Visiting Volunteers

After the wonderful week of sun and rocks and vultures I visited some other volunteers who I met during my on- arrival seminar in Valladolid in May. They work in a small village called Frómista in Castilla y Leon. Miriam from Italy, Clara from Denmark and Tom from Germany. Frómista is part of the famous Camino de Santiago so many pilgrims from all over the world visit the village every day. The three volunteers help out in the tourist office, the care home for the elderly or the culture/youth house. 

I accompanied them to their work to see what their EVS is like. My final conclusion was that both project have their good and bad sides. I really liked the actual project work the volunteers are doing in Frómista. It is a bit more diversified and I really enjoyed the morning I worked with Clara in the care home for the elderly. We made little chest nut figures with them. I definitely prefer doing thins like that, where you are active and moving and talking, to doing office work. Furthermore the overall atmosphere there was different. Here in Ribadavia it feels like being actual at work. So I start at 9:30 and finish at 14:30. Punctually. The typical officer worker stereotype.
In Frómista on the other hand I simply liked to help as much as I could and I didn't check the hour. If there still was something to do I wanted to stay until it was done. You truly are a volunteer! 

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However I also noted a lot of very positive aspects of the project in Ribadavia. And this is not so much the project itself but more all the other things around it. 
General life.
I might not feel like a "true volunteer" here in Ribadavia but therefore I start to build up a real life. With friends and leisure time and sports...I guess in a project that lasts a whole year it might be better like that (Tom, Miriam and Clara are volunteering for 6 month). It is, like I said, a different atmosphere.
Our flat. 
It's a little bigger and a little nicer than the one in Frómista. I mean, come on, I have my own bathroom! What more can a girl possibly want ;)
The town. 
Ribadavia might be small but Frómista is even smaller. Here we have a lot of events and festivals going on (at least in summer) whereas in Frómisa they celebrate only one annual festival. 
The working hours. 
Miriam, Clara and Tom have to work a few hours in the morning and a few in the afternoon so that in the end you have the feeling of working the whole day through. 
Being only two volunteers. 
Nearly the whole day the three of them work and live close together and they come along surprisingly well which is not self-evident. I think because of the fact that they are always in a group I imagine that it is a little more difficult for them to get to know the young people of the village. Being just two girls might make that easier. We have some friends here who have a car so that we can also go and visit other places with them. And this leads me to my last point. 
Travelling. 
Sabrina and I had a lot of chances to travel and to get to know Galicia. This is something I sincerely appreciate.

I consider it very recommendable to check out other volunteer project to become aware of what you have, what you don't have and what you might be able to change to make it better. Apart from that it is always great fun to spend time with other volunteers!

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During the first two days in Castilla y Leon we had fascinating weather. Due to the landscape, a wonderful high plateau, the clouds drifted very low above the ground and the light was perfect to go on a little foto session. And this is exactly what I did!
I proudly present the results:

This church is worth a visit! The little dots you see all around the roofs are actually figures and all of them are different.