Flora and fauna of Vigo Campus

 Hello!

 I was beginning to settle into my new home on the University of Vigo campus, up in the mountains. It was very different from my life in Avignon, where I had been living near the town centre. I welcomed the change; it should be great having a year abroad of two such contrasting halves.

 It didn't take me long to learn that the student residence was either home to, or popular with, a large number of cats. They seemed sweet and friendly, though I thought it was wise not to get too close. They made great photographic subjects, though!

 I decided to have another wander around campus and photograph some of its plants and scenery. I hope you enjoy my photos.

 Everywhere I looked there were more lovely things. I couldn't help thinking of the lyric from "World Falls" by Indigo Girls, "Everywhere I turn all the beauty just keeps shaking me". Up in the mountains, looking down at the sea, surrounded by leaves and berries and pink and purple flowers, I totally got it.

 Incidentally, I interviewed the writer of that song, Amy Ray, recently. Take a look at that if you're interested in folk music or would like to see more of my writing.

 Watch this space for more of my Vigo adventures!

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x

Arrival in Vigo

 Hello!

 In my last post I made the journey from Avignon, France, to Porto, Portugal and finally on to Vigo, in Galicia in northern Spain. I arrived at the mountain campus late at night and dropped into bed in the student residence. The next day I awoke keen to see my new home in daylight.

 I got up and did some more unpacking before standing back to assess my situation. I hadn't been able to bring any water from Avignon, nor a great deal of food. I would have to try and find some. 

 I spoke to one of the residence staff. She told me that there wasn't much in the way of shops up on campus and so many of the students did their shopping online. She recommended a few sites. In the meantime, I ate a few bits and bobs from the residence vending machines and then stepped outside to explore.

 It was a beautiful afternoon. Everything was blue and green and white, like the earth from space. The mountains were huge and rugged, coated with forest, and the clouds were fluffy. The way the cleverly-built university buildings sit side by side with nature felt futuristic and very special.

 I wandered around the residence and campus. The sun was beginning to set. I still couldn't quite believe I would be living in such an amazing, isolated place for a whole semester. After the stress of a full day and night travelling, the peaceful walk in the open air was wonderful.

 I spotted a little café-bar called Da Vinci and popped in. It was warm and cosy and seemed to be where the students hung out. The ladies serving were lovely. 

 I ordered a hot chocolate. It was unusually thick and creamy and I got a little cake with it. I also tried a signature Galician dish, a empanada, which is a crescent-shaped pastry. Mine had cheese and ham but they can have all kinds of fillings. It was nice, and I was glad to be able to enjoy something resembling a meal after living off vending machine food.

 I sat by the window drinking the last of my hot chocolate and feeling a sense of calm and snugness. When I eventually stepped back outside into the dusk, I felt much more confident and at home on campus. I was looking forward to the months ahead.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Avignon to Vigo

 Hello!

 The time came for me to travel from Avignon, France to Vigo, Spain to start the second chapter of my year abroad. As I mentioned in my last post, the journey would be a complicated one with six different parts and no margin of error allowed. I hope you enjoy taking that journey with me!

 First of all, I had to carry my luggage down from my apartment to reception, which was no mean feat. I then hovered at reception waiting for somebody to arrive who I could talk to, just to confirm that everything was okay and that I could leave. 

 Time ticked by, however, and nobody appeared. In the end I had to post my keys into the little box, hope for the best and head out to catch my bus to the train station.

 Part One: The bus

 The bus stop was not far from my residence. However, lugging two huge trunks and a backpack out onto the street, across the road and then down to the stop was pretty exhausting. Getting everything onto the bus was difficult as well, but luckily a lady helped me lift everything on board. Thank you, nice lady!

 The bus took me on a route that was very familiar, except that I would normally walk it. We hugged the old town walls, with their beds of wildflowers, and I admired them one last time. We eased our way through the traffic until we reached the post office, which was the stop for the train station.

 Now for another tricky part - getting from the post office across the extremely busy road to the station. I had to get all the bags across various stretches of road within the road, navigating a couple of road islands. 

