So another long day of travel to get from Nice-Ville to Barcelona, starting at 10:15am and due to arrive in Barcelona just after 7pm.
Day 161 Thur. Oct. 1 *Barcelona
I did the brkfast thing, and got my bags and off I went. Got the shuttle and then jumped on the tram, Belinda was on her way somewhere else to tour around as she had a couple more days here, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way to the train station. I got there in good time, waited for the platform to come up and went down and got on the train. This first bit was going to be 4 hrs, and I did nothing, no blogging as there was no outlets and so I napped, and just chilled. We arrived in Montpellier, and had to change trains, I used the toilets and then got on the train. I met 2 girls from Australia heading to Barcelona as well, chatted with them for a bit. When we got stopped for passport check, one of the girls spoke with the police about a situation they knew about. What I gathered from what she was saying is that some guy stole some passports in Nice and a young Aussie girl from their hostel ended up going along with him, their concern was for the girl as they said the guy was a bad man, interesting. I napped a bit, watched some videos on my iPod and then we finally arrived in Barcelona, and it was pouring rain, great! I went to the tourist information inside the station and got a city and metro map. I had all the directions to my hostel and just checked them out to make sure I knew where I was going. I put the rain cover over my backpack. I tried to help a group of young travellers to find their hostel on the map and then also helped the two Aussie girls find theirs. Ok, have to brave the rain and head to the metro, thankfully it was just around the corner, I got on and I only had to go up one stop. I walked out and my hostel was right there, nice! I went and checked in ‘Gothic Point Hostel’, a very tall, Spanish guy, Angel showed me to my room and gave me the run down of the hostel and some points of interest in Barcelona, very good! ( I had to giggle at the name first ‘Angel’ for a guy and that he seemed to have a lisp, well that is what I thought, but apparently all Spaniards sound this way. So, for example Barcelona, is actually pronounced and sounds like Barthelona, and my favourite Valencia, is Balenthia. They pronounce v’s as b’s and the c is like th, just in case you ever want to learn Spanish … lol)
It was a 8 bed co-ed room, with lockers. There was a common room downstairs with computers and a t.v. A very small kitchen to use and communal bathrooms one for guys and one for girls of course. They had an ad for working at the hostel and I thought about it but no, not in Spain and I need to keep travelling along. I got to my room and I met 3 young American girls who were on a short wkend trip, they were all studying in Florence. Mary Hope, Enya and Kelly. They were going for a bite to eat and asked me to go so I went along. We walked for awhile, there was quite a few people out and about at this time, the rain had stopped thankfully. We ended up at a small little cafe and I jumped right in to try the Spanish Paella (a rice dish that originated in the Valencian region) there are all kinds of different variations and I choose the franfurt one, with ham, cheese with noodles, was good
We ate and headed right back to the hostel, I looked a few things up online and then headed to bed, very tired.
Day 162 Fri. Oct. 2
I slept in a bit longer then my alarm, but then up and went down to brkfast, the usual cereal but some different kinds, some toast, fruit, and snack (cookies, muffins) I ate and then back to the room to get ready. I changed and I asked the girls if they were interested in the free walking tour I heard of, and they were. So we all walked over to the meeting point, there was a few other people there already. Our guide came up, Jonathan (from California, living and working here now, after studying here)
So, we were on our way. I wasn’t sure what kind of history was behind Spain, one thing I did hear him refer to was Christopher Columbus, and of course about Catalonia, as Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region of Spain, located on the Mediterraneam coast. It is the second largest city in Spain. Here are a few links as I am not going to write all kinds of information, you can read up on it if you would like ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia ) and besides I don’t remember it all .. lol They speak Catalan here in Barcelona most prominently as well as Spanish, (it’s a bit different, but enough that the Spanish from other areas don’t always understand .. ha)
We learnt a bit about the King of Spain, about the work of architect Antoni Gaudi which can be seen throughout the city. One thing I remember him telling us about is how the Catalans are so against the whole bull fighting thing, however they have festivals that the feature of these are Castells, it is a human tower or castle, so people climb up on each others shoulders and continue different levels of people and it is not complete until the last person, usually a small child climbs to the top and raises his or her hand, sounds simple enough but the point is they do this on the cement and often times it does tumble down and people do get hurt. The funny part is, it is okay to risk peoples lives on a human tower but not to risk yourself or the bull in a bull fight, kinda silly really. Here is one of their protest posters
Anyways, so we walked along down some of the many narrow streets in Barcelona and here are some of my pics
Placa Reial (Royal Plaza – a square in the Barri Gotic – old town
this lantern was designed by Antoni Gaudi (here a bit of info on him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD, he is very special to Barcelona or Catalonia as being one of the most famous people from here) I will show you some more work from him later on
This is in Placa de George Orwell (yes that really is the name of it) it is a nice spot during the day but at night time you get some sketchy characters out there and the police are constantly there monitoring it, as well as 4 hidden cameras. This is a sculpture by Leandre Cristofol
Plaza San Felip Neri (just a small quiet square hidden between two narrow streets) One of Evanescence videos was done here at the fountain, pretty cool.
