The Vangclear Files: Eurotrip: Murcia

There’s a city in Spain called Murcia It’s my home away from home. What makes me sad is most people have never heard of it so when I explain my travels I have to simply say it’s in southern Spain. You see this city is really fantastic because my Spanish sister lives there and I get to visit. I’ve only been twice but I wish I could live there. It’s always warm and I think the part that makes me love it most is that I stay with Ana and her family and when I walk in the house it’s like I’ve been adopted. I always get fed the best food and always get to see the city in the best way.

It’s hard to really describe how much I’m in love with this city. Most of it has to do with Ana. Actually yeah she’s really the one to blame. I visited her for the first time last fall and ever since I’ve been in love with Spain. She ruined my life really… she made me fall in love with travelling. The reason I backpacked Spain last fall on my own was because she invited our Irish group to visit her in Murcia. I could hardly be leaving France to see only one city. So that’s why I planned more trips and then Ana invited me back to stay with her for a few days at the end of my trip. Originally I was really afraid to go back because I didn’t feel like I knew Ana enough to intrude on her life again to stay a few days more. I even dragged my feet a bit and stayed in Cordoba an extra night before going back to her house. Turns out that was the best decision of my life. I found my sister when I went back. So what does this little rant have to do with Murcia? Well Murcia is Ana’s home town, so when I go visit she’s always got the best places to visit.

This time we went to the museum that houses the floats for Holy Week. Now these are made by Salzillo and they are really extravagant. And just down right gorgeous.

^This is one of the smaller ones, San Juan.^

^This is the last supper^
During the procession they actually lay out food on the table and all around the base there are flowers. Now on the bottom picture there you see the ginger on the right there? That’s Judas. He’s a ginger. Why? Well it’s a well known fact Gingers are evil. Lol. But really the superstition of the times went something like that so Salzillo made Judas a red head.

^During Holy Week this float has a real olive tree and a rock on it! In case I forgot to say these things weigh a whole lot when they are all prepared for procession. Also the angel on this was made so that depending on which side you looked it could be make or female since Salzillo didn’t associate a gender with angels he made it both.

^On this one Jesus’s hair is real. Girls donate their hair every year so that the floats for procession will have real hair on them.

After the museum it was time to stroll about the city and time for me to take lots of pictures.

Also while I was at Ana’s we went to the Real Casino of Murcia. The Casino dates from 1847 when the Royal Casino of Murcia Society was founded. The society first started in the mansion of Marqués del Vado, later other buildings were acquired to form the present layout. Today it’s a private club but for the first floor. Between 2006 and 2009 the building was refurbished and King Don Juan Carlos I of Spain granted the Casion the title Real (or as we Americans would call it Royal).

The Galería Central was originally an indoor street that joined the different buildings.

Biblioteca Inglesa was built in 1913 from the plans of a British firm. I would love to have a library like this some day….

The Congresillo room was a sitting room where important people of the upper class would meet.

Salón de Baile is the most important and lavish room in the Casino. It was built between 1870 and 1875. Fun fact the floor is the only thing in the room that hasn’t been changed in the many redecorations of the ballroom.

Antesala leads from the ballroom to the Pompeyano Patio. To me it was a odd room…. It’s missing a wall…. But alas it was still cool since I do love marble.

Tocador de Señors (The ladies Room) up until the refurbishments this room was still in use. There were a ton of mirrors and it was rather hard to take a picture without being in it which was nifty.

Salón de Armas, this room used to be the frencing room and alter used as a chess room among other things. The paintings hung here were originally hung in the billard room. They were painted in 1928 and were in the Fine Arts museum of Murcia for 81 years till they were transferred back to the Casino for the reopening in 2009

And just a few more pictures that aren’t from any certain room.

After the Casino it was time for the Three Wiseman’s Day parade. Before those pictures let me point out a few things. In America we celebrate Christmas. In Spain they celebrate Three Wise Man’s Day. It’s their day of presents and family time and yummy treats. They have a few traditions that go along with the holiday. Like the night before there is a parade in town, usually it’s a little kid’s thing, but Ana took me anyway.

