Fiesta de San Juan

San Juan's night is full of bonfires, fireworks, music, dancing, sardines and typical alcohol. It's the welcome to summer, and its celebration takes place during the shortest night of the year.

We spent the night at private party with Marquito's friends. By coincidence Bolivian band was playing there so when they were dancing typical dance from Potosí called tinku Marquito became the most important person of the evening as an expert on Bolivian culture :)

However, it was kind of funny how people looked at us, as we were probably the most diverse couple they have ever seen. And thus we had to told our story again and again :-) And as the 23rd is also our aniversary we spent really a wonderful night.

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Islas Cies

Cíes Islands is one of the greatest adventures the Galician coast can offer. The maximum recognition as a Foreshore National Park guarantees the preservation and the improvement of highly exclusive but fragile ecosystems.

There is no doubt that the thinnest sand expanses, like a mirror for the sun, and the best ocean waters can be found here, colder and saltier than in inner gulfs.

Only 45 minutes by boat from Vigo those three islands from which 2 are connected by beach and rock "bridge" look like a wonderful paradise.

Living here for so much time we decided to finally explore these Islands. After our yesterdays party it was not that easy to wake up and queue for the tickets :) but it was worth it.

We arrived at noon to the Islands and decided to take a 3 hours trip to the top where is the lighthouse. It turned out to be a wonderful way full of spectacular views. Especially where three different gulfs mixed together with their distinct colors and force. We also saw seagulls in a different way as it is a breeding season and their kids from an egg to a small bird are all around the way.

Last but not least there are plenty of different lizards. I just wonder how the wild animals can live and breed next to the touristic path when there are so many people passing by.

It seams to be a favourite place for locals and their families for camping. There is actually no hotel, just the camp and only one restaurant.

After this trip we were tired enough to go to the beach and enjoy the transparent water. However, the landscape was very misleading. While it looked like a perfect place to swim and sunbath, it is still very cold..typical Galician wind..

In the evening we returned back to Vigo and had some more rest. What I like on this place is that even at 9 p.m. it looks like early afternoon.

Too see more pictures click here or go to "Pictures" on the right side of the page.

Museo do Mar

Friday evening we spent with bottle of typical Czech Slivovice. I still can't believe that it was for the first time Marquito tried. He was bit surprised by the 45% of alcohol so the drinking finished quite soon and bottle still survived.

This weekend was very much as a real vacation. On Saturday after having typical Spanish breakfast in the restaurant on the corner we decided to go for a walk from Bouzas port to Samil beach - as usually :)

We visited Italian ship staying few days in the port and obsessing Marquito all this time.

Then we spent some time in the new shopping centre. We continued through the market with oysters where we decided to give them a try. Well, I do not like the feeling the animals are still alive when you eat them but Marquito enjoyed and I was happy with glass of wine. While I was taking pictures, the marketeer didn't forget to inform Marquito about the aphrodisiac effects.

Walking away we found that Marquito lived in Vigo already in the 16th century which gives the right sence to many things :D

We ate some sandwiches in the lighthouse while we realized that the Museum which is there is opened. During the last two years we haven't seen it open! There is a large complex built and used as a Museum de Mar. You can see how different kinds of fish cans are made, how to catch and process see animals such as percebe or how to grow mussels. Separately there is an aquarium with the typical fauna of Galician sea. We were explained how is octopus smart and dangerous animal that must be separated from others, that fish also sleep but with open eyes and how crabs change their mail.

I was especially curisous about percebe which is a delicious gooseneck barnacle which thrives at the ocean’s foamy edge, slammed by boiling sea waves, laved in saline by constant saltwater surf which makes it also very expensive sea food. So it was a great surprise when we ordered bottle of wine in the evening and which was connected actually with promotion of plate of percebe. I have to admit, its excellent food. Just that you have to work hard to get some meat :)

Last exam passed

Today I passed the Final Exam - the last exam at the University

Still, keeping celebrations for later, next month will be spent working on the thesis...

Trip to Horsham

Last week I made a break in my studies and I went to Horsham.Horsham is around 30 minutes by train from Gatwick airport to the south, in West Sussex. In 2006 it was pronounced the second best place to live in the UK. I spent great two days in the Cisswood Hotel however, there was almost no time to really explore the town. So, I just have a tip where to go for vacation :) Now back home to study...for the last exam thus the most difficult, the most scary and finally, the most painful.