San Sebastian is easily the coolest place in the world. I don't need to go anywhere else to realise this. It's such an awesome little beach town, with the best tapas bars, the best little boutique shops, the nicest people, the best weather (until today when it's freezing and overcast), so much history and personality and is, architecturally, just astounding. For example, for dinner the other night, we were lazy and went to the plaza and bought some kebabs. We realised that this little mainstream kebab store is older than our entire country. What a mind-fuck.
I've bought some cool shit here. Some scarves, a long sleeved shirt with feathers on it, a rad dress and this cool green shirt from Portugal. I'd love to go visit Portugal one day, it sounds amazing. Anyway,so I've been moved into a room full of smelly boys for the last couple of days here, from my last entry actually. We've all had a few big nights in a row, as in the entire first level of the hostel, and it's catching up with me a little. Slept in until noon today, before heading out and annihilating some wicked chicken paella. That's one thing I'm going to miss the most, is teh food here. My stomach isn't too fond of it - but I eat it anyway because it tastes just so awesome.
So I am catching a bus tonight at midnight, about an hour's walk from the hostel, to go straight to Madrid airport. It's about an 8 hour trip. I could have left today and stayed a night in madrid to make it easier on my body, but I honestly have like...Madrid phobia. I can't spend another minute in that place.
San Sebastian however? I could easily live here. I've really gotten into this, get up around 10, grab some coffee and breakfast, head out and explore hardcore, then come back around 3 or 4 and siesta that shit up until about 7, then play drinking games until like 9, go out and grab some tapas and get your drink on. It just feels so right for the body. It's 3:30itis, and the Spanish embrace its existanceand allocate time to get over it. They're brilliant, and this siesta thing is so so so so so so under-appreciated.
I'm officially bringing the concept back to Australia with me, start a national movement to introduce it.
Maybe bring the idea of paella back with me too.
Anyway, having a blaast! I head off to the airport tonight, then I'm off to meet up with mum in London!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
chilling with jesus
After a pretty emotional farewell in Barcelona, I hopped on a train to San Sebastian! I arrived about midnight last night and headed over to the hostel I had booked on the internet a few days before. I rock up - and sheś not there. So I start to freak a little. Whenb she eventualluy gets there, she tells me she has no record of my reservation, and that all of San Sebastian will be full because of the U2 concert that night. Cuemassive freakout. I had a confirmation email and everything, but she jhust didn have any beds. Lucky forme, Pablo, the nice backpacker hostel owner downstairs overheard the conversation and sold me the very last bed in all of San Sebvastian. This place is so much cooler. Full of backpackers my age, roughly, and so much fun. Itś a really pretty place too, and cheaper!
Today I had a bit of a sunbake, a ham omelette sandwich thing that theyŕe big on over here. Carbs, carbs, carbs carbs. Anyway, after that I wandered around óld town´. Itś awesome. I could seriously live here. The only problem is that, now that I`m in bBasque country, the second language is now Basque or Spanish instead of English. But after spending so much time with Ivan, my spanish is pretty decent. Anyway, so it took about 5 hours all up doing some good old fashioned bush bashing around the massive jesus statue. It was awesome, and so creepy. I found all these old English monuments for the soldiers that died in combat, anbd someone had cut all their heads off¿ very strange. but awesome. I no longer have thighs, just pure muscle. I felt kind of like Bear Grylls because I was the only one around, and I was swinging from trees, climbing the old monuments, chasing cats etc. it was such a cool day. After, I was super peckish and bought some fruit from the local markets. An apple, some mulberries, strawberries and a peach. Yum.
Tonight I`m going out with some of the girls in my dorm for some tapas and drinks probably. Then tomorrow I need to buy my train ticket back to madrid (ugh) and then I leave late on the 29th for madrid, to sleep, then on a plane to London! I am really going to miss Spain. Especially good old San Seb.
Just wanted to touch base and let yyou guys know I am having an absolute blast!
