SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA Spain An informal guide by & for Erasmus Mundus students

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA

Spain

An informal guide by & for Erasmus Mundus students

Contributors: Chiara Dalla Libera

March/2011

YOU ARE AT SANTIAGO AIRPORT                  

Here you are. Life as an Erasmus Mundus student always starts in an airport: you have just landed and you are trying to understand what the new city is about by staring at the other people who were with you on the plane. In the case of Santiago you are most likely trying to figure out if the city is inhabited just by priests, nuns and old pilgrims.

Perfect, now that you have collected your 25 bags of 30 kg each you can find your way to the city center! Don’t panic, Santiago airport is a tiny, tiny airport, and it is located 10 km away from the city center.

Remember that Santiago has been training for years in receiving tourists, so you will not be alone!

By bus

Outside the airport building you will find the bus stop.

You can either go with the special buses organized by Ryanair that are usually a little more expensive (around EUR 3), but they are a good option if you are arriving late.

Empresa Freire (http://www.empresafreire.com/html/ingles/seccion0.php) is the local company, and it takes about 20/30 min to take you to the city center, and the ticket is around EUR 2,50.

Just pay attention to the stops:

-San Lazaro (outskirts of Santiago)

-Bus station

-Av. De Lugo (Train station)

-Dr. Teixeiro (City center, new part)

By Taxi

The ride is not really expensive (around EUR 19), and they stop right near the bus stop.

If you are going to the residence Burgo Das Nacions the best option, if you want to save money, is to go by bus to the bus station and then either walk or take a cab (around EUR 3).

The residence is 3 km away from the bus station.

Airports in the area:

Santiago de Compostela  

http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?SiteName=SCQ&c=Page&cid=1048690016783&pagename=subHome&Language=ES_ES

La Coruña

http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?SMO=-1&c=Page&SiteName=LCG&Language=ES_ES&pagename=subHome&MO=0&cid=1048146841342

Vigo

http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?SiteName=SCQ&c=Page&cid=1048690016783&pagename=subHome&Language=ES_ES

MOVING AROUND

Santiago it is a small city of approximately 93.000 inhabitants and everything is at a walking distance. The city is divided in five main areas and, especially if you are looking for a place to stay, it is important to know where everything is located.

Campus Norte

It is located on the right part of your map. The Philological Faculty (Faculdade de Filoloxia) and the residence Burgo das Nacions are located in this part of town. Next to the residence you can find the office Unidade de Xestion Academica (UXA) where you will need to submit the first documents once arrived. The area is quite poor with bars and supermarkets, but there are some behind the faculty. Behind the faculty there is also the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (EOI). At the EOI you can attend language courses for just EUR 100 per year!

http://www.eoisantiago.org/

Campus Sur

The Campus Sur is on the left part of your map, and it is where almost all the faculties are located. Here you can find all the services that a university student may need and also the biggest library of the University.You most likely will not need to come here to do any paperwork, but if this is the case the main office is located at Pavillon Estudantil:

Campus Universitario Sur

15782 Santiago de Compostela

Phone: +34 981 528067 – 981563100 Ext. 14574 e 14575 

Zona Nueva

It is the new part of Santiago, where the houses were built quite recently and where you can find all shops and facilities. It is not the prettiest part, but if you don’t want to starve or your jumper has a hole and you need a new one… You have to come here!!

If you are a true creature of the night you may become familiar with this part of town just starting from 4:00 am. In fact all the discos are located in the new part and every night, when bars in the old part close (4:00/4:30am), there is the migration of the lost souls of the night that just cannot accept to put an end to their party. Here discos close at 06:00/06:30 and then you can either continue at some after-party places or get something to eat.

Casco viejo

The magic and enchantment of this town is all here. As a tourist you can find all you need: any kind of merchandising of Galicia or Spain (shall I buy the statue of Santiago apostle or the T-shirt of the Barcelona Football club..mmm..), if you have a sweet-tooth you can try a piece of the Tarta de Santiago that will be offered to you every 2 meters and many more!