the damage on the wall is believed to be from bullets of brutial mass executions back during the Spanish Civil War or bomb shrapnel from the bomb explosion in 1752 in the church that forms one side of the square
Placa de Sant Jaume (St. James' Square – this is the place for any demonstrations or protests) This is Casa de la Ciudad (City House)
This is in Plaça de la Seu
Here is Cathedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia (Cathedral Cathedral of Santa Eulalia) ya there is construction so doesn’t make for a great shot
Entrance to the Roman Ruins
This is the famous La Rambla street, (not a great shot) it was formally a canal basin. People stroll up & down at all hours of the day and night. It is always busy, there are shops, booths, etc. But beware this is the spot full of pickpockets.
more random shots
A few other little things we learnt on the tour, there is prostitution here in Spain and a specific street, the police monitor it all the time, and the deal is as long as the women are working for themselves then it is fine. Also, soft drugs are tolerated here as well, like Amsterdam, you can have 4 plants in your house for personal use, seems a bit much for personal use, but anyways. That is just a few things I remember.
I met a fellow Canadian on the tour Kristen from Manitoba, we chatted along on the tour and after we all went back to the Tower Bar which was the meeting point and had a drink. I gave her some tips of places to go, she had a limited amount of time on her travels and was trying to see as much as possible. She was very interested in Scotland and so I recommended what I could for an easy route there and what to see. We got some information from the tour guide of other spots within Barcelona and then went on our way. We had a crepe, was not as good as in Paris but was good for the moment. Then she went back to her hostel and I mine. I dropped my things off and then headed to the train station to find out some prices and times for getting to other locations in Spain. On the way back, I walked down La Rambla, stopped in a couple of shops and I got away unscathed … lol (I have heard about so many people getting pick pocketed there, etc) I got back to the hostel and Kristen texted me as we planned to go see the Magic Fountain, (it’s a 15 minute display of light, water and music). So I got ready and walked up the street to meet her at the metro stop. We took the metro to the correct stop and got off at Placa d’Espanya and walked down to find the fountain, but we were too late, it was over, damn it! She left to go to some thing her hostel was having and I went to another stop off the metro to see the Arc del Triamf (yup there is one in Spain too) I ended up walking along with a girl from Austria who was also looking for it and we found it.
I continued along and found my way back to the hostel, I got my puter and logged on to do some research of where to go and what to see in Spain. Then off to bed.
Day 163 Sat. Oct. 3
I woke up feeling pretty crappy today, another cold with a very sore throat. I went down to brkfast and then back up to my room to get ready. I left and jumped on the metro to head down to the famous Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Church of the Holy Family – Roman Catholic Church - designed by Antoni Gaudif – it started construction in 1882 and due to complete in 2026 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia )
I didn’t pay to go inside, I figured most of it was under construction and unfinished anyways. I walked down to find Pac Güell (is a garden complex with architectural elements, and was designed by, u guessed it Antoni Gaudi - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_G%C3%BCell ) On my way I ended up at Hospital de la St. Creu i St. Pau (Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul - buildings date from the 20th century)
Now pics of the park
I walked through part of the park, was pretty huge. In the main area there was this guy selling some jewellery that he makes out of metal, and all kinds of different stones from all over the world, I bought a really cool charm with red coral bamboo from Costa Rica. Continued to walk along, got lots of pics and then headed down to catch the metro to go down to see the beach. I got off at the stop close by and took a walk along the promenade
Baceloneta Beach, it is close to the city center, and the sand is a mix of real sand and crushed concrete and I believe the beaches were opened for and during the city restructuring to host the 1992 Summer Olympics. There are a lot of very modern buildings all around, a pretty interesting spot.