Today I had a bit of a sunbake, a ham omelette sandwich thing that theyŕe big on over here. Carbs, carbs, carbs carbs. Anyway, after that I wandered around óld town´. Itś awesome. I could seriously live here. The only problem is that, now that I`m in bBasque country, the second language is now Basque or Spanish instead of English. But after spending so much time with Ivan, my spanish is pretty decent. Anyway, so it took about 5 hours all up doing some good old fashioned bush bashing around the massive jesus statue. It was awesome, and so creepy. I found all these old English monuments for the soldiers that died in combat, anbd someone had cut all their heads off¿ very strange. but awesome. I no longer have thighs, just pure muscle. I felt kind of like Bear Grylls because I was the only one around, and I was swinging from trees, climbing the old monuments, chasing cats etc. it was such a cool day. After, I was super peckish and bought some fruit from the local markets. An apple, some mulberries, strawberries and a peach. Yum.
Tonight I`m going out with some of the girls in my dorm for some tapas and drinks probably. Then tomorrow I need to buy my train ticket back to madrid (ugh) and then I leave late on the 29th for madrid, to sleep, then on a plane to London! I am really going to miss Spain. Especially good old San Seb.
Just wanted to touch base and let yyou guys know I am having an absolute blast!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
school boy error
sorry for not writing a blog in a while, there just hasn't really been anything note-worthy to write about. I'm in Barcelona at the moment, in a very tiny room sharing a bathroom with teh rest of the hostel, which comprises mostly of businessmen up to God know's what and a few younger German backpackers that don't speak English or Spanish. The owner is a lovely, lovely woman that speaks pretty good English. It's dark all the time, so it's kind of messign with my sleep habits a bit, but all in all it's pretty okay. Accomodation in Barcelona is outrageously expensive, as all the backpackers are booked out for whatever reason. I spent most of yesterday plodding around in the pissing rain looking for cheaper accomodation, but couldn't find anything. I guess I'm paying for that rain adventure now because I don't think I've ever felt so sick in my life. As mentioned before, the food here just doesn't sit well with my stomach. But now I have this weird earache, throatache thing to deal with too. Epic. I went out earlier this morning and bought some multi-vitamins though, so hopefully that will knock whatever this is on the head.
After my last blog, I met up with some backpackers when I was at the market. Tet and Valkolvov. I couldn't pronounce his name, so I just called him V. He seemed to think that was hilarious. Anyway, Tet was a Cambridge Scholar, originally from Japan, and he was enjoying some time off to visit soem friends in Madrid. We had a pretty cool day together, and then went out that night to grab some awesome tapas. 5 euro for a beer ( or whatever drink you want really ) and you get a free plate of tapas. The place was booming, but it was pretty awesome. Then we met up later with some Dutch backpackers from Amsterdam. Not going to lie, they were so good-looking, I was rendered speechless. But none of them were even remotely interested in anyone but Spanish girls. Lame. But all in all, it was a pretty awesome day.
I left Madrid, however, in a bit of a hurry, because things got pretty messy my last day and night there and I decided not to push my luck. So I hopped on a train to Barcelona and found the hostel I'm currently staying at. After I settled in, I decided to go out and grab some dinner and watch the football. Only my all time favourite team vs another of the top teams, athletico madrid. So I found a nice little local bar/restaurant and found it filled quite nicely with locals doing the same thing. It was great, I had some cheap calamari and watched FC Barcelona triumph. Pique even scored! I literally jumped up and cheered. Luckily I wasn't the only one. It was an amazing game, despite Messi getting totally annihilated. He's out for 2 games, at least.
Yesterday I went to Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona. I was literally trembling with excitement. There were posters of Pique, Puyol, Bojan etc. everywhere. It was incredible. I just about died. But then I started to notice something. The prices. 70 euro just to see the museum. 70 euros?! That's like...$130. I couldn't justify that. So I had to give the museum a miss, and I headed over to the store to buy the one thing I wanted from Spain - a Pique football jersey. So I wandered around, not really looking at prices until I finally found it - the jersey, with that magical number 3 on the back. I put it on and it fit pretty well. I was sold. I anxiously reached for the price tag....