It was a very dangerous affair though. You see they throw candy from the floats and as we were taller then the majority of the attendees we got nailed a number of times. Even ducking we still got candy rained upon us.

I don't remember which wise king was which...

but these next three are the best pics i got of them

After the parade the real tradition part comes in. We met up with Ana’s friends and went back to have hot chocolate and roscon. What is roscon? It’s delicious cake. And in the cake is baked presents and a bean. Whoever gets the bean has to pay for the roscon, or so the tradition goes. Funny fact the first piece that was cut was given to me I got a prize and a bean. But the prizes were really fun to find. Ana’s one friend was so desperate for a “cool” prize that she started stabbing the cake to find a prize. It was really funny. And the chocolate we drank/ate was soooo good. It had the consistency of hot pudding before it sets and it was amazing and extra good when you dipped the roscon in it.

^This is a picture i nabbed from Ana's facebook of the roscon the next day while we were eating it for breakfast!^

Now I’m not doing a very good job of explaining what Three Wise Mans Day is and what fun it was… but I’m hoping to coerce my sister into helping me out. But first I’ll need to finish all my Europe blogging. Sooo stay tuned for this perhaps.

But back to Spain and how much I was in love with the weather. It was crazy warm. Like one day it was 20’C (68‘F)! Here’s a picture Ana took of me being a tourist in her backyard enjoying the warmth. Why yes that is sangria I'm drinking

And I should point out that she was bundled up like it was winter… well for her it was. She’s rather spoiled that way to think that 20 is cold! I was in love with the weather.

One night I offhandedly pointed out I had wanted to see the Hobbit before leaving since it would be out of theatres by the time I got home. To my surprise Ana suggested we go see it. So on the evening of Three Wise Mans day we went to the movies and saw the Hobbit in 3D HD!!! It was on a HUGE screen and it was amazing and in Spanish. It was a good thing I’d listened to the book on tape so I knew what was happening. The best part of the night was hearing Golum. Since it was dubbed all the voices were different and boy was it funny to hear them. In order to sort of grasp the hilarity of it all here’s Golum in English…..

And now in Spanish…

See totally funny!!!! I laughed really hard when I first head Golum. And fun fact in English Glum calls the ring his precious in Spanish he calls it his treasure. Interesting right? Bilbo’s voice was really funny too, and Gandalfs, and well everyone really. I can’t wait to see it in English in a few months when it comes out on DVD so I can laugh at how normal they all sound. Another funny point, the scene where they were throwing the flaming pinecones in 3D one flies right at you and Ana and I jumped so bad and then laughed because we both saw each other jumping. I legit thought it was coming for my face and forgot it was just a movie…. Oopsie.

The 7th was my last day with Ana. I had to catch my flight to Barcelona to visit Lenka. But before I left we went shopping!!!!! Thank god I had extra room and a few kilos to spare. And there were sales!! So needless to say I went crazy! But damn did I get awesome clothes. Now that I’m home I don’t want to wear anything else. Me getting dressed for school goes something like this. “Well I wore this shirt to class Monday and today is Thursday and a different set of classes so it’s okay to wear this again because I look so awesome in it!” yup that’s me. It’s a good thing I work so much and don’t go out at night because there’s no need for me to get dressed nicely most days, if there was I would be at a severe lack of clothing because I don’t want to wear my American clothes now. Damn you Ana!! You’ve made me fashionable now! The only remedy to my small clothes choice is to go back to Spain… hmm… summer sounds good. I’ve experienced their fall and winter now to see how hot it really gets in the summer.

So to sum up Murcia… I’m in love with the city. But I think that’s due to the fact that every time I go I make new memories with my sister and we do cool things and see cool things and just talk. I can’t wait to go back. Next time though my goal is to know Spanish so I won’t be quite as awkward.

And here are some other pictures from my stay in Murcia