KT Tunstall

I apologise for not writing on this blog sooner. Summer camp was very busy and I’ve been getting used to settling back home and job hunting. I don’t have any plans to go abroad anytime soon, although I hope to go travelling one day. However,  I will still keep up this blog and maybe change the name (any suggestions are welcome!)

The first blog post-Spain is about the KT Tunstall gig I attended at the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on 27^th of August. I had bought the tickets a few months before and glad I did, as shortly after I had purchased them, the tickets had all sold out. I was really excited and asked my sister Hannah if she would come with me to the gig.  

Summer passed quickly and soon as I knew it, the gig date was here. I was really excited, especially as KT Tunstall said she would only be writing songs for films, but instead came out with a brand new album! She celebrated this with touring around the north of Scotland for the ‘Highlands and Islands Tour’.  I had seen KT Tunstall perform way back in 2005 at the Aberdeen Music Hall and this was after she had released her first album ‘Eye to the Telescope’.  Since then I have been a huge fan of her music. On this recent tour, she was only two weeks away from releasing her fifth album ‘Kin’ and had also released an EP with several tracks to give fans a taste of what the new album might be like.

Hannah and I mentally prepared ourselves for the gig by listening to the first two albums ‘Eye to the Telescope’ and ‘Drastic Fantastic’ in the car. Of course, it was as if I had never stopped listening to them. I knew the lyrics off by heart. We soon arrived in Aberdeen and parked the car, then made our way to the venue. Hannah joked that I’d got the wrong night and I gave her a glare as if to say ‘That’s not funny.’ We definitely got the right night as there was a large queue of people standing outside the door. Hannah and I got past the door and we were soon into the venue.

The Lemon Tree is not a very large venue; it can get a few hundred people in at the very most. Most people went to get a drink before the gig started so that gave Hannah and I the chance to get as close to the front as possible. Success, we were very close to the front, in fact, we were near the people who were leaning on the bar which separated the stage from the audience.

The show started and the support act came on stage. His name was Callum Beattie and he came from Glasgow, although he now lived in London. Callum wrote all his own songs including one about growing up in Easter Road which was very heartfelt and emotional. He sounded similar to Paolo Nutini. I hope that he will get a record deal soon as he was brilliant.

After Callum performed there was a half hour break, but I didn’t want to move as I didn’t want to give up my space. There were a few drunken ladies behind us who couldn’t see properly and would have liked it if we moved away so they could get in our space, but no way was that happening!!

During the break, there was a sound technician (who went by the name of Lars – short for Larry) and he was testing all the instruments to ensure they worked. The interval was soon over and the audience started clapping as the music started playing. Smoke started filling the stage and the cheers filled the place as KT Tunstall arrived on stage, greeting us with a friendly ‘Aberdeen! How ya doin’?’

She proceeded to play ‘Little Favours’ a track from her second album ‘Drastic Fantastic’. She played songs from her previous albums as well as her new one. During the song ‘Black Horse and Cherry Tree’, she encouraged the audience to sing the ‘No, no’ part. Unfortunately, some of the audience were not aware of the timing so she had to prompt us. It didn’t take long though before she was impressed by Aberdeen’s singing. When she was speaking in between songs there was a man in the audience (presumably drunk) who kept on shouting ‘Yes!’ Tunstall was so impressed that she said: “You sir, I think I’ll take you on tour with me!”

She introduced a particular song by talking about long distance relationships. Yes, they can be a pain in the ass, but sometimes you just have to live with it. Then she encouraged us to get our phones out and put the torchlight on.

“We’re gonna turn the Lemon Tree in the (insert swear word here) o2!” she cried, as the audience waved their phones in the air.

“Over the sea and far away.”

Everyone screamed with delight as she started to sing her debut single ‘Other Side of the World’ and soon the Lemon Tree was filled with people singing the song word for word. KT Tunstall interacted with the audience throughout and I gave her a huge cheesy smile as she looked down and smiled at me. It was probably one of the highlights of my life, to have an international superstar lock eyes with you. I soon got over the fan girl screaming wildly inside me and got back to singing my heart out.