And my jaw dropped.
195 euro.
Roughly?
$380.
I was devastated. I couldn't spend that much on a jersey. So instead, I wandered around again - feelig very disheartened and disillusioned by the whole thing. I picked up some cheap socks, and marveled at teh random shit they were selling. FC barcelona batteries? FC Barcelona beach kits? Even some FC Barcelona g-strings. I settled on a poster of Pique, some socks and then I suddenly had an idea. The football shorts were only 30 euro or so, and it only cost 15 euro to have a number put on them. So I was sold. I bought a pair for myself, with a little 3 for Pique. It's no jersey, but they're super comfortable and it didn't cost me $380.
I've been not feeling too good for a while now, but I'm hoping it's on it's way out, whatever it is. You guys might remember Eban from my blog when I was last in Barcelona. Lol. His name is not eban, that's just how you pronounce it. It's actually Ivan. We had a good laugh about that. He's been great, coming over to the hostel after work and bringing me food and stuff because he knows I'm sick and don't have friends in Barcelona. So we just chill out in the hostel, talk to eachother using Google Translate and eat Chinese, or kebabs etc. it's a lot of fun actually. He's a chef by trade, and works 7 days a week during the day. I'm starting to understand the Spanish work day. They start much earlier than us, at 6am, and work until 3-4, then go home and sleep until about 8 then go out and grab dinner, then go home again and sleep until about 1, then get up and go out and party until about 4, have a nap then go to work. Insane, aye?
Anyway, so he's a chef by trade, but his passion is in music. Also, he has 7 brothers. How insane is that? 7. Wow. We're going to attempt to hang out tonight outside of the hsotel and see how our communication skills go. I predict epic fail, but hilarious all the same.
Ahahaha.
Also.
So I may have got Grenada mixed up geographically with Gibralter? So that whole 'going south' thing isn't going to happen. Money-wise, it's jsut not practical unfortunately. It was 150 euros on a train from Madrid to barcelona, which is expensive enough already. And to get down south it's like, 10 trains etc. and then I have to get all the way back to Madrid for my flight out by the 1st. So Barcelona's going to be my home for the next few days.
Um. If someone wants to send me some Vegemite? That would be so awesome. I've been craving it like crazy over here to maybe settle my stomach. If you send me a message, I'll send you the address to send it to. Thanks!
Now I'm going to try and have a nap to get this fever down.
After my last blog, I met up with some backpackers when I was at the market. Tet and Valkolvov. I couldn't pronounce his name, so I just called him V. He seemed to think that was hilarious. Anyway, Tet was a Cambridge Scholar, originally from Japan, and he was enjoying some time off to visit soem friends in Madrid. We had a pretty cool day together, and then went out that night to grab some awesome tapas. 5 euro for a beer ( or whatever drink you want really ) and you get a free plate of tapas. The place was booming, but it was pretty awesome. Then we met up later with some Dutch backpackers from Amsterdam. Not going to lie, they were so good-looking, I was rendered speechless. But none of them were even remotely interested in anyone but Spanish girls. Lame. But all in all, it was a pretty awesome day.
I left Madrid, however, in a bit of a hurry, because things got pretty messy my last day and night there and I decided not to push my luck. So I hopped on a train to Barcelona and found the hostel I'm currently staying at. After I settled in, I decided to go out and grab some dinner and watch the football. Only my all time favourite team vs another of the top teams, athletico madrid. So I found a nice little local bar/restaurant and found it filled quite nicely with locals doing the same thing. It was great, I had some cheap calamari and watched FC Barcelona triumph. Pique even scored! I literally jumped up and cheered. Luckily I wasn't the only one. It was an amazing game, despite Messi getting totally annihilated. He's out for 2 games, at least.
