A before and an after

Time flies, It's said that when you're happier the time faster passes. In one way or another we are here, in the month of December, returning to say goodbye, returning to start from scratch, well ... from scratch, but this time at home and with a year of batteries charged.
It is not easy to make a summary of this year, I don't know exactly where to start. The first thing is to thank the support of the people who have been at my side this year. It has been a pleasure know you or to continue sharing my life with you.

But far from being wimpish I would recommend this experience to any of you who are reading this.

A unique opportunity to get out of our comfort zone, to know a different culture that the wack of your habits will help you to know better yourself. I know that It's not all peaches and cream. It is a complex experience and depends heavily on the environment and the people you meet in your destination.
I have to thank my colleagues and my English teacher who opened their homes, their lives and customs to get to know Czech Republic from within. Also it was a pleasure to meet and share trips with my fellow volunteers, when you find yourself in a new situation, away from your people, thanks in large measure to know more people who are living through similar experiences to yours, to be able to contrast them.

Today I am spending my last day in Český Těšín, small town in where I rode looking for corners during this entire year, I can say that summer is the time more grateful, without hesitation, and the winter with snow is also very cool. Tomorrow I have a long day of travel and waiting in airports, but I have Les Miserables to read. Before leaving and thanks to my guardian angel I have been fortunate enough to enjoy for the last time of all my favorite things and habits that I have happy during this year.

Yesterday I bought my last pomazanka, my last bread with onion, my last Radegast beer, etc. In the end of the experience I'm proud of having completed, and I'm extremely keen to return home, to begin again. 

Thank you for everything, I leave the command of the boat to my great friend Blanca :)

Christmas are coming

The time passes and December has arrived, I am a few days to end my adventure, but ... I'll leave that for the next article, we want today to focus on how people live in Czech Republic the Christmas. It is one of the few festivities related to the religion that has this country, but the truth is that few here understood as well or even are not even aware that many customs have to do with religious stuffs.
In this way in the Czech Republic is very typical decorating the house with the crowns of Advent that give good luck and prosperity to the family.

This is a piece of wood or twigs in which are placed four candles, one for each Sunday before Christmas. But as I have said, it is a habit, currently a fashion, that many Czechs do not even know their relationship with the religion.


During this month is very typical throughout the country celebrate Sant Barbara (in my region patron saint of miners) a habit quite macho or outdated, in that single women cut sprigs of lilac or or cherry to marry the following year. Also in almost all the cities are often mounted the Christmas markets.
We spent the saturday watching the flea market of Ostrava where drank Medovina and eggnog for coping with the cold and we were surprised with a nativity scene make it with Palma with the magic Kings and all, which surprised us because they do not celebrate this tradition. We could also see donkeys, a llama and a camel.
Another important festival is the that replaces what in El Bierzo we know by the magician chalupa. We are talking about Saint Nicolas, a saint who arrives with a book of sins under the arm and accompanied by an angel and a demon. The devil will give them to children who have behaved badly coal but with the good intermediation of the angel and the promise to behave well the small, Saint Nicolas le giveaway a piece of fruit or a sweet. This will be all the years, the night of the five in December.