It was a very enjoyable concert, with great music and funny anecdotes. The tour’s sound engineer had accidentally set off the fire alarm at a previous gig, prompting KT and her band to make up a song about it. They played the first line of the song and stopped as that was all they had written so far. The band had managed to make their voices sound like a fire alarm blaring and KT Tunstall screamed into a microphone ‘Fire alarm, fire alarm, you set off the fire alarm!’ It then turned out to be a hilariously ridiculous song about not working on a farm, you set off the fire alarm or not to self-harm as you set off the fire alarm. I’m expecting the song to be on her next album and I’m sure it will be a smash hit (ha ha!)

All jokes aside, there was one story which was no laughing matter (well not to Tunstall anyway). She was playing in Wick and when the gig had finished and they were packing up to leave, one of the band members realised that her tambourine (affectionately named ‘Tambo’) was missing. Someone had obviously taken it from the stage and made off with it. Tunstall was seriously miffed and made a plea on Twitter for whoever had taken it to return it, because well it was her Tambo. People were making online campaigns and memes for Tambo to be reunited with his owner.

The next morning, Tunstall and her band were leaving Wick and a taxi pulled up to the hotel they stayed in. She looked in and lo and behold there was her Tambo, in the back seat unaccompanied. She thought it was so funny and she was thrilled she got it back (so much so that she wrote a song about it, you can check it out on her Facebook page).

Tunstall decided to have a competition towards the end of the gig. She held up a signed CD copy of her ‘Golden State EP’. It was available for a fiver at the merchandise stand, but she would give away this copy free to the best ‘headbanger’. She warned us that this song was proper rock and not just rock that you roll down your car window for. She then played this heavy rock song which I believe was ‘The Healer’ (it’s on her EP). The whole arena started rocking and head banging (I couldn’t do it too much; otherwise I would have ended up in the hospital). There was this one man however who was properly ‘head banging’ and in the end, he won the free signed CD. She played one ‘last’ song and then she was off stage. Hannah and I knew that it wasn’t the end of the concert, as she hadn’t played the song she is probably most famous for.

There was much stomping, hand clapping and cheering, including the shouts of ‘We want more! We want more!’  Of course, she returned to this stage and burst into ‘Suddenly I See’. Everyone started dancing and singing along. It was the perfect end to an incredible gig. It was fantastic to see KT Tunstall live again and I’m sure I will see her again in the future!

Have you ever seen KT Tunstall live? If you have, leave a comment as to where you saw her. She tours around the world so it’ll be interesting to see where she has played! 

Costa Brava

On Sunday and Monday Ines and I went to a few seaside towns in the Costa Brava. Ines son David was swimming in a town called Cadaqués. We drove on a very windy road to the town of Portlligat, which is well known with tourists as another of Dali’s houses is situated there. It is a small house, but has interesting features, including two oval white eggs perched on top of the roof of the house. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to look around the house because visitors had to buy tickets in advance; however I looked around the town and got some nice photos near the boats. Dali had a boat which was named after his wife Gala, which can still be used for rides today. It was very windy though and a lot of the photos taken were of me frantically trying to move my windswept hair out of my face. I managed to pick up a good few photos though.

After that we were on the way to Cadaqués and when I arrived my jaw dropped. It is a stunning seaside town with a large church in the centre. David had finished swimming and was pleased as he had come third in the competition. He was waiting on the medals and then I wandered around the shops. Once David got his medal, Ines and I walked around the town, up the charming streets and to the church where we got a great view of the town. It truly is magnificent and the water is so blue!

On Monday after school, Ines, Julia and I then headed to Palamós, as it was a really hot day and because it is my last few days in Spain, I wanted to make the most of it. Julia and I went swimming in the sea, sometimes I wanted to swim alone but Julia wouldn’t let me! She kept saying that she’ll miss me when I go home and that she doesn’t want me to go. I will miss all her family but we will definitely keep in touch and will visit each other in our respective countries.

Enjoy the photos posted below and stay tuned for my last blog post about my adventures in Spain.

Rachel xxx

Final excursion!