Yesterday I went to Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona. I was literally trembling with excitement. There were posters of Pique, Puyol, Bojan etc. everywhere. It was incredible. I just about died. But then I started to notice something. The prices. 70 euro just to see the museum. 70 euros?! That's like...$130. I couldn't justify that. So I had to give the museum a miss, and I headed over to the store to buy the one thing I wanted from Spain - a Pique football jersey. So I wandered around, not really looking at prices until I finally found it - the jersey, with that magical number 3 on the back. I put it on and it fit pretty well. I was sold. I anxiously reached for the price tag....
And my jaw dropped.
195 euro.
Roughly?
$380.
I was devastated. I couldn't spend that much on a jersey. So instead, I wandered around again - feelig very disheartened and disillusioned by the whole thing. I picked up some cheap socks, and marveled at teh random shit they were selling. FC barcelona batteries? FC Barcelona beach kits? Even some FC Barcelona g-strings. I settled on a poster of Pique, some socks and then I suddenly had an idea. The football shorts were only 30 euro or so, and it only cost 15 euro to have a number put on them. So I was sold. I bought a pair for myself, with a little 3 for Pique. It's no jersey, but they're super comfortable and it didn't cost me $380.
I've been not feeling too good for a while now, but I'm hoping it's on it's way out, whatever it is. You guys might remember Eban from my blog when I was last in Barcelona. Lol. His name is not eban, that's just how you pronounce it. It's actually Ivan. We had a good laugh about that. He's been great, coming over to the hostel after work and bringing me food and stuff because he knows I'm sick and don't have friends in Barcelona. So we just chill out in the hostel, talk to eachother using Google Translate and eat Chinese, or kebabs etc. it's a lot of fun actually. He's a chef by trade, and works 7 days a week during the day. I'm starting to understand the Spanish work day. They start much earlier than us, at 6am, and work until 3-4, then go home and sleep until about 8 then go out and grab dinner, then go home again and sleep until about 1, then get up and go out and party until about 4, have a nap then go to work. Insane, aye?
Anyway, so he's a chef by trade, but his passion is in music. Also, he has 7 brothers. How insane is that? 7. Wow. We're going to attempt to hang out tonight outside of the hsotel and see how our communication skills go. I predict epic fail, but hilarious all the same.
Ahahaha.
Also.
So I may have got Grenada mixed up geographically with Gibralter? So that whole 'going south' thing isn't going to happen. Money-wise, it's jsut not practical unfortunately. It was 150 euros on a train from Madrid to barcelona, which is expensive enough already. And to get down south it's like, 10 trains etc. and then I have to get all the way back to Madrid for my flight out by the 1st. So Barcelona's going to be my home for the next few days.
Um. If someone wants to send me some Vegemite? That would be so awesome. I've been craving it like crazy over here to maybe settle my stomach. If you send me a message, I'll send you the address to send it to. Thanks!
Now I'm going to try and have a nap to get this fever down.
Friday, September 17, 2010
madrid!
Well! I finally made it to Spain. There were times on this trip that I admit I doubted myself a little, and my ability to get myself here unscathed. But I made it. After 2 cancelled flights and one that was obnoxiously late, I arrived in Madrid about 1am this morning. Easyjet are lucky they hired ridiculously good looking flight attendants, Juan and Miguel, and they pacified my rage at the stupid little things that turn into huge dramas when you´ve spent most of the day fucking around with flights.
But I arrived safely, had a hilarious taxi driver who´s english was really funny. He kept asking for my number, and I was so confused until he told me his number was Esteban - he meant name. He was pretty animated and he got me to my hotel for a little under 20 euros, which is a complete miracle. Not only that, but he helped me lug my luggage up 2 flights of stairs and wouldn´t accept a tip when I offered it. As usual, Spain astounds me with the hospitality of their people. Not only that, but the hostel I´m staying at got up especially to let me in. How nice is that¿! Yes. Funny upside down spanish question mark because this keyboard is whack, like the one in Rome.
So, this hostel has some amazing personality. It´s one street away from the booming centre of the town, Puerto De Sol and for 6 euro a night, I didn´t understand how they kept the place running. After being handed some clean white sheets and a pillow case I made my way up in the see-through, rickety elevator to the 1st floor. I ran into some cool English girls on the stairs, Jade and Elaine, and we realised we were all staying in the same room. Not really knowing what to expect, we headed quietly in, as it was 2am in Madrid by now - and I think we were all a litle shocked.
