On Saturday, May 20th Cádiz c.f hosted their Andalucian rivals Córdoba c.f at the Estadio Ramon de Carranza. Both teams play in the second division of Spanish soccer, meaning that if they finish high enough in the table, they have a chance at playing soccer in one of the world’s best leagues, the Spanish Primera Division.

I arrived to the stadium about an hour before kick off and the most of the supporters had already arrived, singing and chanting for their beloved Cádiz. I pushed through the crowds to the ticket booth and purchased a ticket for €30 (there are two ticket options, one in the upper deck for €25 or one in the lower deck for €30). To my surprise my €30 ticket was in the front row and center field, something unheard of in most American sports. I stopped by a vendor and bought a Cádiz c.f scarf for €5 before journeying into the stadium.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was something that many American soccer fans have only seen on television. The stands were shaking with the cheers of fans as the players came onto the field and did not stop shaking until the final whistle. It was amazing seeing the amount of pasion that the people of Cádiz had for their team.

After a scoreless first half, Cádiz opened the scoring with a free kick just outside the Córdoba penalty area. The stadium exploded into cheers and I too joined in on the celebration. Córdoba leveled the score in the 74th minute and the game ended in a draw. Despite their failure to get the win, the Cádiz supporters left the stadium hopeful for future wins.

The game was a fascinating spectacle and I would recommend anyone visiting Spain to attend a soccer game, whether in the first or second division. Vamos Càdiz! Continue reading →

One afternoon, my roommate and I explored the park next to the Hotel Playa Victoria Palafox. It has a botanical garden, waterfall with a bridge overlooking the ocean, cave, play area, and restaurant. It is a very relaxing and beautiful place to walk after class at the university. I look forward to going back before the trip is over!

The beautiful duck pond in the park.

Statue of the Virgin Mary

Top of the waterfall overlooking the ocean.

My roommate and I in front of the duck pond

Buenos Dias! Yesterday, our group had the honor of visiting “Foodie Cadiz”, an upscale cooking education center to learn about making traditional Tapas of Cadiz. Tapas are known as small dishes, typically served “family style”. This means they are meant to be shared amongst friends and loved ones. Each dish may be small in size, but is packed with flavor and fresh produce. We were given the opportunity to create some of the most popular tapas options from Cadiz: Salmorejo (a cold, tomato bisque with jamon and egg), vegetable empanadas, tortilla Española, ensalada con caballa (fresh salsa salad with mackerel), sangria, and to finish, sorbete de frutas rojo (or known as “red fruit sorbet). Each dish was absolutely delicious in its own way, and left us all with a little “taste” of Cadiz 😉

Foodie Cadiz educational cooking center

Homemade sangria, freshly baked bread, and ensalada con mackerel

Salmorejo with jamon and egg

Tortilla Española

Our empanadas ready for the oven!

Empanadas baked with an egg wash (tasted even better dipped in the salmorejo!)

On Sunday we went to the Féria Del Caballo ( Horse Festival) 2017 in Jerez. – Val King

Today is the day that we leave USA for Cadiz Spain. We are about to embark on a wonderful cultural and academic experience that will enrich our understanding of the Spanish language and health care system, but also to strengthen the connections between University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Cadiz. We will be in Spain for 14 days and will be taking a medical Spanish course taught by faculty from University of Cadiz. In addition to the language course component we will be visiting hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, herbal stores, and food markets to help us understand the similarities and differences in the US and Spanish health care systems. I am very much looking forward to traveling with the nursing students and sharing these activities. This is my 6th trip for the Solomont School of Nursing ( Ghana x 3, Chile and China). Each trip has enriched mine, as well as the students’ understanding of global health care. Please check back often to hear some of our stories and see our photos. For now… time to pack .. the plane leaves 5:30 on Friday May 12th.

UMass Lowell students at Logan airport in Boston on the way to Spain.

Logan airport in Boston on the way to Spain. Alex and Colleen waiting in security line.

Follow along with the Solomont School of Nursing Clinical Assistant Professor, Valerie King, and her students as they immerse in the local language and culture in Cadiz, Spain.  Through dedicated classroom learning for the healthcare professional, cultural activities and site visits to local hospitals, pharmacies, geriatric centers, food markets and other community entities related to health and nursing, students will increase their understanding of medical Spanish significantly.

The Cadiz skyline.