Palo Alto Market Barcelona

The Palo Alto Market is a new(ish) market in the urban district of Poble Nou in Barcelona.

I discovered The Palo Alto market through my instagram friends and considering my baby boy is getting a bit bigger and the weather is getting nicer I thought it would be nice to go and visit the much talked about market in Barcelona. It's a hip market with great street food held the first weekend of every month in Carrer dels Pellaires, 30, 08019 Barcelona. You can buy tickets online which works out a little cheaper. Online entry is 3€ and there on the door it is 4€

There is a nice chilled atmosphere and does get busy, especially the food section and trying to get a table requires patience. I think they need to expand the food part or make more space for people to sit in different sections of the market. 

I do recommend you visit this market if you have time, however I think with two or three hours you have plenty of time to have a look around, enjoy a drink and some food and music from the Aperol stage. 

What I also recommend to any parents is to avoid taking a pushchair. There is a lot of paths with pebbles and is very uncomfortable to move around with the buggy. I noticed I wasn't the only parent struggling to push the buggy. It was slightly annoying and made me miss out on some parts of the market as it was too tiring.

Cheers! 

Kids go for free, but I recommend you take a sling instead of push chair.

The market stalls are run by budding designers and small businesses trying to promote their product. My cousin had her stall with her collection of bags. The brand is KIMU BCN and I bought a bag from her. 

Tapas, Sun, Sea on a Sunday in Barcelona

Yesterday I was mourning the possibility that snowboarding season will be over soon but when my cousin called me and asked whether I wanted to go for a ride downtown my mourning soon became a happier feeling.

Today wasn't only the Barcelona Marathon but it was also the first Sunday for me by the Sea, taking in the salty breeze and seeing the once gloomy people beam with a bright sense of happiness and joy. SPRING IS HERE!

My cousin and I decided to go down on our mopeds to the beach and have lunch and it was well worth it. Being warmed up by the sun whilst downing a few "claras" and watching groups pass by, kids on scooters, dogs on leads and couples cosying under a shade, bellísimo.

We had lunch in Vitaminas de Mar which is right on the puerto olímpico. The service was slow but very friendly and my advice is you should get anywhere like there early on a day like this as it gets packed fast. The Price wasn't too bad but you can find cheaper but won't have the luxury of the terrace.

English speaking mayor of Madrid - What a Joke (Ana Botella)

This week I begin my new term of teaching English and what a way to ease myself in by watching this video of the mayor of Madrid, Spain.When the first few seconds of the video came on I thought it was a joke from a show or something. My hands hit my head in shock, "oh dios mio, no puede ser"

My ears couldn't believe what they were hearing, was this woman really pretending she knew or was fluent in English or did she really think she was capable of doing a speech in English?
Why did her colleagues let her speak out? Did they not think this was going to end in embarrassment not just for Ana Botella herself but also for Spain?
"Madrid is beautiful and Spanish people know how to celebrate" but Ana Botella, you made us look like we have no clue, but I am not going to ridicule this lady as she has had enough from the Spanish press.
I want to offer her the chance to learn English with a native English Teacher,  I'm sure I can charge a lot less than your actual teacher and you will be able to string a sentence together that actually makes sense.
Call me!

Wake Up Spain

Many people would read my blog and think that I really dislike living in Spain with all my complaining about how this country functions. That would be a misinterpretation though. I love Spain and love living here but like every single country in the World it does have its ups and it has its downs.
After working 3 weeks in a small town in Catalunya I came back quite disappointed with the "hardworking Catalans". For almost all my life I was led to believe that the Catalan community are the hardest working in Spain but after being in a small town it is just as bad as any other town in the rest of Spain or even in Italy (I lived in an Italian village too).
Businesses are complaining about Crisis, they complain at how the Chinese Bazaars and the 1 Euro shops are taking their business, the Chinese are buying out all the bars in Barcelona and as the days and weeks pass Barcelona is becoming as multi cultural as London or any big city is.
This is not bad in my eyes but its not being accepted by the locals.
I don't want to critisise any locals but the fact is that Spanish people don't want to work as hard.
I completely understand that it is hard to function on a daily basis when there is a lot of heat involved, you do feel lazier and less likely to do work when you are in hot and humid conditions but this can't always be the excuse.

