Castanyada

There is a special festival celebrated in Catalonia and Galicia in October. It is called the 'Castanyada'. It is celebrated in those parts of Spain and is connected with Halloween and the Christian festival of 'All Saint´s Day' on the 1st of November. In this celebration, its origins are the celebration and rememberance of the dead. In Catalonia the food eaten on this day is chestnuts. It came from the 18th century tradition where people would roast chestnuts (castanyes in Catalan) and is symbolic of those people who died. While the chestnuts were roasting, people would say prayers for those who had departed this world. 

It is still a tradition which carries on today and on Monday the school celebrated this event. Parents were invited to watch and participate. There were no English classes, however the children made cones out of newspapers and the girls dressed up with headscarves and shawls to represent the old ladies who sold the chestnuts many years ago. The boys dressed up as well, looking a lot like Christmas elves. The festival started with the music teacher Pep playing some traditional songs, then children from each class read a poem or a story about the traditions. Then parents, teachers and children were involved in a special Catalan dance (I will try and attach a video of it). After the dance finished, the children sat in their classes, in circles and some men came in with newly roasted chestnuts. Then we helped take the chestnuts out of the buckets and into our newspaper cones, peeling at the shell and eating at the chewy goodness inside. It was certainly an interesting experience and I enjoy learning about different traditions around the world.  

Enjoy the photos of this special day. 

Some students dressed up in traditional costume

Not too sure what this was...

The castanyes

More photos...

This bridge was built by Gustave Eiffel. Can you guess what else he built?

A typical street in Anglés

The festival of Saint Remi (mentioned in the last post) 

The adventure so far...

I'm going to make this a regular blog by updating every weekend or every second weekend, depending on where I go. I have been in this country for more than two weeks and overall it has been a very positive experience. After my induction all the conversation assistants were sat down waiting patiently for their number to be called before they met their host families. I was excited and very nervous to meet the family I would be staying with for the next few months. I was so nervous that I almost burst into tears. Would I get on with them? What did they look like? How would I fit into their family?


As soon as number 84 was called, I was up like a shot, the tears were held back and immediately met a lovely, smiling woman called Marta. With her was her mother Ines and her son Alex. She also had a daughter called Julia and a husband who didn't come along but I would meet them later.
I've settled into home life in Anglés and teaching at the school is fantastic. I'm teaching nursery and primary age children which is perfect as I am just like a kid myself! Outside of school I've had the opportunity to go into different towns like Banyoles and visit the city of Girona. For Game of Thrones fans, this is where season six was filmed. I can see why, it is a beautiful historic city with steep stone paths and winding streets. Last weekend there was a celebration in front of the chapel in Anglés. The locals were celebrating the festival of Saint Reimi and there were two people in giant models of traditional Anglés workers. I went to a little village called Julia to visit my host family's grandmother/mother/mother-in-law and afterwards took a little trip to Girona. I always take the opportunity if I can to go out with the family and explore new places. I even went to a shopping centre in Salt near Girona yesterday, where the shop models were actually real people modelling clothes! I think this was for a special occasion though, since the shopping centre was hosting a fashion show and on a weekend too.


I've made a new friend called Judit. She is the new English teacher at the school in Anglés, she is from Catalonia and now lives in Girona. On Thursday she was my "tour guide" and took me around the city and to the highest point where I could see the buildings on one side and on the other luscious green fields and mountains. Photos will be posted below. I hope to update again soon! In the meantime, enjoy the photos and you can check out our English class blog at www.englishfedacangles.blogspot.com

Wiping the chocolate off my face before a photo opp... unfortunately Judit took the photo there and then! 

In a super cool restaurant in Girona 

One of the entrances to the cathedral

Judit beside the lavender

Smile!! :D 

Cathedral of Girona

Name change and new adventure

Hi everyone!

I realise I have not posted on here for a good few months now. I left Hungary, returned home and then commenced work as an English language teacher at a summer camp in Suffolk, England.

Now you may be saying why on Earth were you teaching English in England? Well it's because there are many kids from different countries coming to learn the language and they needed a teacher there. The different nationalities were French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese and Russian. It was interesting to have mixed nationality classes although the majority of them were French since they lived so close and large groups of them came over. Despite the trials that teaching has it was thoroughly enjoyable and I had a great summer, hopefully I'll be able to do it again sometime.

A break followed and I was home - catching up with friends, visiting family near London and it was also a very important time as I was baptised in my home church. All very exciting events. Then the next chapter in my life followed as I accepted a job as a teaching assistant in Spain. I started worrying as the finalised details didn't arrive until a week before I was due to fly out. But they arrived and soon I was packing and on my way to Barcelona.

I woke up very early in the morning on Friday 2nd of October. From my hometown we drove to the airport in Aberdeen and after saying goodbye to my parents I boarded a plane bound for London Gatwick. After landing at Gatwick I had a few hours to kill before my next flight, so I dropped off my suitcase at the connections desk and then got lunch at Wagamama. Soon it was time to catch my next flight to Barcelona. Nerves were high on this one because I knew I wouldn't be back for two and a half months. It was a new adventure, a new chapter in my life. Hence why the blog name has changed from Hungary to Spain and because 'Rachel's Adventures in Spain' domain was already taken instead I changed it to summerstravelling because well my last name is Summers and I have been and am currently travelling! Of course the Hungary posts will still be available to read in case you wish to read them again or read them for the first time if you have just discovered this blog! 

I hope you will enjoy reading about my new and temporary life in Spain! Or Catalonia to be exact ;) 

Bye for now!