In the tiny little dorm room, there are 4 sets of bunk beds pushed close together and the room was definitely over 40 degrees. Awkwardly shoving our suitcases into holes in the wall, we managed to find some beds that were unoccupied. I chose the top bunk near the window and tore it open, desperate for some unstale air - and was instantly berated by some crazy angry Spanish chick with a bad case of the flu. Despite her protests, and loud coughing and sneezing - I waited until she fell asleep again and I opened the window. Luckily for us, there was a great breeze - but also a massive storm coming. Didn´t get much sleep, due to excitement of being in Spain, the incredible thunder an dlightning and the heavy, laboured breathing of my sick room mate.
Jade, Elaine and I got up about 8 and headed down to breakfast. This is where things start to get a little strange. No towels, no shower curtains, no blankets (just sheets) and 4 condom machines - 2 on each level. They have super cheap vending machines which is an absolute god0send though. 45 euro cents for a can of coke - does it honestly get any better than that¿ Anyway, breakfast. So we head downstairs to the bowels of the place and enjoyed a free bread roll or two and some nice lipton green tea (also a huge bonus). This is when we realise that, as the entirety of the hostel is gathered, we are by far the youngest, and only non0spanish residents. I´t´s comprised mostly of families rendered homeless, runaway teens and a lot fo awkward and miserable middle0aged men going through divorce.
I tell you what, this place has some serious personality. I love how it can remain so charming while at the same time reminding me simultaneously of camp and prison.
Anyway, I spent the whole day with these English girls. They were so so so so so so nice, and fun and yeah - awesome. We went to the art gallery, and trekked all around Madrid to find them a "cheap but nice tapas place with ambience and vegan options". Not surprisingly, it took us about 5 hours to find something to their liking - but fuck, was it worth it. Best gespacho of my life, some free appetisers, organic coke (which honestly had the distinct taste and smell of urine), some kick-ass green tea and these organic chocolate nut things. Jade and Elaine spent most of the day telling me all about where they had just come from. They had spent the past week in southern Spain working in an eco-village in the middle of nowhere.
It´s about 45 minutes inland, into the desert, and it´s an oasis of sorts. They showed me pictures and explained just how amazing it was. Natural pools are around the place that you can swim in, they grow their own food, and run all off eco-friendly electricity. For 10 euros a night you can stay, and just work for 5-6 hours a day on a community project ( for the next 6 months it´s helping to build a local school and building a massive garden for the hospital ) and the rest of the time is free for you to do what you want. Honestly¿ I´m looking into it first thing tomorrow, it sounds like an amazing experience.
Unfortunately, the girls left for Paris this afternoon, so I´m the only english'speaking resident in the hostel and it´s honestly getting a tiny bit lonely. I had a nana nap this afternoon for a few hours ( seriously getting into this siesta thing. Australia needs to adopt it ASAP ) and then decided to get up and go out for dinner. I asked downstairs, and he pointed me in the direction of a nice place, but upon arrival it wa ssimilar to an upscale McDonalds. So, I did a bit fo searching around and managed to fnd a really cool, quirky little bar with tapas.
I looked at the menu, sitting by myself in the corner like some strange film noir wannabe, and thought I would be a little adventurous. My Spanish teacher told me I have to try Spanish seafood along the coast. And perhaps it´s because óf this strange tummy bug I´ve picked up, or the fact I´ve been running on about 10 hours sleep for 2 days, but for some reason I thought I was in Barcelona, coastal, so seafood was the way to go. Only after I ordered it and had eaten half of it did I realise, HOLA, I´m in Madrid. It´s about a 6 hour train ride to any sort of coast. Great, great help with teh tummy bug - but it put me in tears I was laughing so hard at myself.
Schoolboy geographical error.