they have a gym on the beach, thought that was hilarious
'Peix d'Or' sculpture (Fish)
I wasn’t feeling too good,(another cold) so I made my way back to the hostel. I got in had a snack and then did some searching online. I booked a hostel in Valencia (Balenthia ;) and chatted with some friends online. I went for a quick walk and got some dinner and then back again and crashed for the night.
Day 164 Sun. Oct 4
Although I woke up feeling really stuffed up and crappy, I got ready and went down to brkfast. Then I went to catch the metro and head to see Casa Batlló, another one of Antoni Gaudi’s works. It is a building that was restored by him and another guy. It is also referred to as ‘The House of Bones’, and screams Art Nouveau. I paid to go in, it was okay, not really worth the money in my opinion but whatever … you can judge.
Pretty wild stuff
I left there and was heading for the Picasso museum and the line was crazy so walked back to the hostel. I decided to walk to the train station to see how long it takes for tomorrow morning, good timing. Stopped at a pharmacy and got some meds and then to the hostel, took a nap. I had a bit of trouble considering the guy staying above me kept coming in and making all kinds of noise and banging my bed, I swear I was gonna knock him out :( So, I got up and went to get the information for my hostel in Valencia and write out the directions. I walked over to this buffet restaurant and got a bite to eat and back to the hostel. I packed my things and met Barbara, from Germany, she was doing the same. She tells me she got pick pocketed on La Rambla, someone took her credit card and money but put her wallet back in her purse, man these thieves work fast and carefully. Crazy! We both crashed as we both had travel days tomorrow. I was feeling really crappy too :(
Day 165 Mon. Oct. 5 *Valencia
Up early from the dude above me just getting in from his night out, Nice! I had a nose blowing attach and then got ready and went down to eat. Watched some guy take a crap load of food and pack it to go….Nice! Back to my room, got my bags and checked out, walked to the train station and got on. We left at 9am on schedule, I just enjoyed the gorgeous views of the water on one side and the mountains on the other. I took my meds and crashed for a bit, then we finally arrived at 2pm, on time. Grabbed a map and walked to find the hostel. I found it easy and was quick, thankfully. I checked in, ‘Indigo Youth Hostel’, I had a 8 bed room, all bunk beds again.
I put my things away and I met Shikira from Australia, chatted quickly and then I decided to go take a walk around. I asked the reception for some information and off I went. On my way down the stairs I met Andrew, a kiwi (Hi buddy! U got a spot on my blog ;)
he had been travelling for almost a year. He started in the U.S and Canada and he did some cycling in Europe a bit, very cool! He has done some couch surfing and met a lot of locals that way, good stuff!We walked along aimlessly together, just checking the city out. Here are some of the random pics I took
This is Cathedral Valencia and there is the Santo Cáliz Chapel inside that houses the ‘Holy Grail’. Of course there are a lot of different beliefs, etc ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Grail ) and it does seem strange that the ‘Holy Grail’ would be here in Valencia and not in the Vatican City, but who knows. I went inside anyways, to check it out
Here it is ‘The Holy Grail’
this was on the ceiling, at the end of each corner there was one, pretty cool work!
We continued to walk on, not really knowing where we were going
We went back to the hostel to find out where the grocery store was and then went to get something for dinner. We got a baguette and some tuna. Got back and we made nice tuna sandwiches, were yummy. We sat and chatted with Shikira for awhile and then another girl came and joined us, Andrea, from Seattle. She has written a book, and she is working on another one while living in Madrid, that is so great! I ran some book ideas past her and she gave me some information, Thanks Andrea! After chatting I logged online to find out about the bus to Madrid and to look up hostels there. (I swear that is one thing that takes up most of my time is looking up hostels) Organized some pics and then it got a bit too loud in the common room with some guys in there drinking, so I turned in for the night, still feeling a bit crappy.
