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Zaragoza – A Taste of Spanish Spain

We welcome back Ben Austwick as he tells us how he is settling into his new Spanish life.

By Ben Austwick

20 Jan 2012, 13:42

Have you been to Zaragoza?

When I first decided to enter the English Language Teaching world I must admit that teaching in Zaragoza wasn't at the top of my to-do list. To be perfectly honest, I'd never even heard of the place, let alone know where or in which country it was, so I was quite surprised to find myself on my way there to start a new life at the end of last August. My first couple of days in Barcelona were extraordinary and I knew Zaragoza wouldn't be anything like that but the change really hit me as soon as I arrived. I arrived at the end of summer - the period when, unbeknownst to me at the time, most habitants of Zaragoza are either in their holiday homes at the beach or power-hiking in the Pyrenees. It was practically a ghost town. I now also realise that I'd made the mistake of looking for bars and clubs in areas where there are no bars or clubs and at the time of night most people in the city are still munching on their postres. 

However, as the weather chilled to a mild 30 degrees and university students returned from all corners of Spain, the city sprung back to life. The cafes are now stuffed full of people wanting olives or anchovies on a stick, bars are so busy they only open for two nights a week and the once-empty streets are now crammed with people refusing to walk in single file, forcing you to dangerously meander into the path of oncoming buses. 

At the moment we're in the 'fur and sunglasses' stage of the year. Despite the continually powerful sun, the biting wind that sweeps over Zaragoza has been in full force the last few days and every woman over a certain age has bought herself a poorly-fitted fur coat, as both a necessity to keep herself warm and as an Edwardian status symbol. I think PETA would deplete the entire city's supply of paint should they wish to set up a branch here.

If you want to visit a Spanish city then a trip to Barcelona or Madrid would probably be at the top of your list. However, with the vast amount of tourists and expats, it's difficult to feel even slightly Spanish there, if any at all. That's why I love Zaragoza. Outside of the English academy where I work very few people speak English so it's impossible not to be immersed in the Spanish language, culture and lifestyle. I'm now also used to having a long, relaxing break in the afternoon where shops and businesses come to a standstill - however in Barcelona it was 50/50 whether a shop would close for the siesta or not.

The apartment I've just recently moved into (resulting in me finally being re-connected to the rest of the world via the internet) has a one year contract so I'm planning to be here to at least see out this contract. Will I still be here in 5 years? Who knows, I've still got the scorching summer to brave in only a matter of months but luckily all frumpy fur clothing items will be stuffed into the backs of the wardrobes by then.