So far everyone outside of the hostel has been great. The Spanish are such an awesome race of people, I love all of them. Tomorrow I´m heading off to the local pub to watch the football match between Athletico Madrid and FC Barcelona, because unfotunately the tickets have been sold out for quite some time. But I figure the atmosphere will still be amazing. Then, on Sunday I´m off to the markets, and then on a train to Barcelona once more!
From there, depending on Eban and Marco´s enthusiasm on seeing me or not, I will head on over to Valencia, San Sebastian, Grenada, (hopefully that little eco-village), and then down to Gibraltar maybe.
Hah.
I hav eto share this. So, the dryness in Europe at the moment has been death for my hair and it´s been dry and frizzy for ages and I ran out of shampoo and conditioner about a week ago. So my hair has been all gross ever since, and then, at this organic place today - I bought Jesus in a bottle for my hair. Seriously, it´s a miracle. It´s like silk, I don´t think I have ever been more excited to wash my hair before. It smells like magic. I know it´s very trivial, but I nearly cried I was so happy. Frizzy, dry and dirty hair is just no fun to deal with. But now¿ It´s like a herbal essences add or sometthing.
And on that note, I´m going to head off. It´s 11pm and the internet cafe is getting a little too full of old men watching porn.
But I arrived safely, had a hilarious taxi driver who´s english was really funny. He kept asking for my number, and I was so confused until he told me his number was Esteban - he meant name. He was pretty animated and he got me to my hotel for a little under 20 euros, which is a complete miracle. Not only that, but he helped me lug my luggage up 2 flights of stairs and wouldn´t accept a tip when I offered it. As usual, Spain astounds me with the hospitality of their people. Not only that, but the hostel I´m staying at got up especially to let me in. How nice is that¿! Yes. Funny upside down spanish question mark because this keyboard is whack, like the one in Rome.
So, this hostel has some amazing personality. It´s one street away from the booming centre of the town, Puerto De Sol and for 6 euro a night, I didn´t understand how they kept the place running. After being handed some clean white sheets and a pillow case I made my way up in the see-through, rickety elevator to the 1st floor. I ran into some cool English girls on the stairs, Jade and Elaine, and we realised we were all staying in the same room. Not really knowing what to expect, we headed quietly in, as it was 2am in Madrid by now - and I think we were all a litle shocked.
In the tiny little dorm room, there are 4 sets of bunk beds pushed close together and the room was definitely over 40 degrees. Awkwardly shoving our suitcases into holes in the wall, we managed to find some beds that were unoccupied. I chose the top bunk near the window and tore it open, desperate for some unstale air - and was instantly berated by some crazy angry Spanish chick with a bad case of the flu. Despite her protests, and loud coughing and sneezing - I waited until she fell asleep again and I opened the window. Luckily for us, there was a great breeze - but also a massive storm coming. Didn´t get much sleep, due to excitement of being in Spain, the incredible thunder an dlightning and the heavy, laboured breathing of my sick room mate.
Jade, Elaine and I got up about 8 and headed down to breakfast. This is where things start to get a little strange. No towels, no shower curtains, no blankets (just sheets) and 4 condom machines - 2 on each level. They have super cheap vending machines which is an absolute god0send though. 45 euro cents for a can of coke - does it honestly get any better than that¿ Anyway, breakfast. So we head downstairs to the bowels of the place and enjoyed a free bread roll or two and some nice lipton green tea (also a huge bonus). This is when we realise that, as the entirety of the hostel is gathered, we are by far the youngest, and only non0spanish residents. I´t´s comprised mostly of families rendered homeless, runaway teens and a lot fo awkward and miserable middle0aged men going through divorce.
I tell you what, this place has some serious personality. I love how it can remain so charming while at the same time reminding me simultaneously of camp and prison.
Anyway, I spent the whole day with these English girls. They were so so so so so so nice, and fun and yeah - awesome. We went to the art gallery, and trekked all around Madrid to find them a "cheap but nice tapas place with ambience and vegan options". Not surprisingly, it took us about 5 hours to find something to their liking - but fuck, was it worth it. Best gespacho of my life, some free appetisers, organic coke (which honestly had the distinct taste and smell of urine), some kick-ass green tea and these organic chocolate nut things. Jade and Elaine spent most of the day telling me all about where they had just come from. They had spent the past week in southern Spain working in an eco-village in the middle of nowhere.