Sorry delayed information, just a bit on Valencia. It is the capital of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain. It is also along the coast and has the biggest port on the Mediterranean Western coast. The world famous Spanish dish paella originated around Valencia. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencia,_Spain ) more to read if you like.
Day 166 Tues. Oct. 6
I had a hard time getting up again, didn’t sleep well, sniffling all night and feeling crappy. But I survived. I cleaned up, put on my swim suit and grabbed my fruit to eat. Then I quickly chatted with Andrew and was on my way to the beach. I decided since I was so close, and it was a great day outside, I would go chill out on the beach, and here they are natural beaches. I took the metro there and then had to jump onto a tram and made it. As I walked along, I saw two girls also heading that way, so I approached them and asked if they were going to lay out on the beach and they were, so I asked to join them, this way I didn’t have to worry about leaving my things to take a dip in the water. Cool. They were from England, and compared to them I didn’t look like I needed anymore sun … lol. They got an umbrella and chairs and I just laid on my towel on the sand, and relaxed. These women walked around offering foot massages or body massages, ‘on the beach’, a bit odd, and the funny thing is they would come back around to you like 50 times. We chatted for a bit, they were just on a short holiday and one was heading home today and the other was going to France for a bit as well. We chilled for a couple hours an then they went to get something to eat, and I stayed. I ended up laying there for about 4 hours, when they left I took over one of the chairs :).
I made my way back to the tram and then onto the metro and to the hostel to drop my things off. I saw Andrea there and also Stacey from England,(she was working in a bar in the south coast of Spain and now visiting in Valencia) I was heading to the bus station to get my ticket to Madrid and they joined me.
here they are Stacey on the left and Andrea on the right ‘Hi girls, spotlight in my blog ;)’
We got there and I bought my ticket, was 24 euro to go to Madrid from here and the train would have been like 60 euro, crazy! Stacey mentioned that it was her bday tomorrow, so Andrea offered to take us both for dinner as an early bday gift to her….How nice is she! Thanks again Andrea! So we walked along to find somewhere to eat, we ended up going for Chinese, lol. I ordered chicken balls and never in my life have I seen chicken balls like this, it was still on the bone, hilarious….here look…lol.
After filling up on our meal, we went for a stroll around. Although it got dark pretty early now, it never seemed that way as the street lights were so bright it was like daylight, was really kinda weird.
this is the Quart Towers, one of the twelve doors that was part of the ancient city walls of Valencia
Got back to the hostel and chatted with Andrew again, we were figuring out that we would probably be in Seville at the same time and then we could exchange information on hostels and things to see. I was heading to Madrid, Seville and then Granada and he was doing Granada first and then Seville and Madrid. We eschanged emails to stay in contact to meet up in Seville. I looked up and booked my hostel in Madrid and Andrea helped me figure out the directions, she knew the metro system, since she was living there. So good. We all chatted for awhile and then off to crash. Both Andrea and Stacey were in my room too. Tomorrow is travel day to Madrid.
