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So home for xmas, no problems, and made it safely back to Spain with no dilemmas apart from having to pay for luggage on my final flight - ridiculous!!!
Spent the new few days by the beach, getting to visit a few seaside resort along the coast. A welcome contrast from the cold bitter weather of Scotland - temperatures reaching 25 degrees during the day and getting to walk along the artificial beach of Campello. We went to see the multicoloured buildings in the small Spanish village of Villajoyosa, and drove further along the coast to the "famous for nothing" Benidorm.
Now the only reason we stopped there was because I really wanted to say that I had been, to add another tick on my globe, and to go on a relatively "normal" holiday, in other words, a British holiday. I think in the entire time of 30 minutes that we stayed there for, I saw one other Spanish person, besides Javi, and that was the man who sold me ice-cream. Everyone else was English, or German or good knows what . . . but definitely not Spanish. The tall buildings, the English language and the sunbathing in January, can only be Benidorm.
Now for something more Spanish . . . not too much further down the road is a small place called Altea, a beautiful village, caked in history and Spanish culture. We took a walk up the thousands of steps (literally, we counted) and reached the top to find narrow streets, run down buildings, a magnificent church, and the most incredible views of the Mediterranean, with Benidorm in the distance, how it should always stay.
Back in Alcoy, and back to work, which was difficult. My exam preparation classes have now understood the importance of the exam, well some of them have at least, and have either given up, knowing they are not going to pass, or have buckled down and asking for all the extra work that they can get. How do you teach a class that is soooo divided?
My kidsbox classes have become easier, the motivation of stickers, a simple idea, but unbelievably effective, who'd have thought that kids like prizes??? lol
Traditions are weird and wonderful things . . . on the first on January, the locals, and not so local people of South Queensferry ran into the Firth of Forth for the annual "loony dook." Why people would be willing to give themselves hypothermia for the start of the new year running into near freezing cold waters is still beyond me, but it is tradition and therefore must be upheld.
Spain is full, and I mean full of tradition, not all of which I entirely understand. One of which is the celebration of Saint Antonio, some saint of animals. On the 15th of January, every animal in Alcoy (with their owners) gathered around one of the local churches to listen to the priest give some blessing, and then to parade past him, whilst he threw holy water on them, a sight I tell you. There was horses, cats, dogs, some random birds in cages, all being taken past him, and also there was Max, a cute little puppy belonging to Javi's niece getting blessed, oh how its owners will be proud.
Also for this celebration on the Sunday, we took a drive into the mountains a village that isn't big enough to be called a village - Alcalá de la Jovada. Where a barbecue was held in the morning for breakfast and free food :) and all the locals, and randomers like Jenny and I got to place sausages on a stick on put them on the fire and cook the meat. Is it important if the meat isn't cooked all the way through? Apparently not since I'm still alive and didn't suffer any serious illness from the undercooked breakfast and beer and 11 o'clock in the morning.
Spent most of the day there, exploring the village, which took the whole of 3 minutes, and also a little walk to a massive cave thing that was used to store snow, out for lunch and the drive back to Alcoy in time to plan my lesson for the next day at school.
So the coastal villages vs the mountains, to close to call, both were amazing days, completely different . . . one thing for sure - Benidorm is not Spain!!!
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