It doesn´t seem like 3 weeks since I last sat in the Bat Cave in Cat´s Hostel Madrid with my first blog from Spain. But, it has and it´s my last night here. Impossible. After 12 hours spent trying to get back to Madrid from Barcelona today, I am ready to come home. There have been other indicators along the way that it is time to travel home, so I´ve compiled them into a brief Top Ten list. Enjoy.
Top Ten Indicators that it´s Time To Leave Spain
10 - It´s been raining and foggy everyday for the last 10
9 - There isn´t a means of public transportation you haven´t taken, all in the same day
8 - You´ve completely cataloged all markets ending in eria: zapateria, cerveceria, lavanderia, licoreria, pasteleria, peleteria, perfumeria...
7 - You have 2000 pictures of every old building, pile of rocks and piece of art in Spain
6 - When you ask the waiter ¿Que me recomienda?, he responds vestidos limpia.
5 - You´ve had at least one attempted pickpocket for the past 2 days
4 - You spilled a glass of wine (actually this one might get you thrown out of the country)
3 - The entire country has run out of olives
2 - Your backpack outweighs you
1 - You´re so broke that your fellow hostelers are taking up a collection to pay your departure tax.
So, my journey home begins tomorrow morning. It will be a 30 hour day as we get to turn our clocks back as we fly over the Atlantic. Look forward to seeing you all soon! Hasta luego!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Montserrat
Montserrat has long been linked to heaven on earth and I decided to spend this day trekking it. The universe always seems to have other plans, however, and as the train approached the base of the mountain, fog rolled in. Boarding a cable car that would take me to about 700m, I realized spectacular views were going to be nonexistent, and so resigned myself to exploring the ancient monastery that is also there.
Upon arriving, I found the Basilica at the center of the monastery, which dates to 1035ish (though most of the original structure was destroyed by Napolean´s troops), and went inside. The decorations of the building are opulent and mindboggling. Gold, silver, bronze and marble adorn floors and walls covered in ancient mosaics. Iron fixtures hang from the ceiling to light the way through small, narrow hallways. The centerpiece of the cathedral is La Moreneta, a black virgin, and I was able to admire her closely.
I moved to sit in the sanctuary to take photos and the church bells started ringing. Before I knew what was happening, the church began to fill with monks, nuns and other tourists. I was in the middle of a full blown mass. Not understanding the Latin-Spanish service, I sat quiety until communion, when I exited.
A brief visit to the monastery´s museum yielded masterpieces by Picasso, Dali, Carravaggio and more. There was an uncovered Egyptian mummy as well. Wandering a bit outside in the square, the heaving clouds finally gave way and burst open. Taking shelter once again in the Basilica, I was rewarded by a performance by the Boys Choir. There voices were ethereal. Before they sang, the visitors were asked to recite the Lord´s Prayer in their native tongue. It was truly incredible to hear it recited in no less than 5 languages in unison.
As I made my way back to the arie for a ride down the mountain, I noticed a sign post pointing me to ´Via Cruces´. The deluge was over and curiosity overcame me, so I turned left and proceeded up a wide walkway lined with crosses - thus the name. After walking for about 10 minutes, there was a staircase leading to the right up into the trees and into the mountain. No one was around. Of course, I took it.
A short 30 minute hike straight up the mountain took me to a small shrine near the top. The clouds and fog momentarily blew away and the views were breathtaking. I was completely alone in this paradise atop the mountain. Screaming children and puffing trains were far below me in the distance. I sat quietly watching birds build nests. Eventually, the fog began to blow back in underscoring the mysterious and haunting aura of this place.
I spent a few more hours walking on footpaths through the towering rock structures before coming back down. Montserrat is a magical place that I will not soon forget.
Upon arriving, I found the Basilica at the center of the monastery, which dates to 1035ish (though most of the original structure was destroyed by Napolean´s troops), and went inside. The decorations of the building are opulent and mindboggling. Gold, silver, bronze and marble adorn floors and walls covered in ancient mosaics. Iron fixtures hang from the ceiling to light the way through small, narrow hallways. The centerpiece of the cathedral is La Moreneta, a black virgin, and I was able to admire her closely.
I moved to sit in the sanctuary to take photos and the church bells started ringing. Before I knew what was happening, the church began to fill with monks, nuns and other tourists. I was in the middle of a full blown mass. Not understanding the Latin-Spanish service, I sat quiety until communion, when I exited.
