Romane eunt domus?

It’s been a while since I last posted.  Three main things have happened since then.  I went to Barcelona during the Easter, all my mates came over to visit and I moved out of Lugones.

I have been to Barcelona at least twice before but this was the first time that I could actually speak Spanish with any kind of confidence.  It was nice to get away from the constant rain in Oviedo for a while.  That particular week most of Spain was experiencing rain but the sun was shining in Catalonia.  While I welcomed the sunshine I have to say that after a couple of days in the big smoke of Barcelona I began to miss the capital city of Asturias which is, compared to Barcelona, much smaller, more intimate and so much more relaxed.  Whenever I sat outside a café to have a beer or a coffee the people at the next table seemed to be crowding me.  Tables were placed very close to each other (bums on seats lovey) and at times I was in the situation where people who sat at the next table and had their back to me would be prodding me in my back with their elbows.  ¡Jolín!

I have never seen the inside of the Sagrada Familia.  It is a very impressive cathedral designed by the world famous Antoni Gaudi.  Construction began in 1882 and is on-going, with an expected completion date of 2026.  I stayed in a hotel about two blocks away and every day when I went to have a look inside, the queue stretched from the entrance right around the block to the back of the cathedral.  Forget it, maybe some other time.

I did however go to see Parc Güell, The park was originally part of a commercially unsuccessful housing site, the idea of Count Eusebi Güell, after whom the park was named.  Only two houses were completed.  Gaudi bought one of them and moved in with his family in 1906 and lived there for twenty years.  It is now the Gaudi House Museum and has been declared a historical monument of national interest.  The large cross at the Park's high-point offers the most complete view of Barcelona and the bay. It is possible to view the main city in panorama, with the Sagrada Família visible at a distance.  The park was thronged with tourists as pigeons and parrots competed for the food scraps left by these international visitors.  A busker played a guitar very badly but it sounded melodious in comparison to his singing voice.  Parc Güell is well worth a visit on a sunny day.

 

On Good Friday I decided on a day trip away from Barcelona.  So I headed to Tarragona to meet my friend Emma and her husband Mele.  They met me at the train station and brought me back to their house for some paella.  Tarragona is much smaller than Barcelona.  It boasts a genuine Roman amphitheatre beside the sea.  I found it very relaxing to be there after the hustle and bustle of the capital city.  Once I ate my fill they brought me to a walled medieval town called Mont Blanc. 

 

There are different gates into the town; apparently the St Jordi gate is the spot where St George killed the dragon.  As I said before it was Good Friday and so different statues describing the Passion of the Christ were placed about the town.  Being a Latin student and having an interest in the Roman Republic and Empire I was delighted to see Roman soldiers around the town.  I am assuming that they weren’t really Roman soldiers because this is 2013 after all.  Upon seeing a group of them standing outside a bar I decided to check their credentials, I shouted, “Romani ite domum!” but my goading was met with blank stares.  I’m pretty sure they weren’t the genuine article.

 

When I finally got back to Oviedo I had just three days to try and do some college work before my friends arrived from Ireland.  They were to arrive on Thursday evening and head back home on Sunday morning.  I was beginning to feel that living with the family in Lugones wasn’t really working out.  I felt trapped and frustrated because if I wanted to socialize after college I would feel guilty about not going back to the house to help the kids with their homework.  When socializing I would inevitably miss the last bus and then have to pay for a taxi and try to sneak quietly into the house while everyone was asleep.  If I did go back to the house after college I would sit with one of the kids trying to help with homework but she really had no interest and didn’t want to do it.  Then after that I would retire to my room to try and do a bit of work but to no real avail.

I was delighted to greet my friends late on Thursday night.  Hugs all round and then straight to L’esperteyu for pints.  Armando and Teresa had prepared tortilla and jamón for the guys and the food wasn’t long in disappearing.  The guys met most of the people I hang out with here in Oviedo and I think they enjoyed the cheap booze and the good food.  We drank all night and then headed for breakfast before retiring to bed.  The time passed quickly and I never really got a chance to speak to any of the guys on a proper one to one basis.  It was great to see all of them though and I am very grateful that they made the effort to come over and see me.  I forgot to bring my camera with me and therefore I have no photos of the lads.  Mónica is a big fan of George Michael and for some reason she thought that my friend Steven looked similar to him and she insisted she have her photo taken with him.  This is the only photo I have as a record of the guys being over here with me.

 

It rained the whole time they were here, which was unfortunate.  That weekend was the last weekend of constant rain; the weekend just gone by I got sunburn on my bald head and the past few days have been exceptionally hot and sunny.  Such is life.

After my trip to Barcelona and then the brief visit from my buddies I was back to the usual daily grind of college and trying to help a child who didn’t want to be helped.  The situation in Lugones was becoming more strained day by day.  One day in the following week, while everyone else was out of the house, Ángel and I sat down for a chat.  To make a long story short we both agreed that it would be better if I were to leave.  There is nothing worse than having to live in a place where you know you are no longer welcome and so I immediately sent out the word on the grapevine that I was looking for a new place to live.  The timing wasn’t great however as I couldn’t find anywhere quickly.  The exams will finish in May and then there will be many empty flats as all the students pack up for the summer.  My friend Mónica came to the rescue.  She could see that I was quite stressed living in Lugones and so she has let me move into her flat until I can find my own place.  Mónica has her own flat but is currently living with her parents.  Therefore I am now living on my own in a beautiful two bedroomed apartment in the centre of the city thanks to the generosity of a very good friend.

I have two weeks left in college and then that’s it, my Erasmus year completed except for the exams which take place in May and the other exams I shall be sitting in July.  So the pressure is now on to try and get things done to meet deadlines for handing in projects and essays.  Thankfully, life has been good to me.  The start of this year in Spain was strange, confusing and frustrating but now after nearly eight months living in Oviedo I have made some good friends, I have real affection for Oviedo, my Spanish has improved a lot, I am progressing at the ballroom lessons, I attend twice a week now instead of once a week and after moving accommodation for the third time the fates have seen fit to place me in a comfortable quiet flat, on my own with the chance to focus on the upcoming exams.  Nice one.