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Zaragoza: Spain’s Little Known Gem

This summer I’ve come to Zaragoza, Spain, for a month to work as an au pair, primarily to improve my Spanish and to get an authentic experience of life in Spain. I couldn’t have asked for a better or more welcoming family to stay with and the children have been sweet and generally well behaved (even though the main phrases I learnt from them are ‘let go of me/it’ and ‘he’s so annoying’). My main job is to help them improve their English, although at times they are a little (alright, very) reluctant to practice. This has included, among other things, explaining the difference between ‘kill’ and ‘die’ and stressing the importance of pronouncing the ‘ee’ in ‘sheet’ correctly…

This month has been an entirely new experience for me in more ways than one. For example, for the first time I’ve been a tourist on my own; armed with a trusty map with the main sights highlighted by my host family, I ventured into the city of Zaragoza to do a spot of solo tourism. Though less well known than the capital Madrid or Barcelona, Zaragoza itself, capital of the autonomous community of Aragon, does not disappoint. For those interested in history, the city has everything from Roman ruins, to a Moorish castle, La Aljafería, and the stunning Catholic Basilica Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The Basilica is pretty much the emblem of the city and the frescoes of its dome are the work of one of the city’s most famous sons, Francisco de Goya. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) three bombs were even dropped on the Basilica but miraculously none of them exploded. With the River Ebro running along one side of it and the open Plaza del Pilar on the other, the Basilica offers plenty of opportunity for touristy photos. However, while seeing all the sights by yourself does allow you to go at your own pace and take as many photos as you want, I’ve found that the main downside is that you seldom get to appear in said photos! Also worth a look is the Parque de José Antonio Labordeta with its spectacular fountains surrounding a statue of Alfonso I ‘El Batallador’, who liberated the city from the Moors in 1125. The modern tram and bus network make it extremely easy to get around, particularly when it’s hot and there is even a cycle hire system similar to the one in London.

However, rather than simply being a tourist, I also had the far more immersive experience of living with a Spanish family for longer than a one or two week holiday. Whilst most British holiday makers in Spain are able to cling to their usual routine in the predominantly English holiday resorts, most Spaniards take their meals a lot later – lunch at around 3 o’clock and dinner at around 10. Though at first I found myself starving about three hours before mealtimes, the new timetable was easy to adapt to simply because it makes a lot more sense when you live in a place where temperature average around 38 degrees in the afternoon. A late lunch allows time for the well-known Spanish ‘siesta’, taken during the hottest part of the day. This meant that, when I ventured into the city, the streets of Zaragoza were nigh-on empty between the hours of 3 and 6, with many small shops and tourist attractions closing after 2. Fortunately, shops are also open much later, typically until about 8.30/9 in the evening, though the famous ‘Corte Ingles’ (a department store akin to Debenhams/ Marks & Spencer) is open until 10, so shoppers can take advantage of the cooler evenings. However, along with Greece, Spain has been one of the countries to suffer the most as a result of the Euro-crisis, and the results of ‘la crisis’ can easily be seen, with many shops closed or in liquidation and many recently built apartment blocks left empty.

Some aspects of Spanish culture are very familiar; football is as huge here as it is in the UK and on arrival I was asked whether I was a Barcelona or Real Madrid fan (Barcelona was the only correct answer in this house). On the other hand, I couldn’t quite get my head around the frozen octopus and pre-packaged sheep’s heads on sale at the supermarket. As well as watching a fair few badly dubbed Disney Channel shows with the children, there was plenty of wince-inducing footage on TV of the running of the bulls at the festival of San Fermín in Pamplona and of course extensive coverage of the birth of the Prince of Cambridge. One of the neighbours, knowing that I was English, even congratulated me. Sadly, this news was followed several days later by the horrific train crash in Santiago de Compostela, the worst rail accident to happen in Spain since 1944, killing 79 of the passengers.

This month has been about a lot more than improving my Spanish and earning a bit of money in the process; I’ve stayed with a brilliant family and looked after two wonderful kids and the experience has given me invaluable insight into day-to-day life in Spain.

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