A brief visit to the monastery´s museum yielded masterpieces by Picasso, Dali, Carravaggio and more. There was an uncovered Egyptian mummy as well. Wandering a bit outside in the square, the heaving clouds finally gave way and burst open. Taking shelter once again in the Basilica, I was rewarded by a performance by the Boys Choir. There voices were ethereal. Before they sang, the visitors were asked to recite the Lord´s Prayer in their native tongue. It was truly incredible to hear it recited in no less than 5 languages in unison.
As I made my way back to the arie for a ride down the mountain, I noticed a sign post pointing me to ´Via Cruces´. The deluge was over and curiosity overcame me, so I turned left and proceeded up a wide walkway lined with crosses - thus the name. After walking for about 10 minutes, there was a staircase leading to the right up into the trees and into the mountain. No one was around. Of course, I took it.
A short 30 minute hike straight up the mountain took me to a small shrine near the top. The clouds and fog momentarily blew away and the views were breathtaking. I was completely alone in this paradise atop the mountain. Screaming children and puffing trains were far below me in the distance. I sat quietly watching birds build nests. Eventually, the fog began to blow back in underscoring the mysterious and haunting aura of this place.
I spent a few more hours walking on footpaths through the towering rock structures before coming back down. Montserrat is a magical place that I will not soon forget.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains
It´s been a whirlwind few days, though I can´t exactly pinpoint why. It´s been cold and raining since we arrived in Sevilla. We managed to shoe shop while dodging huge raindrops all the while. I entertained fellow shoppers by trudging through (okay, maybe skipping) deep puddles in my flip flops. There was no point in even trying to stay dry, so I did a bit of singin´in the rain.
Needing a bit of sun, we ditched Sevilla yesterday for a jaunt to Cadiz, a beach town on the Atlantic coast. A quick bus ride and we left the fog and rain behind for a beautiful sunny day. We wandered the city for a while, finding an extensive food market where every kind of fish was available. They were fresh too...choose yours from the pile and the fishmonger was ready to carve it up for you. I was delighted to find a spice vendor and successfully purchased two varieties of paprika. Sandra and I bought enough fresh produce for several snacks and had a great picnic on a jetty in the ocean.
Afternoon was spent enjoying the (topless) beach. We walked for miles in the sand and now have a large collection of rocks, shells and sea glass that must somehow make it home. Perhaps it is a good thing that the Spanish version of the TSA threw away my olive oil this morning upon boarding the flight to Barcelona.
We made it to Barcelona by breakfast, leaving Sevilla at 4 AM. Exhausted, we hit the city in full force, exploring legacies left behind by the art and architectural genious of Gaudi. His work is brilliant and fills the city with unique color and shape. The city is completely different than the rest of Spain we´ve seen. First of all, it´s arranged on a grid (!) so it´s relatively simple to navigate. Secondly, it´s located in the far north, and many folks speak Catalon, which is sort of like Spanish, but not really. It´s cosmopolitan like Madrid, but it´s treasures are very different. We´ve only just begun to uncover them.
There´s a wonderful pastellerie by our hostel where we had breakfast this morning. The owner speaks Catalon but only a tiny bit of Spanish and no English. He enthusiastically showed us around his shop, describing in great detail the confections he had to offer. Our mouths watered as we chose our pastries, chocolate for one and cheese for the other. He happily offered us cafe con leche as well, quickly making friends. He´s a dear sweet man that I know we will visit often during our 5 days here.
My afternoon was spent arguing, via an international (collect) conference call, with Capital One and BB&T about who was most incompetent about handling my funds. Standing on a busy street corner pay phone, I´m certain that everyone passing by received an education in the intricacies of the English language, as I found myself temporarily penniless without assistance from my ¨no-hassle¨credit card and hometown bank. When calm negotiation got me nowhere, I pleaded, then I yelled, then I cried. An old lady passing by offered me a handkerchief, a sweet gesture that made me cry harder. Michael, with Capital One, tried to soothe me. I think he cried a bit too. In the end, BB&T won the jackass award. I won the ultimate prize...cash in my pocket. Perhaps it is time to bank a bit of sleep.
Needing a bit of sun, we ditched Sevilla yesterday for a jaunt to Cadiz, a beach town on the Atlantic coast. A quick bus ride and we left the fog and rain behind for a beautiful sunny day. We wandered the city for a while, finding an extensive food market where every kind of fish was available. They were fresh too...choose yours from the pile and the fishmonger was ready to carve it up for you. I was delighted to find a spice vendor and successfully purchased two varieties of paprika. Sandra and I bought enough fresh produce for several snacks and had a great picnic on a jetty in the ocean.