On Monday (13^th June) the school went on a final school trip to museums and then to local beaches. I went with first and second grade classes and their teachers. We set off from the MaxiDia supermarket at 9 o’clock and the bus was full of excited children. Firstly we travelled to a town called Púbol where the Castell Gala-Dali was. Salvador Dali was born in Figueres, which is a town about an hour from where I’ve been living. He had several houses around the region of Catalonia and one house he bought was a castle (or stately home) for his wife Gala Elúard Dali. She was a Russian heiress who married Dali in 1934 and they remarried in 1958.

An interesting fact about this castle is that Dali specifically bought it for Gala, it was her home and he could only visit if he was invited. It would be great for her because if she argued with her husband she could retreat to her home and he wouldn’t bother her until she wanted to speak to him again. Their marriage as far as I understood was a good one, although she had a string of extramarital affairs, however they were married until Gala’s death in 1982. Dali died in 1989, but his houses and museums in this part of Spain attract visitors from all over the world and his art has sold for millions (I don’t know why - I’m not particularly fond of his art, but well, each to their own).

The castle was gorgeous. It very much had the Dalisian style, but because this was Gala’s house most of it was very tasteful. She had a lovely blue silk four poster bed which I wouldn’t mind sleeping in! The guide who took us around the castle was very friendly and had a great rapport with the children. I had a laugh with my colleague Silvia and we took a selfie in the mirror above Dali’s bathtub. Then we went out to the garden and saw the carriage and the two cars Dali and his wife owned (one was a blue Cadillac). Then we went to the bottom of the garden and saw what was a swimming pool and is now a fountain. When the castle was turned into a museum in 1996 they had filled the bottom of the pool with a lot of stones – this was to stop people from jumping in. It was interesting and the castle was very beautiful. Hopefully I will get a castle of my own – chance would be a fine thing!!

After this we were off on the bus and headed towards our next destination: L’Estartit. The kids were very excited about this and I chatted away to my colleagues until all of a sudden they started chanting: Platja! Platja! Platja! (Beach! Beach! Beach!) The bus driver turned round to park and one of the teachers joked that we were going home instead and one of the kids started to cry! However the bus driver parked and soon we were at the beach, slapping on sun cream and jumping into the sea and swimming against the waves. The weather was great, it was cloudy but very warm and the sun wasn’t beating down on us. After an hour it was time to return home and there were a few tired children sleeping on the bus home. I really enjoyed the day and the kids really enjoyed it too! Below are some photos I took of the Dali castle and ones of me enjoying my time in the sea!

End of Year Party

Where have the last eight months gone? It is crazy how it has flown by and I will soon be returning home to the UK. I’m feeling sad, although it will be good to be home, albeit not for long as I’m going to be working in a summer camp in England! Phew, I don’t stop.

This past weekend I went to Barcelona. My original plan was to visit a park with a labyrinth in it, I went with some other teaching assistants, however, due to metro stoppages and long distance walks, we decided to turn back to Plaça Catalunya where I met some other friends and we ended up going to a nice Irish bar.

I returned to Anglès at night, just in time for the Festa Final De Curs. This happens every year and it is a celebration. The dinner was held in the playground, but then it started pouring rain so everyone moved inside and had dinner in the classrooms. We had chicken, salad and then ice cream for dessert. After this, it was time to go to the old factory which is now used as an entertainment venue. There was a presentation about the 6th-grade class who were leaving primary school and moving on to high school. Although there were tears, I secretly think the teachers were happy they were leaving! Then the teachers were told to go up to the stage. I was sitting with my host parents watching the ceremony, but Alex pointed to his father and then pointed to me, as I was supposed to go up there. I went behind the stage and one by one, the students called the teachers out. One of my students called my name out and I received a scroll and a T-shirt. The t-shirt is in the first photo below and the translation says: ‘You have made us (teachers) sweat, but we will miss you.’ After this, it was time for the party and a one man band provided the entertainment. He spoke in Catalan, but I could understand what he was saying most of the time. It was good to see Alex and Julia having a good time. After the party finished Alex tried to show me a new dance move which I disastrously tried to copy. It was very funny and we returned home tired but in high spirits. After all, it was a ‘festa’. 

With my friends in Barcelona. L-R: Katharine, Delva and Becky

With the 'graduate'. The t-shirts I mentioned are pictured.

