Category Archives: Spain

Spain

Getting our Spanish Drivers License

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We are residents of Spain and unfortunately the Spanish government does not recognise our Canadian driver’s licence beyond the first six months in Spain.

We have been studying and preparing for the inevitableĀ task of getting our Spanish driver’s licence. This process began three months ago when we bought the study book in English. The book was very expensive and cost around $150. euros. We also had access to a bank of practice questions online which was a good start for studying.

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The system to get your driver’s licence is very different here compared to Canada. All persons getting their driver’s licence are required to take classes at a registered driving school “Autoescuela”. We attended a few of the driving schools to get general information before registering with one of the schools. We decided to go with an autoescuelaĀ located not far from where we live.

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We registered and paid our $59.95 each for the theory class. It is provided online and is also available in English. Ā We are now working towards the formal written test which we have scheduled for September 22nd.

There are still a few things we need to complete before the test. We are requiredĀ to obtain a medical certificate at a specific medical facility. This must be done at least one week prior to the test. We are also required to have two passport size photos.

We will be getting these done next week and studying the materials before the test on September 22nd.

“Adios y que tengaĀ un gran dia”

 

Spain

a visit to the Yelmo cinema

We have been resting and taking it easy since getting back to Spain. We have adjusted to the six-hourĀ time change and are now back into our routines. Last night we decided to go to see a movie at the local theater. Ā We walked to the Yelmo Cinema which is about ten minutes away and is located in the Puerta de Alicante Mall. We went to see the Movie “Star Trek Beyond” which was playing in Spanish.

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Star Trek Beyond Movie Poster

I went to the lineup to purchase our tickets and asked the clerk in my best Spanish Ā “Hola, dos billettes porĀ la cineĀ Star Trek Beyond, por favor” She looked at me like I was talking gibberish and asked me to repeat myself. Ā This time, I spoke slower and repeated it again, then she said (in Spanish) oh you mean “Star Trek: MĆ”s allĆ””. Ā Yup still working on the Spanish communication…

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Line up for tickets and refreshments combined at Yelmo cinema

We bought our tickets for a grand total of $4.50 euros each and went to enter the cinema. The girl taking the tickets informed us that we had to wait until the other show was finished in about fifteen minutes. We decided to walk around the lobby of the theater and look around. As we were waiting we came acrossĀ some info on the Yelmo fan card. It is a points card similar to the Scene card for Ā Cineplex theaters in Canada. We decided we would join and get a Yelmo fan card. I went back up to the girl at the counter and asked her in my best Spanish, how do we get the Yelmo fan Ā card. She explained the process and gave us two application forms. We filled out the forms and paid our $2.50 euro each for the membership. This provides us with one free movie each and discounts on everything from snacks to entry into the movies. We are now proud owners of a Yelmo Fan cinema card.

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Yelmo Cinema Fan card

We watched the Star Trek movie in Spanish. It was very difficult for us to grasp what was being said in Spanish for several reasons. We have never studied scientific terms in Spanish and of course, they were talking very fast, which made it almost impossible to follow along. We sat there a little confused at timesĀ but still enjoyed the movie. It is fair to say we are going to watch this movie again, but this time in English.

“Adios y que tengaĀ un gran dia”

 

 

Spain

4 D movie of Gaudi

We went to a park in Barcelona, called Park GĆ¼ell. It was designed by two famous artist, Eusebi GĆ¼ell and architect Antoni GaudĆ­. They began this project in 1900 after working together on other projects.

The Park GĆ¼ell is located on a mountain called “Muntanya Pelada (bare mountain). Its location was unbelievable, with amazing views of the city and Mediterranean Sea.

We began our walk up steep roads working our way towards the park. On the way up the steep road there was a store called Gaudi Experiencia. We stopped there to look around and catch our breath from the steep walk. The store had some neat souvenirs and others information on Guadi and the Park GĆ¼ell.Ā Ā It also had a theater which advertised a 4D movie aboutĀ GĆ¼ell. We never experienced a 4D movie so we decided to check it out. Ā Basically aĀ 4D movie is a 3D movie that combines other features like motion seats, wind, strobe, fog, rain and even odours or scents.