Afternoon was spent enjoying the (topless) beach. We walked for miles in the sand and now have a large collection of rocks, shells and sea glass that must somehow make it home. Perhaps it is a good thing that the Spanish version of the TSA threw away my olive oil this morning upon boarding the flight to Barcelona.
We made it to Barcelona by breakfast, leaving Sevilla at 4 AM. Exhausted, we hit the city in full force, exploring legacies left behind by the art and architectural genious of Gaudi. His work is brilliant and fills the city with unique color and shape. The city is completely different than the rest of Spain we´ve seen. First of all, it´s arranged on a grid (!) so it´s relatively simple to navigate. Secondly, it´s located in the far north, and many folks speak Catalon, which is sort of like Spanish, but not really. It´s cosmopolitan like Madrid, but it´s treasures are very different. We´ve only just begun to uncover them.
There´s a wonderful pastellerie by our hostel where we had breakfast this morning. The owner speaks Catalon but only a tiny bit of Spanish and no English. He enthusiastically showed us around his shop, describing in great detail the confections he had to offer. Our mouths watered as we chose our pastries, chocolate for one and cheese for the other. He happily offered us cafe con leche as well, quickly making friends. He´s a dear sweet man that I know we will visit often during our 5 days here.
My afternoon was spent arguing, via an international (collect) conference call, with Capital One and BB&T about who was most incompetent about handling my funds. Standing on a busy street corner pay phone, I´m certain that everyone passing by received an education in the intricacies of the English language, as I found myself temporarily penniless without assistance from my ¨no-hassle¨credit card and hometown bank. When calm negotiation got me nowhere, I pleaded, then I yelled, then I cried. An old lady passing by offered me a handkerchief, a sweet gesture that made me cry harder. Michael, with Capital One, tried to soothe me. I think he cried a bit too. In the end, BB&T won the jackass award. I won the ultimate prize...cash in my pocket. Perhaps it is time to bank a bit of sleep.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Me gusta zapatos
Our first few hours in Sevilla were quite unique. After traveling by bus to the city, we were tired and hot, and schlepped our packs around the confusing maze of streets for nearly 3 hours before finding an open hostel. It turned out to be an hourly hostel (I´ll leave the story there...it´s really very gruesome) and we´re both still a bit freaked out by the experience days later.
We´re now settled into a wonderful backpackers hostel filled with really wonderful people. While we´re here on the only Sunday that there´s not a bullfight, I managed a tour of the bull ring, which is amazing and dissolved my trepidation about the whole practice. Bullfighting is a part of Spanish culture that dates back hundreds of years and is really more art than sport.
Two nights ago we attended a Flamenco show, an experience we hope to repeat tonight. Tapas and rioja fill our days and nights here with many new friends from around the world. Old buildings and piles of rocks are taken very seriously here, but I´ve about reached maximum capacity at this moment for those. So, we plan to spend some time in the outdoors. But, since it has been cold and raining for the past two days, we´ve had to curtail those plans. Instead of renting bikes today for exploring the countryside, we´re going shoe shopping. Seems like a fair trade-off to me.
We´re now settled into a wonderful backpackers hostel filled with really wonderful people. While we´re here on the only Sunday that there´s not a bullfight, I managed a tour of the bull ring, which is amazing and dissolved my trepidation about the whole practice. Bullfighting is a part of Spanish culture that dates back hundreds of years and is really more art than sport.
Two nights ago we attended a Flamenco show, an experience we hope to repeat tonight. Tapas and rioja fill our days and nights here with many new friends from around the world. Old buildings and piles of rocks are taken very seriously here, but I´ve about reached maximum capacity at this moment for those. So, we plan to spend some time in the outdoors. But, since it has been cold and raining for the past two days, we´ve had to curtail those plans. Instead of renting bikes today for exploring the countryside, we´re going shoe shopping. Seems like a fair trade-off to me.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
¿Acer sol?
This day in the Sierra Nevadas has convinced me that I was in fact hexed yesterday by the angry gypsys. Oh, that´s right. I haven´t told that story. Well...Sandra and I were walking through the square when two ladies pressed rosemary into our hands and began to tell our forture. It all happened too fast to protest and we went with it. It was quite hokey, but included blessing, stamping on the ground, assurances of long life, love and happiness. Whew! All was well until the end when my lady asked for payment. I was fine with giving her a euro, so began scrounging in my pocket. Meanwhile, Sandra was feeling very generous and had given her lady 5 euro. It only took 2 seconds for my lady to start clammoring for 5 as well. She wouldn´t accept less and I wouldn´t pay more, so I broke away from her and left the square quickly with her shouting behind me.
