The Cathedral of Murcia

I'd been in Murcia for 6 months and I still hadn't been inside the cathedral that is Murcia's main city attraction. If you know me, you would realise how remarkable that is. I am a lover of cathedrals. The architecture and history of these majestic buildings enthrall me in every which way possible.

I am by no means religious though. Don't get me wrong; to each their own and all that but for me it just doesn't sit well with who I am and what I believe in. I digress. Cathedrals. So after wandering the city centre this past Saturday; meandering through the streets during the siesta, I decided to enter its big, grand doors and see what I had been missing.

The facade of the cathedral

La Iglesia Catedral de Santa Maria en Murcia; the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, is the heart of the city centre. Let me first explain that the cathedral can be seen from nearly any point in the city. Murcia is by no means a big town so this isn't really a difficult feat but it is still impressive nonetheless. It is the most important monument building this southern city has to offer.

The cathedral was created  in 1394 and was built on top of a Moorish mosque. This is quite intriguing as the Christian king at the time had made a pact previously with the Muslims, stating that no mosques would be destroyed.

Anywhere you walk in
the city centre, the bell tower
can be seen.

I first entered through the museum which is a part of the cathedral. It is built on the Muslim remains. It preserves the remnants of medieval paintings and a collection of gold and silver artifacts such as beautifully detailed chalices. I found the history of each piece on display interesting and enjoyed absorbing all the facts.



After walking through the museum, I made my way inside the church. It was icy cold inside and I didn't feel that instant gratification of peace and serenity that I so hungrily look for when I enter buildings such as this one. I didn't stay long and soon enough exited the front of the church, onto the main square. I took a closer look at the facade of the building. It really is an  amazing piece of art by any standards.

The church continued to grow until the 18th century and is a beautiful mix of artistic styles. It is a brilliant summary of the architectural styles of more than 5 centuries. Its facade is Baroque with a Gothic interior.

The Bell Tower

The heart and entrails of the king Alfonso the Wise are buried under the main altar. He left them, he said in a testament, as a gift and proof of his love of Murcia and in thanks to the fidelity that the city showed him. To be honest, I don't know much about Spanish history and its kings but any king that thought it worthwhile to bury his heart in this little city is alright by me.












I came across this short video that allows you to take a look at the cathedral through the means of a summary of a new virtual tour. Take a look and see just how beautiful the heart of Murcia really is. Thanks to Romereports.com for allowing me to share this with you.

A Dash through Scotland

"This is a city of shifting light,

of changing skies, of sudden vistas.

A city so beautiful it breaks the heart

again and again."

Alexander McCall Smith

Edinburgh

Anna and me

At the last minute my friend and flatmate, Anna and I decided that I should stop in Scotland to visit her. Brilliant! I had never been to the UK before and I was going to kill two birds with one stone as I was planning to see Ireland too, and before anyone freaks out at me for saying that Ireland is NOT part of the UK, I lump the two together when speaking about that part of the world. My sincere apologies but my stubbornness prevails on this one folks.

I spent less than 48 hours in Scotland; you can't call that as seeing a country but I jammed as much as I could into those precious few hours and was lucky to see quite a bit.

Glasgow

I arrived late into rainy Glasgow but I finally met up with Anna and we walked around some of the town before giving up as the weather was clearly trying to best us in seeing whose will was greater. Ours obviously wasn't; nobody likes being cold, wet and blown away. Fortunately though we found some refuge in the coolest temporary sanctuary; The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It is one of Europe's top art galleries and, amazingly, it is free to enter.

Just chilling with the King at the Kelvingrove

Afterwards we caught the train to Edinburgh and I immediately fell in love with the city. It's the type of place I can imagine myself living in. I've only had a connection like that with a few places and Edinburgh definitely falls into that special category.

Greyfriars Bobby

The city has a smaller population than what I expected, with only about 450 thousand people but still makes it the second most populous city in Scotland. I think I forget that European countries aren't as big as South Africa sometimes.

I will have you know that during this trip I tried my utmost to master the accent of a true Scotsman and their odd (for me at least) way of pronouncing certain words. For example, 'book' is pronounced with an oo like 'soup'. They roll their 'r's and pronounce 'road' with an 'or' sound like 'board'. I became an irritating parrot; mimicking every funny sounding phrase I heard. The South African accent is by no means easy to learn but I was definitely not having much luck with the Scottish one.

