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We Travel With A Purpose

A Free Opportunity to Volunteer in Spain-Part 2

June 2, 2014 by Sonia Marsh 5 Comments

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THE SEGOVIA AQUEDUCT DATING FROM THE ROMAN EMPIRE Carol from Atlanta, Beatriz, Javier, Nancy from Atlanta, Sonia

 

If you missed Part-1, you might want to read it here. Check out the history of this amazing Aqueduct in Segovia.

Volunteering with Vaughan Town in Spain is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture. During my week mingling with 15 Spaniards and 15 Anglos, strong bonds were formed, and we continue to write to one another even thought the program is over.

  • So what is the Vaughan Town program and what are you expected to do during your week in Spain?

As a volunteer, you’re expected to arrive the Saturday before the program starts and on Sunday morning, you board a bus with all the participants to your hotel in the Spanish countryside. Our town was Torrecaballeros, and the hotel was called, “El Rancho.”

Pete, our MC from the U.K. during our week in Spain
El Rancho Hotel, Torrecaballeros, Spain
My luxurious hotel room

 

There are four towns in Spain, (all outside Madrid) to choose from. Depending on the dates you select, you will be allocated to a different location.

Arriving at the hotel
My Anglo friends enjoying coffee on our first day
Yolanda, my Spanish friend and I met on the first day

 

After our  one hour and fifteen minute drive, we had a cafe con leche (latte) at the hotel, and friendships and conversations started sprouting. We had time to unpack before lunch which was served at 2 p.m. Yes that’s normal for Spain, and siesta time is after lunch, from 3-5 p.m. I used siesta time to catch up with my e-mails.

The food was outstanding, especially the fresh fish, and local dishes. We were given options to select from daily. A bulletin board outside the bar, listed the menu for the following day and there were two choices for the first course, two for the second and two for dessert. Salad and fruit were also available daily, for those who wanted to stay trim, and not gain too much weight. Wine and bread were also served at lunch and dinner. Breakfast was buffet style.

Our fun lunches and dinners, Always 2 Spaniards to 2 Anglos at each table
Suckling pig and lamb are specialties of the region and were served in traditional style for lunch
Farewell luncheon on the last day we were there

Andrew, a fun Scottish guy from Edinburgh, started a daily ritual of getting a cafe con leche at the local bar across the street at 8:30 a.m. For me, a coffee addict, waiting until breakfast at nine, seemed way too long. Local Spaniards were already starting their first shot glass of local liquor before going to work.

Activities Schedule:

Our job after breakfast was to check our schedules, and a list of the following activities were posted.

  • One-on-One where you talk to a Spaniard for one hour. You get to choose if you wish to walk and chat around town or in the lush green pastures where rabbits race across the green fields and hide behind bushes.
  • Conference calls/Telephone sessions, where 3-4 Spaniards are in a conference room on speaker phone and you answer their call in your room and discuss real-work/life related situations for 30-minutes.
  • Help your Spaniard prepare a 5-minute presentation in English which they will be expected to make in the evening before dinner at 9 p.m. Yes, dinner is at 9.
My one-on-one with Antolin
My one-on-one with Yolanda
My one-on-one with Roberto

 

There were other games and fun things like skits, presentations, acting, singing with Pete and his guitar, that we did in the evenings.

I took the opportunity to make a short power-point presentation about my family’s year in Belize, which the Spaniards enjoyed. I asked them to please give me a review on Amazon Spain, after reading my memoir, Freeways to Flip-Flops.

Evening entertainment by Anglos and Spaniards
My new friend Nicole from the UK. She is One GUTSY woman, backpacking around the world alone.
Sonia making her speech in Spain

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Filed Under: People, Travel & Adventure, Writing & Work

Comments

  1. Lynette M. Smith says

    June 8, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    Wow, Sonia, I certainly enjoyed your account of this lovely, win-win adventure; thanks for sharing it!

    Reply
  2. Sonia Marsh says

    June 8, 2014 at 11:50 pm

    Thanks Lynette. It was wonderful and I’d like to go back in 2015. Are you coming with me?
    Sonia Marsh recently posted..Get Published in Our Award-Winning “My Gutsy Story®” AnthologyMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Rosalie Marsh says

    June 9, 2014 at 9:12 am

    This is a fantastic adventure. I am drawn to the experience, especially as I love Spain and have a smattering of Spanish, having learned at school many moons ago. It is interesting that they don’t want you to speak Spanish. That is one barrier out of the way. Also interesting was the age range. Time for me yet!
    Rosalie

    Reply
  4. Jameyson MacDonald says

    June 14, 2014 at 5:18 pm

    I got to ask; how do you find such volunteer opportunities? My wife and I are avid travelers and love to experience new things. So far, we have only traveled within the USA and never very far from California, but as we get closer to retirement age, we’re wanting to travel abroad and see the world. The ability to visit out-of-the-way villages and possibly do some volunteer work would be great for us!

    Reply
    • Sonia Marsh says

      June 16, 2014 at 6:50 am

      Jameyson,

      Networking and asking people, as well as being curious about options to travel and help others. Please check out the link. You’ll love this program.

      Reply

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