Fast forward to this morning. We awoke to cool temperatures and a bit of fog (the first day it´s been less than 75 and sunny). Traveling to the bus station to buy our ticket for the short drive to the mountain was simple enough, but when we arrived, we were only allowed to buy a one way ticket. We thought it was a mistake at first, but when we returned to the counter to exchange the ticket, we were met with much resistance. I argued as best as I could in Spanish, but it was no good. There was some screaming - on my part, in frustration - and on the part of the ticket vendor that we would miss our bus - so we decided to take our chances on the return and board. Worst case, we would hitch back, or sleep under the stars.
On the bus we met a group of fellow travelers in the same situation and we commiserated for a bit. When we arrived in Sierra Nevada, we were deposited on the side of the mountain in pea soup fog so thick we couldn´t see more than 5 feet or so. The driver waved farewell and pulled away. We were stuck. It made more sense to be stuck together than stuck apart...so that is how we acquired four Islamic traveling companions who were, incidentally, dressed only in shorts and t-shirts. It was less than 50 degrees on the mountain.
A la Maria von Trapp (albeit with slightly worse weather than on a typical Hollywood set), we set off on a few short walks that were manageable. Finding a pile of snow, an innocent lob of one small ball caused a full scale snowball fight. Not smart. Now, we are cold AND wet. But, we managed to scale a few sheer cliffs with loose rocks, observe an altar to Mary on a mountain top, and climb to the top of an observatory whose door was open (or maybe there wasn´t actually a door on it). Billy goat sentries watched us from high above in their watch tower, and we were lucky enough to get fairly close to the group they were guarding. We convinced a guard to let us pass through a military zone and eventually managed to find our way back to a tiny coffee shop despite a map that was written in German and the pea soup fog.
Soon enough, pea soup fog turned into full scale downpour and we still needed to walk an hour down the mountain. We had determined that a bus would return us to Granada at 5 PM. It was noon. Bob´s ski shack was friendly enough until about 2 when Bob had had enough of entertaining our motley crew. It was still pouring, so we begged him to take us partially down the mountain where we could meet our bus.
Once there, with travel companions who were nearly frozen, we found a cafe and spent the afternoon discussing religion and politics (shocker!). It was quite eye opening to hear our Muslim friends´perspectives on the war and the state of the world. They are also Britains and are more than willing to passionately discuss many subjects. There´s nothing like opening your mind and letting a few new perspectives in!
So, perhaps the hex has been lifted. Or perhaps there never was a hex. Whether my traveling companions agree or not, it was a skipping kind of day that I would repeat many times over.
Fast forward to this morning. We awoke to cool temperatures and a bit of fog (the first day it´s been less than 75 and sunny). Traveling to the bus station to buy our ticket for the short drive to the mountain was simple enough, but when we arrived, we were only allowed to buy a one way ticket. We thought it was a mistake at first, but when we returned to the counter to exchange the ticket, we were met with much resistance. I argued as best as I could in Spanish, but it was no good. There was some screaming - on my part, in frustration - and on the part of the ticket vendor that we would miss our bus - so we decided to take our chances on the return and board. Worst case, we would hitch back, or sleep under the stars.
On the bus we met a group of fellow travelers in the same situation and we commiserated for a bit. When we arrived in Sierra Nevada, we were deposited on the side of the mountain in pea soup fog so thick we couldn´t see more than 5 feet or so. The driver waved farewell and pulled away. We were stuck. It made more sense to be stuck together than stuck apart...so that is how we acquired four Islamic traveling companions who were, incidentally, dressed only in shorts and t-shirts. It was less than 50 degrees on the mountain.
A la Maria von Trapp (albeit with slightly worse weather than on a typical Hollywood set), we set off on a few short walks that were manageable. Finding a pile of snow, an innocent lob of one small ball caused a full scale snowball fight. Not smart. Now, we are cold AND wet. But, we managed to scale a few sheer cliffs with loose rocks, observe an altar to Mary on a mountain top, and climb to the top of an observatory whose door was open (or maybe there wasn´t actually a door on it). Billy goat sentries watched us from high above in their watch tower, and we were lucky enough to get fairly close to the group they were guarding. We convinced a guard to let us pass through a military zone and eventually managed to find our way back to a tiny coffee shop despite a map that was written in German and the pea soup fog.
