, I think we were all grateful to finally get a proper night's sleep!
So, there you go! Another adventure over. But fear not, for in just 24 hours, I will be in the beautiful city (town?) of Siena, Italy, beginning yet another diary for you to enjoy! This be a big, juicy beast of two whole weeks, so if I don't lose the plot halfway through, you can look forward to a double-whammy of adventure when I return in September! In the meantime, you should all listen to Muse's new song "Uprising" and "New York" by Paloma Faith (both absolute epics). Keep smiling, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!
See ya 'round!
Jack
So, after a long and excruciating wait, here it finally is. The conclusion to my Madrid work experience diary! I won't waffle on too much, as I'm sure you're eager to get this over and done with so things can return to normality. Enjoy!
Today, our final day in Madrid, was also one of our busiest. After waking and making sure absolutely everything was packed (the usual "check under the beds, check in the shower, check on the balcony" routine), I met up with Vanessa and the teachers, and together we grabbed a bite to eat. As Maddy and Emily didn't have to work today, we allowed them a little time to lie in, and set off for the shop ourselves.
Not much had changed since our last visit, and again we were required to stock up the food shelves from the secret underground base. On top of this, we were also on the hunt for some non-edible bric-a-brac amid the myriad boxes and shelves. Eventually, with the help of another lady whose name I can't remember, we managed to recover most of the things on the list, and these we took to the displays upstairs. Having sorted this, we engaged in a few regular organising tasks again, like re-stacking their T-shirts in size order (the 4-year-old ones were so tiny!) and arranging some more books. That was quite satisfying, if not particularly action-packed.
After a little while, we were let out for a tea break! So we left the store, went 'round the corner to a cool little cafe, ordered drinks and sat outside and people-watched, all on our own! How's that for independence?! We even got mini blue cheese sandwiches and crisps to go with the drinks! So yeah, that was an experience. Some random builders were unloading some kind of metal framework from a lorry, so that was quite funny to watch. Builders are always funny.
So, having enjoyed a glass of Fanta Limon (they don't have proper Lemonade here, it's Sprite or Lemon Fanta), we made our way slowly back to the shop, and set about the task of finding photos to fit in all the shop's picture frames! It was quite good fun going through all the random magazines and cutting stuff up. The little things! So time flew by remarkably fast, and before we knew it we were being collected for the final time. Vanessa made some last-minute purchases, and I was inclined to do the same, but by now I had made up my mind to get a CD from the Fnac, and I was starting to get low on cash.
So we headed back to Sol, and returned to the buffet restaurant from the fourth (Chroniclers will correct me!) night. It was the same old spread, and I filled up knowing that this would probably count for lunch AND dinner. Having done so, and contributed my share to la cuenta, I disappeared into the toilet and returned ina superhero-like manner in a completely different set of clothes! HaHA! With a more relaxed outfit, I rejoined the others, and said goodbye to the twins, who were going to spend even longer in Spain with their family! Lucky people...
Anyway, that left Vanessa and I with enough time to hit the shops again, and though Vanessa managed to get a CD for her Dad, the music I'd had my sights on had gone! As it happens, this was probably just as well, as I Spotified the group when I got back and they weren't all that great after all! Instead, I compromised in buying an Avril Lavigne DVD of her live in Seoul, which you can't get in the UK, I don't think. It has a load of stuff from her second album, which is awesome.
Having completed our final shopping spree, we jumped on the metro which took us right into the heart of the airport! Things were fairly straightofrward, we got into Departures without any problems and managed to spend the last few euros on something to drink, some sweets and a newsaper. Perfect! So we settled down to wait for the plane and soon enough they told us which gate to go to. Well, anyway, when we got there, it was normal enough, only quarter of an hour later, they were still not letting anyone in! It was then that the TV screen decided to tell us that the gate had been swapped with another plane which was going to... somewhere in Germany, I think. So we walked briskly to our new gate, frustrated but otherwise OK.
Another fifteen minutes or so later, it turns out we now had to go to a different gate AGAIN! Not only that, but the new gate was right the way down the other end of the terminal!! Ironically, they had defibrilators stationed at regular points in the new section of the terminal (I think Madrid is the first airport to have them), and I imagine you'd need one if you'd just walked all the way from one end of the building to the other! So, once there, we formed an orderly but disgruntled queue to board the plane... which wasn't even there yet! So more and more time passed, and we got more and more tired, and outside it got darker and darker, until EVENTUALLY, the plane pulled in, calm as you like, and the passengers strolled off at a leisurely pace, and only THEN were we finally allowed to board.
