Pueblo Ingles

Pueblo Ingles July 15 - 30

Pueblo Ingles is a program that is based out of Madrid. How the program works is, English speaking kids from, England, Ireland, Canada, the U.S., or any other English speaking countries sign up ahead of time. If they get accepted then they buy a ticket and head to Madrid for the program.

My program was a 2 week program, and my parents program was one week. So I had to show up in Madrid 1 week before they had to. I arrived at the hotel which is the hotel that Pueblo Ingles works out the kids from. I checked in and met my roommate for the night. After all of the bag dropping and room checking, we headed onto the bus and took a tour of 4 of the most famous squares in Madrid (names of the squares not known). After the tour we got back onto the bus and went to the hotel for dinner, after dinner we got our orientation on the program and got into our groups for the different camps. The next morning I had to be up at 7:00 am and downstairs ready to go at 7:30. After breakfast we got our bags and got onto our different buses. We then picked up the Spaniards that were going to the same camp as us. The bus ride was seven hours long; it was the longest ride to any of the camps.

Since I cannot tell you about everyday at the camp I will just tell you the schedule for a day at Priego(our camp name). First we got up at 8:30am and had breakfast at 9:00, after breakfast we would go for a warm up activity at 10:30am, a warm up would consist of stretches or a funny dance. After a warm up of 15 minutes we would have our first one to one at 10:45am. A one to one is when you take one Anglo, one Spaniard and the Anglo, and Spaniard just sit and talk for about 45 minutes. After the one to one was over we would have pool time. Pool time is, well pool time is pool time, and you go get your swimming trunks on and jump in. When pool time was finished we would have a group activity. At the camp we had different color teams, I was the yellow team, and in a group activity you would get an assignment, like to do a skit. The skit had to be in English, so the Spaniards had some tough times. Then after group activity was finished we had lunch. When lunch was finished we had free time which consisted of an hour and a half of anything the kids wanted to do. You could swim you could go onto the internet, you could have a nap or you could sit and talk with your friends. The next thing on the agenda is 2 more one to ones. After, we had a free choice activity. A free choice activity is when all the counselors have an activity, (your team gets points in the group activities or in every day life at camp for mixing with Spaniard and talking English all the time, but the Spaniard always got minus points for speaking Spanish) then how many points your team gets depends on what activity you yourself get to choose. If your team has the most points then you get to choose first if not, then you have to go in the order of how many points each team has from biggest to the least. After, we had dinner. When dinner was over we had a night activity which was from 10:00-11:30pm a night activity was something like capture the flag.

Every day at Priego was long, but tons of fun. By the end of camp most of the teens did not want to go home and were really sad to have to go, a lot of the girls cried. I met a lot of new people at that camp, and a lot of different people. But I know that I can keep in contact with them, and I know for sure I will try to go back to Pueblo Ingles again.

- Tim


Pueblo Ingles July 23 – July 30

Where do I start, we signed up for a program called Pueblo Ingles. Basically it is a program where native English speakers volunteer to spend a week with Spanish speakers trying to improve their English skills. We would be staying at a remote hotel in Spain (near Granada for us) with a group of Anglos and Spaniards. Other than that, I had no idea what to expect.

Since Karen and I spent the week before in Portugal, we decided not to drive back to Madrid to take the bus back down south (where we already were), so we drove ourselves and arrived about an hour before the group. We were a little nervous since the address for the hotel did not show up in map quest and the nearest spot it gave us was 40 minutes from the hotel. Needless to say, I drove a little too fast on a single lane mountain road to make sure we got there on time. No harm, no foul.

The program is not for the timid. From the moment we arrived until we left a week later, our time was spent with people conversing. Each day began at 9:00 am with breakfast (each table had two Spaniards and two Anglos), after that there would be one hour sessions that would range from one on one’s (you and a Spaniard to talk about whatever you wanted), two on two’s (same but more people), conference calls, telephone calls or presentations by the Spaniards. My favorite was the presentations. They were amazing, creative, informative and much more. At 2:00 pm we had lunch and then a siesta time until 5:00 pm (pool time for Karen and I). 5:00 – 8:00 was more activities (some group, some individual) and then 8:00 – 9:00 was entertainment (plays, presentations, etc.) . 9:00 pm- 10:00 pm was dinner and then 10:00 pm – 2:00 am was cocktail hour. Quite the busy schedule.