Despite the tourists, you’ll soon discover that this is where the social life actually takes place and you will lose the count of how many times you will say:

 “Ok, let’s meet in Plaza Cervantes for a beer/ coffee / tea / cinema / a walk / shopping / tapas / dinner / fourth round of beer / una caña, por favor /no more beer please, orange juice please / licor cafe / un vinito...”.

San Pedro and Bonaval Park

This part of town between Porta do Camiño and Area Central (the biggest shopping center of Santiago...Beware, is also the saddest commercial center ever built...). This area is 5 min walking from the old part and is about 20/25 min from the campus North: it has the enchantment of the old part, but with more facilities.

I NEED A HOME    

Get used to it: it will be your hobby between one book and the other!! Some additional subjects to the Erasmus Mundus Master are: Live like a Gypsy, Weight your suitcase with your eyes, Pack 25 kg of stuff in a 50x50 bag and many more!

Also in Santiago works the usual way of leaving adverts in the bacheche of the faculties, but best way to find a place to stay is the website of the university: 

Taboleiro http://xornal.usc.es/xornal/taboleiro.html 

During the week the website is daily updated (during the weekends you can forget about your research, no one cares that you are still homeless!) you can look up at the website before arriving to Santiago, but it’s not hard to find a place.

As previously explained each part of town has its features and your final choice depends on what you want from Santiago! A more detailed chart follows:

Where to live

I study, what else? I study! - Campus Norte

You are near the University and the library and you have the essential shops you may need. In case you decide to have some social life the center is just 15 min away.

Cold feet - New Part

If you can’t live in a flat without central heating you may want to look for a room in this area, as in the old part it is quite hard to find a flat that has one. You also like having all kinds of shops in front of your door. Old town is 5/10 min away, but Campus Norte is 35/45 min away!

Romantic - Old Part

You like sunsets and you cry when you see the first Christmas light in December or the first flower when the spring arrives. You think that the view from your room is more important than going to sleep with your tuta da sci.

You may find some problems in finding a supermarket and in going to sleep at 23h. 

Campus North 15 min. New part 10 min.

Alternative - San Pedro

You like having a nice garden (Bonaval), you are lazy (you don’t need to walk more than 20 min to go anywhere), you are a bit like the type described previously.

Every time you go to the center you are walking the last part of the camino de Santiago… smart ass!!!! 

Prices

Prices go from EUR 120/150 for a room in a shared flat in the old part and in San Pedro to a range of EUR 180/220 in the new part. These prices do not include bills. If you pay more than that you probably living in a 5 stars hotel!!

Burgos Das Nacions

Avda. Burgo das Nacions.

15782 Santiago de Compostela.

A Coruña (España)

Phone: 981 547 152 

It may be good if you are not staying long and if you want to focus on your studies.

The rooms are quite nice and properly clean, you have your private bathroom and you share the kitchen with the people from your floor. Unfortunately Mundus students (even if you have a scholarship) get to pay around EUR 300 rent per month, which is quite expensive, considering the cost of a single room in a shared flat in town!

SPANISH TIME 

It takes some time, but you will soon love it, I’m sure! Classes never start before 10:00 and finish at 19.30 the latest.Shops are open between 10 and 20:00 and close between 14:00 and 16:00/30. However, especially in the new part, some don’t close at lunch and are open until later (e.g. supermarkets).

A couple of remarkable details:

“I’ll meet you at midday!” means “I’ll meet you at 14:00” (Lunch time)

“Come to my place to have dinner!” means “Come to my place around 22:00, but that does not mean that it’ll be ready by that time…Anyway, bring a bottle of wine/beer”

In my experience people are not late: they schedule meetings late enough in order for them not to be late.

MIX WITH THE OTHER TOURISTS

Oficina de turismo de Santiago (Rua do Vilar 63) and Oficina de turismo de Galicia (Rua do Vilar 43) are the places where you can gather all the information you need and where you can collect a precious map and some cultural leaflets. I’ll skip the historical and artistic comments, as you would get a real guide for that, and you would not trust me (or Wikipedia, remember you are a Master student now!) Santiago is not that big, and I will let you discover the town by yourselves, but there is a place I would like to recommend: Igrexa do convento de San Martiño Pinario… Enjoy!