It´s about 45 minutes inland, into the desert, and it´s an oasis of sorts. They showed me pictures and explained just how amazing it was. Natural pools are around the place that you can swim in, they grow their own food, and run all off eco-friendly electricity. For 10 euros a night you can stay, and just work for 5-6 hours a day on a community project ( for the next 6 months it´s helping to build a local school and building a massive garden for the hospital ) and the rest of the time is free for you to do what you want. Honestly¿ I´m looking into it first thing tomorrow, it sounds like an amazing experience.
Unfortunately, the girls left for Paris this afternoon, so I´m the only english'speaking resident in the hostel and it´s honestly getting a tiny bit lonely. I had a nana nap this afternoon for a few hours ( seriously getting into this siesta thing. Australia needs to adopt it ASAP ) and then decided to get up and go out for dinner. I asked downstairs, and he pointed me in the direction of a nice place, but upon arrival it wa ssimilar to an upscale McDonalds. So, I did a bit fo searching around and managed to fnd a really cool, quirky little bar with tapas.
I looked at the menu, sitting by myself in the corner like some strange film noir wannabe, and thought I would be a little adventurous. My Spanish teacher told me I have to try Spanish seafood along the coast. And perhaps it´s because óf this strange tummy bug I´ve picked up, or the fact I´ve been running on about 10 hours sleep for 2 days, but for some reason I thought I was in Barcelona, coastal, so seafood was the way to go. Only after I ordered it and had eaten half of it did I realise, HOLA, I´m in Madrid. It´s about a 6 hour train ride to any sort of coast. Great, great help with teh tummy bug - but it put me in tears I was laughing so hard at myself.
Schoolboy geographical error.
So far everyone outside of the hostel has been great. The Spanish are such an awesome race of people, I love all of them. Tomorrow I´m heading off to the local pub to watch the football match between Athletico Madrid and FC Barcelona, because unfotunately the tickets have been sold out for quite some time. But I figure the atmosphere will still be amazing. Then, on Sunday I´m off to the markets, and then on a train to Barcelona once more!
From there, depending on Eban and Marco´s enthusiasm on seeing me or not, I will head on over to Valencia, San Sebastian, Grenada, (hopefully that little eco-village), and then down to Gibraltar maybe.
Hah.
I hav eto share this. So, the dryness in Europe at the moment has been death for my hair and it´s been dry and frizzy for ages and I ran out of shampoo and conditioner about a week ago. So my hair has been all gross ever since, and then, at this organic place today - I bought Jesus in a bottle for my hair. Seriously, it´s a miracle. It´s like silk, I don´t think I have ever been more excited to wash my hair before. It smells like magic. I know it´s very trivial, but I nearly cried I was so happy. Frizzy, dry and dirty hair is just no fun to deal with. But now¿ It´s like a herbal essences add or sometthing.
And on that note, I´m going to head off. It´s 11pm and the internet cafe is getting a little too full of old men watching porn.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
just a little detour
So I literally couldn't spend another second in Rome. The people were awful, the hotel was awful, the heat was unbearable and I was miles and miles away from civilisation and the city - so I decided to cut my losses and hop on a plane. After not being able to contact anyone for 2 days because this hotel Beethoven is just a complete hell-hole, I managed to get in contact with mum and hopped on a plane to Amsterdam to meet her here. I was going to go to Madrid a few days early, but realised I had no accomodation booked etc. and I missed mum, so we both decided it would be best if I just came and hung out with her for a few days.
Because the flee, bed bug and some other creature bites got infected etc. I had an injection at the doctor's at teh airport in Rome and feel ten thousand times better. Amsterdam is cold and rainy, but beautiful! And the people here are so nice and more than helpful. I might go back to Rome one day and do what I wanted to, but for now, I'm very happy with my decision to leave. I was really starting to get sick, but after a good night's sleep and a proper meal - I feel 100%. Just need to fiddle around with flights and then I'm all set for SPAIIIIIIIIIN on Thursday.
