Deeper than I could imagine...

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My last day in England was really... at Wales...!!!

Never mind. It was a fantastic and delighted experience. Wales' landscapes looks like Galicia or El Bierzo: green but not so much, mountainous but not so high, poor because we compare with inner England...Nevertheless, this is a nice country with a language so much incomprehensible than Vasque but people are very kind and proud of their heritance and habits...



Our visit to Wales was due to a tour on ( in or even over or into...) a deserted mine changed now into a National Museum of Wales Mining. In a terrible and hard landscape, on the top of a hill, surrounded by other no-life hills and crossed by grey clouds on a windy weather, the Blaenavon Mine is a extrange place. Nowadays, the rude miners are kindly guides and you can visit all dependences and buildings absolutly free.

The most impressive sight should be the inner mine. Yes, we were dropped into the mine using the real lift and we had to wear clothes and helmets with light as the real miners did. I think we went down more or lees 60 meters. The tunnels and galleries are more narrow than I can believe. To avoid problems with the methane gas, each few meters there are doors closing the galleries. That doors in the eighteenth century were looked after by childreen -age 6-7 years old- on complete darkness and alone. Well, the rats tried to bite him because they had food. What terrible suffering!!!.



Humidity, low temperatures and no sounds at all make mines like a grave. Our guide asked for us to switch off our lights and reminded in a complete darkness. Incredible. Later on, we visit a tunnel in which no loger days the miners took coal off the ground. Heavy machines, continous conveyor belts, smelting charcoal dust on a high noise enviroment. Now, I can understand why miners were proud of themselves as workers and they led the trade unions movement against capitalism and industrial owners, even in the last century. Only a powerful state with a conservative government, led by Margaret Thatcher were able to end that movement and the mines too.



Today, South wales -of course not Cardiff as a large and rich city- remains as the poorest country or region by PIB of all Britain.

PALE parties? Don't make me laugh!

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Yesterday I spent my first day in London. On the morning, I was visiting the central London Authority Buildings, built by Sir Norman Foster. Absolutely marvellous!. I spent a lot of time seeing them all over points of view.

After that, I went to the Borough market, a delicious place which was recommended by my sister-in-law, Mary. Look at the pictures I'd left on this post. Colours, meals all over England and also the world, people trying to sale, crying and speaking loudly looking forward the attention of the pedestrians, marvellous well-cocked English pies, delicious turkish candies, ...What a fantastic experience walking on it!

But just I was going to visit the National Gallery, Mary called me and tell me that her english course comrades invited me to make a party. How could I deny such matter!!. I am used to making parties with PALE's people and I thought to myself: "Uf, what a boring plan, I didn't know anybody !!"

BUT... HOW A MARVELLOUS SURPRISE THE FATE HAD IN STORE FOR ME!!!
LET ME LAUGH ABOUT PALE'S PARTIES...JA, JA, JA...

An absolutely crazy party at home of Mary's (my sister-in-law) kindly friends from Poland. Two italians female, an arabian saudi friend, three marvellous polish, a funny japanese who learnt us how could be said in japanese "bastard", a lovely italian male, a terrible but kindly and pretty mexicanian woman and, of course, both Mary and me. Beer, Vodka and sausages from Poland, heavy and tecno music, smoking a lot. From 8.00 pm to 2.00 am. Dereck, Marta's polish husband, was very surprise of my ability to drink wodka with only ice!!!. I enjoyed very much, people were very nice and kind with me although it was the first time they met to me!!!. Moreover, I spoke a lot in English because although there were italian and spanish people, all of them ever spoke in English for courtesy with other foreign people.

What could I ask for the first day in England???

On board.

Ja,ja, ja...just on board.

That's incredible. I have just started my trip to England. I have taken my flight from Vigo because I was enjoying my holidays there. I can't take a direct flight and so that I had to flight first to Madrid.

There is no adjetive that could describe the new airport terminal of Madrid. Enormous, magnificent, functional, marvellous...what I said: no adjetive describes it. The T4 was built by Richard Rogers, famous british architect and was opened on 2004.