Once free of the melee of boarding, we waited another fifteen minutes while the crew got their act together, and then we were cruising out onto the runway again. Safely in the air, Vanessa and I started watching Indiana Jones, but to be fair I don't think either of us was that interested. In fact, maybe part of it was to do with tiredness, but the middle hour or so of that movie is excruciatingly boring. Everything from the mildly intriguing chase through the university up to when Indy is forced to stare into the skull is just a load of Harrison Ford muttering to himself about some random legends. I mean, in essence, that's what Indy is, and if you've got the patience to persevere then I suppose it's fairly interesting, but it's not as "intense" as Bond or Iron Man. It's more like a Smartie, all the hard, crispy action at the beginning and the end, and just soft chocolate in the middle.
Anyway, as I say, we were both dead on our feet by that stage, and somehow we managed to drag ourselves off the plane and through customs. Through bleary eyes we were finally reunited with the faces of our families. Though everyone had enjoyed the week, I think we were all grateful to finally get a proper night's sleep!
So, there you go! Another adventure over. But fear not, for in just 24 hours, I will be in the beautiful city (town?) of Siena, Italy, beginning yet another diary for you to enjoy! This be a big, juicy beast of two whole weeks, so if I don't lose the plot halfway through, you can look forward to a double-whammy of adventure when I return in September! In the meantime, you should all listen to Muse's new song "Uprising" and "New York" by Paloma Faith (both absolute epics). Keep smiling, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!
See ya 'round!
Jack
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Day 5 - Don't Think, Just Buy AGAIN!
Hey gang!
I hope you haven't been too worried about my absence in the last few days... weeks... but I've been so busy with my new job, and various trips out, and just fun (ish) stuff like that. But panic not, I'm back now! So, in a last-ditch attempt to finish the current diary before I go off on my next adventure, AND have time to recap what else has been going on in my absence, here is Day 5 of my Madrid diary.
Today I managed to wake up earlier than the alarm, so I spent my extra time updating the diary, which was looking quite neglected and about two days behind (see, nothing changes!). Having made good progress, I got ready and met up with the others, as usual, Maddy and Emily were about five minutes out of sync with the rest of us, but eventually we got downstairs and had breakfast just outside. The menu was slightly different here, so I went for a toasted croissant (again, for lack of anything more Spanish!) and some orange juice.
No-one had to work today, as it was Sunday, so we all decided to hit the Rastro market. Unfortunately, the downside of being the only guy is that you have to (generally) do what the girls want to do, which I was mostly happy with, but we did pass a couple of interesting music stalls which I didn't get much chance to check out. However, I did get the chance to buy an interesting diary and a birthday present for Mum. The crowds proved to be too much for the girls, and I must admit even I was having a hard time negotiating the warren of stalls. At least in the Souk it was all organised into distinct corridors and passageways. As a result, we retreated to the safety of a nearby cafe, where we later met up with the teachers and one of Miss Tingle's friends from her Uni year abroad (I think). I didn't get much chance to talk to him myself, but it was good just to meet some more Spanish people.
Once he had left, we returned briefly to the Hostal to collect some extra gear, before heading out for lunch. The others, sticking with what they knew, grabbed a sandwich at Pan's, which is fair enough, but Miss Tingle and I, not content to eat at the same place twice, went across the road to the Museo de Jamon - not, in fact, a museum but a chain of shops selling absolutely every kind of ham imaginable! We were pushed for time so didn't have a proper look around, but we grabbed some cheese and ham sandwiches for the brilliant price of just one euro each! These we took away and ate on a random doorstep somewhere, before meeting back up with the others.
We next took a slightly less savory part of the Metro to an outdoor leisure centre where we had a chance to chill out... although perhaps that's not the right word, as even in the shade it was boiling! I didn't have my swimming kit with me, so I used the time to update the diary whilst Vanessa fell asleep sunbathing and the others played in the pool. This kept me occupied for the majority of our time there, although I did have to involve myself eventually in the Spanish revision that was (slowly) being done by the others.
The time whiled away and eventually we made our way back to the hostel. The others were going out shopping, but I decided it would be better for everyone if I stayed in. There are few things that make me feel uncomfortable, but going into posh girls' clothes shops like Zara is one of them. Instead, I began to sort my suitcase out and people-watched until it was time for dinner. One particular trumpeter did a round of the square; he was probably my favourite busker of the trip.
For dinner we headed out to a fairly posh restaurant specialising in Paella, and we also got a jug of Sangria to go with the meal. The paella was the usual mix of unusual flavours and quite filling rice. We managed to convince Vanessa to try her first mussel, while I enjoyed the new experience of crayfish. The conversation was great, everyone having a lot to say. Towards the end of the evening, a week's worth of late nights began to catch up with us and everyone (except for Vanessa, who was buzzing after her nap earlier!) felt exhausted!