 Once across, I still had to traverse the station's chaotic car park, which isn't exactly pedestrian-friendly. Finally, I got through the doors and into the station, where I could breathe a slight sigh of relief and briefly enjoy the smell of crepes at their stand and the sound of piano.

  Part Two: The train

 Sod's law dictated that the platform I needed was one of the furthest from the entrance, so I had to fit my luggage into a lift, pull it along a tunnel and then go back up again. On the platform at last, I double-checked that the train there was mine, then hopped aboard.

 My Mam texted me saying, "Please tell me you're on that train!" I was glad to be able to tell her I was. Then I sat back for the journey. It was calm and uneventful, and I listened to music and tried to relax. 

 The scenery between Avignon and Marseilles is beautiful, and even though I was doing this route for the second time - having taken it to go home for Christmas not long before - I appreciated how lovely it was.

 Part Three: The plane

 We arrived at the station, and I got the shuttle bus to Marseilles-Vitrolles Airport. I checked in my bags, very relieved when they were confirmed to be the right weight, as I didn't have access to scales in Avignon. I waved goodbye to them, glad to finally be able to walk around for a while without two huge cases weighing me down.

 I went through security, then ate a sandwich and a chocolate mousse at an overpriced but nice cafe with windows looking out over the concourse. I wandered around the various tourist shops and then settled back into the nice, quiet little lounge I had discovered the last time I was here.

 The time came to board the plane. It would take me to Portugal, where I had never been. I was intrigued as to what the journey would be like, and what lay at the end of it.

 To be honest, the journey just felt long, longer than it actually was. We seemed to be flying quite low, however - or perhaps there was a lack of cloud - as I could see everything below me clearly. We flew over fields and trees and mountains and I saw the salt lakes of my beloved Camargue.

 Finally we were above Porto. Dusk had arrived and I observed the houses and buildings, and what looked like parks. We touched down in Porto Airport and made our way inside. I collected my luggage and prepared for one of the more complicated stages of the journey.

 Part Four: The Metro

 The complicated stage was locating the Porto Metro, and taking it to Porto Train Station. I could see the airport's Metro stop, outside and slightly above ground level. Accessing it was a different story.

 After a lot of searching both outside and inside the airport, I tried a series of escalators, as at least they would take me upwards. They took me to a huge indoor car park, but fortunately there were signs leading through it to the Metro. 

 I followed them to an extremely busy ticket-buying area, with a load of people who had presumably just landed all scrabbling to get tickets. I reached a machine with difficulty and, after figuring out what to do, bought my ticket. 

 The ticket was very robust, more than mere paper or card. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing (maybe harder to fake?) or bad (maybe worse environmentally. Or maybe not?) I found the platform and waited for the next tram.

 It arrived, and I squeezed on. It was packed with people, and staying upright when I didn't really have anything to hold onto wasn't easy. One good thing about my location was that I was facing a map of the line with a light that showed where we were, so I could count down the stops until we reached the station.

 It was a journey of around half an hour. I tried to enjoy it, but the tram was crowded and uncomfortable. I occupied myself studying the various Portuguese posters and ads - I'm not fluent in Portuguese but as a Spanish speaker I can more or less understand it when reading.

 We arrived at the train station and I disembarked with joy. By now it was night, and the air was fresh and cool. I took a minute to enjoy being out in the open, before reluctantly dragging my bags towards the station in order to begin my quest to buy a train ticket.

 Part Five: The train (again)

 The train station was slightly confusing when entered from the Metro line, and the fact that it was dark and full of people didn't help. However, I managed to find the desk for buying international tickets. 

 I also found a lady who spoke English - my basic Portuguese would probably have got me through but it was reassuring to know I had exactly the ticket I needed. I didn't want to end up on a train going in the wrong direction!

 I went back outside. I saw with pleasure that like Spanish vending machines, Portuguese ones are quite decent, with actual food - pastries, cakes, even fruit - rather than the endless crisps and Haribo you get in French ones. I bought a pastry and enjoyed it, having not eaten for hours.

 I climbed on board the train and chose my seat. There was a crowd of loud people nearby but at least I was facing the right way, had a window and was near a luggage rack. The journey was long and due to it now being pitch black outside, I didn't have any view to enjoy.