I was in a small town and I was shocked and embarrassed at how we were treated there by the local bars. We would go every evening to spend EUROS in bars and the staff never seemed to be content with the business. I actually had one member of staff complain at me the customer telling me that we need to stop disturbing him and order and pay for all our drinks at once. REALLY?
This man was not busy, we were literally his only customers and we were spending a minimum of 50 euros a night for 3 weeks, do the math. This man was fed up of us going up to the bar and ordering drinks, he was fed up of us wanting to pay individually because some of us would have to go back to work. We felt bad for ordering in a bar. I always say: "only in Spain": My fellow Spanish friends may defend this one man and say that this doesn't show what Spain is like but its just one of many examples.

On Facebook my friends post pictures of their local businesses and ask you to go there instead of any Chinese Bazaar. How are we expected to use the Spanish businesses when they are always closed? The shops in Spain are still funcioning the way they did 20 years ago. Times have changed and excuse the pun but so should the shops now. How can a person working 9-6 go to a bank if they close everyday at 14.00. They are open once a week till 20.00, what if you finish at 20.00?
My point is that if Spain really want to get out of this crisis they really need to sort themselves out. We need to develop as a Country, there is so much potential and its being wasted on laziness.
When one wants a plumber, an electrician or anything like that they have to wait days on end and the problem is that because all are on the same level, no one seems to be in competition with one another so they all will come when its good for them and not for you.

If you do decide you want to live in Spain you do have to learn how to be patient and accept these things. Everything you want done will get done but in Spanish time not your own. So don't predict you will take a day to do one task here because that isn't how things work.
I know many people would be angry with me dissing the system but these people need to wake up and see it for themselves. Spain need to wake up.

Term is about to begin.

Summer has come to an end to some and mine is on its way. Next week I start work and am looking forward to starting my new career path in teaching.
For the past 6 months this is all I wanted to do, pass my CELTA to become a teacher and after months of being broke and scrounging I will finally get my first official and dignified pay cheque!
So excited for that moment.

So, I completed my goals, now my mind is setting some new ones, one of the main ones is next year, I am already thinking of moving somewhere. At first Turkey or Dubai were my options but now it is slowly switching to Asia, maybe China or even an Island. China is a new world to me and I have always wanted to learn Chinese but this is going to be a tough decision to make as its a complete different lifestyle.
I have already started looking at jobs and downloaded a Chinese language app to pick up on words and see if I can learn a couple of phrases.
I'll be looking further into this as time passes and see if this can really be a viable decision. It looks like i'm not 100% ready to settle down in  Barcelona, I feel the need there is more to explore and discover before laying my roots. Another question is whether I ever will manage to lay them out at all.

To a new adventure!! 

Need help on your NIE? (Barcelona)

I have been living in Barcelona for ten years and it still amazes me how slow and disorganised admin is here, and they say Catalunya are the hardest working part of Spain, don't want to imagine the rest!

The NIE is an ID number for you to be able to work and live here (A green piece of paper known as your certificate, stating your full name and national insurance number).

Apart from the NIE, other documents are required to work here, like the empadronamiento and Social Security number.
If you are moving to Barcelona and are planning on working here you will need a few things before signing your work contract. It will be a miracle if you have the right documentation and get it done in one day.
*If you are still in your own country check online and try and get as much done before you come out.
To be able to retrieve your NIE you need your Empadronamiento which is a certificate of where you live. If you speak Spanish or know anyone that does it will be really helpful, call 012 and they will tell you all you need, or atleast part of it.

It is much better to check how it is done before moving around as the admin is very slow and the office workers seem to know less than someone you may know that has done it. It is an utter nightmare and very old school when it comes to the way any admin processes work here. If you don't have the right information you will be sent to one office address which will be incorrect then you will be sent to another which is also the wrong one and if you are lucky and everything is close to eachother you may get it all done in one day.

If you are part of the E.U. you need to book an appointment with the police electronically, better be organised and avoid wasting a day.

You need to enter the following site
www.seap.minhap.gob.es
- Servicios
- Extranjeria
- Cita Previa
- Provincia (Barcelona)
- Option -  Certificado U.E

When you have an appointment you will need to take with you the following documents:

- Empadronamiento or Declaración de contratación, this is a document from the workplace you have been offered to work at.
- 3 photos
- Filled out document of the X-18 (too be able to work here) and X-15 if its just to stay for 3 months.

With these docs and the form you print off the website should be enough. I recommend you fill in the form before you go, or atleast as much of it as possible as the staff aren't patient.

At one point you will have to make a payment of under 10€, this is paying your entry! :)

The offices are in:

La Rambla Guipuzcoa 72-74, Barcelona and is open Monday to Friday 09.00 - 14.00

Hope this has helped anyone that is slightly lost!