Once we had paid la cuenta, we took a circuitous route back to see some of Madrid at night. We also passed a shrimp restaurant, whose popularity was shown by the number of reciepts on the floor - there were a lot, believe me! We also saw someone dancing the flamenco, but we were too tired to stop and watch. Instead, we plodded on to the Hostal, and (most of us!) made our way as quickly as possible to bed.
Phew, that was a busy day. TOMORROW is the end of the trip, but don't think it'll be any less action-packed! More work, more food and the trip home on the (not so) EasyJet! PLUS, will I ever make my mind up about what to buy from the Fnac?? Tune in to find out!
Jack
I hope you haven't been too worried about my absence in the last few days... weeks... but I've been so busy with my new job, and various trips out, and just fun (ish) stuff like that. But panic not, I'm back now! So, in a last-ditch attempt to finish the current diary before I go off on my next adventure, AND have time to recap what else has been going on in my absence, here is Day 5 of my Madrid diary.
Today I managed to wake up earlier than the alarm, so I spent my extra time updating the diary, which was looking quite neglected and about two days behind (see, nothing changes!). Having made good progress, I got ready and met up with the others, as usual, Maddy and Emily were about five minutes out of sync with the rest of us, but eventually we got downstairs and had breakfast just outside. The menu was slightly different here, so I went for a toasted croissant (again, for lack of anything more Spanish!) and some orange juice.
No-one had to work today, as it was Sunday, so we all decided to hit the Rastro market. Unfortunately, the downside of being the only guy is that you have to (generally) do what the girls want to do, which I was mostly happy with, but we did pass a couple of interesting music stalls which I didn't get much chance to check out. However, I did get the chance to buy an interesting diary and a birthday present for Mum. The crowds proved to be too much for the girls, and I must admit even I was having a hard time negotiating the warren of stalls. At least in the Souk it was all organised into distinct corridors and passageways. As a result, we retreated to the safety of a nearby cafe, where we later met up with the teachers and one of Miss Tingle's friends from her Uni year abroad (I think). I didn't get much chance to talk to him myself, but it was good just to meet some more Spanish people.
Once he had left, we returned briefly to the Hostal to collect some extra gear, before heading out for lunch. The others, sticking with what they knew, grabbed a sandwich at Pan's, which is fair enough, but Miss Tingle and I, not content to eat at the same place twice, went across the road to the Museo de Jamon - not, in fact, a museum but a chain of shops selling absolutely every kind of ham imaginable! We were pushed for time so didn't have a proper look around, but we grabbed some cheese and ham sandwiches for the brilliant price of just one euro each! These we took away and ate on a random doorstep somewhere, before meeting back up with the others.
We next took a slightly less savory part of the Metro to an outdoor leisure centre where we had a chance to chill out... although perhaps that's not the right word, as even in the shade it was boiling! I didn't have my swimming kit with me, so I used the time to update the diary whilst Vanessa fell asleep sunbathing and the others played in the pool. This kept me occupied for the majority of our time there, although I did have to involve myself eventually in the Spanish revision that was (slowly) being done by the others.
The time whiled away and eventually we made our way back to the hostel. The others were going out shopping, but I decided it would be better for everyone if I stayed in. There are few things that make me feel uncomfortable, but going into posh girls' clothes shops like Zara is one of them. Instead, I began to sort my suitcase out and people-watched until it was time for dinner. One particular trumpeter did a round of the square; he was probably my favourite busker of the trip.
For dinner we headed out to a fairly posh restaurant specialising in Paella, and we also got a jug of Sangria to go with the meal. The paella was the usual mix of unusual flavours and quite filling rice. We managed to convince Vanessa to try her first mussel, while I enjoyed the new experience of crayfish. The conversation was great, everyone having a lot to say. Towards the end of the evening, a week's worth of late nights began to catch up with us and everyone (except for Vanessa, who was buzzing after her nap earlier!) felt exhausted!
Once we had paid la cuenta, we took a circuitous route back to see some of Madrid at night. We also passed a shrimp restaurant, whose popularity was shown by the number of reciepts on the floor - there were a lot, believe me! We also saw someone dancing the flamenco, but we were too tired to stop and watch. Instead, we plodded on to the Hostal, and (most of us!) made our way as quickly as possible to bed.
Phew, that was a busy day. TOMORROW is the end of the trip, but don't think it'll be any less action-packed! More work, more food and the trip home on the (not so) EasyJet! PLUS, will I ever make my mind up about what to buy from the Fnac?? Tune in to find out!
Jack
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