Over the course of the week, some close friendships developed. I enjoyed meeting and talking with all the Spaniards. We don’t get much time to talk to the Anglos, but enjoyed them as well. There were several people that I especially felt a connection with. I enjoyed talking rugby with Manuel and he even managed to talk Karen into letting me play when we return home (if I find an oldies team). I also spent a lot of time talking with Chema, Chema, Ignacio and Hannah (from London). They must have been ok with me hanging out as well since they made me an honorary member of the “tall” club. The last day I was overwhelmed by their generosity. Ignacio went to amazing lengths to buy me a Spanish World Cup Champions shirt and Manuel gave me a rugby shirt from his rugby club in Granada (which I have gotten many comments on since). I forged many more friendships than the examples mentioned above, but the entry would be too long if I mentioned them all.

I certainly went with the intention of helping people learn English. I might have helped a little, but instead I spent the week learning about the Spanish passion for life and living it to the fullest. Listening to everyone talk about their family and friends and how important they are to them made me think about how we have lost a lot of that back home in America. They also live enjoy themselves. They play games, eat out at restaurants and party much of the weekends. The night we had a dance, I thought this could be lame. I was thinking in the context of a group of Americans thrust into the same situation. Not for the Spanish. The music began and so did they. Everyone sang and danced. Not only danced, but danced incredibly well. The women (Graciela especially) were fantastic dancers, but it was the men that amazed me. Thank god more Spanish men did not visit the states when I was young, I would never have met anyone. Spending the week with everyone at the program has reinforced what I have been learning on the trip, I have changes to make when I get home. It is time to live life! Thanks to everyone for sharing with me and teaching me more than I taught you.

Campeones, Campeones Ole! Ole! Ole!

~Jeff~





Pueblo Ingles …. A fabulous program, thank you Bridget for giving us information about the program. As Jeff said it was a very intense week but one that we will not forget. I had wonderful time getting to know Spaniards and most of the Anglos. Many new friendships were formed and we hope that we will have visitors in Seattle.

Jeff explained the structure of the program to you so I shall let you know a little more detail. Most of the Spaniards want to improve their English for work opportunities. We had accountants, lawyers, a doctor, business executives, teachers and university students, the group was very diverse. I found that most of the Spaniards were far more comfortable writing rather than speaking. Apparently they learn English in school but only to the point of being able to read they really do not practice pronunciations. As we all know the pronunciations are not always as we think they might be, so we helped and explained some of the rules we use in English. Verb tense was also difficult for them, some words in Spanish are used for both male and female and they therefore have difficulty when speaking English using he/she correctly.

I continue to help as I am corresponding via email with some, correcting their use of words and verb tense. Pueblo Ingles is truly a wonderful program; it has taught us a lot about people and languages, how we are not really all that different in our desires in life but how we choose to live our lives.

I would recommend this program to you if want a different style of holiday, one in which you truly meet the people of the country. You can look the program up online at www.morethanenglish.com or www.puebloingle.com

Adios ~ Karen

Costa Brava July 10 - 14

We entered Spain from two nice nights in France. We had slowly made our way from Italy along the southern coast of France to Spain. Our ultimate goal was Barcelona to watch the game, but as I mentioned in the World Cup entry, that was not a good choice, so we headed to the Spanish Riviera – Costs Brava.

Before heading to the coast, we made a brief visit to Girona. We wandered around the old town looking at the town wall, many old buildings, beautiful narrow streets that meander through the town and the old cathedral.





After our short stop in Girona, we headed for a small town named Palamos. A little less touristy than some of the other areas. We settled in a camp ground overlooking the Mediterranean. It is a fantastic camp ground within walking distance to the town and the beach. It’s also one of the most expensive camp grounds we have stayed at. We discussed it as a family and decided we were a bit tired and would use this as a rest stop for a little R & R. It takes a little while to get on Spanish time, all the shops and stores are closed from 2:00 pm- 5:00 pm. Restaurants (not that we went to any due to budget issues) didn’t open until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm.





