Destination #22 - Seville, Spain

Some nights in hostels, you get the ultra rude people who barge in at some crazy hour and start making a whole bunch of noise…or you get the snorers. This was not the case in my Madrid hostel, yet, I did not get any sleep at all this night for whatever reason. So, as 5:30am was a rude enough wake up call, at least I had no trouble getting out of bed and heading out into the darkness to find my bus to the airport.

It was a short flight over to Seville and I was dreading how I was going to do today, running off of no sleep. The hostel I was staying at was definitely the lesser of the 3 I had stayed at so far, a little anti social and quiet, but I guess I needed that as I was just in Seville for one night.

I was assigned the bottom bunk upon arrival but of course, someone had stolen this. Just my luck.

I left the hostel and immediately fell in love with the streets of Seville. I first went and saw the Metropol Parasol, supposedly the biggest wooden structure in the world. Around the structure was an interesting restaurant that I saw called Bushi, a combo of burgers and sushi. No, I did not eat there.

Next up was the Seville Catedral, which is probably the most famous landmark of Seville. At this point, I'm starting to feel like I'm in Dorne from Game of Thrones...or at least I understood the inspiration. Palm Trees, bright colours, and beautiful architecture.

Afterwards, I walked around the Royal Alcázar which I couldn't be bothered to pay and go in for. The walls were high so I couldn't see anything inside..oh well. Then, I walked over to Plaza de Espana which was stunning. It is absolutely massive so walking around was a little grueling as it was 35 degrees out! My Canadian body was melting. Around the plaza, they have these cool stalls (or at least that's what I'm calling them) that represent each major city in Spain...I think. This is what I assumed as I saw Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Grenada, and many, many others.

Beside the Plaza was María Luisa Park where I walked around and saw the Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares and Plaza America. It was after this that I got hit with exhaustion like a sack of bricks. Time to head back to the hostel for a little nap....or siesta?

For dinner, I seriously have a problem when it comes to settling down a place. I probably walked by 20 restaurants before I told myself to stop being an idiot and just sit down somewhere. I think it is my fear of not knowing the language and being by myself that makes it difficult. Really, it's just me needing to step outside my comfort zone. I settled down on a place that luckily had an English menu and I had some sangria and some tapas to myself. Yum yum.

I went back to the Metropol Parasol afterwards to steal a couple night snaps and then headed for bed at the hostel. Time to catch up on some sleep.

Seville was gorgeous and as I only spent one day there, I would love to go back, do more, and enjoy the culture. I recommend!

Next:
Faro
Lisbon
Porto
Marseille
Nice
Turkey
Rhodes

Destination #21 - Madrid, Spain

I woke in the old lady’s apartment in San Sebastian and realized that the sun doesn't rise as early as it does in London. Once I did head out though, the sun started to rise and it was nice and bright by the time I got to the bus. It was another long journey but I arrived in Madrid by mid-afternoon. Although a lot bigger than the hostel in Barcelona, the hostel I was staying at proved to be just as awesome. It had a hotel feel to it as everything was virtually brand new and the rooms were very smartly designed. It was also really cheap! It’s interesting; the hostels I have booked in Spain and Portugal are all rated high and cheap, but the ones I have booked in France are rated less and yet, more expensive.

Once settled in, I took to the city. Although Madrid is a big place, all the touristy stuff is central so everything was in walking distance. I first went and strolled around in El Retiro Park where they have a Crystal Palace and the Monument to Alfonso XII.

Once I was done there, I passed by the Puerta de Alcalá and walked down to the Museo Nacional del Prado. They do free admissions during the week from 6pm to 8pm but as it was Sunday, it was from 5pm to 7pm. I didn't realize this so I rocked up at 6pm, which of course only gave me an hour inside. The museum is homage to a famous painting called Las Meninas (I only had researched this right before I entered the museum) and as I was rounding the corner to enter the room of where this painting is situated, they started shooing everyone out as it was closing time. Only then did I realize they closed at 7.

:(

Puerta de Alcalá

After the museum, I walked back to the hostel to get ready for dinner and a night out. They had a pretty good deal; it was 20 euro for a pretty decent 3 course dinner and a bar crawl, which included a lot of free drinks. Of course, I got to meet a few more good people, some Americans, Aussies, Canadians, Germans, Swiss, and a guy from Sweden as well.