Soon enough, pea soup fog turned into full scale downpour and we still needed to walk an hour down the mountain. We had determined that a bus would return us to Granada at 5 PM. It was noon. Bob´s ski shack was friendly enough until about 2 when Bob had had enough of entertaining our motley crew. It was still pouring, so we begged him to take us partially down the mountain where we could meet our bus.
Once there, with travel companions who were nearly frozen, we found a cafe and spent the afternoon discussing religion and politics (shocker!). It was quite eye opening to hear our Muslim friends´perspectives on the war and the state of the world. They are also Britains and are more than willing to passionately discuss many subjects. There´s nothing like opening your mind and letting a few new perspectives in!
So, perhaps the hex has been lifted. Or perhaps there never was a hex. Whether my traveling companions agree or not, it was a skipping kind of day that I would repeat many times over.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Love is my religion
This has been a beautiful day. The morning and much of the afternoon were spent wandering around the Alhambra. We scaled hundreds of steps...as if our legs weren´t already protesting! The watch tower was the most impressive. Views from the top were endless. American accents are much more prevalent here than anywhere thus far, and I am forming a strong distaste for it. Generally, the Americans I´ve come in contact with exude an entitlement mentality that is completely intolerant of the culture they are visiting. It is infuriating.
The rest of the day brought some wandering alone. I found an open air market. I am such a sucker for a market. The endless maze of stalls with colorful offerings is enchanting...chatting with shop keepers...smelling, tasting, touching. I found a pair of pants I loved and the shop keep suggested I try them on. It turns out that the dressing room was nothing more than a waist-high sheet stretched across the center of the shop. No thanks! Moving on...
I also visited the cathedral...as you do. My camera is filling with photos of old buildings, so I chose a less traditional path around the city (read: no tourists!) and documented the incredible grafitti that covers every empty space. This included a visit to the University of Granada, the energy around which was intoxicating!
Much time has been spent this trip exploring other people´s religions - we´ve visited a steady stream of churches, mosques, synagoges (even was the subject of a hex by an angry spanish woman, but that´s a story for another day). It´s time to find some religion of our own. Mañana. We will explore the beauty of the Sierra Nevadas on foot.
After the mountains, we move on to Sevilla. I don´t know what´s in store, but I know it involves flamenco!
The rest of the day brought some wandering alone. I found an open air market. I am such a sucker for a market. The endless maze of stalls with colorful offerings is enchanting...chatting with shop keepers...smelling, tasting, touching. I found a pair of pants I loved and the shop keep suggested I try them on. It turns out that the dressing room was nothing more than a waist-high sheet stretched across the center of the shop. No thanks! Moving on...
I also visited the cathedral...as you do. My camera is filling with photos of old buildings, so I chose a less traditional path around the city (read: no tourists!) and documented the incredible grafitti that covers every empty space. This included a visit to the University of Granada, the energy around which was intoxicating!
Much time has been spent this trip exploring other people´s religions - we´ve visited a steady stream of churches, mosques, synagoges (even was the subject of a hex by an angry spanish woman, but that´s a story for another day). It´s time to find some religion of our own. Mañana. We will explore the beauty of the Sierra Nevadas on foot.
After the mountains, we move on to Sevilla. I don´t know what´s in store, but I know it involves flamenco!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
I heart Granada
My girlfriends were right. Granada and I love each other. Upon very cursory inspection of this new town, I may just stay forever. It´s built in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, making it very attractive for my hiking feet. It´s also bordered by a beautiful little river, lending cool breezes to hot days. Random staircases form pathways off major roads and what you find is always a surprise. Middle eastern fare dominates and my palate is well pleased. Spanish whisky is now a favorite, and I´ve become a pro at peeeling labels off of wine bottles. Trobadores abound, pleasing my musical ear.
Our pension is fabulous. Recommended from a friend met in Honduras. We´re on the second floor in the pension. It´s tiny, with only bunk beds, a small bench and baker´s rack for depositing clothing. But, it overlooks the Alhambra and has a window that opens it´s wrought iron gates to the open air.
Tomorrow brings a tour of the Alhambra gardens and more wandering. This seems like a great place to get lost for a while.
Our pension is fabulous. Recommended from a friend met in Honduras. We´re on the second floor in the pension. It´s tiny, with only bunk beds, a small bench and baker´s rack for depositing clothing. But, it overlooks the Alhambra and has a window that opens it´s wrought iron gates to the open air.
Tomorrow brings a tour of the Alhambra gardens and more wandering. This seems like a great place to get lost for a while.
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