Istanbul - From another angle

I only had just over 24 hours to get to know the city and here is a short photo summary.

Nargile / Shisha

As part of our school programme we aren't able to drink alcohol or smoke which is fair enough I can adapt. But one thing I have had to try more than once is the Nargile, which most of you know it as "Shisha". Already bought my tobacco, now need to find the perfect Nargile to take home.

Thank you Turkey for letting me Grow

It has been over a week since we have arrived to the small city of Safranbolu and I must say it hasn't been the most easiest of things for myself or the other teachers to adjust to the culture. Suprisingly it isn't Turkey as a country that is conservative, in fact I was shocked how European this country is. I don't want to sound ignorant but I was ignorant to what Turkey was like.

I didn´t come to Turkey as a tourist nor to party,

but as a school teacher for a prestigious school in a small city 200km away from Istanbul in (6 hours away by bus).
The school is an amazing school with facilities better than I have seen in  London, Spain and Italy.
Every single classroom has its own interactive board, internet is all over the school, a great canteen with homemade food, a basketball court indoor and outdoor. To be honest it is a school I would send my children.

The school is very conservative and this was my culture shock, maybe because I wasn't prepared. The school is muslim and the children obiously pray and read the Kuran in the mornings and I have no problem and I respect their religion. We don't have to wear head scarves but we do have to go covered up. This was something I was informed about, but what  I wasn't informed about was the fact I wasn't allowed to drink alcohol or smoke outside of the school in our free time. I don't smoke, so this is not a problem but I do like to have a beer with my friends, especially after a long hard week at work.

Unfortunately we were told off by the school, as drinking is not allowed at all. If you are a teacher at this school you have to follow their strict rules, no drinking, no smoking, socialising with other members lower or higher than you, and always asking permission to go out, or atleast telling people where we are going.

I am almost 30 years old and have travelled to many places and each place I have been to has made me stronger and made me learn from my experiences. At first I was very angry with the school, I was offended that I couldn't do what I wanted but then I took time out and meditated.
Why am I angry at this culture? I am a guest working here and need to respect their culture. I can drink beer or wine whenever I like, and having a detox is really good now and again.

This was a wake up call for me and it was also a lesson. I realized how lucky I am coming where I come from, this is not being against any religion but I have learnt to be an independent woman and here it seems you can't be that way. I have always been able to do what I like with caution and seeing how some locals aren't allowed to do the things I have been able to do makes me feel I have always taken my freedom forgranted.

After that I also learnt that I am the one that needs to adapt not the locals. Since this wake up call I have actually started to enjoy my stay in Turkey a lot more. I'm refraining from alcohol which means my liver is having a break. My beer belly is finally going down, although I am not getting a Baclava belly (turkish dessert), but atleast it's healthy.
Instead of drinking beer i'm enjoying the turkish tea. Instead of clubbing, i'm visiting beautiful sites, meeting some amazing people and having time to myself and having a very clear mind.

The people of Turkey are the most hospitable people I have ever met in the World. I have nevere felt so well looked after and welcome by anyone, not even family. I have been showered with gifts and been taken to places I would never have been able to see if I hadn't integrated with the people.
I don't like being a typical tourist and seeing the main sites, I want to be part of it and after almost 2 weeks in Turkey I can say I have adapted quite well to the culture and the city life.
I even chanced a haircut which I am extremely happy about.

Thanks to my open mind and the adventurer in me I can see I have grown as a person and feel I have learnt so much in such little time.
People who live in their bubbles do really need to experience something like this.

Thank you  Turkey!!!

Kristal Teras - Safranbolu / Karabük

If you vist Turkey at any point, don't only visit Istanbul but try and take a few days out of your trip to visit Safranbolu, it is a small city with many wonders and the Kristal Teras (Glass Terrace) is one of them.

If you are afraid of heights this may even help you to get over them like it did to my colleague, or it may make you feel even more scared as this is a Huge Canyon with a 11*80 metre glass terrace looking over it.
The sites are amazing and it only costs 3TL to go on it.
After looking over you can have lunch there and visit the old bridge and for the ones that want to spend the day there, they can go down the canyon where there are more restaurants, walkways and even a paintball.

It's definitely worth the visit as it is priceless.

Information:
íncekaya köyü
Safranbolu / Karabük         www.safrankonak.com.tr     info@safrankonak.com.tr   05306688018