Sheila O'Neill
fashion • travel • lifestyle
Europe

Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog

It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.  The final day at Pueblo Inglés was bitter sweet.  Though we were all proud of the Spaniards for completing 100 hours of English speaking over eight days, it was very difficult to leave all of our new friends and resume our regular lives.  During our closing ceremony we were each awarded a certificate either for volunteering, or for completing the second language program and had the opportunity to say a few closing words to our new friends. A group of us decided to extend our having to say goodbye and took three very…

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Europe

Peña de Francia

From our hotel a large cross sitting atop a small mountain (Peña de Francia) could be seen in the distance.  There stands an old monastery, with a  beautiful view of Salamanca’s countryside.  During siesta one day a group of us piled into two cars and headed up Peña de Francia’s winding road.  The surrounding landscape is gorgeous from the top of the mountain.  Unfortunately both my camera batteries died on the way up, and thus I had to make do with my iPhone camera, thank goodness for photo editors! While the monastery itself is rather modest compared to other European…

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Europe

La Alberca

Scallop shell, symbolic of the Camino de Santiago Due to the previous night’s festivities the day following the party had a unique schedule.  Though we were still expected at breakfast at 8am, this was followed up with a walk into the old village of La Alberca, which should take about 15-20 minutes at a leisurely pace.  It’s amazing though, how much slower a group of people is than its individual parts.  Walking at a comfortable pace at the front of the group with my Spanish partner I was still chastised by a moderator for getting too far ahead. I think…

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Europe

(No) Spanish Speaking, Arty, Flirty, Red Wine Drinking

Due to the mass influx of English language the Spaniards experience a block, around about the halfway point.  This involves an inability to think in, speak, or understand English, including words and phrases they’ve already known.  I can’t speak for the Spaniards, but I can say as an Anglo volunteer that the amount of talking, even in my own language, can be a bit exhausting at times.  As a bit of a break and to help relax a party is thrown on the fourth night.  The schedule remains the same for the morning half of the day and we were…

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Europe

Queimada

One of the most rewarding aspects of the Pueblo Inglés programs is the cosmopolitan atmosphere attained when people from all over the world come together.  I learned so much about Spain, having met people from all over the country, as well as the different English speaking parts of the world.  To take advantage of this a specific night is set aside for each country to share a song with the group.  In order to ease the nerves associated with public singing we were given the opportunity to enjoy a mug of the Galician drink, Queimada.  Queimada is more than just a…

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