Day 167 Wed. Oct. 7 *Madrid
Up early and off to the bus station. I got on and picked a seat to myself. I listened to music and napped, then we had a stopped at 11am, and I got off, got a snack and chatted with an Australian girl who was heading to Madrid and then she was going to Seville too. She was also going on a tour in Morocco, so we chatted about that a bit, it was pretty expensive. Got back on and napped some more, still feeling stuffed up and took my meds. I took a few pics on the way too
We finally made it to Madrid about 2pm. The Aussie and I found the metro together and got on, her stop was before mine, finally got to mine, got out of the station Peurta de Sol (a square, and it means ‘Gate to the Sun’, it is the most well known and busiest place in Madrid – New Years celebrations have been broadcast from here since 1962). Madrid is the capital of Spain and is the largest city. It is a metropolitan area (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid ). I walked just around the corner to my hostel ‘Hostel One’
I buzzed in and went up to meet Fefe,(the receptionist, he’s Argentinean) he checked me in, showed me around and then took me to my room, a 6 bed co-ed dorm. I sorted my things, and made my bed. I went back out to see if he knew of any bullfights coming up here in Madrid or in Seville the dates I was going to be there. He kindly looked it up for me, but didn’t find anything, ggrrr! I logged online as well to check some things out, chatted with a few people and then packed it away and decided to go take a walk. Fefe marked my map for me of the places to go check out, and off I went. It was pretty overcast out, and probably going to rain soon, so wanted to get some touring in before then. I walked along to see was Santa Maria la Real de La Almudena (Gothic style cathedral that was built after the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, but it was not actually constructed until after 1879)
Before getting there, I detoured a few times and came across Plaza Mayor (another square, this one is closed in)
and some other random shots
lol…a brass statue and his butt is kinda shiny, I wonder if you rub it what kind of luck you will have ;)
this is a market bazaar or something like that
So, after the cathedral, I continued along to Paseo del Prado to the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid – the official residence of the King of Spain, however they do not reside here, and so it is only used for State Ceremonies)
next I moved along to Plaza de Oriente, and the gardens across from the Palace
this is a monument to Captain Melgar
these are some of the statues of Spanish Kings
statue of Phillip IV of Pietro Tacca
monument after Noval
these are just some apartment buildings along the way
From there I walked along to find Plaza de España (another popular square and it features a monument to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, and is bordered by two of Madrid's most prominent skyscrapers), the one problem was that there some construction going on so, not the best pics
the monument (here is the link to read up on what everything is and means on it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_Espa%C3%B1a_(Madrid)#Cervantes_Monument )
just some other random shots
I made my way back up to Peurta de Sol and this one statue is the heraldic symbol of Madrid – Bear and the Madrono Tree (Madrono meaning Strawberry Tree, and this is on the coat of arms for arms)
I got back to the hostel and I ended up chatting with this Kiwi couple, Ben and Louise. I gave them some names and info for hostels for the rest of their travels, they were going the opposite direction as me, so they were heading to all the places I have already been. I went to grab some food and got a bottle of Spanish wine and on my way back I had noticed the bar across the street was showing a NHL hockey game and T.O was playing, so I went inside to see if Kegan a fellow Canadian from Calgary wanted to go over and watch and when we went, figured out it was not a live game, crap! So, I just ate and enjoy my wine. Then got online for a bit and searched to see what I could find about bullfights and I came across a site for Seville and thinking I might get to see one while I am there. I organized pics again and chatted with some friends from home, then off to bed very late.
Day 168 Thur. Oct. 8
Slept in today, then up and had some fruit I bought. Got ready and I asked Fefe to call the number I found for bullfights and found out that there is one in Seville on Monday, which is a holiday in Spain, so good. Then I went to the bus station and got a ticket to Seville and it was only 19euro, again a lot cheaper then taking the train. I got back to the square and decided to take a walk down Calle de Alcala around the corner from the hostel that leads to Parque del Buen Retiro. Some pics along the way
the buildings all around are so high and there is always some cool things on top. I came to Plaza de Cibeles, with the Palacio de Communicaciones (Mayor’s Offices) and the Cibeles fountain
moving right along the same street and we get to Plaza de la Independencia and the Puerta de Alcala (gate)
and next is finally the park – Jardines del Buen Retiro (Garden of the Peasant Retreat), it is full of sculptures, monuments, galleries, a lake and it is the main park of Madrid
Here is the Mausoleum of Alfonso XII
and some shots walking through the park
crazy statue and not sure what it is all about
I sat there for a little bit and just chilled out. Then I wandered along to get back to the hostel, as the clouds were moving in and we were going to get some rain. I stopped on the way and had a yummy Indian lunch and then got in, I was filling really full, so I took a nap. Just over an hour and I got up to book my hostel in Seville, and I ended up getting a message from Andrew (from Valencia) and booked the same hostel, recorded all the information and directions. I researched some other things for future travels, looking into Morocco and Portugal. Most of the other guests were all in the common area, and we all ended up chatting away, a couple of them were here teaching English, some just on vaca. There was Kegan from Calgary, Jeremy – Aussie, Graham from Florida, he had been here for awhile teaching, Stacey- Kiwi, James from Portsmouth, England, and Ben and Louise. Everyone was indulging in the Spanish wine or the Sangria. Finally was too tired to hang and crashed for the night.