I ACTUALLY CAME HERE TO STUDY

You are sitting at a table outside in one little square with a couple of friends, a glass of Albariño, some jamon, queso de Arzua, a piece of tortilla and some croquetas and then, it suddenly hits you! 

“I am sure I came to Santiago to do something…”

“But what??”

“Mmmm... I can’t remember... Was it because of the pilgrimage?!”

“No, I arrived by plane…”

“Why? Why did I come here??”

“Damn it!!Erasmus Mundus Master!!!!”

You may not understand this monologue if you have just arrived, but you will soon learn that Santiago’s social rhythm will take over your will to dedicate your life to studying. As I said before, all your classes and all the bureaucracy will be in the Faculdade de Filoloxia in the Campus Norte. Antonio Gil is the head director of the Erasmus Mundus in Santiago and you will mainly deal with him and with the professor that will be assigned to you to direct your dissertation. The fact that you will deal mainly with them is purely because as soon as you put your foot outside the Philological faculty no one has a clue of what Erasmus Mundus is. So, please get used to explain to each functionary of the University who you are and why you are there. It is a training of self-confidence: you will have to repeat it so many times that you will become very proud of what you are doing, and you will think that you are a misunderstood genius.

LIBRARIES

The libraries and the whole University system works quite well. You can do the card for the library directly at the Biblioteca de Filoloxia, and as a Master student you can bring home more books. 

Biblioteca de Filoloxia and de Periodismo

If you need a lot of books you may find it more handy to spend your days in the Biblioteca de Filoloxia (our faculty!): the environment is not the cheerfullest you can find, but the choice of books is quite wide. On the other hand, if you are looking for a place with more light and more privacy, you can go to the Faculdade de Periodismo (Faculty of Journalism), which is the faculty next door designed by the famous Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza.

Biblioteca de Historia y Xeografia

If you want to fight for a place to sit, but you want to feel like Harry Potter…this is your spot! Bring your camera at least once!

Biblioteca del Campus Sur

(Rua de Jose Maria Suarez Nuñez) This is the biggest library in the Campus Sur, and during exams period it is open on Sundays and late at night.

Biblioteca Caja Madrid

(http://bibliotecas.obrasocialcajamadrid.es/biblio-adulto/662_97011.htm?centro=3271) It is a small library in the old city center and to have access to the library you just need to do a card with them (for free). The location is great (Rua Das Casas Reais 14), they have daily newspapers, DVDs and books of any kind that you can request from any of their libraries throughout the whole country. 

GALICIANS PARTY HARD

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Santiago is such a popular tourist destination: all the bars you see are to satisfy the social appetite of the Compostelanos! If you consider the size of this town, you will be impressed by the number and the variety of choice of the places to go out. On my side, in order not to lose all the (little) respect that you, Erasmus Mundus reader, had in me, I decided to chose just three examples for each category and not to pull out further than this paragraph.

Coffee places

Camalea: Plaza San Martiño Pinario. Cosy coffee place: try the selections of teas with different liquors, really tasty!

Costa Velha: Rua Porta da Pena 17. Amazing view and romantic garden: please, find a boyfriend/girlfriend to come here.

Cafe Conga: Rua da Conga. When you order a coffee, you will get small brioches for tapas. Nice stop when you are studying.

Have a beer

Casa da Troia: Rua da Troia. Nice place to have a glass of wine and watch the people passing by.

Caballo Blanco: Praza Pescaderia Velha 5. Great tapas, big portions... croquetas!croquetas!croquetas! If you don't like garlic stay away from the chips!!!

Reixa: Rua Tras Salome 3. Rock'n'Roll, baby!!!

Eat out

Dezaseis: Rua de San Pedro 16. Pulpo a la gallega, Chochos en tinta, Empanada… It is better to go with a group and order one of the menus with different selections.

A Orella: Rua Raiña 21. Calamares fritos, orella de porco (if you can!), caldo gallego…

La Bodeguilla de San Roque: Rua de San Roque 13. A bit of everything from the Galician's cousin.

Discos

Ruta: Rua de Perez Constanti 66. 