Alex took my phone and filled it with selfies! 

Of course, his dad wanted a selfie too!

Class of 2016!

Alex with his mum

Climb every mountain

Okay, well I didn't exactly climb a mountain. My host family took me there by car (lazy I know!), but it wasn't until quarter to five that we got out of the house. They wanted to take me up to the cross on the mountain which I can see from the house window. It was also a good for Toula the family's new puppy to get some exercise and run about in nature. The mountain is called Puigefrou and it overlooks the towns of La Cellera de Ter and Angles. From the top you can see other towns such as Amer and the city of Girona in the distance. The views were truly breathtaking and it was worth the bumpy ride to get up there (you can see the video on my blog's Facebook page).

When we left the mountain we headed to a part of the forest where people usually have barbecues in the summer and there was a small fountain with the freshest water I have ever drunk. Afterwards we headed to Vilanna, a little town just outside Angles, Sebastian the host grandfather knew places where we could pick special types of strawberries. We collected a lot and took them home to eat with yoghurts - delicious!!

I can't believe I'm coming to the end of my Spanish adventure. I will definitely return to visit this country in the future. Stay tuned for some more blog posts before I head back to my home country.

Until next time,

Rachel xxx

Temps de Flors

This week I’m back bringing some very bad news. On Thursday the 5th of May I received a Whatsapp message from my mum telling me that my granny was dying and that I had to come home for a week. I panicked and went back to my host family’s house, telling them the news. I then went to the school to ask permission to go home and then return a week later. I have just over a month until I finish up here, so as you can imagine it wasn’t the best time to come home. However this was family and it was important.

On Friday morning I woke up early and soon was in the car with Ines and Alex heading to Barcelona Airport. The traffic was horrendous and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make it for my flight. Not to worry though as the traffic was soon over and the airport was in sight. Ines dropped me off just outside Terminal 1. After a swift goodbye I pulled my case along to the check in desk and dropped it off. It then slid along the conveyer belt where I would not see it again until I got to Aberdeen.

With a sigh of relief I made it through the awkward security line. When I finally got a seat I heard my phone buzzing and swiftly answered it. It was my mum on the other line breaking the news that my granny had died just before midnight on Thursday. My heart sank. I tried so hard to come home and see her one last time. It was too late. I choked up and tried my hardest to hold back the tears in a busy airport. Managing to withhold my emotions I bought some food and a drink of water for the plane. Soon it was time to board and as fast as you can say KLM (other airlines are available) I was on my first flight of the day.

When I arrived at Amsterdam Schiphol, my phone was flooded with condolences. It took time to process than when I got home I would never be able to talk to or see my granny again. Not in this lifetime anyway.

A few hours passed and then it was time to board for Aberdeen. I felt very happy as I heard familiar Scottish accents all around me. It’s very frightening being in a place where languages and accents are unfamiliar, as I’m sure people who have moved abroad are aware. An hour later and I touched down in Aberdeen, where I was greeted by my friend Reuben who works near the airport. My mum then came to collect me and we had a coffee, where she explained what had happened with granny.

It was a long week, as the funeral was not until the following Thursday (12th). I spent time with my dad’s brother, his wife and my five year old cousin Ellie. My grandad spent a few nights at our house until he was ready to adapt to living alone. The funeral service was lovely, it was handled with the utmost care and compassion. I then had to help bury my granny (it was the first time my sister and I had done this). I managed to do it, but it’s not something I would do again in a hurry. I’m still going through a grieving process, as it will take a while, but I’m comforted by the fact that I’ll see my granny again someday. Not in this life, but in the next.

I returned to Barcelona on Saturday and took the train to Sils, where Ines met me at the station. After having a meal at Bonmati, I was full and went to bed straight after as I had spent fifteen hours travelling on trains, planes and cars.

I had arrived just in time to see the last day of the Temps de Flors. The flower festival takes place every year at the beginning of May. The city of Girona is decorated with decadent flower displays and tourists from all over Spain and the world come to visit it. Ines and I visited the festival and it was packed! The narrow streets were full of people. However it was worth it and it was a reminder that even in times of sorrow and grieving you can see the beauty that life has to offer.

