OKTOBERFEST! ..... In Spain?

That's right people.  While the real event happens in Germany a few hundred miles from where I live, I was still able to experience the fun, excitement and nature of this German tradition.  Only with a Spanish flare.  For an entire week there was an event called Oktoberfest happening in Plaza del Rei (about 3 blocks from my piso).  On the last night, some friends talked me into checking it out, and I am so glad that I did.  That night was also a big Soccer match in Vigo.  They had played the game on a big screen in the tent earlier in the night, so when I arrived there were tons of people decked out in baby blue and white (Vigo's team colors).  I found my friends sitting at a table close to the middle.  There were people dressed up in german outfits all over the place.

Now you may be thinking to yourself that since this is an Oktoberfest event, that the people that were participating in this event were all adults.  18 or 21 + years old.  That was definitely not the case.  And while I know that some of you may not entirely understand this and think that this is something that is "wrong" or "bad", this is an aspect of the Spanish culture that I really admire.  The entire population of the people in the tents ranged from probably 2 years old to mid 80's.  Everyone was sitting around tables, having a beer, socializing and spending time with their families and friends.  There were college aged kids chugging pints in the corner while a group of kids were running through the crowds of people.  I loved that this type of event could be enjoyed by people of all ages and that a person's age isn't a big deal.

After sitting around the table for a few minutes listening to music (which is almost all american pop music you hear on the radio back home, with one or two spanish songs thrown in every now and then), a tall man in a lederhosen outfit climbs up onto the stage in the middle of the tent.  He introduces himself, and then began to sing.  The songs that he sang ranged from tradition favorites of the Spanish community to 80's rock-n-roll, to gangham style.  The funny part of it was when a song in English came up he had no idea what the words were and just said random words he knew in spanish to the entire song.  The crowd loved him! Apparently he's a local "celebrity" and does this type of thing a lot. There were moms and dads hopping on tables to dance while he was singing, everyone was joining in the songs and he even pulled a group of kids on stage to help him as backup singers.

I don't have too many photos that turned out spectacular from this night, but I still wanted to share this experience.  I was home by 1am (my earliest night out in Spain) and had an amazing time.

When in Spain - Do as the Spaniards do.... Oktoberfest =)

Inside the Oktoberfest tent.  

Our entertainment! 

Me and Alex! 

Siobhan and Maria! 

Alex and Zoe! 

 Me and my 1/2 Pint! 

Pontevedra

 This past weekend I had nothing planned.  So my friend Siobhan and I decided that we needed to take a day trip somewhere close.  We finally ended on, Pontevedra.  Pontevedra is actually the "captiol" of our providence.  Even though Vigo is a larger city, it is situated in the providence of Pontevedra.  The city of Pontevedra is approximately 15-20 minutes north of Vigo.  While the terrain around Pontevedra is extremely similar to that of Vigo, it is not built on the side of a mountain, therefore is generally flat and easily walkable.  I enjoyed this since in Vigo you are always walking up or down a hill.  The city has a great feel to it! The old part of town was precious, and we stumbled upon the Mercado as well! Luckily my friends Anna and Fabian lived in Pontevedra last year so they were able to show us around town.  Check out some of my pics and video!

Capela da Virxw Peregrina - The church of the pilgrim

See that shell? That is the symbol for the Camino de Santiago.  In case you've never heard of it, the city Santiago de Compostela in Galicia has one of the largest, most beautiful cathedrals in Spain.  I am hoping to visit soon.  It is legend that the remains of St. James are buried there.  Out of respect to this saint for thousands of years people have been walking to this Cathedral from all over to pay their respects.  There are several routes of the Camino de Santiago, but one of the most famous goes across the entire northern part of Spain from France.  This sign is part of the camino that goes from Lisbon, Portugal all the way to Santiago.  Some people will walk for weeks, or even months on these pilgrimages.  Today, they aren't so much a religious thing as much as an adventure.  I have heard of many people making short pilgrimages from Vigo to Santiago (which will take about a weekend) for the pure thrill of saying they did it and also being able to meet other people on their way.  If you're interested, here's a link to some more information on the Camino de Santiago.

After arriving, we sat down in the city center for a class of Orange juice, some croissants, and some relaxation.  It was a Saturday morning so all of the families were out and about, taking their kids for a walk, enjoying the sunshine and spending quality time with each other.   

Next we walked down to the Mercado.  This place was so cool! I've heard that there are Mercados  in Vigo all over the place but I haven't found anything like this one.  Check out the video below to see what it was like! 

Mussels, Prawns, Shrimp, Crab.... Basically any seafood you can imagine.  

And several different kinds of fish I had never seen or heard of before.  I have this urge to go to a place like this and buy some fresh fish.  But unfortunately I would have absolutely no idea how to prepare it.  

Calamari - Can't get any fresher than that! 

And this is Ria de Pontevedrea Lerez.  This is the oldest bridge in Pontevedra.  The Ria goes through the center of the entire town.  

On a Saturday afternoon, people can be seen walking around in small hidden squares such as this, relaxing and enjoying the nice weather.  

This is an old church in the Praza da Ferreria.  

Xardins de Vicenti - There were lots of beautiful parks/fountains.  

Catedral de Pontevedra -  We wanted to climb to the top, but it was closed due to mass. 

Siobhan making friends as usual.  

We had a little bit of fun with all the random statues in the streets!

Ruinas de Santo Domingo

Ruinas de Santo Domingo

Ruinas de Santo Domingo

This house was for sale.  How cool would it be to live in a house like this!? The front door was open and we thought about exploring for a second, then got too scared! 

Palm Trees! When moving to Spain I thought there wouldn't be any palm trees at all.  BUT they are everywhere and these were too beautiful not to capture.  

And this was our group in Pontevedra!