Indie-rock lovers here you will find your shelter for the nights out. If you arrive early enough (4.30/5 am) you will have a chance that DJ plays the song you requested him. 

Avante: near Canton de San Bieito.

The same CD plays every night, but thanks to the “interesting” people who hang out at this place it is always a new experience. Get ready to sing along with the songs from the left parties of all Europe.

Anubis: no address. I mean, of course it has an address, but I don't remember how I got there. This is an after-party place and you will come here starting from 7:00am, I think this explains the place itself.  

ENXEBRE COMPOSTELA (= MEET THE REAL COMPOSTELA)

In Galicia there are two official languages Spanish and Galician. You can write your papers and speak to almost everyone in Spanish, but with time you will find easier to understand Galician. Some professors at the University will choose to have their classes in Gallego: this will surely create several discussions and there is no way to avoid it. The understanding of Gallego is easier if you speak Portuguese, if you are Italian, or you are very fluent in Spanish.

Some of the specialities of this land are:

Empanada (a pastry filled with meat/tuna/seafood)

Pulpo a la gallega (octopus with paprika)

Caldo a la gallega (soup with potatos and turnip tops)

Drinks:

Licor Cafe 

Crema de Orujo (like Bailey’s)

Licor de Hierbas 

Queimada (a punch od liquor with coffee beans, lemon peel and sugar)

GALICIA, A LAND TO DISCOVER

Praia das Catedrais, Galiza

The best way to travel around is by car, as the main features of this corner of Spain are naturalistic and not very well connected.

Some suggestions:

Praia das Catedrais (Barreiros)

Canons do Sil (Ribeira Sacra, Ourense)

Islas Cies (Vigo)

Dunas de Corrubedo y Lagos de Carregal y Vixan (A Coruña)

Finisterre 

If you can travel just by bus or train, then it is easier to visit the cities:

A Coruña

Ourense (go to the therms!)

Lugo

Pontevedra

Vigo 

By bus: www.alsa.es

By train: www.renfe.com

SOCIAL EVENTS

All the updates on: http://www.compostelacultura.org/

Film festivals 

Arab film Festival Amal: http://www.festivalamal.es/

Curtocircuito: http://www.curtocircuito.org/?lg=ing

Cineuropa: http://cineuropa.compostelacultura.org/

GOODBYE SANTIAGO! 

“As cousas non valen polo tempo que duran, senon pelas pegadas que deixan”

Life as an Erasmus Mundus student may be hard sometimes, and you need to be strong to arrive to the end, but it is an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that will change you and that you need to enjoy until the last bit! However if you chose to spend at least one semester in this little town in the North-West of Spain, you will understand its magic, and you will fall in love as I did!

Good luck!

St Andrews - An informal guide by & for Erasmus Mundus students

ST ANDREWS

Scotland

An informal guide by & for Erasmus Mundus students

Contributors: Ana Sofia Guerreiro, Nataliya Matamoros, Anuradha Choudry

February/2011

clockwise: a dog on Market Str.; the ruins of the Cathedral of St Andrew;

the beach next to the Old Course; pipers next to St Salvator’s Chapel (by Nataliya Matamoros)

ORIENTATION & GENERAL INFORMATION

St Andrews is, for the most part, very well organised so you will receive booklets before and during orientation week, which will give you the general guidelines to where, when and what.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

If you look up the information on the university website, you will find out that, during orientation week, the student association can pick you up at the airport and take you directly to your residence. It is a bit more expensive, but we strongly recommend it. If you arrive just before or on the first day of orientation week, you will come across several parties, some of which will be in your residence. If you can, go and mingle. It’s the best way to meet people - some of which will be Mundus students as well. Some of the students will be 2nd year students who will gladly help you with any questions you might have.

GETTING AROUND

St-Andrews is a cute little town with three main streets in the centre that are parallel to each other. They are North St, Market St and South St. Most of the University buildings that we would be concerned with and the main library are in and around these streets.

Public transportation within St Andrews is futile, since it is so small. You are better off walking or riding a bike. Just in case: a week bus pass is 5 pounds (unless they have increased the fare!). The regular one way fare is 80 pence with the student's card.