The next day we adventured into the cold city and I was captivated by what I saw. We walked the Royal Mile; a succession of streets that form the Old Town that lead up to Castlehill with the Edinburgh Castle. Not that I even knew that the city had one of those; shows how much I know about the world. The walk is quite famous. Where else could you stroll down the tail of a long-extinct volcano?

Funny faces at the Camera Obscura

We stopped at the Camera Obscura and took some quirky photos of ourselves in the illusion mirrors.

We walked through the German Christmas market and ate traditional bratwurst and chatted in a coffee shop whilst drinking mulled wine, something I'd never fancied before. We visited the Writer's Museum which I thought was pretty impressive. The museum celebrates three well-known Scottish writers; Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. 

Quotes by various authors are captioned outside the
Writer's Museum

Two days is hardly any time at all in the grand scheme of anything so before I knew it I was off to Portugal for another whirlwind of an adventure but my Christmas trip would not have been the same if I didn't visit my dear friend in the land of the Scots; leaving more world wise and only bringing a love of a country into my heart.

Edinburgh

The Land of a 1000 Welcomes

The widest street in Dublin

Ireland is fondly known as the land of a thousand welcomes. I truly got a taste, quite literally, of that little saying on the plane during my journey from Alicante to Dublin when, after showing his true Irish roots, a man also on his way to the city, convinced everyone around us that we had been dating for years and kissed me as we landed; "to keep your mind off the turbulence". It was definitely the most amusing flight I had ever been on and what a great way to start my adventure in Ireland!

Felicity and me

I arrived in Dublin and was  warmly welcomed into the Hamill family with open and loving arms. This was my first Christmas away from my family and although it was hard, I felt as though I was adopted temporarily into this amazing little clan that were kind enough to let me into their home.

I was greeted by a new language; English like I'd never heard it before. Words like "fair play" and "grand" mixing with "slainte" but it was "yer man" that bested me until finally I figured out that it meant referring to a man you don't know the name of. More than once I replied that no, I'm single but thanks for asking.

Finding our way to Glendalough

I had never been to Ireland before and was amazed at how beautiful the country truly is. Sometimes you have expectations of places and they don't always live up to them. I was happily surprised that the country lived up to its reputation.

The cemetery in Glendalough

I've never seen a street
tell me which way to look

The streets were chaos during the Christmas rush; I heard the typical Dublin accent with "quality wrapping papers" as we headed down Henry Street towards Mary Street. At times I would just stop walking and stay in the same spot until people stopped battering me around.



I visited Trinity College and had my first Guiness at Pygmalion. I hunted for my usual magnet and postcard. Dublin itself is a great city but I need to go back to see more of it and really experience what the city has to offer.

"Merry Christmas"

I had my first "traditional" Christmas dinner with stuffed turkey, ham and Christmas pudding! In South Africa, my family celebrates a regular Polish Christmas eve dinner rather than Christmas day. It was my first holiday season away from my family and it was so great not feeling so far from home; I felt at ease and I enjoyed my time with the Hamills.

An Irish sunset

"Wherever you go and whatever you do,

May the luck of the Irish

Always be with you."

An Irish Blessing

The view in Glendalough

What 2013 Taught Me

Open your eyes, look within.

Are you satisfied with the life you're living?

Bob Marley

Without a doubt, 2013 was the craziest and most memorable year of my young life so far. I have cherished and regretted, broken hearts and had mine broken, travelled to 25 amazing cities and lived in 2 different countries.
I've never really believed that people can change, no matter how much I wanted to, but I think that when so many experiences happen in such a short amount of time, one can alter their views of themselves and on life. Here's what 2013 taught me:

1. You have to be true to yourself. People are always going to get hurt by our choices. You will be hurt by theirs. Such is life! Everyone has their own path to take and if we are not true to what we want then we damage ourselves far more in the end.

2. Regrets are sometimes a good thing. Without the little ones, how do we know what it is we truly want. There is nothing worse than being stuck between two decisions you're going to regret either way. Choose the one that will hurt the least and deal with the consequences.

3. If you don't constantly challenge yourself, your life becomes complacent and can be detrimental to your happiness. Take that first holiday alone in a foreign country, read that book that looks too hard to understand, learn that language that interests you.

4. We always say that we have time; we'll do it in the future. I'll go on that road trip next year. I'll start that course in the new term. I'll tell him I love him next time I see him. Well, friends, family and strangers, I say fuck the future! Do it now. Challenge yourself now. Be happy now!