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Inside the 4 D movie theater in Barcelona
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Ray and Shelley wearing 3D glasses and buckled into their chair.

We went into the theater and found perfect seats and put on our 3D glasses. We also had to buckle up in the chair which felt more like a race car seat that a theater seat.

When the show started it was a full sensory experience, the chair moved in the motion of the movie. We flew through the air dipping and diving around obstacles. We felt the wind blowing from a dragon and felt the mist of the waterfalls we flew near. The experience was focused on all our senses and quite an enjoyable experience.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Unique and quaint restaurant

On Tuesday evening we went out with friends to a quaint Spanish restaurant calledĀ “La Taberna Iberica”. Ā The restaurant is in the old quarter of Alicante in a small alley up some stairs.

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The walkway towards La Taberna Iberica Restaurant

Inside the restaurant, we were greeted by the owner who welcomed us more like family than customers.Ā We sat down in the quaint restaurant and chatted with the owner for a while.

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Inside La Taberna Iberica Restaurant
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Mike, Ray Liz and Shelley at “La Taberna Iberica” Restaurant

We did not have a menu and only ordered some red wine. What was truly enjoyable was the fact that she decides what to cook and serves us a variety of different dishes.

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One of the many courses served to us over the evening

We were served numerous courses of food, including tapas, fish, shrimp, ham, cheese and an assortment of sweet treats for dessert.

When we were leaving the restaurant she took the time to chat with us and walk with us to the door. It was a very nice spot and the service was friendly.

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One of the owners of “La Taberna Iberica” Restaurant

After our meal, we took a walk and stopped at a terrace bar in a small hotel called “Les Monges Palace”. The terrace bar was quiet and we had a perfect spot to enjoy a nice after dinner drink. The view from the terrace was beautiful and we could see the CastilloĀ de Santa Barbara.

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View of the Castillo de Santa Barbara from the terrace bar

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Cruising the Mediterranean

We have been thinking about taking a cruise for quite some time now. We finally decided to take a cruise and selected the Norwegian cruise line with a 7-day Mediterranean cruise. The cruise took us from Barcelona to Naples, Rome, Florence, Cannes, Marseille and back to Barcelona.

This was our first cruise and we were not sure what to expect when we arrived to board the ship. We arrived early and found a lineup of people with suitcases in tow getting ready to board the ship. We Got in line and managed to board the ship easily with a few stops to fill out paperwork.

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Checking into the Norwegian Epic cruise ship in Barcelona

We walked a longĀ gangway to the cruise ship called the Epic.

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View of the side of the Norwegian Epic ship from the gangway

The ship is the very impressive and it has the longest water slide on any cruise ship.

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The Epic claims they have the largest slide on any cruise ship
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The waterside goes right around the top section of the deck

We walked through the ship checking it out. On one of the decks, there is a section with several different restaurants and shops. In the centre of the floor area was an opening with a large crystal chandelier hanging down to the floor area below. It was quite impressive and a nice feature for the restaurant below us.

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The Epic crystal chandelier claimed to be the largest of any cruise ship

Our first evening on the cruise we went up to the top deck area and enjoyed a relaxing beverage and watched the sun set over the Ā Mediterranean sea.

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Sunset viewed from the upper deck of the Epic

On one of the lower decks, there was an outdoor track where we could walk and look out over the side of the ship.

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Walking and running track on the Epic cruise ship.
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view from the walking/running track on the Epic ship

We took several excursions when the ship was docked. We tried to explore as many places along the trip as possible. Ā On one excursion we could not dock on shore and had to take a boat to ferry us to shore.

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Leaving the cruise ship by boat to head to shore.
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View of the Epic ship from our boat
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View of one of the boats used to bring people to shore

The cruise was different from what we are accustomed to for travelling, the pace is relaxed, the downtime is full of things to do and the food was extremely good. We enjoyed the change of pace by travelling via a cruise ship.

Here is a short video of some of the highlights of the cruise ship “The Norwegian Epic”.

https://youtu.be/_UvmNK-7Ylo

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”