For supermarkets further away from the town centre, there are some occasional buses, which can be useful. If you want to travel outside St Andrews, the bus and the train (at Leuchars) are equally good. Make sure to buy your train tickets in advance, since the price gets more expensive as the travelling dates approach.

COMMUNICATION

SIM Cards       This is the first thing you should do! With an increasing number of international students, SIM cards tend to be sold out in the first couple of days so don’t delay this task.

Internet access               Don't forget to take your own ethernet cables or you could pay up to 3 pounds for a new one!! The same goes for a multi-outlet adapter for the UK. The voltage is 220, but the plug type is different from European.

@ University:  At the Buchanan Building there is a Postgraduate room and a Computer Lab where you can use the Internet for free, provided you already have the login and password information.

@ Libraries:    Exactly the same but you might have to wait longer. Do not attempt to write or print your essays at the library. It will be extremely crowded during essay and exam times.

a view from the library (by Nataliya Matamoros)

@ Cafés:          There are some coffee shops with Internet available but the prices are ridiculously expensive, mostly because students are usually covered by the university network.

books, photocopying, and printing    Library! You can find most books at the library, even the most obscure ones and the university also has an inter-library loan system. Photocopying can also be done at the library. For printing, we recommend the Buchanan building - less crowded and usually better quality. If you notice any problem with the printers, complain at the library front desk and they will not only fix it, but also refund you for the money you might have spent on bad printing.

post office The post office is in South Street. It is not very big but the people are friendly. If you need to post official Mundus documents, you can ask the Modern Languages Secretariat (Buchanan Building) to do it or you.

WHERE TO LIVE

Student accommodation is a great idea! If you want something with more space, you can try to look for a flat but St Andrews is a small town so the number of flats available is extremely low. Within student accommodation, there is much to choose from, depending on what you like. Our advice is to check the university website for details.

Ana Sofia lived in Albany Park and loved it! The houses were warm, they were right next to the beach and when it snowed, it was beautiful. However, it is still a good 10-minute walk from the town centre.

the beach in front of Albany Park at low tide (by Nataliya Matamoros)

Nataliya lived in Deans Court, which is a rather expensive option, but it has more benefits than drawbacks. First, the unique medieval building with an unforgettable canteen in the cellar in the style of Harry Potter’s movies and windows facing the shore with the ancient St Andrews castle and its cemetery. Second, the rent includes meals and official dinners with Scottish cuisine. Third, it has a library, DVD collection and even a Wii video game console to have fun with friends. Fourth, room cleaning daily.

views from the builldings of Deans Court (by Nataliya Matamoros)

Anuradha lived in David Russell Apartments, but found them rather expensive with quite a distant location. However, it was undoubtedly very comfortable - a double bed, spacious room, excellent heating, own bathroom, internet connection, phone, TV. 5 people live in a flat where each one is allotted his/her own room and share a common kitchen.

Fife Park is one of the cheapest accommodation options offered by the University.

The University of St-Andrews is constantly buzzing with events which is almost completely absent in Bergamo except for the parties. So if you want to participate in these activities insist on an accommodation in town. Try to tell them that you are a foreign student, there only for 1 semester, and would like to make the most of your stay in St-Andrews.

WHERE TO EAT

This, we will leave to you. The trick is to try many different places, and there are plenty of them. The scones at North Point are a must (as many people think, since that spot was always full).

Definitely try the Scottish specialty called ‘haggis’ made of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs. As a snack, fish and chips will be perfect for any get-together with friends.

top: haggis; bottom: sticky-toffee cake (by Nataliya Matamoros)

WHAT TO DO

Culture                        St Andrews is full of cultural clubs, which will host many events in the beginning of the year. My advice is to try as many as you would like and then pick 2 or 3 clubs tops. You think you will have the time for more, but you won’t. If you arrive during the second semester, you can still join but you will need to catch up with the activities. Tip: it is great to build your CV!

It is a definite must to learn to dance ceilidh. There is a great chance to do it at Boy's Brigade Hall, which is on Greenside Place street. There local students teach everyone the basics of this dance and even practice for the annual ceilidh show which takes place at the Castle of St Andrews on the 1st Sunday of May.