I rolled out of bed the next morning (a bit reluctantly) and went on the hostel’s free walking tour of the city. Among other things, we went and saw Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, and the Puerto Del Sol. After the walking tour, in which we got a free glass of sangria at the end, I headed back to the hostel to recuperate a bit. I headed out again after to Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace to take a look more in detail there. Unfortunately, there must have been some meeting taking place at the Royal Palace as they were not allowing anyone into the palace or the gardens. Afterwards, I made my way up the hill to see the Temple of Debod (I liked to call it the Temple of Doom) which was a little underwhelming. I then walked via Gran Via which is the main touristy street in Madrid. I stopped at Chocolatería San Gines to have some churros and chocolate. I’ll be honest, they weren't amazing but still something that needed to be done in Spain and Chocolatería San Gines is supposedly the most famous. As it was getting later, I walked again via Gran Via towards the del Prado museum to have another stab at seeing this famous painting. After seeing the statue in Plaza de Cibeles, I showed up about 25 minutes early to the museum and sat near the ticket area. There was not many people around at this point and nobody in line. After a few minutes, this massive herd of people come around the corner and enter the ticket queue. My initial thought is that they’re probably just a tour group and they’re all going in as a group. This very well could have been the case but I noticed they were not moving into the actual museum and were standing still at the front of the line. I finally put 2 and 2 together and asked the lady to confirm my fear, and the answer was indeed yes, they are lining up for the free admission. I grumpily walked off to find the end of the line and it went on forever. Where did these people come from!? Not 10 minutes before, there was nobody there. I decided to not wait in line as I was over it and walked back to the hostel where I made myself some dinner and settled in for an early night as I had to get up at 5:30am the next morning.

Plaza Mayor

Royal Palace

Temple of Debod

Statue in Plaza de Cibeles

Madrid probably wouldn't be high on my list to return to but it was still a good time. I think if museums are your thing, there are 2 other big ones than just the one I went to, so then I would recommend it.

Next:
Seville
Faro
Lisbon
Porto
Marseille
Nice
Turkey
Rhodes

Destination #20 - San Sebastián, Spain

The day started off with a gruelling 7 hour bus ride to San Sebastian, or Donostia for the locals. Before leaving my hostel in Barcelona, I was waiting for a couple who I had agreed with the night before to leave together as they were heading off to Madrid. I got down to the lobby shortly after the agreed time which was 8, expecting to see them there waiting for me. Alas, they were not there and I wondered if they had left without me. The hostel staff knowing every face that stayed there let me know that they had, in fact, not left. I waited for some 15 minutes before thinking I should probably go and see if they are indeed still sleeping. I barged into their room and sure enough, Isaac and Lydia were still fast asleep! They had a little panic, quickly got ready, and we walked together towards the train station. It was sad to see them go but I am happy I was able to help them make their train.

Once arrived in San Sebastian, I carried my heavy bag to an apartment situated close to the beach that I booked through AirBnB. I knew that the lady who owned the apartment didn't speak any English but I didn't realize it was going to be a disaster trying to communicate with each other. I entered her apartment where she started speaking a bunch of Spanish. I think we both agreed that I didn't understand one word that was coming out of her mouth but she continued to speak Spanish to me for a solid half hour anyway. She was very polite though and I did my best to try and understand what she might be saying. Her apartment was absolutely spotless and I very much appreciated that despite only having a room, not the entire apartment. Once settled in, I took off to go hike up the nearest mountain, Monte Urgull, (this much I did understand what the lady was trying to say when showing me where to go and what to do). The hike offered some great views of the city along the way but to my disappointment, you couldn't actually really see much at the very top, where a big Jesus statue was situated. Once I reached the bottom of the mountain again, it was already getting late. I did a walk around some of the old town and got some food. There were quite a few gelato places around so not being able to contain myself, I got an Oreo gelato cone and it was legit! I ended the night by sitting by the Centro Kursaal before heading back to the apartment to rest my weary head.

I woke up the next morning expecting it to be pouring rain outside as this was the forecast the day before but praise the lord, it was cloudy with bits of blue sky. This has been an ongoing theme so far on this trip as they forecast 2 days of rain in Barcelona as well where I didn't see one rain drop. Somebody needs to fire the meteorologist responsible. Today was hike #2 as there another mountain close by called Monte Igueldo.

Sight of the Day: As I walked towards Monte Igueldo, I noticed some guys playing volleyball. But wait. Although there was a net and a ball and formation set up like volleyball, they were only using feet and heads to hit the ball over, no hands or wrists. I guess that’s how one can get good at soccer!

Monte Igueldo was a bit more work getting to the top but it was definitely worth it.

