It Ain't Easy Being Wheezy
It ain't easy being wheezy and loving active adventures. But, just because asthma doesn't make it so easy to climb mountains or run to catch a bus, I've still wandered my way up a few big hills these past few weeks.
Fun fact: this scene was also a famous filming site from the Game of Thrones! All questions regarding that will have to be directed towards Google, as I have never seen the show or read the books, making me a special part of 1% of the population. At the top of the church, there is a bell that you can ring three times for good luck (two or four rings are bad luck!).
The disappointment: the parties in Ibiza are, in my "humble and honest" opinion, quite overrated. And ridiculously expensive. Instead of paying $100CAD as entrance to a bar and $30CAD for a regular drink just to dance to techno music, I would have rather found myself spending that money and energy enjoying sangria at a funky beach bar.
The surprise: the funky beach bars aren't just on the party beaches! The two hidden beaches we found top contenders for best part of the trip, and were only pointed out to us by locals.
The first beach, just a 15 minute walk north of San Antioni was, as simply put as I can make it, stunning. Teal water. Rainbow umbrellas. Generally quiet. Amazing spiked punch. Cold beer. Need I go on?
To find it was a bit tricky. When we arrived to the area, we first came to one beach which yes, was beautiful, but wasn't quite what the pictures promised. We took a risk of climbing around some high rocks (I swear there's no such thing as safety railings in this country) and, at last, discovery! The beach of our dreams.
Keeping closer to home this time, the AEP group took us on another adventure! Last Sunday, we met at the city hall at 8:30am with many other locals and tourists to trek up the San Cristobal Mountain. It took nearly two hours to trek through the town and to the top of the mountain. I must admit, the hike made my inhaler and I best friends. Though, could I really complain when it was 10:30 am and the mountain society was handing out cold beers, wine, soup, sandwiches and chocolate milk? No, I absolutely couldn't!
We landed home around 2:30 in the afternoon. A full day hike, straight up. Before taking a much needed nap, I rated this hike a solid 8/10! Although I loved the experienced and am grateful for the opportunity, if it weren't' for the snacks provided at the top of the mountain, and the guided tour from our AEP leaders, I
am not sure that I would have made the trek myself.
Zumaia and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe:
Quick intro note: Please don't ask me how to pronounce this. Either skip the word as you read or visit this link that shows someone else's attempts: https://vimeo.com/233027906
My school is very fortunate to have an international student group called AEP (Asociacion Erasmus Pamplona) which plans activities and creates a community of exchange students for anyone who is attending either of the Pamplona universities from abroad. On one of the first Sunday's in Spain, some of the students took a trip to Zumaia and San Juan de Gaztelugatze.
Zumaia is a town in the north-eastern region of Spain called Pais Vasco. It is about two hours away from Pamplona, and is one of the filming sites for the Game of Thrones. Here, we walked through the town to a castle on a hill, and then down the other side of the hill to one of the most incredible sights I have ever experienced. I truly don't know how to explain it, so please take these extra pictures in exchange for my lack of written description.
Next up, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe! Again, this was another two hour bus ride from Zumaia, providing perfect time for a mini nap (if you know me, you know how highly I value naps of all sizes). Getting to this little church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist in the middle of nowhere took us about 5-10 minutes of downhill zig-zagged walking before 240 stairs. Can you believe that? It truly ain't easy being wheezy.
Fun fact: this scene was also a famous filming site from the Game of Thrones! All questions regarding that will have to be directed towards Google, as I have never seen the show or read the books, making me a special part of 1% of the population. At the top of the church, there is a bell that you can ring three times for good luck (two or four rings are bad luck!).
Remember the 240 stairs I told you about? They took a surprising 15 minutes to climb. Do you remember the downhill walk that took 5 minutes? It took well over half an hour to climb back up because of its lovely steep slope and zig-zaggy path. Nonetheless, I am giving this trip a 9/10 and recommending it to anyone with no serious heart or other health conditions.
Ibiza
Don't worry, I already ready your mind. You didn't know the island had anything more than clubs and party beaches. If you really thought this, I am here to both disappoint and surprise you.
The disappointment: the parties in Ibiza are, in my "humble and honest" opinion, quite overrated. And ridiculously expensive. Instead of paying $100CAD as entrance to a bar and $30CAD for a regular drink just to dance to techno music, I would have rather found myself spending that money and energy enjoying sangria at a funky beach bar. 
The surprise: the funky beach bars aren't just on the party beaches! The two hidden beaches we found top contenders for best part of the trip, and were only pointed out to us by locals. 
The first beach, just a 15 minute walk north of San Antioni was, as simply put as I can make it, stunning. Teal water. Rainbow umbrellas. Generally quiet. Amazing spiked punch. Cold beer. Need I go on?To find it was a bit tricky. When we arrived to the area, we first came to one beach which yes, was beautiful, but wasn't quite what the pictures promised. We took a risk of climbing around some high rocks (I swear there's no such thing as safety railings in this country) and, at last, discovery! The beach of our dreams.
To reach the second bus we were told to take the city bus down the side of the island. Nice, basic, easy instructions! Until we saw the cute little 12-passenger van of a "city bus." And we had to walk all the way down from the bus stop to the beach. And around more cliffs, bare of railings and filled with adventure, to reach the real, hidden beach. The smaller beach bar here seemed to suit the quaint hiding spot of the beach, and we found it was a beautiful spot for watching the sunset (as well as wondering what it would take to buy one of the houses that overlooked the little bay).
Although Ibiza overall completely contrasted my expectations, it left me with a completely new portrayal of the island and the rest that Spain has to offer. My rating for the beaches is a 10/10 and I would recommend to everyone, but with high caution to those with low balance/coordination skills.
Monte de San Cristobal
Keeping closer to home this time, the AEP group took us on another adventure! Last Sunday, we met at the city hall at 8:30am with many other locals and tourists to trek up the San Cristobal Mountain. It took nearly two hours to trek through the town and to the top of the mountain. I must admit, the hike made my inhaler and I best friends. Though, could I really complain when it was 10:30 am and the mountain society was handing out cold beers, wine, soup, sandwiches and chocolate milk? No, I absolutely couldn't!
After finishing our yummy, well-deserved snacks, we trekked across the mountain to an abandoned prison which was famously used by in the Spanish Civil War. The prison was also famous for one of the biggest jailbreaks in all of Europe, with over 800 escapees who were on a mission with only one destination: France. Only three escapees survived the 50km trek from Pamplona, through the Pyrenees mountains, to France. Many others were killed near the prison, which now also acts as a burial ground for nearly 200 prisoners of war.
We landed home around 2:30 in the afternoon. A full day hike, straight up. Before taking a much needed nap, I rated this hike a solid 8/10! Although I loved the experienced and am grateful for the opportunity, if it weren't' for the snacks provided at the top of the mountain, and the guided tour from our AEP leaders, I am not sure that I would have made the trek myself.
Thank you for listening to hear how active I have been these past few weeks.
Until the next post,
Al
Comments
Post a Comment