5. The people that want to be in your life make that little bit extra effort to be in it. Those friends that send you Christmas cards when you live so far away, the friends that want to skype you to see how you are, the ones who visit you when you're home for a short time. Friendships that are worth having are worth maintaining. I love the people I have in my life. I'm grateful for them every day. I started living by this little saying this year; quality life means quality people.

6. It's okay to be a little bit selfish. This year I stopped putting my needs and wants second to everyone else. It's all about balance. Don't forget that you are important too. Some people sacrifice so much to give to those that are less than grateful. When do you draw the line and say that enough is enough?

7. If you don't do what makes you happy, what's the point of your life. I found my pure joy in travelling. I decided to make it happen. I wish people would just grab the bull by its horns and do what they want in life! If not now, when?

8. Have goals. Without them, we lose our sense of purpose. With no direction, how are we to know what we have accomplished? Ambition and determination drives us to make our dreams a reality.

9. Don't let society judge you. We all have this preconceived idea of what we're meant to think, meant to look like, meant to wear, meant to be. Stop it! Just stop it. Be a little weird. Wear those crazy orange pants. Get that tattoo. Listen to that music. Whatever you want to do that makes you happy, just do it! Dance in the middle of the street. Talk randomly to a stranger. Just be yourself. It makes life way more interesting.

10. Lastly, and this took me a while to figure out, and I'm talking to you. YOU. The person who took the time to read this to the very end about the ramblings of a random someone somewhere on this earth, whether you happen to know me or not. You are constantly growing; evolving to become the best version of yourself every day. With every good and bad decision you make. Every trial and tribulation. Love yourself. If we do not love ourselves, this trippy ride we call life isn't as cracked up as it's meant to be.

To 2014! And all its new adventures...

Castles and Beaches

"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

Marthe Troly-Curtin

One of the best things about Spain is definitely how I spend my weekends. I arrived in Murcia at the end of summer and it was still blazing hot, so my friends and I decided to spend our days at the beach. The city is an hour or so away from the coast by bus. Every weekend we decided to venture to different beaches. Alicante was one of the main places we decided to go to.

Alicante is an old city and historic port in the east of the country. When you arrive at the train station you immediately feel that holiday vibe that you look for when spending the day at the beach. Although the city has been around for hundreds of years, it is modern and vibrant with many things to do and see.

What attracted us most comes down to two things: the awesome beach and the Castle of Santa Barbara that sits atop the mountain, Mount Benacantil, overlooking the entire city.

The castle overlooks the port

The bus stop is right next to the port. It's about a ten minute walk to the main beach. Along the way, I was bombarded by sound; adusting my hearing to other languages. Alicante is a hot tourist destination for many Europeans. I heard German, Polish, Dutch and English more than I heard any Spanish. Living in Murcia, not much English is spoken so it was quite nice listening to my native tongue outside my circle of friends but also a bit annoying because I prefer listening to Spanish when I'm out and about.

Wandering the streets

The beach is very crowded. Unless you're looking for that kind of buzz, I would avoid this part of the coast and travel further south. As it is everywhere in Meditteranean, the water is a gorgeous teal blue with palm trees and white sands.





The first thing you notice about Alicante is the castle on the top of the hill. The Castle of Santa Barbara dates back to Muslim control but is named as such after the capturing of the city on the feast day of Saint Barbara by Castilian forces. Not quite who those guys are but okay, job well done.





We got a bit lost trying to find our way to the entrance of the mountain so we found some typical Mediterranean homes up against the side of the mountain with the most amazing view of the sea. There's nothing better than losing your way in a new city and stumbling upon something you would never have found otherwise. I think that's my favourite thing about travelling.

 It's been open to the public in recent years but at one what time it was used as a prison.



The view of the city is quite astounding. All of Alicante can be seen; a full 360 degree view.


When summer returns I'll definitely be spending more Sundays at the beach in Alicante. In the meantime though, I'd like to go back to see more of the city itself. I've yet find its countless hidden treasures.

We saw the most amazing sunsets
on the way down the mountain

Road Trip Adventures

Good friends, great music and a solid few hours in a tiny car is the beginning of what every twenty something should experience; a road trip adventure.

And so our adventure begins

Anna, Tom, Alex and myself spent the weekend in Granada; one of the most breath taking cities I have ever seen, but first we had to get there. You see, Granada is a good 3 or so hours away from Murcia. This is our Spanish home where we all met in September, and it was time we went on a mini vacation.