Day 169 Fri. Oct. 9 *Seville
Not feeling too good today, and exhausted, but I got ready and headed to the bus station. Got on and it was pretty full so no seat to myself. We had one bathroom stop on the way and then continued on, there were a couple other stops to pick up and drop off. Then we finally got into Seville at 3:30ish. I checked my directions and made my way to find it. I had to ask a couple of times to ensure I was going the right way and I made it. I checked in ‘Urbany Hostel’, I was the first one in my room, a 6 bed room with bunks, but the bottom bunk was actually on the floor, a bit odd but oh well.
I put my things away and went down to get a map and see what to go check out. There was a girl there who does the walking tour and asked me if I would like to go, so I grabbed my camera and we walked to the hostel to get some other travellers. While there I booked for the next couple of nights as this hostel was all booked up. Then off we went to the meeting point – in front of Catedral Maria de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary – it is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third largest church in the world - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_Cathedral) It used to be a mosque and it used some elements one of which is the Giralda, (minaret converted into a bell tower) It also contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus.
So, to give a bit of info about Seville first and then I will just add pics.
It is the capital of Andalusia. It is one of larger cities in the South of Spain and is popular for being a University city. It has a heavy influence of Arabic culture as it was once taken by the Moors and was under Muslim control. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville )
The city has a special symbol on it’s flag an you see it all over, on buses, man holes, bike racks, police cars, everywhere…..
(straight from Wikipedia)
The motto is a rebus, combining the Spanish syllables (NO and DO) and a drawing in between–the figure “8.” The figure represents a skein of yarn, or in Spanish, a “madeja.” When read aloud, “No madeja do” sounds like “No me ha dejado,” which means “It [Seville] has not abandoned me.”
The story as to how NO8DO arrived at being the motto of the city has undoubtedly been embroidered throughout the centuries, but legend has it that after the “Reconquest” of Seville from the Muslims in 1248, King Fernando III, El Santo, King of Castilla and León moved his court to the formerMuslim palace, the Alcazar of Seville.
After San Fernando’s death in the Real Alcázar, his son, Alfonso X, “The Wise,” assumed the throne. Alfonso X was a scholar king, hence his title. He was a poet, astronomer, astrologer, musician and linguist. Alfonso’s son,Sancho IV of Castile, tried to usurp the throne from his father, but the people of Seville remained loyal to their scholar king and this is where NO8DO was believed to have originated when, according to legend, Alfonso X rewarded the fidelity of the “Sevillanos” with the words that now appear on the official emblem of the city of Seville.
and something else our guide said was that there is no real monument per say for him, (like a statue or something) just this symbol everywhere. Kinda neat though.
So, our guide today was from Austria, and she seemed a bit nervous, she took us around to most of the main monuments. First was the Cathedral and then right next to it in the same square is Alcazares Reales de Seville (Alcazar of Seville – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alc%C3%A1zar_of_Seville - a royal palace, it was originally a Moorish fort – the royal family uses the upper levels as the official Seville residence)
we didn’t go in but walked along the outside and past the gardens, through some of the neighbourhood there
This is a bike station, they have them in Spain, France and a few other countries. You pay to use the bike and you just drop it off at any of these racks, pretty cool concept
just adding more pics along the way,
there was a story behind this plaque and I can’t remember it, sorry, it is a monument for someone
this window,I think it was referred to as the devils window or something like that bc…if you look at it very carefully the bars are impossibly entwined.
this guy is roasting nuts, they are everywhere in Spain and in Portugal and even Morocco
we got to the University that used to be a tobacco factory and it is enclosed in a very high gate, so I didn’t get many shots
Next we got to Plaza de España (a huge half-circle with buildings running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous bridges. there is a fountain in the center, today the plaza consists mainly of Government buildings. On the walls are many tiled alcoves each representing a different parts of Spain) The movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones was filmed here, the setting for Naboo, in case you know that movie, kinda cool.