 I got through a lot of my current book, I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. I enjoyed it, though I guessed the famous twist from the beginning. Still, its coastal setting was nice and atmospheric, so I do recommend giving it a read.

 We reached the bay of Vigo at last, and I gazed at the epic sweep of lights. I was struck by the huge difference from Avignon: I loved Avignon for its intimacy and the fact that I could walk everywhere. Vigo was the opposite. I was drawn to its vastness, this huge city sprawling from the mountains down to the sea.

 The train pulled up in Vigo Station. I heaved my bags onto the platform and looked for Esther, my assigned Erasmus Buddy. There she was, wielding a sign with my name on it, which made me smile - I don't know whether I've ever had that film-like experience of arriving somewhere and someone holding up a sign for me. It was cool.

 Part Six: The car

 Esther led me outside the station to where a friend was waiting with his car. We loaded in the cases and then they drove me through the lit streets of the city centre, through a tunnel, past the port, and up into the hills. 

 The university campus is right up in the mountains, very rural, and as we drove through a forest and I saw a sign warning us about deer, it really sunk in that I was going to have a special and unusual living experience.

 We drew up outside the residence. At this point it was the middle of the night but we had arranged to meet one of the staff. She showed me to my room, which was empty, of course, and therefore not exactly cosy. Once I had made up the bed and unpacked a few things - in complete exhaustion - it was a lot more homey. 

 I called my family to let them know I had got there, and crawled into bed. I had done it! I was in Vigo. The second half of my year abroad adventure could begin.

 I hope you enjoyed hearing about my journey. I look forward to blogging all about Vigo and Galicia, so watch this space!

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz 

Return to Avignon

 Hello!

 I had a lovely Christmas at home. The time came, however, to return for my final stretch in Avignon. The journey was uneventful - I went via Marseilles again - and I reinstalled myself in my studio apartment.

 I had little time before moving on to Spain for the next part of my adventure, so I tried to cherish every day. I didn't have much left to do at Uni - I just had to pop in and out for a few things. I spent the rest of my time studying, practising my French, seeing friends and just wandering around.

 I visited the Palais des Papes, the Rue de la République, the Rhône. I bought some last souvenirs - postcards, lavender bags, magnets - and said goodbye to all these places that I had come to love.

 The Epiphany is a big deal in France, with families sharing a kings' cake and searching for the tiny figurine hidden inside. As many of my friends had already left France, I decided not to buy or make a big cake and instead I bought a small version for myself.

 It was tasty, and the little mouse - if that's what he is? - is cute and still sits on my shelf. Of course, I got to wear the paper crown for finding him!

 I also smiled at the attempt at hilarious international marketing that is Frenchips - supposed to sound like both "French chips" and "friendships", I'm guessing. Hey, they tasted pretty good!

 One lovely and unexpected thing happened before I left. I walked in the direction of my favourite pizza place and then just kept walking, interested to see where I would end up. This was extra-muros - outside the city walls - and the roads seemed to stretch away forever.

 It was peaceful and open and that walk alone would have been a nice experience. At the end of it, though, was something amazing.

 I was walking by a major road when I heard a frantic, non-stop squeaking. It seemed to be coming from the line of trees on a road island, so I crossed over to it. Standing below the trees, I was surrounded by an orchestra of noise. It was so loud, and there were clearly many, many creatures contributing to it.

 At first I thought it must be bats, but then small swarms started leaving the trees and swirling across the moon - a breathtaking sight - before returning to their roost. In the moonlight, I could see they were birds. I made a few videos of them.

 It was magical. It felt like a miracle of nature, right in the middle of a busy road on the edge of a town. If I closed my eyes I could be deep in a cave, with birds or bats flying all around me.  It reminded me of the scene with the flying keys in Harry Potter - who knows, maybe they used birdsong as the background noise for that.

 I walked back to my apartment feeling blessed to have witnessed and heard something so incredible. As I walked past shops, and people going about their business, it struck me that I felt the world should have changed somehow after I encountered such wonder - but no, it was just an ordinary night. Wonder happens all the time, and life just goes on.

