Sevilla y Barcelona
Day 6 (May 9, 2006).
Sevilla.
Took sleeper train from Barcelona. On the train, my bunk mate was Andrés. He works and lives in Barcelona with his wife and son, Lorenzo. His parents are in Cadiz, where he was headed. He spoke very little English, and I relied on my forgotten two years of high school Spanish. But we managed to carry on fun conversations through charades and fragmented sentences. We went to the lounge car and he bought me a cerveza. And in the morning, I bought him un café. I love meeting different people from other parts of the world. That was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my trip.
I arrived in Sevilla around 9am. While waiting for the bus to the hostel, I met two women from Taiwan, who were visiting Sevilla on a day trip. They were traveling on their own as well. Then I met Travis and Jessie, who were both from D.C. Travis was fluent in Spanish, and had been a exchange in Badajoz (Spain) when he was sixteen. Jessie graduated from U. of Arizona and now lives back home in DC.
The hostel was great! I think the interiors of Spanish buildings are just as (if not more) charming as the facades. For most, the rooms line the outer perimeter of the structure, while the center (from top to bottom) are hollowed, allowing natural light to cascade all the way down to courtyard/lounge at the bottom. Best of all, the hostel had an automated espresso machine, serving free café all day long! The small lounge was always populated with guests, so it was easy to meet people. I met people from Sydney, Ventura (CA), and England.
After checking in, I went to the Alcázar with Travis and Jessie. While in line, we met a couple from Wales. The husband taught Spanish and French at a boarding school, while the wife was the headmaster. They told us interesting insight on Wales and its bitter tension with England. They had two sons and a daughter, who are musicians and an architect. The Alcazar has a beautiful garden and the architecture is unique because of its Islamic influence.
For lunch, the lady at the tourist office recommended a wonderful place for Bocadillos and Tapas. It was called Patio Saneloy. They had a large selection of Bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches) that were ready made, and were toasted when ordered. I ordered a Montadito Sevillano (tuna sandwich), Empanada, and Latino (tasted like wine and Sprite). It was cheap, fast, and delectable.
Then, I had my first experience of the infamous Spanish siesta. It may be a brilliant idea for the everyday worker, but it is an annoyance for tourists! Everything (everything!) closed from 3-5pm. As a local, I would relish in the siesta in order to escape the scorching summer heat. But as a tourist, you might as join the locals in their mid-day slumber because there isn't much else to do.
Day 7 (May 10, 2006).
Sevilla.
I re-joined Travis and Jessie. Travis was great to have around because he spoke fluent Spanish. We went to the city's beautiful bullring. Travis and I really wanted to see a bullfight, but they usually only occur on Sundays. I just have to wait until my next trip to Spain. So we had to settle on a paid tour (with a shitty tour guide), which was the only way to see the inside. We then went to see the Cathedral, which is one the largest in the world. It is gi-normous! Unfortunately it closed early, so I had to appreciate the massiveness from the exterior. Then we went to see the Plaza de España.
For lunch, why change a good thing? So we returned to Patio Saneloy for more damn good cheap eats. This time I ordered a Bocadillo, Gazpacho, and un cerveza (Cruz Campo... I didn't like it). The Gazpacho was much thicker (like a puree) than the previous one, but it was f**king good! Best one I've ever had!... which doesn't say much since it was only my second one in my life.
At night, we went to a Tapas bar. (In route, we walked under shrieking bats circling the Cathedral, while the moon loomed overhead. It was quite wicked!). We ate mucho bueno tapas, and got sauced up on two pitchers of Sangria! It just so happened that on this evening, Sevilla was playing Dublin for a futbol (soccer) championship. So while having dinner we could see fans running out of pubs and celebrating everytime their team scored. Then after the game ended and Sevilla won, groups of fans wandered the streets chanting, singing, and dancing to anyone and everyone they saw. And once in a while cars would wine through the narrow streets, honking and waving their flags. It was very entertaining!
To end the night, we went to a pub and watched a free Flamenco performance. I love the energy and raw emotion of Flamenco. Unfortunately, it was short... b/c it was free. So that's another incentive to return to Spain. Plus, I painfully regret not experiencing the (hot) chocolate con churros!!! I love the friendliness and charm of Sevilla.
Day 8 (May 11, 2006).
Barcelona.
On the train back to Barcelona, the guy sitting next to me had horrible body odor! To make things worse, he was fidgety and could not keep still. He kept leaning forward to change the radio settings and then would slam back into the chair, waking me up every time. I had to bear several hours of this!
For the remainder of the day in Barcelona, I visited the Casa Milà (La Pedrera), by Antoni Gaudi. I've always had an interest in architecture. But after learning of Gaudi, that interest has escalated ten-fold!
In my dorm, I met two guys from Denmark. I don't know what it is about people from Denmark, but all the ones I have met are the most cheery people. Quick to smile, and do it infectiously. In talking about Americans backpacking, one of them muttered a remark aside about Bush. In many non-Americans (i.e. Canadians, Europeans) I have met on my trips, they are quick to show their disaproval and dislike of Bush. It's quite fascinating to get such a prevalent international perspective.
...
alcazar
plaza de espana
casa mila (la pedrera)
photo album: sevilla y barcelona
---
"architecture is the ordering of light." - antoni gaudi
Sevilla.
