Tag Archives: Retirement abroad

Spain

Mercado de san miguel

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On Sunday went to the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid with friends to check it out. The Market is a very popular and lively place where the locals come to eat and socialize. The market which has been established for over 100 years is set in a unique old structure.

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San Miguel Market Madrid

The market was very busy and there were people wandering around the market eating and looking at the products.

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Inside the San Miguel Market

We walked around checking out each market stall. There were amazing fruits, fish, vegetables and assorted other unique items.

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People walking through the market

There was an olive stall selling every imaginable type of olive. They even had olives made into small sandwiches with sardines and other meats.

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Olives and assorted olive sandwiches

We decided to buy a few different olives and try them. We had an assortment of olives, with sardines, cheeses, garlic and in different brines. They were extremely tasty and went very well with the beverages.

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Shelley, Louise, and Ray having a drink and olives at the market

After having a few snacks of olives we walked around and checked out the other stalls. There was a stall with homemade potato chips which looked very appealing. Brad decided to buy some and try them out. It was all very tasty and fresh.

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stall of homemade chips, sweets, and assorted deserts
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Bard with homemade potato chips

We walked through the market for almost an hour enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds of the market. Below are just a few of the neat things we saw.

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fruit drinks and smoothies of all kinds.
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sweet treats of very kind imaginable
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bags of mini sausages, bacon, and ham
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homemade peanut brittle and peanuts candies

There were several stalls with fish and seafood in the market. One display of seafood contained fish on ice that you could buy. It drew our attention because there was a huge fish on display.

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Huge fish on display at the market
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Fish at the market
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Big fish on ice at the market
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Assorted fish on display at market

The market was very impressive and unique. It was not just a market but also a restaurant for people to sit and enjoy the food. We enjoyed ourselves at the market.

“adios y que tenga un gran dia”

 

 

 

Spain

A day at the Market

Yesterday we went to the outdoor market. It was a vibrant and busy day with lots of people shopping in the market.

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People at the outdoor market in Alicante

We went for a walk down each aisle of the market enjoying the sights and sounds. The items for sale were as diverse as the people selling them. You could buy everything imaginable including bathing suits and comic underwear.

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Bathing suits for sale at the market
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Underwear with assorted funny sayings for sale at the market

We walked down the different aisles and there were specific themes in each area, clothing, plants, flowers, pastries, fruit and vegetables were some of the sections. There was no shortage of choices and selections each area contained multiple vendors.

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clothing at the market on display

 

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Spices and honey products at the market
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Spices of every imaginable kind for sale
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Flowers and house plants at the market

 

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Olives of every kind at the market
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An array of different nuts
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Pastries and cakes for the sweet tooth
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Candy of every kind

We walked throughout the market for quite some time admiring the different displays and listening to the noises of the market. People shouting their prices and discounts loudly. There is music being played,  people talking with vendors and the hustle and bustle of all the people talking in Spanish. It is a very unique and enjoyable noise.

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Street musician playing at the market for donations.

There are also people selling unique items as they walk down the market, They shout the price out almost in a song like voice, attracting people to buy their items. The lady below was selling snails and garlic.

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Lady selling snails and garlic at the outdoor market

We came across the most amazing fruits and vegetables on display. There was such a large assortment and selection that it was difficult to choose.

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We came across some vegetables that we did not recognize and have no idea what they are. Below is a photo of a large pear-like fruit which I have never seen before. We have no idea what that is?

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Pear-like fruit on display at the market

We spent a few hours walking around the market taking in the sights and sounds of this rich and beautiful culture.

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Outdoor market in Alicante Spain

“adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Beach Party

Friday evening we went to a beach party in El Campello, which is a short distance from Alicante. There are miles of beautiful white sand beaches and a gorgeous view of the coastline. We went with friends and arrived at around 8pm. The small beach pub was quaint and a perfect spot to watch the sunset.

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InterNations Beach party

The theme of the beach party was for everyone to wear something white including funny t-shirts etc. We mingled with people from all areas of the world, including Sweden, Holland and other areas of Europe.

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Ray wearing Norwegian Bingo T-shirt

The music and ambience were great and  we enjoyed assorted tapas throughout the evening.  It was a nice way to spend the evening and unwind after studying for the driver exam.

“adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Today we wrote our theory driver test

We have been studying and spending a lot of time preparing for the theory driver exam. In Spain, the theory exam can be in English which is both a bonus and a curse. The questions are translated from Spanish into English and sometimes the translation changes the question into a very difficult question to understand.

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Shelley studying the sample exams for the driver test

We have been online practicing the sample questions that were provided by our driving school.

Yesterday we attended the driver test location which is on the outskirts of Alicante. The driving school transported us along with two other students to do the test. There were groups of people waiting to do the test at the centre. We waited outside until it was our turn.

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People waiting to do the driving test

We were called in by name and sat at a bank of computers and the instructions were provided in Spanish. We managed to figure out what was being said and entered our identification into the computer only to have a Spanish test display on the screen, Yikes!!! Shelley and I both had our hand up and explain in our best Spanish, “Ayuda por favor”  we needed an English test. After a bit of confusion, they provided both of us with a paper exam. The process which is very different from Ontario; took half an hour and then we were completed. The results of the test are posted online the following day.

So this morning we logged on to the website and found out that unfortunately, we both failed the test. We are disappointed but we are determined to not let this set us back. We know how to drive and it just means completing the test again. Apparently, there is a very high percentage of people who fail the first time, so I guess we are in good company. We will hit the books for another couple of months and try the test again later. Until then we are going to enjoy the beautiful weather and travel a bit.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”

Spain

Abanico (Handfan) in Spain

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One of the things we have enjoyed in our adventures in Spain is the culture. The Spanish tradition of the “abanico”  is interesting. The use of the abanico (Fan ) is a long-standing tradition in Spain. The use of the fan in Spain began around the 13th century   when fans from the Middle East were brought back by Crusaders.

The tradition of the fan was originally used for cooling a person in the heat of the Spanish weather. It is alleged that the fan was also used as a form of secret coded messages. The “secret” fan language was a means to deal with the restrictive social etiquette. In fact, one of our Spanish friends told us how her mother communicated with her father before they were married through the fan secret language.

The secret language is believed to be as follows:

Open fan over the chest showing the design “Yes”
Open fan over the chest showing the back “No”
Open fan covering one of the cheeks “I like you”
Wave fan very fast: “I really like you”
Wave fan very slowly: “I am not interested”
Open fan covering your nose “I want to see you”
Open fan covering your chin “I want to talk to you”
Closed fan near the heart: “I love you”
Open fan placed over lips: “Kiss me”
Close fan waving; “I am thinking about it”
Hit close fan against hand “Leave me alone”
Open and close the fan: “I am upset”
Open fan waving energetically on one side “Don´t come now, other people around”

The “abanico” is still very popular in Spain and it is not uncommon to see women waving the fan when they are hot. The abanicos are sold extensively throughout the country and it is not uncommon to see tourist buying a cheap fan as a souvenir.

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Abanicos on display in Barcelona souvenir store for sale
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Numerous abanicos on sale at a local department store in Alicante

The abanicos range in price from $1 euro up into the hundreds of dollars. The handcrafted artisan style fans are very beautiful and a piece of art. We looked at some fans on display that were quite expensive and locked inside a display case.

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Expensive abanicos on display in locked case at local department store

The style and diversity of the abanicos are truly amazing. There are some for women’s small hand purses, evening classic style and some are works of art used to accent a women’s clothing. We bought a fan to remind us of the tradition. Can you tell which secret Shelley is saying in fan language?

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“adios y que tenga un gran dia”