 I did my last few chores - got my final Erasmus form signed off, returned my last book to the library. I enjoyed my favourite treats from Casino - my local food shop - one last time: cheese and tomato half-moons (pasta) with peanut butter (it sounds weird but I love it!) followed by chocolate merveilleux - gorgeous desserts made of chocolate, meringue and cream.

 I had one last conversation evening at Cami-Li, my lovely local English-French bookshop.

 I had a final hot chocolate and said my goodbyes to my friends there.

 Then it was time to leave.

 Due to the timings of everything, my last night would actually be spent in a different room within my building, so I had to move all my stuff out of my apartment and up a few floors. On the plus side, my new room had a TV. So I was able to watch "N'oubliez pas les paroles!" ("Don't Forget the Lyrics!") as I prepared for the journey to Spain.

 Annoyingly, on one of my last days I had fallen down the stairs in my residence and damaged my ankle. Great! The journey ahead of me would be long and complicated and the last thing I needed was to be limping. But it happened, and I would have to manage.

 I'll tell you all about that journey - which had six different parts and in which I was allowed no margin of error whatsoever - in my next post. It was stressful in the extreme, but memorable, and it took me to Vigo, where plenty of exciting times awaited me.

 Thanks for sharing my adventures in Avignon and Provence. Time to set out for Galicia!

 Liz x

Going home for Christmas

 Hello!

 My last post left us in Avignon at Christmas. My time in the town was almost up: I would be heading home for Christmas, and then I would return for a short while in January before heading to Vigo in Galicia, Spain to begin the next chapter of my year abroad. 

 However, there were a few things to do before leaving Avignon.

 I went to a concert by the folk duo Sons of Birds at Cami-Li, the little bookshop and tearoom where I enjoyed spending time and had my origami and watercolours classes. It was a lovely place for the gig, intimate and cosy, with a great atmosphere. The pair sang some songs in English, with excellent harmonies. The tunes were simple but effective, and often moving. It was an evening to remember.

 I continued attending the twice-weekly English-French conversation classes at Cami-Li as well - they were a wonderful way to meet new people from all over the world. Students, residents, language assistants and people just passing through Avignon all came together for a chat and some tea (or hot chocolate for me) and cake. They were one of the best things about my semester in the town.

 I did some exams, bought Christmas presents, ate Paris-Brest cakes, which you can see at the top of the post, took lots of photos of lights and decorations and hung out by the Rhône - my relationship with the river was something special and I would miss it. 

 Finally, the time came to go home for Christmas.

 Back in September I had flown straight into Avignon airport, so only needed to get a taxi into the town. This time, however, I would need to fly from Marseilles. I packed my backpack with difficulty - I had a lot of presents to fit into it! - and caught my train south. It was a pleasant journey; for December it was sunny and bright. I met a friend from one of my classes on the train and we chatted.

 I arrived at the airport and made my way through security. I then faced the wait until my flight. Marseilles Airport is pretty busy and I was glad to find a quiet little lounge I could chill in. 

 I listened to The Blue Nile - nice, calming music - and looked out at the blue sky of France. 

This time I was only leaving for a couple of weeks, but it really wasn't long until I would be leaving for the foreseeable future, and that thought made me slightly sad, excited as I was about Spain.

 I got my flight, arrived back in Manchester, and started my train journey back to my hometown. There was a moment when I was at Salford Crescent - a station so legendary I wrote a poem about it - and it was very foggy, and lights were glowing gold behind the trees and the fog made it all very surreal and mystical. It was a definite moment of knowing I wasn't in France anymore.

 I got home and celebrated Christmas. My family loved their presents, especially some posh French chocolates which each contained a deep and meaningful quote - almost like a fortune cookie. I completed my last assignment, which was to be done online. I sent it off.

 Soon I would be returning for my last little chunk of time in Avignon, and then would be flying from there - or rather, from Marseilles - to Vigo. There was so much ahead of me, but I for the moment I just enjoyed being with my family and drinking Horlicks again.

 Watch this space to share the rest of my travels.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x