We had a long weekend as the 6th of December is a bank holiday in Spain so we decided to visit Granada. We hired a car and rented an apartment, all thanks to Tom's mad bargain-finding skills, and off we went; galavanting into the sunset.

Mr Tom, our resident rock star driver

Our Fiat 500 

Tom drove, I put myself in charge of music (I have great taste) while Alex and Anna relaxed in the backseat, quite squished but none the worse for wear. Shakira, Foo Fighters and Aerosmith kept us company along the way.

Pit Stop = Food!

At about half way, we stopped for food and to stretch our legs. Pit stops are an essential part of road trips. It's not about how long it takes to get there but the memories made along the way. As cliche as it is, it really is about the journey and not the destination. Food, drink, a good stretch and a bathroom break later and we were back on the road.

There is always one :)

Conversation during a road trip is almost always about everything and nothing. I cannot remember what we spoke about in the car but I do know that I enjoyed talking about shit that seemed important. That's the thing about adventures like these; it doesn't matter what is said or done, it's all just part of being in the moment.

We arrived in Granada as the sun was setting. Our holiday had begun even if the road trip was over and it was the perfect way of beginning an amazing weekend; definitely one for the books.

Finding Home in Murcia

The sun dropping over the Old Bridge.
Photo belongs to Sara Lucy Smith

It is not easy finding a place that your heart can call home, no matter how long you've been there. You may adjust to living in a space but it's not always so that we find a place that we can call our own; home. After two weeks of traveling in Spain, I discovered my little piece of home away from home.

My new teaching job is located in Murcia. Little is known about this city because it is not a tourist destination, although you may find many expats here. Every Spaniard I met along the way and all my new students asked me, why Murcia? Why this city of all places?

Well, that's pretty easy to answer. Here's why:








Number 1: 
I didn't want to live in a city that is bustling with tourists. I would be able to get away with speaking English and I didn't want that. If you want to experience a culture and learn a new language, you have to immerse yourself fully. So no big, well known cities for me.


Number 2: 
Well it's where I was offered a good job. I work in a great language school and I enjoy what I do; teaching, in any of its forms.

The River Segura

Number 3: 
Murcia is the capital city of the region of the same name. It's in the south east of the country and it's quite warm in winter compared to some other places in the country. Coming from a long hard winter in Poland, I wanted to experience weather that is more similar to South African climate.

Number 4:
Why the hell not?

The Catedral de Santa Maria

I've been in Murcia for just over two months now and I absolutely love it here. I love my new friends that I've made, the locals are friendly, my students give me a great sense of satisfaction in my job and the city itself just seems to be alive in a way I can't explain.

I feel at home here. If you are from Murcia, you are called Murciano. I was telling my adult students about an embarrassing, drunken story I had one weekend and one of my students replied that it happens to all Murcianos and it officially made me one of them. My heart melted a bit at that. It seems anyone can find home somewhere in the world.

Real Casino

Murcia is definitely the place to travel if you want to experience Spain off the beaten track. One of the main beautiful sights is the lovely Catedra de Santa Maria. Built in 1394, it is one of the most astounding cathedrals I have ever seen. Visit the Real Casino de Murcia, a gentleman's club in 1847, restored to its original grandeur or walk along Gran Via, the main street in the city centre. It doesn't matter what you choose to do or see, you will always enjoy yourself, whether you're hunting for the perfect tapas bar or wandering along the streets with no destination in mind.

I've never thought of ever using this cliche but home is truly where the heart is.

Photo taken by Sara Lucy Smith

Happy Tears in Valencia

I'm continuously asked, why did I decide to move and teach English in Spain. I reply with the same answer, that honestly, I have no idea. I felt a tug in my chest about where I wanted to go to next; a physical pull that had no rational logic. I knew absolutely nothing about Spain; I even mispronounced "hola".

The square near to where my hostel was

Toesies in the sand!

When I reached Valencia on my two week trip across Spain before settling in Murcia, I realised why Spain was the right choice for me. That moment of realisation hit me once I saw the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. For no logical reason, I started to cry. This is why I came here! This feeling of accomplishment and growth; I'm just you're average South African girl and I made this dream, of seeing this view, come true. My decisions, my actions.






I asked the woman at the front desk of my hostel how I could get to the beach. She told me bus number 1 is one way of reaching it. Without a hint of Spanish, I put on my big girl panties and braved the local Spanish transport system. I had no idea which stop it was or how far I had to go. I just went on and trusted my instinct. If I got lost; well hey, it would be its own little adventure.

