Southern Europe

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Masca & Puerto

I have Spanish classes here at the Don Quijote school, a sister-school to Enforex where I spent my first week.  That would take up all my weekdays, meaning that today, being Sunday is my only chance to go further afield. It was a tough choice between going to Masca or Teide (the highest mountain in […]

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Africa in Europe

Today I move on to Tenerife in the Canary Islands by bus and flight.  I like to think of the Canary Islands as Africa in Spain or Europe, since it is just off Morocco and Western Sahara, My bus to Madrid airport leaves at 1100 so I had time to kill.  I had finished all […]

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Wandering minstrels

It’s my last day in Salamanca today.  In the evening, after class and swim, I wandered out into the pedestrian streets.  There was music from a band with traditional Spanish music.  I call them wandering minstrels.  While I had seen them from afar from previous days, this was the first time I could enjoy them […]

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More sightseeing

After school and swim today, I picked up the remaining sights to visit internally.  I decided against visiting the University’s old building.  While the facade was ornate, apparently the inside is less so. That left only the Pontifical University.  It was started by the Pope in 1940 after Theology and Canon Law were excluded from […]

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Jesuits & sightseeing

Jesuits In school, I found out that one of my classmates is a Jesuit priest.  In fact, there were many others in the school coming from Indonesia, India and probably other places which would make them less distinguishable from other students. My Jesuit classmate has multiple degrees, multiple masters, and has had careers in journalism, […]

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Starting Spanish lessons

Spanish lessons Today I start two weeks of Spanish lessons at Enforex.  The first week will be here in Salamanca and the second week in Tenerife.  I suspect the change of venue will be at the expense of continuity but fingers crossed. My previous experience with the language at been 6 nights at nights school […]

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Daytrip to Segovia

I’m here in Salamanca to do a week of Spanish lessons starting Monday.  But today I a day free today which was handy for doing a day trip to Segovia. The bus from Salamanca to Segovia supposedly takes 2h45 but the fast train takes only 1h10.  Big difference! I woke at 0640 and set off […]

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Onwards to Spain

Flying from Athens to Madrid Having learnt from my recent travel to Athens airport from Monastiraki, I checked the metro schedule this time.  I took the one that left a few minutes after 0600 which got me airside soon after 0700. The airport turnstiles (both exit and entry) were left permanently open so one could […]

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Morning walk and food tour

I enjoyed a simple breakfast at my accommodation, the Cecil Hotel this morning.  It was a leisurely start followed by an unplanned random walk in Plaka, roughly retracing the walk from last night but adding a few more twists and turns.  It was pretty in parts but definitely quieter than last night. Around my area […]

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Walking tour of Athens

Leaving Corfu Today I fly back to Athens, often considered the cradle of western civilisation.  Unfortunately there’s a gap in the morning bus schedule from my hotel to Corfu town.  I had to leave at 0715 or 2 hours later.  That would get me to the airport (including walking) 2h45 or 45 mins prior to […]

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