The four days spent here were not very exciting, but they were very enjoyable. We bought a beach umbrella and paddle ball and put them to good use. We headed to the beach for four or five hours each day, swam in the pool for another hour or two and then walked to the market to buy food to cook for dinner and did a little bit of other shopping. Because we didn’t have to pay for sites, we splurged a bit on the grocery side and had some very nice meals here.

We view both saturday and sundays World Cup finals here as I mentioned in my World Cup entry.

On the 14th we headed for Madrid and camped in a small town just outside of Madrid so that we could get Tim to his hotel for his two week Pueblo Ingles program. After almost 300 days together 24/7, it felt a bit strange to just drop your 15 year old son off at a hotel in Madrid and say we will see you in two weeks.

~Jeff~

A Little bit of Italy July 4 - 7

Originally, we planned to spend a lot of time in Italy on this trip, and then we changed plans to visit friends and decided no time in Italy, now we have come full circle back to stopping in Italy. Italy was a good stopping point in our drive from Munich over to southern France.

The drive through the Alps in Austria, via Innsbruck, was beautiful, but no stops. As we came out of the Alps on the other side in Italy, the scenery was gorgeous. High mountains separated by a valley running through the middle. The valley is covered in vineyards. Various hilltops have castles situated on them overlooking the valley. Just amazing!

We decide to stay along the south western shore of Lago di Garda, a beautiful, large lake in northern Italy. Camping is nice in Italy but also expensive. A strange thing happened in the pool, we were required to wear a bathing cap! Odd as we have not encountered this at all in Europe but apparently in Italy this is normal.






We take our next day and venture in to Verona. Yes this is the home town of Juliet from Shakespeare’s; Romeo and Juliet. We visit Juliet’s home and see the famous balcony. Another highlight of Verona is the Roman Coliseum. We visit this amazing venue. They are setting up for a concert in the evening, it will be Stevie Wonder. I must say this must be a fantastic venue for a concert. They put on many performances here both dramatically and musically every year. Would be fun to see one, but that is for another trip.







We next head to Cinque Terre. Tim has recommended this to us as he really enjoyed his day here with his school class last summer. We set up camp in the town of Sestri Levante, which is in close proximity to the villages of Cinque Terre.
We begin at Sestri Levante station and take the train to the furthest most end of Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore. We begin our fabulous day. Amazing, beautiful, exhilarating, awe inspiring are just a few adjectives to describe our feelings. We hike 1km to Manarola, visit this village, which appears to be just waking up for the day. A1km hike on to Corniglia, enjoying a brief swim in the Mediterean Sea before we reach the town to visit and have a snack. We then hike on 4km to Vernazza. This is the village Tim visited last year and I must say it is the most spectacular. We swim in the small harbor, enjoy a cold drink, and explore the small shops before we take the train to Monteserosso.
The little villages of Cinque Terre perched on the cliffs above the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean are amazing. This is where Jeff and I spend our 7th anniversary. We couldn’t have planned for a better spot. Tim was so right it is truly wonderful.
This is definitely a place we will return to.

Now that we know who will be in the world cup finals, it is time to move on. It’s off to Spain and Barcelona.

~Karen~

The World Cup June 11 – July 11

A quick diversion from the trip to explain a little about our trip within a trip. As all of you are aware, the World Cup of Football (soccer) started June 11th. The World Cup only happens every four years and we decided we would take advantage of the fact we are in Europe where this is a big deal. Every country we visited (that was in the world cup) cars were decorated and flags were hung outside of homes, pubs and businesses.

Within reason, a lot of our travels and sight seeing were geared around catching the big games in a good venue or one of the countries that was playing. To that end, we left Holland and traveled to Berlin to watch the first USA game versus England and the Germany v. Australia game. We found a nice local pub to view both games.


Within reason, a lot of our travels and sight seeing were geared around catching the big games in a good venue or one of the countries that was playing. To that end, we left Holland and traveled to Berlin to watch the first USA game versus England and the Germany v. Australia game. We found a nice local pub to view both games.

We continued to watch some of the lesser games whenever the opportunity arose as we traveled around the countryside. We managed to catch more than half the games and all the big match ups (Brazil v. Portugal, etc.). It was very fun and no matter who was playing, there were always people watching the games cheering for one side or the other.