Luckily I did get off at the right bus stop and followed my nose on which way the beach would be and before I knew it, I was taking off my shoes and digging my toes into the sand. I couldn't swim because my new tattoo was healing, but I walked up and down the beach, dipping my toes into the warm water, wondering how in God's name did I actually manage to land up here.

I am so genuinely lucky and grateful for my parents. Without support from home, I would never be brave enough to even begin to think about traveling on my own. Thanks Mommy. Thanks Daddy. <3

I really liked this. It was above the entrance to my hostel.

By the time I landed in Valencia I was physically and mentally exhausted. My ridiculously heavy luggage and the constant traveling was getting to me, so I decided to just relax and enjoy the scenery I happened to come across; neither free walking tours, nor huge galavants. I did get lost a few times and that was a nice way of seeing things that I would never have normally seen.

Valencia is such a beautiful city. The vibe is quite different to the other Spanish cities I visited but in a way that makes you want to get to know the city a bit better. I will have to go back and learn more about the place.

The cute little alley that lead to my hostel

The view of Valencia from atop the cathedral

My Mishap in Madrid

A mishap is defined as an unlucky accident, which is definitely what I would describe my first couchsurfing experience as. Since starting my life abroad, I have realised how quickly expenses add up when travelling. Accommodation can heavily dent your savings when all you really want is a roof over your head, a warm shower and money in your pocket to do all those touristy things you've been wanting try.

A Spanish New Tork

This is where the idea of couchsurfing comes in.The site connects travellers from all over the world by creating a social media base that allows people to meet, whether you're a local or a foreigner. Locals can host travellers for a night or two on their couch. 

I distrusted this concept immediately. What kind of person allows a random stranger to stay in their home for nothing in return? It seemed an idea that was idealistically great but in this harsh reality we live in, a bit naive and unsafe. 

I was happily surprised though when I went on the website and saw that surfers have to be rated (and therefore trusted) to be considered potential hosts. You can choose who you want to host or decline if you want to; every decision is in your hands, whether you're a host or a surfer.

The scariest fish I have ever seen!

My third stop on my trip around Spain was Madrid. By this time, my accommodation expenses were adding up quite a bit so I decided that I would give couchsurfing a try. My friend Justine is an avid surfer and has had nothing but good experiences. We had a conversation about it before I left, to try and calm my nerves.

Some graffiti in the street

"What if something happens to me?" I said.
"Something can happen in a hostel. That doesn't stop you from going there. Be brave; trust the system and trust your instinct", she replied.
"What system?" I asked.
"Couchsurfing; the system of strangers connecting and trusting each other", she answered.

This conversation stuck with me and I decided to just take the risk and go for it. Boy, was I in for a surprise! I stayed with a Mexican guy that had a great reputation on the site but I was still nervous to stay with a man. Luckily though, he was hosting a German girl too. Yvonne was my saving grace those few days.

My new favourite hangover remedy:
chocolate and churros

Yvonne was already familiar with the city and took me sightseeing and showed me some really great places that I would never have found by myself, like chocolate and churros! How quickly people can bond when put in certain circumstances. I'd like to go back to Madrid and see more of the city from a cultural perspective; learn more about the city itself.

My host took a particular liking to me though and became quite touchy-feely, which made me feel very uncomfortable. I became quite shy and introvert in his presence. How do you tell someone you don't want anything sexual with them when they are allowing you to sleep on their couch for two nights? I honestly did not know how to handle the situation. Thankfully, with Yvonne around, he didn't come onto me too often and we decided to spend our last night at a hostel. I'm really happy we met.

After my stay, I wrote a reference for his profile so that other surfers can know that, although many people wrote positive reviews, I am one of the few that did not have a great time with him. Every reference on CS is important. It allows others to better decide if they want to meet with the person in question.

Yvonne and myself in the main plaza

Trust is something so difficult to attain; to willingly rely on someone and to abandon our sense of control. CS asks us to trust others like us. "We envision a world made better by travel and travel made better by connection. Couchsurfers share their lives with the people they encounter, fostering cultural exchange and mutual respect."

Meeting strangers on couchsurfing can be a terrifying experience. I have no idea what I would have done without Yvonne. She balanced my negative experience with a positive one. Without CS, I would never have met her and I still want to try it again. Many people are genuinely interested in just helping a person out. Millions of people trust the system and I think that the concept is an amazing way of putting faith in humanity.