After the hike, I decided to hit up the beach and I got super lucky as just as I sat myself down, the clouds started to move and the sun came out. I laid there for quite some time before my stomach let me know it was time to go. I headed into the packed streets of the Old Town to find myself some Pintxos, the Basque Country (where San Sebastian is) version of Tapas. This was a real test for me as I had to boot myself out my comfort zone to go and experience this. Firstly, I don’t speak Spanish so I have no idea what all the chalkboards full of choices say. Secondly, you supposedly go in and they have these counters just full of cold tapas with toothpicks in them. I think most of the time, you grab what you like off the counter, fill your plate, and at the end you show the barman how many toothpicks you have and you pay. You can also ask for hot tapas as well that they cook to order but in my case, I had no idea what the chalkboard said. I had finally decided on a place and went, grabbed a couple of items off the counter, ordered a glass of sangria, and I actually just paid right there instead of at the end. It is very cool culture and there are endless amounts of ‘bars’ to choose from in the Old Town. I can only imagine how much fun it would be do some ‘bar’ hopping here with friends or family. It would also help if you had somebody who knew Spanish!

Because the ice cream was legit the previous night, I had to grab another one, this time Ferrero Rocher. And yes, it was legit as well. I sat on the boardwalk by the beach in the twilight enjoying my ice cream when a few fireworks shot up into the sky. Perfect way to the end the night in my mind.

I really enjoyed San Sebastian. However, I might not suggest it for solo travelling. It reminded me a lot of going to Hawaii. There were A LOT of couples and A LOT of kissing going around. Maybe I didn't read somewhere that this is a romantic city. There was also a lot of old people. It is very beautiful though and the buildings there are gorgeous. It’s not overly touristy but then again, there isn't a whole lot to do but relax, eat, and hike if you feel like.

Next:
Madrid
Seville
Faro
Lisbon
Porto
Marseille
Nice
Turkey
Rhodes

Destination #19 - Barcelona, Spain

My first stop on my Euro adventure was Barcelona. I arrived Tuesday late afternoon and I welcomed the Spanish heat with open arms after a brutal month of weather in London. I arrived at my hostel and I was immediately impressed as the gentleman who checked me in was super friendly and informative. The hostel offered free dinners every night so I decided to partake in this and I do not regret it. Virtually everyone in the hostel would gather for these meals and it would be a great way to meet people and chat. The hostel wasn't very big either so that made it a bit more intimate. Another great thing about the hostel was that they had optional day and night activities. So after dinner, we headed out for some drinks and I got to make a few friends that night!

The next day, I went to explore the city. I first stopped to see some Gaudi architecture -  a particularly famous one called La Pedrera. Next was the real famous one called La Sagrada Família, the massive cathedral that is in fact, still under construction to this day. Afterwards, I took a walk up hill to Park Güell. If you've seen one picture of Barcelona, it might have been from Park Güell. I thought this was a lovely part to visit and I would definitely recommend it as there are lots of neat architecture around the park and once you get to the top of the hill, you get an amazing view of the city. I then went to the other side of town where I saw the Magic Fountain and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. By the time I was done everything, I was exhausted and sweating like a pig. Thank goodness for the metro trains they have in the city as they’re all air conditioned! Not sure how London hasn't been able to adopt this technology yet on the tube. I went back to the hostel and partook in the free dinner again. Afterwards, the hostel put on a “How to make Sangria” lesson which, again, was free. The best part was that we got to drink the sangria afterwards. When we had finished the sangria, we headed out for another night on the town.

For my last day in Barcelona, a few of us from the hostel (lots of Canadians by the way) went to the main touristy street in the city called La Rambla. Unfortunately, this area is supposed to be known for its pickpocketing so I made sure I was extra careful in this part. We visited the market Mercado de La Boqueria and Plaça Reial before one the Canadian guys and I headed to the beach to soak up some rays. I had the free dinner of course in the hostel that night and afterwards, a bunch of us went and saw the Magic Fountain as they have light shows at night, kind of like the Bellagio in Las Vegas. To end the night, we chilled at the hostel with some cards and drinks. A couple of the guys bought these chips and as we ate them, we noticed they had a weird taste to them. We then realized that they were clam flavoured! Who does that?

Since I was leaving the next morning, it was already time to say goodbye to the great people I had met. I certainly have never stayed at a hostel like that and not sure if there will be another one like that that comes around. They were inexpensive, clean, and the staff were awesome. You can’t beat free dinners and having social activities every day.

Barcelona is a great city. It’s so big and there is so much to do. I would love to go back one day and see more as I don’t think I got everything in!

Next:
San Sebastián
Madrid
Seville
Faro
Lisbon
Porto
Marseille
Nice
Turkey
Rhodes

La Pedrera

La Sagrada Familia

View from Parc Guell

Parc Guell

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Magic Fountain

New friends!

Barcelona at night

Destinations #15-18 - York/Newcastle/Manchester/Liverpool, England

After living just over a year in England, I thought it was time to actually SEE England.