We chose to leave Prague earlier than we had planned to make sure we made it to a town in Germany to watch the England v. Germany game. This was slated to be a classic match. We decided to stay in Bamberg. A little town several hours north of Munich. The town is very pretty and the old quarter has some wonderful buildings and history. This way we could see the game and sightsee. As we walked through town looking for a venue, we noticed all the young people going the same direction. In the main square they had set up a stage and a massive big screen tv. It cost two Euro to get in and then you could buy food or drinks in the venue. We waited about an hour for the game as the place filled up, around 3,000 people. The crowed had their faces painted, wearing flags (many of the girls had made dresses out of material in the colors of the flag), Germany hats and buttons. Germany dominated England in the match and the crowd went crazy with each goal. After the game, the streets were filled with people partying and cars driving up and down certain roads with flags out and horns honking. We wandered around town for several hours sightseeing and enjoying the party.




The next day we drove down to Munich to meet some friends we met in Vietnam. We had a wonderful time with them and decided to stay on to watch the Argentina v. Germany game. A very exciting and fun game, glad it was not any closer because Juergen might have had a heart attack. Very glad we stayed.

We had decided not to go to Italy earlier in the trip, but then decided that would be a good place to watch the next round to see who made it to the finals. Germany would be playing Spain and Netherlands v. Uruguay. We decided if Germany won, we would head back up to Germany. If Spain won, we would carry on to Spain. Italy became our holding spot. Europe was excited that the final might end up Germany v. The Netherlands. The Germans categorized this as a big rivalry and the Dutch claimed it would be a war and brought up memories of World War II. Football in Europe is about much more than just the sport. There are a lot of political, social and historical pieces to the football. We would discover this even more in our next leg.

As you know, Spain won and faced the Netherlands in the final, so not back to Germany. Instead, we decided to head to Barcelona to sight see and watch the game in a decent Spanish venue. The game was on July 11th and we needed to be in Madrid by the 15th for Tim to go to Pueblo Ingles. Once again the lack of a plan bit us in the rear end. Had I done a little research, I would have known that Barcelona is located in Catalonia and they do not like being part of Spain and for the most part do not support the Spain team in international events.




We decided to stay out on the coast on the Costa Brava (Spanish Riviera). We found a nice camp ground and watched the Germany v. Uruguay game. On the day of the finals, we hung out at the beach and then found a pub with tv’s on the sidewalk. There were maybe fifty people with a smattering of them dressed in orange supporting the Netherlands. It was an exciting game and the venue turned out to be fine. Spain won and a small party ensued in town. Around 800 people sang and danced in the streets, blocked traffic, lit off fireworks and had a great time. Around the edge of town people drove around honking their horns and waving flags. Not quite the party of several hundred thousand in Madrid, but a good time none the less.

Thus ended a side trip on the Road to Nowhere.

~Jeff~

Munich June 28 - July 3rd

This is our second entry into Germany, this time in the south. We head towards Munich or perhaps I should say outside of Munich to the small village of Schondorf, where we stay with Juergen, Sabine and Frederick. We met this family on a snorkel trip in Nha Trang, Vietnam; they were on a short school break exploring part of Vietnam. They generously invited us to come and visit them if we were coming to Munich.
We arrive to their home on a Monday afternoon. School is still in session, so Frederick is not due home until 4pm, but as soon as he arrives we head to Lake Ammersee for a swim. The day is hot and the water is a refreshing 22*c. Juergen made a lovely dinner of roasted vegetables and seared loin of lamb; of course we had some nice wine to go along with it.




The next day we head to Garmisch Partenkirchen where we go for a hike in the Alps! Amazing, I know we are in Germany, but I cannot help thinking of the Sound of Music because the “hills” roll and they are just amazing and beautiful! We hike for about 4 hours and discover an amazing canyon that the river has carved out over the centuries. Photos really do not do justice, it is just amazingly gorgeous. The path winds along a meter or two above the water. In some places it is tunnels that have been carved to accommodate the path in others the path is at the base of the cliff.




