La Navidad ya se ha acabado y todos hemos regresado a la rutina diaria, pero Santiago nos ha dejado unas fotos tras su visita para compartirlas con todos nosotros.  La ciudad de Valladolid se vistio de gala y se llenó de luz, color y magia durante estas fechas  en las que la ilusión de los niños era palpable.

Aquí tenemos unas imágenes del Carrusel que lleva más de 100 años haciendo disfrutar a grandes y pequeños, del árbol de navidad instalado en la plaza Mayor y de la fachada de la catedral iluminada como parte del proyecto “Ríos de Luz”, por el que la ciudad ha recibido diversos premios a nivel nacional e internacional.

Fotografía cortesía de Santiago

Fotografía cortesía de Santiago

Fotografía cortesía de Santiago

El proyecto “Ríos de Luz”, con el que se ha iluminado el centro histórico de la ciudad siguiendo el antiguo cauce del río Esgueva, y a través del que se ha conseguido destacar y embellecer la ciudad de Valladolid y sus monumentos más destacables. Con “Ríos de Luz” convergen sostenibilidad (gracias a un a iluminación que reduce la contaminación lumínica y el gasto energético) y cultura al crear una ruta turística para disfrutar plemanente de Valladolid por la noche.

Este prestigioso premio internacional patrocinado por PHILIPS y la organización LUCI  reconoce el esfuerzo que ha realizado Valladolid sobre otras ciudades como Rotterdam (Bélgica) o Kanazawa (Japón), que han obtenido el segundo y tercer premio respetivamente. Le Havre, en Francia recibió una mención especial.

Entra en http://valladolidriosdeluz.es/ y compruébalo por ti mismo.

On May the 9th  we have some great meetings at Madrid with university representatives from Taiwan and Korea, and the 13th we receive them here at IH Valladolid. Thank you very much for your visit and all your positive comments regarding our school (everybody was delighted with our new premises) and Valladolid the city.

VISITA DE REPRESENTANTES DE UNIVERSIDADES DE COREA Y TAIWAN

El pasado 9 de mayo asisitmos a una reuniones en Madrid con representantes de universidades de Korea y Taiwán, y el pasado jueves 13 de mayo les recibimos aquí en IH Valladolid. ¡Muchas gracias a todos por esta visita y por todos los elogios que recibió la escuela (todos estaban encantados con nuestras nuevas instalaciones) y con la ciudad de Valladolid.

Valladolid International Festival of Street Theatre

This week the streets and plazas of Valladolid have become the stage for 63 acting companies from over 17 countries . The weather is perfect for strolling around the city and discovering all the various locations for outdoor theatre performances. Yesterday my bus was held up by a troupe of actors in pink suits lugging their props and equipment on to their next location but whilst I waited I enjoyed watching 6 trapeze artists swooping and diving from huge swings built near the city´s main park.

Each performance is unique. Some are thought-provoking, charming or bizarre whilst others are pure spectacle. Each act draws huge crowds with the children pushed towards the front, ever keen to act as assistants to the outrageous performers. By night the acts make use of the failing light to add torches, audiovisuals and lighting effects to their performances, some of which go on beyond midnight.
The Festival International Teatro y Artes De Calle takes place towards the end of May. For more information visit www.tacvalladolid.org .

Why not combine an intensive Spanish course at International House Valladolid with one of the city´s main festivals or events? For more information visit www.espaname.es

Normally most students on our intensive Spanish courses take their classes in the morning. After lunch, many will then want the opportunity to practice the Spanish they learnt in class.

The school encourages students to get out and about and explore both the city and the region, using their Spanish to buy bus and train tickets, go shopping, visit museums and even meet local people in bars and clubs.

The school has a notice board full of ideas for excursions and information about forthcoming events and regular local activities. We provide full information including when things are open, on which days, how much you´ll have to pay to get there, the timetables of trains and buses and even what the local specialties are to eat for lunch! We have information on where to eat the best tapas or which are the most lively bars and clubs for dancing, having fun and meeting people.

Whether you prefer a night at the theatre or a night on the town –we can help you to make the most of your time in Valladolid.

For more information on Spanish courses at International House Valladolid & Santander contact us at www.espaname.es

During the last week of October 2009, International House Valladolid welcomed Russian-born film director Masha Novikova into the academy.

Masha, a prize-winning veteran of the Valladolid International Film Festival (or “Seminci” as it is known), is a regular contributor to the official festival programme. This year she entered a documentary entitled “IN THE HOLY FIRE OF REVOLUTION” about Garry Kasparov whom many consider to be the greatest chess player of all time. The film also explored his more recent political activities in opposition to the administration of Vladimir Putin.

Masha kindly agreed to be interviewed for our blog on the last day of her Spanish course before flying back to Amsterdam (where she now lives).

Next week read her story exclusively in our blog!

Another beautiful sunny day in early September, just perfect for sitting in one of the many lovely terrace cafes surrounding the historic Plaza Mayor where the IH Valladolid Plaza Mayor school is based. I joined one of the students, a girl from Birmingham, England who had been studying Spanish and asked her for her impressions of the IH Spanish course.

“This is my second time here” she said. “I came last year for an intensive four week Spanish course and loved it so have returned this year for a course of private lessons. The first time I came I was a bit apprehensive about lessons conducted entirely in Spanish, but actually it helps to improve your fluency as you only have to think in one language. We get lots of time to speak in the classes which is really what I was after and why I came to Spain. Being part of a multi-lingual class ensures you don’t slip back into your native tongue as Spanish is the only common language you have to talk to each other in”.

“This year I decided to come back to get some one-to-one help with particular grammar problems, verb tenses mainly, and all the classes have been tailored to helping me overcome my individual issues and improving my fluency. I decided to come now as the fiestas are about to start here. There is a great atmosphere with processions, fireworks, stalls of regional foods and wines, concerts and other entertainments. You can see the preparations from the classroom window as the Plaza Mayor is the focal point for the celebrations.”

For more information about private classes or intensive courses in Spanish contact www.espaname.es