York

It wasn't the best start of the trip and it almost became my worst nightmare. The tube ran a little slow on the way to London’s King Cross (I'm going to blame it on the fact that there was a tube strike the day before). Sure enough, I missed my train to York by 2 minutes. I immediately started to have a little freak out because I knew a new train ticket would cost a fortune. I approached the ticket counter still breathing heavily (maybe trying to be dramatic) and asked the gentleman if there was any chance I could catch the next train to York. He asked why and my response was there were delays on the tube. He then took my ticket and my oyster card (tube travel card) and went into a back room. I stood at the counter for what seemed like ages when he came back and told me there were no delays on the tube BUT he saw that I left at reasonable time, couldn't understand why I wasn't able to get there on time, and gave me a new ticket for free. Phew! I luckily was able to leave 15 minutes later.

Once I arrived in York, the beauty of the city was not lost on me. It’s small and quaint, and the tourists have yet to ruin it. After dropping my bag off at the hostel, I first stopped at a park called the Museum Gardens. Contained in the gardens was St. Mary’s Abbey, ruins of a cathedral type building.

Next, I walked on over to York Minster which is probably the most iconic landmark for York.

Everything was in walking distance by the way, that’s how small the town is. From York Minster, I went and saw what’s called the Shambles. This is exactly what I imagined old time England to be in say the 18th century.

After that, I decided to walk along the Wall that encircles York…I believe this was from the Romans. After walking the wall, there was Cliffords Tower, an old fortress that used to be part of York Castle.

After checking into my hostel, I went and checked out the National Railway Museum which was kind of interesting I guess. By this time, I needed food and what better to get in Yorkshire than some Yorkshire Puddings! They were somewhat disappointing, a part of me believes they may have been baked from frozen, and I had a better one in Manchester…but that story will come later.

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

On Saturday, I headed up to Newcastle, also known as “Geordie Shore”…the UK version of Jersey Shore. I caught another lucky day of weather and went and saw the old Castle Keep and the Millenium Bridge before heading over to the coast.

Just a quick half hour away from the centre of Newcastle was Tynemouth and I immediately fell in love as the station exit had a weekend market. This market was really refreshing as well as it I actually defined it a true market in my mind, where everything is actually cheap. All the markets you go to in London, everything is still so expensive.

I had more reason to like Tynemouth when I saw the ocean…and what’s that…a sand beach!? I’ve become accustomed to pebble beaches while living in the UK. Before stepping foot on the beach, I took a look at the Castle Priory and walked along the Dock all the way to the lighthouse. Once I did step onto the beach, it was a weird sensation to feel sand under my feet again. I also had a laugh at the fact that I have never been to a beach where everyone is fully clothed. Only a handful of people were down to their swimsuits as it was maybe not hot enough to shed some clothing. I have feeling, however, if conditions were the same back home, the beach would still be packed and everyone would have their shirts off. You’d think the British would be used to this weather by now! Well, after laying in the sand for a bit, I went a got some Fish & Chips before heading back to the hostel to end the day!

Manchester

My next stop was Manchester, a much bigger city than the previous two. My first point of interest was the Museum of Science and Industry, which I must say was a little disappointing. However, they did have a massive plane hangar which made up for it in the end. This took up some time so by the end, I was ready for lunch. I was thinking of getting a Sunday Roast Lunch but instead, I ran into a food market along the way, in which I decided to postpone my roast to Dinner. Why you ask? Because I got my hands on a pulled pork mac n cheese grilled cheese! It was delicious. After scarving that down, I went and saw the Gay Village, Alan Turing Memorial, Chinatown, City Council building, Manchester Cathedral, National Football Museum, and John Ryland’s Library. By the end of it, I was exhausted and decided to settle down for my Sunday Roast Dinner, which was awesome.

Manchester was probably the least favourite that I visited to be honest. Even though I did a lot, not much of it was all that interesting. However, I recognized that it would probably be a fun place to go with friends, not by yourself…like me.

Liverpool

My spirits were dampened when I first arrived in Liverpool as a.) It was a very early start for me b.) it was pouring rain. I persevered though and by the time I had went and saw the Metropolitan Cathedral, the clouds started to part ways for some blue sky.

With my spirits lifted, I walked down to Albert Dock where there was lots of restaurants, shops, and museums. In particular, I visited the National Maritime Museum which had an interesting Titanic exhibition going on.

After that, I went and saw Liverpool Cathedral which was actually really impressive. I'm not sure if my mind was playing tricks on me but it seemed like it was the biggest cathedral I had ever seen. I actually just looked this up and it is the 5th largest cathedral in the world. It was free entry as well and the inside was just as impressive with some stunning design and architecture.

After the cathedral, I decided to make a long walk over to the famous Penny Lane. I’ll be honest, I'm not so sure why the Beatles thought this street to be so special but it made for a good picture! Along the way back, I sat for some time in Sefton Park, which was lovely. They sure know how to do parks in England. My trip then came to an end it was time to head back to London.