We explore the nearby town of Landsberg on Wednesday, where I decide to finally have my hair cut…mistake. I need to do some work on it as it is not looking great. Juergen belongs to a sailing club, so he has reserved a sailboat for the day. We head out after 1pm when Frederick is out of school. This is my first real experience on a sailboat, and although the wind was not great we had a fabulous time. I even worry about the angle the boat takes and should we move…..I am not a sailor, but I am working on it and I had a great time.




Thursday it is into Munich. Juergen drives us in, shows us the Olympic Park, many of the historical sights such as a square where Hitler gave many speeches. We spend the day exploring the city and even find a river you can surf on. Tim is quite impressed! We have purchased truffles for dinner and Juergen makes a wonderful pasta with the truffles…wow! Another first, and I liked it very much. Sabine has had to work while we have been here but she is great and stays up late into the night talking with us.

We decide to stay close on Friday and Jeff and I discover the town of Schondorf and its beach. Tim stays “home” and heads to the beach with Frederick when he returns from school.




Saturday finds us on the road to Oberau, a little Bavarian town famous for their presentation of the play, The Passion (the death of Christ). They only present the play every 10 years and the people of the village who act in it, grow their hair and beards for the better part of a year or two in preparation for the roles. This happens to be the year the play is on, so the town is jammed with tourists. It is a nice town. Tim comments that it looks like Leavenworth. I would have to agree with him. Our actual destination is the Schloss Neuschwanstein in Fussen. . As we approach the town, you can see the castle on the hill. It is absolutely stunning. We check into taking a tour, but the timing won’t work for us to take a tour and make it back to watch the Germany v. Argentina game. We opt to wander around the grounds. It is one of the most beautiful settings I have every seen. Just like a fairy tale castle (In fact, it is. This is the castle used by Walt Disney to design Snow White’s castle.) The view from the castle is wonderful. There are some lakes down below in the low lands and the castle is surrounded by cliffs in the mountains. The castle looks across a small valley to a waterfall. This is somewhere we hope to come back to someday and spend an entire day exploring the area and looking at the castle from different angles and vantage points.



Back at the house, Germany wins versus Argentina and we celebrate with a fantastic barbeque and salads. A fantastic end to a wonderful visit. We look forward to seeing Juergen, Sabine and Frederick in Seattle and have the opportunity to show them around our corner of the world. We hate to leave on Sunday, but it is a quick drive through Austria on our way to Italy.

~Karen and Jeff~

Prague June 24 -26

For years, I have been hearing from people that they think Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. With our limited running around so far in Europe, I would have to agree. The old buildings are amazing and every single street is a photo op. There is a lot of history in this city and because it did not suffer much damage during the Second World War, the city still has the majority of its old buildings. Prague is a must see for anyone that enjoys old architecture.

Our first day in Prague, we took the train into town from a mall near our campground and we wandered around town looking at the various buildings, squares and churches. We discovered that there was a three day music festival taking place around the river. You know us, not one to pass up a music festival. There was not much happening the first day, so we wandered on to the King George’s Bridge. This bridge is a famous landmark that shows up in most photos. It was beautiful and has magnificent statues lining both sides of the bridge. Presently, the bridge is Pedestrian traffic only, which in Prague means it is busier than heck. I think everyone must know this is an amazing city. Prague has more tourists than any other city we have been to on our trip, it is almost impossible to avoid them. We walk back into town to find a pub to watch the Brazil v. Portugal game. We find a nice pub with a good TV (and the nastiest wait staff ever). We watch the first half and then move to another pub that has a tiny TV and fantastic staff and customers.





Back into town by train the next morning. Today we start with the Castle and the surrounding area. The castle is not a medieval castle like we would think of, but a conglomeration of buildings on the hill that work as a walled palace and various palace buildings and churches. It is an enjoyable several hours and the view of the city below is fantastic. After a few hours, we need a break from the tourists and we head for the music festival. This is a nice break form the tourists. We find a stage to settle down at and play cards and listen to two bands. It’s not the Blues stage with Bob Shepherd, but it is still enjoyable. We wander on to another stage to listen to an Irish band. Having had our music fix, we head back at a reasonable hour to have dinner so that we can watch the USA v. Ghana game on the television at the camp bar. It was a good game, but very disappointing that the boys couldn’t keep it together in extra time. Luckily, the Czech beer is good and cheap. We were surprised to see that many of the people in the bar were cheering for the US team.