We ended up near the end of the tour first at Torre del Oro (Golden Tower – it is a military watchtower and was built by the Berbers)
then Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza (the oldest bullring in Spain – there is also the museum inside all about bullfighting)
The tour was done after about 2 hours and I went in to ask about tickets to the bullfight for Monday but had to go back tomorrow to get them, then I made my way back
I got in and met a couple of roommates, both Spanish and here for the holiday weekend, from Valencia. Then I went to go find some food, sat and ate and back to the hostel again. I saw Andrew there and we chatted quickly. Then I went online to do some research for Morocco, then off to bed.
Day 170 Sat. Oct. 10
I didn’t sleep well as the dude above me came in late, well early this morning and was not that quiet doing so. I went down to eat and then back up to lay down. The Spanish girls were getting ready and then James, from England was awake and decided to keep talking my ear off, he was still drunk I think. Anyways, I finally got up and got ready and headed out to go buy my tickets to the bullfights for Monday. I also took a walk back to the Plaza de España, I added those pics earlier as well. Then I walked back to the hostel and got chatting with Andrew and Tim (Aussie), they met in Granada and were going to head to Lagos, Portugal together. I did some more searching for information to get to Morocco, but then decided to walk to the bus station and see about prices, etc. I got there and there was not very many options, I was getting a bit discouraged,then I went to find the other hostel I was moving to tomorrow and then back again. I continued to do more searching and I found a cheap flight to Fez, Morocco but then couldn’t find a hostel there, damn it. I went to get the other half of my sandwich that I left in the fridge from last night and it wasn’t there, I was pissed, ‘who does that, eat half a sandwich’ of which I did label, so that meant I wanted to eat it, I was so annoyed. So I had to go find some food again, I found a great little take away spot and got a 2 huge pieces of chicken and chips, was delicious and cheap too. I walked back and ate it, where I met Corrine from Montreal (another Canadian, haven’t met that many on my travels so kinda nice when you do) we chatted away, she had been in Morocco for a couple of days and told me about it and gave me some tips, thanks again Corrine, came in handy! I told her about he bullfights and we decided we would go together if she could get a ticket tomorrow. Andrew and Tim were also there. I looked through the Lonely Planet book for info on Morocco, and got some helpful stuff. Then went to my room late to crash, I met 2 other roommates, both from Arizona, one was studying in France and the other was just here visiting her while they took a couple days to visit Spain, cool. To bed
Day 171 Sun. Oct. 11
Got up, packed my things and went down to brkfast. I put my bag in the luggage room and grabbed my puter to do yet more research. Corrine was there as well so we chatted some more, we thought about going to the Flamenco dancing that the hostel offered this evening. I had to wait a couple hours until I could go check into the other hostel, and finally I headed over. I checked in ‘Seville Travellers Inn’ (the white building in the corner)
It was a pretty crammed room, co-ed, with 4 bunk beds, bathroom with a shower for a door. There was the common room downstairs, and a kitchen upstairs and 2 rooftop terraces, was good, and cheap. I got my bed, made it up and met one roommate, Marco, an older man from Germany. I got back online, made a few phone calls to the hostel in Fez, and it was all a go, so I finally booked my flight there. I went down to the reception to print off my ticket and asked if I could leave a small bag here in Seville while I was in Morocco to ensure my luggage was light enough for Ryanair (cheap airline in Europe that charges crazy for extra kilos) and that was fine, Great! This hostel was pretty big, and pretty full as well, some of the other people at the other hostel came here as well. I decided to take a short nap before going out to the Flamenco show tonight. I got up and got ready, and the guide came to get us, then we went to the hostel to get them as well, and I met up with Corrine as well we chatted with the other guests that moved to my hostel, Justin from the Arizona, he is studying in Madrid, and he was with a whole group of people all studying. We walked down to the club for the show, we got a plate of tapas (a variety of appetizers –it means ‘to cover’ and the legend is that tapas tradition began when Castle’s king ordered the taverns, in order to serve wine or sherries, they must be accompanied by a small snack to avoid illness from drinking -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapas ) these ones in particular were nothing special. We found a spot to sit and watch the show. So, more to learn Flamenco (it originated in the Andalusia area -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco, it about the dance as well as the music and singing) I have to say, it was really cool, the guy singing really has got a set of lungs on him. I tried to video tape but was too dark in the room, but here are some pics
Here is Justin, Corrine and I after the show
A group of us went to have some real good tapas, it was a small place and I ordered a Tinto de Verano ( this is red wine mixed with spritzer or flavoured soda, it’s an alternative to Sangria, and it is most popular in this region of Spain) it is quite tasty. We all chilled and chatted and then went out separate ways. Most of us were staying at the same hostel but Corrine was at the other hostel. I got in and crashed for the night.
