We've Gone Loco

Where to start? Mmm, well for a quick summary, 4 other Americans, an Austrailian, and myself all started off the trip taking a train, well, 5 different trains since we had to transfer so many times, to an airport in the middle of nowhere. We were flying the cheapest airline in Europe, RyanAir. This means that it's not a real airport. We board like the president does, walking outside and up a set of stairs. Also, you don't have assigned seats: first come, first serve. You are allowed only 1 small backpack. This translated to each of us jam-packing our things. We had to take 9 days worth of things in 1 bag. Talk about packing light!

So, we flew into Reus, which is supposedly 1 hour from Barcelona. We waited an hour for the bus, and 2 and a half hours later, or maybe 3, finally ended up in Barcelona, hungry and exhausted.

The first time we went to the beach in Barcelona, a few interesting things happened. Only in Barcelona does one have the oppurtunity to buy beer, a massage, cocaine, hash, and water every 15 minutes on the beach. Seriously, people walk around the beach offering those things for sale. Luckily, after that insane beach we managed to find a less populated one which was ten times better. At least at the new one we were only offered massages. Massge, 5 Euros? No! 10 minutes later ... Massge, 5 Euros? No, gracias. And so on and so forth. Even with that, however, the beach was gorgeous. The water is shockingly blue in the Mediterranean. Another plus of the second beach was that I found a fun vertical wall to play on!

Me right after I swam in the Mediterranaen. It was so chilly that when I got out I ran ... just kept on running for 10 minutes until I was warm once more.

If only I'd brought my climbing shoes along! I couldn't climbed all day on this wall and been happy as a clam.

I found something else to climb that day, too.

Also, in Barcelona, my love for cappuccinos doubled. They really know how to make cappuccinos in Europe, and especially in Spain! Every time they make one, they use chocolate to make an interesting design on top. I had a series of different ones, but here is an example below.

            The food in Barcelona was quite teuer ( expensive). I believe the city has been overcome by tourism and this is why. We just couldn’t catch a break! This led to spending a ton of money since, alas, we had no kitchen in the hostel (shocker =P). Albeit expensive, the food was aesthetically pleasing.

            We did find one or two restaurants on the last day there that were cheaper. Of course, we all speak way more German than Spanish, so communication was difficult. We found ways, however, of getting what we needed. Like this pizza below, for instance; I wanted not only peppers, ham, and the like that came on it, but extra beef as well. So, we asked for more cow in Spanish.

            Other fun things about Barcelona included the plethora of street performers.

            And the famous mark of an unknown man. Below it is shown. There is a guy who travels all only the world and inscribes the white and blue tiles somewhere very public, but is never seen.

            The gelato was also sehr lecker! (very delicious!)

            My favorite part of Barcelona, however, was the gorgeous church, Sagrada Familia. I spent 3 hours inside and around this magnificent place.



The church is in the background here.





We went up to the top of a tower and this was a few through one of the many openings and windows.



            Also, on the way to this church, I meant an adorable little pug that reminded me how much I love and miss my pupdogs back home.

            Oh, and the funny fact that random people bath and chill in public fountains.

            So after 6 days and 5 nights in Barcelona, the time had come to move on to Madrid. As you can tell from the picture below, Barcelona wore us out.

Madrid was a breath of fresh air. It was not quite as touristy as Barcelona which meant more culture, cheaper food, and cheaper metro lines. Of course, we used the metro far less often in Madrid, but it was still nice when we did have to use it that it was viel billiger (much cheaper).

            Hmm, so Madrid highlights. We stumbled into a jewel of a park, many pictures shown below. I’m again following my motif in one of the pictures below. (We realized at the end of the trip, each of us had something we always did. John was always ready to do anything 24/7, Keith ordered a beer with every meal and anytime he could, Issac constantly made a stroke face in pictures, Britt always talked back to the creepers who hit on us and said “Boss”, and I always bought cappuccinos and climbed anything climbable).

Isaac, with me reenacting his signature look in photos.

            Also, funny thing about Madrid: their sign is a bear eating food from a tree because back when, bears used to come into the city to eat fermented berries from the trees within and get drunk! So funny, and I’m sure destructive. Can you imagine drunken bears stumbling around a city?

            Also in Madrid, we visited the palace. This palace is the largest one in Europe!

            The trip was a blast, but boy, I was ready to be home in Konstanz. I love it here and it already feels like a second home. I snapped a quick photo as our plane began to land.

            Oh also, just for kicks, here is a photo of the bike I bought myself in Konstanz!

Strangers or Friends

It´s interesting, isn´t it, relations between people. Today, after deciding that I needed a break from touristy sight-seeing and travelling in a large group, I settled down with my book in the cozy cafe section of a restaurant. Shortly upon sitting down, two ladies, perhaps a mother and daughter, sat down at the table and comfy chairs neighboring me. They asked me, in Spanish (which I hardly know a lick of), if they could use the seat opposite me to put their coats and purchases on. Of course, since I wasn´t using it, I obliged and answered (with one of the few Spanish phrases I know) ¨Di nada¨when they said ¨Gracias.¨ After that we somehow managed to communicate every now and then that afternoon. Like when I went to the bathroom and left my things there for them to watch, except my purse which I took with me. By the time I left the cafe a few hours later, we had communicated enough that we both smiled and warranted each other a friendly good bye. How funny, that people do not always need language and words to befriend one and other.