Can you feel the excitement'?
I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Because the flee, bed bug and some other creature bites got infected etc. I had an injection at the doctor's at teh airport in Rome and feel ten thousand times better. Amsterdam is cold and rainy, but beautiful! And the people here are so nice and more than helpful. I might go back to Rome one day and do what I wanted to, but for now, I'm very happy with my decision to leave. I was really starting to get sick, but after a good night's sleep and a proper meal - I feel 100%. Just need to fiddle around with flights and then I'm all set for SPAIIIIIIIIIN on Thursday.
Can you feel the excitement'?
I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
just a quick drop in
so the place Im staying at is ridiculous. I am literally sleeping in an ex janitors closet and its two train trips and then a bus ride into rome. my phone ran out of battery and ive lost the charger and there is nothing open on a sunday but at this weird stop that have sold out of my chargers. this hotel also has no internet. so dont expect to hear from me at all for a few days until about the 17th of september when i get out of this absolute hell hole and get to spain.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
mountains come in all different shapes and sizes
It's a beautiful little place, albeit the weather being quite cold. In the sun it's nice, but the wind is freezing. I went with some of the girls as they spent an obscene amount of money on gifts, and bought a pretty awesome blue swiss army knife for myself. We had lunch (mine was feral hah) and enjoyed the hospitality of the people here. It's really a beautiful little place.
We visited the Lion Monument, and I apologise if I go on a bit about this. But for me it was an extremely moving experience. At the peak of the French Revolution, when the Revolutionists were storming the gates at the Place De La Concorde in Paris, King Louis XV ordered for over 200 Swiss Guards to lay down their arms. He promised they wouldn't be harmed, when in reality he was just sacrificing them all to the mob. The guards, knowing they were about to be slaughtered, still followed orders and every single one of them was killed. There was one guard that didn't show up for duty that day, and he was the only one that survived. Plagued with guilt, he decided to have a monument made in their honor. Mark Twain has called it the most moving piece of stone in existance. I whole-heartedly agree. The Lion Monument is carved out of a large rock face in the town of Luzern and at its feet, their lays a little pond and it is surrounded by a dark, and quiet park.
It was my idea, by the way. I know you're all shocked. I hope you're sitting down for this one - we climbed to the summit. This mountain is obnoxiously huge, not even kidding. I'm pretty sure I can see Germany from the top. It took us a good hour to get to the top, but it was worth it - seriously. The view was just...indescribable. Now comes the interesting part.
On the way down, we got a little lost and it took us about twice the time. But while we got lost, we found some awesome stuff on the way. I was proud that I got off the beaten track and did a bit of exploring and just used my sense of direction to find our way back. It was so much fun and I was so glad that I could physically do it.
So yeah! I climbed a mountain today. How many people can say they've done that? I was so proud, and it was such a blast. I'm just chilling in my room for a bit before dinner and I feel amazing. Freezing. But amazing. I think I am going to pop off for a bit and have a nice hot shower as a reward. Tomorrow we leave at 6am to get to Florence and Pisa, then Rome tomorrow - and then I'm on my own! It kind of hit me last night, and I'm starting to get hte butterflies in my stomach. But I feel definitely more and more confident in my own abilities with every day.
I got lost in complete wilderness tonight, when it was about to piss rain and I've never been here before and I only had 2 other people that wre just as lost as I was - and I didn't lose my head. The other girls were getting really panicky, but I just kept my head on straight and managed to get us back safe and sound. So I feel so so confident that I can do this lone part of the trip on my own efficiently.
I'm missing you all like crazy and I can't wait to come home and see you all and tell you about my trip, show photos etc. and just generally see you guys. I'm having the time of my life, but still missing you guys. Thanks so nuch for reading this and stuff, it means a lot (:
Love you guys!
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