Note: All of the photos in this blog were taken by other people. I swiped them from Facebook.
The best thing that has happened to me in Spain so far is that I joined a couchsurfing group called "Hiking in Madrid." Last summer, two Spanish dudes who recently moved to Madrid from other parts of Spain met while hiking. They decided that they wanted to organize a group of people to go hiking together, because more hikers = more fun. They have done a fabulous job of organizing this group on a purely volunteer basis. They pick the routes and rent a private bus to take us to a new trail every other Sunday. We deposit 10 euros into their account, and the receipt is our bus ticket.
It is such a happy, spirited group! Everyone smiles and laughs, and we have been known to burst into spontaneous applause. It's so wonderful to meet other like-minded people. I would say that half of the group is Spanish and the other half is from a variety of other countries, such as the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Philipines, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and other hiking-crazy countries. Most of the conversations take place in either Spanish or English, and it's a wonderful free opportunity for a 6-hour language exchange.
I think I am getting accustomed to the more relaxed pace of life here. The pace of these hikes is very Spanish. For example, when we arrive at the trailhead, we go into the lodge and have coffee and snacks and chat for about an hour. Then we begin hiking! The group stops every hour or so for another 15-30-minute break. Talk about cafe culture. In the Pacific Northwest this would drive me crazy, but here it is charming, especially considering the variety and quality of the company along for the hike.
So far, each time we have had 60 trekkers, which is surprisingly manageable and pleasant. I think a lot is owed to the two intrepid leaders of this venture, who are just doing it for fun and to bring like-minded people together. Hiking in Madrid!!!
The best thing that has happened to me in Spain so far is that I joined a couchsurfing group called "Hiking in Madrid." Last summer, two Spanish dudes who recently moved to Madrid from other parts of Spain met while hiking. They decided that they wanted to organize a group of people to go hiking together, because more hikers = more fun. They have done a fabulous job of organizing this group on a purely volunteer basis. They pick the routes and rent a private bus to take us to a new trail every other Sunday. We deposit 10 euros into their account, and the receipt is our bus ticket.
It is such a happy, spirited group! Everyone smiles and laughs, and we have been known to burst into spontaneous applause. It's so wonderful to meet other like-minded people. I would say that half of the group is Spanish and the other half is from a variety of other countries, such as the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Philipines, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and other hiking-crazy countries. Most of the conversations take place in either Spanish or English, and it's a wonderful free opportunity for a 6-hour language exchange.
I think I am getting accustomed to the more relaxed pace of life here. The pace of these hikes is very Spanish. For example, when we arrive at the trailhead, we go into the lodge and have coffee and snacks and chat for about an hour. Then we begin hiking! The group stops every hour or so for another 15-30-minute break. Talk about cafe culture. In the Pacific Northwest this would drive me crazy, but here it is charming, especially considering the variety and quality of the company along for the hike.
So far, each time we have had 60 trekkers, which is surprisingly manageable and pleasant. I think a lot is owed to the two intrepid leaders of this venture, who are just doing it for fun and to bring like-minded people together. Hiking in Madrid!!!
 |
| Our first hike - to La Bola del Mundo, Madrid's premiere ski resort (one hour from the city center). |
 |
| More than 60 hikers! |
 |
| One of the many relaxed breaks during the route |
 |
| Fellow English teacher Priscila strikes a mountain-top pose |
 |
| My colleague Yanalte gets to be taller than me for once ;) |
 |
| La Virgen at the top of the chairlift looks out for/watches over skiiers. For real. Yes, those are skiis strapped to the statue's back. |
 |
| Our group poses with La Virgen |
 |
| Yanalte almost took a tumble ;) |
 |
| Our second hike: a national park. Parque Nacional Penalara. We were not as lucky with the weather! |
 |
| Pico Penalara is the highest peak in this region. Unfortunately, this was our view atop the peak! |
 |
| Another 60 crazy hikers! |
 |
| We couldn't feel our fingers at the top. Here, we huddle together for warmth as we eat lunch. |
 |
| After lunch, the fog started to lift. This area is so unspoilt - you can really tell it's a national park. |
 |
 |
| Shelter |
 |
| Our leader's dog, Linda (beautiful), comes along on every trek! She is never more than a few steps behind him. |
jealous.
ReplyDeleteYou do a beautiful job of capturing the images and language that makes me want to be there, to be you! Hurray for Molly!
ReplyDelete