Day 172 Mon. Oct. 12
Slept in a bit today, and then got some brkfast. There was 5 people leaving the room today, so only 3 of us left. I sorted out my packs, and packed the small one to have it ready to leave at the other hostel when I went to Morocco. I met Brice, she is from Houston and she was in Solvenia playing volleyball for the past few months and now just traveling around before she heads home. I got online and checked out some more travel info for Morocco, also checked out some options for Portugal. I am always a step ahead ;) I got ready and headed over to meet Corrine to go to the bullfight. I got a bite to eat on the way and we made it to the bullring early. We found out seats and slowly more and more people showed up and it seemed that everyone was sitting in the same area. That is fine except that the seats are just cement steps, so the person in front of you might be sitting on your feet, but good thing was for a hot day, we were in the shade. Bullfights - also known as Tauromachy. We got a pamphlet,that shows the Toreros and there was 3 today, and all of them were pretty young, 19, 24 and 28, they also listed the bulls with their weights. I am not going to explain the whole thing, here is a link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighting) What I can tell you is there is not just one bull killed, but 6, each torero performs twice. It really wasn’t bad as everyone thinks, at least I didn’t think so, and I was told by someone that a bull goes through worse when going to the slaughter house and of course being slaughtered. These bulls in particular live a very good life up until the days before a fight. Anyways, here is the interesting link of actual Spanish-style bullfighting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish-style_bullfighting)
Here are some pics and I have also added a video, if you dare watch :)
when the Torero does a good performance of with the bull, he waits for the President to wave the white flag, and then the crowd does the same and this young guy did the best today
okay, a couple videos
the first one is the Banderilleros (flagmen)- when they attempt to plant two banderillas (sharp barbed sticks in to the bulls shoulders)
Here is a longer one of part of a fight, in this one the bull gives up at one point
This is a good one with the band playing in the background
The whole thing lasted about 2 hours. We went to get some food and ended up back at the same tapas bar we went to the other night, and had some delicious food and some drinks. Then we sat in the park close by and chatted for awhile, and then said our goodbyes and back to the hostel. I got in and found out that there are only 4 people staying in the hostel so it was very quiet. I sat up and talked with Brice, and Marcus for awhile and then we all turned in for the night. Was tough sleeping with Marcus snoring so loud…:(
Day 173 Tues. Oct. 13
Got up and had a quick brkfast and then back to my room to get some things sorted out and clean up. Today is an easy day, I got my small pack ready and walked it over to the other hostel to leave it. They reception was great and put it away in the cupboard. Then I went over to the post office to mail out postcards and then back to the hostel. I logged online and checked over a few more things, I chatted with Brice for a bit and then took a quick nap. I slept for like 3 hours, got up and went to find some food, I noticed the whole siesta thing in Spain mostly in Seville, whenever I wanted to go find food, always between noon and 3pm. I went to my usual place, but they did not have any chicken today so I went somewhere else and ended up getting some pasta. I stopped at the pharmacy and got some more cold meds, still having sinus problems. Got back to the hostel and continued to get my things ready and organized to go tomorrow. Brice was still there and the other girl Angie from Germany and Marcus, we were all checking out tomorrow. I chatted online for awhile with friends and then turned in for the night. Marcus was snoring again so I moved to a different room to get a good night sleep.
So, that is Spain…….. I hope you enjoyed it as well. I am so glad to have gotten the chance to visit some of the wonderful places here. As well as to experience some of the traditions here and to try some of the the Spanish dishes and drinks. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I hope to get the chance to return to see more of Spain again someday.
Now… onto Morocco…….I’m really excited, I hope you are too….stay tuned :)
