Quinny's Visit!

Hi everyone!

Things have been so busy lately, I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted! So there are quite a few things I'd like to update you on...

Quinny's Visit

Way back at the start of February (!), Quinny came out to visit me in Lucena! In a massive stroke of luck, his flight to Malaga coincided with when Alice's flight left, so Bijan, Bridget and I made the journey with Alice to the airport and eagerly awaited him at the Arrivals gate! We then went to a local bar and had some croquetas and a coffee to wake Quinny up (he had already been awake since about 03:50 that morning...!) and then had a lovely stroll along the seafront before hopping back in the car. It was then that I finally had the chance to move my things into my room and get properly unpacked at last! That evening we went out for some delicious tapas at Bar Jardín, where I first tried the local speciality, flamenquines: usually either chicken breast or pork fillet, flattened and stuffed with ham then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried - naughty but delicious! We then called in at La Judería, a local bar that came highly recommended by locals - we weren't disappointed! A huge plate of prawns wrapped in bacon and some tasty pork in a tomato sauce went down very nicely. We'd made it there by around 9pm, but apparently this is too late - we had to settle for a standing table outside! It is a tiny place, but I certainly learned that the trick is to get there early!
We then went back to my flat to get ready for the night's entertainment - a mass birthday party in a storage warehouse...! We met my Spanish friends at their house and made our way to the edge of town, where a friend of a friend had hired a warehouse to serve as a makeshift party venue! I have to say it lacked atmosphere in my opinion, but it was great fun meeting lots of people and having a dance around while looking at funny photos of the birthday girls and boys - Lucena's young people know how to make their own fun! We then wandered back to the flat at a conservative 2am, as Quinny had been awake for nudging 24 hours at that point...!

On Sunday we decided to go and check out the local football team, as they were playing at home. After wandering round most of Lucena trying to find our way to the football ground on foot (I'd driven past it with Bijan and Bridget but had since completely lost my bearings!), we were eventually directed to the other end of town, relatively near where we'd come from! We chose the cheap seats for a bargainous 5€ and ended up being two of only about 7 fans in the stand!! It was good fun though, and the match took place during sunset, so it was set against a lovely backdrop. We then made our way back to my flat, where we rustled up a very tasty paella with a glass of wine for dinner!

On Monday Quinny had to make his way to Malaga relatively early, as the buses here are rather inflexible, so we made the most of our morning by going out for a coffee and tostada for breakfast and doing a bit of sales shopping! I then dropped him off at the bus station and made my way home to eat the remainder of the paella (I'd saved myself a treat - goodbyes are never fun!) and plan my lessons for my first full week of teaching solo! All in all, a lovely weekend :)

The next few weeks flew by in a hazy, steep learning curve - the kids are fantastic and I really enjoy the lessons, but it is amazing how quickly time flies, and when you think you have more than enough time to plan your lessons, somehow it's never quite enough to feel relaxed about it! I think it's the case that you can make it as big or small a task as you like. Now that I'm getting into my stride a bit more, I'm trying to come up with increasingly inventive ideas to ensure that the kids are really engaged and enjoying learning. It's a challenge, but a really fun one!

I also need to update you on my weekend in Cordoba, which hopefully I'll get round to very shortly....I'm off to London this weekend for Quinny's and my anniversary - 6 whole years! I spent most of yesterday planning what we're going to get up to - I'm so excited :) So I'll fill you in on how that goes too!

Love to all, do keep in touch! xxx