As usual I have attached photos with this blog. I hope you enjoy looking at these photos as I did taking them.

Until next time,

Rachel xx

Parent's visit to Catalonia, Spain

Sorry I haven’t updated for a while, life has got in the way and I’ve also been lazy! I thought I would tell you a little bit about my parents visit to Spain!

On the first week of April my mum sent me a Whatsapp message saying that they were thinking of visiting me the following week. I got very excited and told my host family that my parents were coming to visit. My host family kindly offered to let my parents stay with them. I told my parents and it was settled.

They arrived on Thursday 14^th  in the afternoon. Ines, Alex, Julia and I were in the car coming back from school and when we arrived at the house, my parents were there trying to park the car. Ines parked the car and I ran out and hugged my parents.  My parents had rented a car and because it was almost my dad’s birthday, they gave him a free upgrade to a Fiat 500 which had a sunroof. They were introduced to the other members of the family. Then we had lunch altogether.  After lunch Julia and Alex returned to school and my parents stood drinking their coffee on the veranda.  They enjoyed the spectacular views from the house and also from the terrace on the very top of the house.

After lunch, Mum and Dad slept as they had been up all night travelling to get here. Once Dad woke up we went for a walk around Anglès. Later Mum woke up and all the family had dinner together.

The next morning I had to go on a school trip to Manresa, where there was a gathering of FEDAC schools. FEDAC is the semi private schools in Catalonia and I work at the one in Anglès. It was a lovely hot day and my parents enjoyed exploring Girona, they said it was a very beautiful city.

The next day we drove to Sils and took the train to Barcelona. It was a very hot day so we looked like typical tourists in our shorts and t-shirts. An hour later and we arrived in Barcelona. Mum was feeling a bit tired so we took her for a coffee and then she soon perked up. After we had coffee we walked to Sagrada Familia and admired its beauty. The queues for the tour bus were huge at the Sagrada Familia, so instead we walked to a less busy neighbourhood and got on the bus there. It took us all around the sights of Barcelona while providing commentary about these different sights. Once we got off the tour bus we went for a light afternoon snack, before continuing to go on the bus again. The weather was great and I got slightly burned on my shoulder. We then went for dinner and had a delicious meal, before catching the last train back to Sils.

On Sunday, my parents wanted to take Ines and her husband out for a meal. Ines’ husband preferred to stay at home so Julia went with her grandmother instead. Ines drove us out to Lloret and Tossa de Mar. Next to Lloret de Mar is a beautiful place called Cala Banys and it reminds me of the Greek islands in the Mamma Mia film. It certainly was a magnificent sight to behold. After visiting this we went into Lloret and had lunch outside. It was a lovely treat for Ines and Julia. Then Ines drove us out to Tossa de Mar, which is an attractive seaside town with a stunning castle. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and returned home to change quickly and go to Calmariner, the local café where we all had tapas. We all had a good laugh and after Marta and Julia left, my parents and Marta’s husband Alejandro spoke to each other and told funny stories. It was soon time to go home and Dad drove us all back to the house. We had the sunroof down, as it was Spain, even at night the temperature wasn’t freezing. When my dad tried to drive uphill to the house the car started groaning. He soon realised that he was in the wrong gear! When he quickly changed to first gear, the smell of burning rubber hit our nostrils. Everyone laughed so much, but we couldn’t believe how fun that car ride was! It was another great day.

Monday was the last day before my parents returned home, so we aimed to make the most of it as much as possible. We drove to Espai Girones shopping centre in Salt where we purchased a few things and after that drove to Banyoles, where we had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the stunning mountains and lakes. When we had finished taking pictures we returned to the car and decided to take one last visit to Girona. There we had an ice cream. Mine was Ferrero Rocher and dark chocolate, which was really delicious! It was then time to return to Anglès where we had a delicious paella supper. The last night was really enjoyable, but there was a pang of sadness because I knew my parents would be leaving in the morning. I really enjoyed having my parents over to stay and meet the host family. I was sad when they left, but I knew it wouldn’t be long until I saw them again.

Enjoy the photos posted below. 

Until next time,

Rachel xxx