Nevertheless how little and poor seemed Heathrow T3 to me when I arrived yesterday. Brits are building two new terminals to connect with this one. At least, it will be a great architectural airport -of course, Heathrow is actually the most import european airpor for number of flights and passangers-.

I am living at brother in law's home in London. North Kensington, closed to Portobello and Landbroke Grove. It's no central London but I think it's a good destination to visit the city. Yesterday night was raining so hard that we could make anything interesting. Well, we visited Little Venice, a big channel used in the XiXth to transport raw matherials and manufactured ones to the north of the city. Beautiful. After this, we went to a thypical london pub near home to drink a couple of pints. Talking about work, life and love. Interesting a lot.

Today, I will visit the London Central Authority, also called City hall , built by Sir Norman Foster and closed to it the beautiful Borough market. By the afternoon, I'll try to go to the National Gallery. This is the only museum remainds me to visit in the city.

That's all folks by now, guys!!!

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ONLY NINE DAYS TO GO TO ENGLAND

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The Ten Commandments for the PALE's tripper:

1. Pick two suitcases up to travel because we'll need it for carrying all the things we'll buy in two weeks. One for our clothes and possesions, the other one for gifts and nonsenses.

2. Change money always in an amount quite upper than you thought before planning the trip. Where we put ten hundred you should have put two hundred. Don´t forget that chage rates in anglosaxon countries seems to be a rip-off.

3. PALE expects that every pale male and female will do with his/her duty. In fact, we are going to work and study, aren't we?

4. Remember we all leave down wife, boy/girlfriend, couple or something like that in Spain. Everybody knows that Pale people are smart, pretty, marvellous, handsome/attractive, by the way, irresistible. Forget it would be a problem when we'll turn back home.

5. Don't show we are more prepared than the european averange in our jobs. Please, weight up the enviroment and if we have to wear as slow and clumsy guys, do it.

6. Don't meet with other Spanish people. Well, you may only if he is 180 cms tall and muscular or she is 90 round the bust and 60 round the waist.

7. Speak a lot. Don't worry about pronunciation or grammar, English/US people never try to understand us.

8. Be careful with using usually "speaking in silver". Sometimes, English language is much difficult than we suppose it would be.

9. Make a lot of things, don´t reject any activity they promove during the course weeks. Over our hands fall on the myth of the daily Spanish bingue. We can't disappoint so much people.

10. Don't forget to the other Pale comrades: send an e-mail or and sms to tell them battles and stories about your experiences.

ENJOY YOUR TRIP, GUYS !!!

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Money makes the world go around

Money makes the world go around,
The world go around,
The world go around,
Money makes the world go around,
Of that we can be sure.
(....) on being poor.

It must be normal to react like the staff of my course did in the last message submmitted by them.

I offered them to pay inmediatly the complete taxes of my course. Never mind, guy!!!. I have to wait their " communication on the next weeks".

OLE!!!. It would be for money!!! How powerful would be the Pound and the British economy that the University of Exeter-Cheltenham has refused to collect me money at once!!!

OK. Don't worry!. I put the grant into an account for renting the 3% until they decide to tell me something.

I've just bought my flight!!!

Airbus A320 Iberia

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The countdown is going on...

I have already bought my ticket for the airplane. I don't worry about the expensive cost of it ( 300 e.) because Junta of Extremadura paid it with the PALE grant.

I'll fly three days before starting the course. I 'll go to visit in London to my brother-in-law and his wife and I'll spend two days with them at their home. I think it is a good reason for improving time on my trip .

95 / ninety five / days remaining. I'm very nervous...

Music should quiet the beast I have in my body, heart and soul...

Lyrics | We the Kings Lyrics | Secret Valentine Lyrics

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How could I arrive at Cheltenham?

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Bristol,Oxford,Cardiff by plane?, Southampton by car&ship?

No,no,no...Modern ages require modern means of transport...