Villanueva de la Serena - city of many charms

For the last two weeks Extremadura was one of the few sunny regions of Spain. Happy, happy me.

So how is my life in Villanueva? Basically I am struggling with a two-week jet lag... Ok, I should stop fooling myself and deal with the fact, that my body was totally unprepared for the whole Spanish siesta-nightlife rythm. For the past two weeks my and my flatmate were trying to go out at night to enjoy the famous Spanish finde (weekend - fin de semana), but more that once we have failed and spent (far too many) evenings watching Spongebob. (Cartoons seem to be the only thing we are able to understand.) Last weekend, we finally drunk the hell lot of coffee and managed to go out.

(The fact, that after an hour of walking around the town we have ended up in the bar closest to our home, ordered non-alcoholic drinks by mistake and got back home before 10 pm - before Spanish children even consider going to bed - doesn´t count.)

But while I´m awake (which doesn´t really happen very often), I managed to walk around Villanueva and make some decents shots. The city has both old and new parts, and they beautifully coexist next to each other.

The bench (almost-like-in-park-Guell) photoshoot I am particularly proud of. ;)

My favourites are:

- Palacio Consistorial "La Jabonera" - what used to be a soap factory, is now a scene of cultural events.

- Horno Santa Eulalia in the Plaza del Maura - best place for coffee and gossips, and comfortable spot to observe the slow pace of life at Villanueva and its participants: elegant 60-year old woman (red lipstick, cigarettes, little dog), nuclear families (dummies, strollers, loads of laugh), teenagers (Blackberries, hormones, too much hair gel), group of elderly men (Estrella Galicia and endless discussions about last night game.)

What else you can find in Villanueva, besides coffee and people who look like characters from the film of Almodovar? Well, everyday life pleasures, in all shapes, colours and sizes.

Add a flamenco show (last night, fiesta del Barrio del Pilar - our district) and cruasan relleno de chocolate (pretty much everyday) and you have a happy, happy me.