We had a nice visit to the Czech Republic and would like to have spent more time exploring the country, but we want to be in Germany for the England v. Germany game. Time to go.

~Jeff~

Krakow - Auschwitz June 21 -23

A quick four hour drive from Wroclaw and we are in the former Polish Capital of Krakow. Karen navigates us to the neighborhood where we are couch surfing. Not much in the way of parking, but we find a spot and head off sightseeing. We walk to Wawel Castle, a 14th century castle. It is a magnificent castle, but we arrive too late to take a tour. We walk around the grounds and visit the fabled dragon cave.



Under the castle is a cave and the story goes that a dragon took up residence under the Castle and the king offered the Princess in marriage to anyone who could slay the dragon. Many knights tried and failed. Finally the local shoemaker tried by filling a dead sheep with sulphur. The dragon ate the sheep and then flew to the river to drink water. He drank and drank until he blew up. The shoemaker then made shoes out of the skin and married the Princess. Outside the cave is a metal sculpture of the dragon. If you send and sms from your phone, he breathes fire.

After the castle, we wander around the old Jewish quarter. During the war, this was walled off and turned into a ghetto containing the Jews until they were sent to the extermination camps. This is the area that Oscar Schindler obtained workers for his factory, thus saving them from the death camps (movie Schindler’s List). At 7:30 pm we go back to the flat to meet Stefan and get settled in. We all go to dinner at one of his favorite restaurants and have dinner and watch the World Cup. Nice time and great to talk to Stefan. He gives us a lot of suggestions of things to see and do.




Day two, we leave early to visit the Weiliczka Salt Mine. We take a tour that lasts several hours. It is amazing. I never knew what a salt mine was. This is salt from an old sea that has been compressed under the ground for millions of years. The compression creates what looks like stone, but if you shine a light on it, it is clearly all crystal. We are still unbelievers, so we each lick the cave wall. Pure salt! We descend a staircase of 378 steps down into the mine. The beginning of the tour is at 64 kilometers under ground. The tour takes you from one chamber to another chamber. Some of the chambers have exhibits which show how the mining took place and others have statues carved out of the salt made by the miners. The tour covers 2 kilometers of tunnels, and the entire complex is 300 kilometers of tunnels descending to a depth of 327 meters. The walls are supported with log structures that look like Lincoln logs. The logs have to be used for support because the salt will corrode any metal used. The various carvings are amazing, but at one point we visit and underground chapel, the Chapel of St Kinga, situated at 101 meters underground. The chapel was created by three miners in their off hours over many years. Amazing!

We spend the rest of the day exploring and shopping. Tim got new soccer boots, as he has signed up to play upon our return and he needs to be in shape to play straight away. We also cook one of our Thai curries for dinner and share a meal with Stefan in the flat before heading out to watch a World Cup game.

We have been having fun watching the World Cup here in Europe, the excitement is alive! Go USA! But it really doesn’t matter as we will watch all the games if we can.






Day 3 We depart fairly early from Krakow to visit Auschwitz. We drive through the country side to reach Auschwitz, and are amazed at the reality of life in the area. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, just another area. I guess that is what the Germans were aiming for in setting up their “camps”.
Once at Auschwitz 1, as they call the main camp, we take the tour which begins with a film before the guided tour. Jeff and I remember a much more detailed version of this from our high school history class and are a bit disappointed. We begin the tour and we are part of a group of perhaps 30. Our guide takes us through many of the buildings with a commentary, but we find ourselves wandering off exploring beyond her tour. We are about 3 hours on the tour and are quite over whelmed. The camp is in good shape at Auschwitz. The exhibits are lacking a lot of information and impact though. The holocaust museum in the US is much better. We then took the shuttle to Auschwitz 2, also known as Birkenau. This was the “extermination” camp, and the impact upon us was huge. The size of the camp is unbelievable. I was devastated……I truly could not believe the horrors that took place here. As I write this tears come to me as I recall the memories. I cannot believe what people can do to other people.
I will not say more as I am to emotional at the thoughts and will be able to share more with individuals once we are home. We return to Wroclaw and our dear friends home for once last night before heading on.
~Karen~