St Andrews Castle (by Nataliya Matamoros)

To get some adrenalin don’t miss the student tradition of May Dip (on the first early morning of May), when you can join crowds of students jumping off the shore into the ice cold water. 

Another extreme event takes place on one of the weekends of November. It is Raisin Weekend, for which you will need to be ‘adopted’ by one of the students from St Andrews university and become their ‘child’. On this weekend your academic ‘mothers’ dress you up in fancy costumes in which you proceed to St Salvator’s Quad for a portion of foam. The grand foam fight organized there will change your appearance beyond recognition and leave unforgettable memories! 

the foam fight (by Sakshi Tandom)

In February or March participate in the night-time torchlight procession from St Salvator’s Quad to the end of the main pier in red academic gowns, if you are lucky to be there for the rector reception. It happens once every three years.

the pier during daytime (by Nataliya Matamoros)

You can always go the beach, when you have a free hour, and marvel at the tide, people doing blokarting on the beach. Just remember to always dress up warm as even in summer it tends to be windy and cold there.

the magic tide and beach sports (by Nataliya Matamoros)

Try the Befriender's Scheme, which is a programme organised by the Hope Church (at the corner near the Bus stand) that finds local befriender for foreign students - this means that local families 'befriend' some students and introduce them to Scottish culture during their stay in St-Andrews and often invite them home and make them acquainted with Scottish life style. Regarding this you could get in touch with Fiona of the Christian Association. This Association also organises excellent 1-pound lunches every Thursday and a sumptuous opening meal for anyone who is free to attend before classes begin.

For more insiders’ suggestions go to www.thesinner.net

Sports              The university sports center is further away from other facilities, but still it is within walking distance. Unlike in other universities, here you will have to pay for all sport activities both per semester and per visit, but they are absolutely worth the investment.

Don’t forget to try golf! St Andrews has the best and oldest golf courses in Europe. 

ACADEMIC MATTERS

   

top: St Salvator’s Quad; bottom: student procession (by Nataliya Matamoros)

St Andrews is one of the top UK universities, which was also chosen by Prince William as his academic alma mater. However, this does not mean it is perfect. In fact, you will face some major issues. There are still some problems to be solved, namely the lack of varied course options. This is something you can fight for or accept, as you prefer.

Grading is done by two professors and is usually tough, so your first couple of essays might be a reflexion of that. The most important thing to do is understand what is expected from an essay and what each lecturer wants, because they will all want different things. However, ask around about the different classes and lecturers, get as much information from other students as possible, and you should be fine. Also, keep in mind that if you come from a country where many sources are valuable, things will be different here. At this level, you will be expected to show original thought, which should then be properly backed-up.

SHOPPING

Food

This can be tricky, as St Andrews is a very expensive town. For daily groceries like bread and milk, I would go to Tesco in the very center of the town on Market Str. However, for weekly/monthly groceries, it is recommended to try Aldy or another supermarket in the northern part of the city.

Clothes

There are some shops, but most of them will be unbelievably expensive. It is better to take an afternoon and go to Dundee or Edinburgh.

However, for a unique memory of Scotland try the shop called “Ness” on Market Str. Here you can buy the cutest ever clothes, bags, accessories and toys made of Scottish tartan. Expensive, but absolutely worth the money!

For warm clothes - if you don't want to carry much (you'll need them believe us! ) there are several charities on Market and South Str and around - like Oxfam, British Heart Foundation etc that have very good second hand clothes, boots, gloves, caps and a variety of other interesting things (sometimes new ones as well!) for very reasonable prices. Moreover, Dundee is not very far and a trip to Primark (clothes store) can keep you all day choosing stuff for yourself.

the irresistible tartan Ness bunny (by Nataliya Matamoros)

HEALTH

Whether you are covered by European Health Insurance or the programme’s insurance, you can use the British NHS. There is a health centre located in the northern part of town, where you’ll be welcomed by the staff and assisted very politely. Don’t attempt to walk there - a bus or a taxi might be your best option as it is still quite the stretch. You will need to make an appointment but once you are there, it goes pretty fast.

by Nataliya Matamoros