Took sleeper train from Barcelona. On the train, my bunk mate was Andrés. He works and lives in Barcelona with his wife and son, Lorenzo. His parents are in Cadiz, where he was headed. He spoke very little English, and I relied on my forgotten two years of high school Spanish. But we managed to carry on fun conversations through charades and fragmented sentences. We went to the lounge car and he bought me a cerveza. And in the morning, I bought him un café. I love meeting different people from other parts of the world. That was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my trip.
I arrived in Sevilla around 9am. While waiting for the bus to the hostel, I met two women from Taiwan, who were visiting Sevilla on a day trip. They were traveling on their own as well. Then I met Travis and Jessie, who were both from D.C. Travis was fluent in Spanish, and had been a exchange in Badajoz (Spain) when he was sixteen. Jessie graduated from U. of Arizona and now lives back home in DC.
The hostel was great! I think the interiors of Spanish buildings are just as (if not more) charming as the facades. For most, the rooms line the outer perimeter of the structure, while the center (from top to bottom) are hollowed, allowing natural light to cascade all the way down to courtyard/lounge at the bottom. Best of all, the hostel had an automated espresso machine, serving free café all day long! The small lounge was always populated with guests, so it was easy to meet people. I met people from Sydney, Ventura (CA), and England.
After checking in, I went to the Alcázar with Travis and Jessie. While in line, we met a couple from Wales. The husband taught Spanish and French at a boarding school, while the wife was the headmaster. They told us interesting insight on Wales and its bitter tension with England. They had two sons and a daughter, who are musicians and an architect. The Alcazar has a beautiful garden and the architecture is unique because of its Islamic influence.
For lunch, the lady at the tourist office recommended a wonderful place for Bocadillos and Tapas. It was called Patio Saneloy. They had a large selection of Bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches) that were ready made, and were toasted when ordered. I ordered a Montadito Sevillano (tuna sandwich), Empanada, and Latino (tasted like wine and Sprite). It was cheap, fast, and delectable.
Then, I had my first experience of the infamous Spanish siesta. It may be a brilliant idea for the everyday worker, but it is an annoyance for tourists! Everything (everything!) closed from 3-5pm. As a local, I would relish in the siesta in order to escape the scorching summer heat. But as a tourist, you might as join the locals in their mid-day slumber because there isn't much else to do.
Day 7 (May 10, 2006).
Sevilla.
I re-joined Travis and Jessie. Travis was great to have around because he spoke fluent Spanish. We went to the city's beautiful bullring. Travis and I really wanted to see a bullfight, but they usually only occur on Sundays. I just have to wait until my next trip to Spain. So we had to settle on a paid tour (with a shitty tour guide), which was the only way to see the inside. We then went to see the Cathedral, which is one the largest in the world. It is gi-normous! Unfortunately it closed early, so I had to appreciate the massiveness from the exterior. Then we went to see the Plaza de España.
For lunch, why change a good thing? So we returned to Patio Saneloy for more damn good cheap eats. This time I ordered a Bocadillo, Gazpacho, and un cerveza (Cruz Campo... I didn't like it). The Gazpacho was much thicker (like a puree) than the previous one, but it was f**king good! Best one I've ever had!... which doesn't say much since it was only my second one in my life.
At night, we went to a Tapas bar. (In route, we walked under shrieking bats circling the Cathedral, while the moon loomed overhead. It was quite wicked!). We ate mucho bueno tapas, and got sauced up on two pitchers of Sangria! It just so happened that on this evening, Sevilla was playing Dublin for a futbol (soccer) championship. So while having dinner we could see fans running out of pubs and celebrating everytime their team scored. Then after the game ended and Sevilla won, groups of fans wandered the streets chanting, singing, and dancing to anyone and everyone they saw. And once in a while cars would wine through the narrow streets, honking and waving their flags. It was very entertaining!
To end the night, we went to a pub and watched a free Flamenco performance. I love the energy and raw emotion of Flamenco. Unfortunately, it was short... b/c it was free. So that's another incentive to return to Spain. Plus, I painfully regret not experiencing the (hot) chocolate con churros!!! I love the friendliness and charm of Sevilla.
Day 8 (May 11, 2006).
Barcelona.
On the train back to Barcelona, the guy sitting next to me had horrible body odor! To make things worse, he was fidgety and could not keep still. He kept leaning forward to change the radio settings and then would slam back into the chair, waking me up every time. I had to bear several hours of this!
For the remainder of the day in Barcelona, I visited the Casa Milà (La Pedrera), by Antoni Gaudi. I've always had an interest in architecture. But after learning of Gaudi, that interest has escalated ten-fold!
In my dorm, I met two guys from Denmark. I don't know what it is about people from Denmark, but all the ones I have met are the most cheery people. Quick to smile, and do it infectiously. In talking about Americans backpacking, one of them muttered a remark aside about Bush. In many non-Americans (i.e. Canadians, Europeans) I have met on my trips, they are quick to show their disaproval and dislike of Bush. It's quite fascinating to get such a prevalent international perspective.
...
alcazar
plaza de espana
casa mila (la pedrera)
photo album: sevilla y barcelona
---
"architecture is the ordering of light." - antoni gaudi
posted by a(-_-)c at 9:00 PM
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