No hablo Español - Part 1 - Spain - Barca --> Madrid

Ahhh what a trip.

I'm at Lisbon airport, the final stop after travelling to Barcelona, Madrid, Porto and Lisbon. I think I may have underestimated how big a trip this was going to be so I'm feeling a tad tired. Somewhat unfortunately for you the reader, this holiday went to plan and when it didn't go to plan I quickly made it my plan hence why this is going to be a boring recount of all the super cool things I saw/did.

Barcelona

Alright so I wasn't so prepared. I started off with a walking tour and met the super friendly Ryan from America! The streets of Barca are paved with so much history, then super efficiently cleaned every night. You can't go to Barca without hearing about Gaudi the famous architect and something something. Second to Gaudi is a love for Jamon. Like everywhere. In everything. It's quite a touristy city which I can only imagine increases in touristic value when the sun comes out and people flock to the beaches. You'll see below some of the windy pathways throughout the city. Very. Cool. Like Melbourne on steroids. And older.

Key highlights: touching the Mediterranean for the first time • relaxing in the sun along the beaches/eating waterside with Ryan • eating Jamon • HAVING BREAKFAST at a local café in a mercado (market) • ordering salami and cheese in Spanish at a food market (“Cien gramos per favore *wild pointing*) • going out clubbing by myself and making friends with locals • not navigating the Metro • eating Jamon • discovering a Jamon museum • listening to a flamenco guitarist in a square, with a suitcase percussionist playing along with Syd • early, early morning chats with my South African roommates :) •

*Fun fact* Gaudi is not related to the word Gaudy (as to describe something as pink and over the top. Coincidently you could describe some of Gaudi’s buildings as gaudy. MIND BLOWN. 

Street folk making bubbles EVERYWHERE 

I may have gotten my Spanish from someone.  

Me at Sagrada Familia... a work in progress. Only another 10 years to go. 

Tree lined boulevards near where I was staying 

My favourite picture of the whole entire trip, a street in the old town of Barca 

#beachbabe 

This guy playing guitar.... 

... then this guy adding percussion 

There is a limit to the amount of Jamon one man can take.

They take the phrase “I love you so much I just want to eat you” a little too literally. 

Madrid

So 2 hour train ride later and I arrive in Madrid.

Photo credit Karl White ;) 

Somewhat similarly to Barca I didn't have a plan but then as luck would have it I am befriended on another walking tour by THE NICEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. A super lovely Canadian family who offered my first churro experience (shoutout to Emily, Nancy and Dale). We also sat in a beautiful Parque Retiro, went to two markets, as well as enjoy tapas together. Madrid is that one step bigger than Barca and has a friendly 'let’s wake up whenever, eat whenever and go out late' culture. My Spanish by this stage has advanced to stringing words together, some accurate pronunciation and fluent finger pointing and more smiling (see below). This means tricking traders into thinking I know their language then being completely stumped when they babble off a follow up question. Charade is UP.

NB: First words of a new language should be, I don't know how to speak your language. You also need to practise your cheesy smile. It works.


Key highlights


Practising Spanish • looking like an idiot for wearing shorts just cos the sun came out (mild 10c anyhow) • having authentic Venezuelan dinner at Antonio’s house • getting prepositioned by a prostitute • tapas tour and night out with the Israeli boys Ori and Avihay and Gabriel • rooftop dining with Sergio • eating a Valencia orange Madrid • relaxing in my Airbnb courtyard • getting a healing Buddhist massage (when really I wanted a deep tissue massage) • buying cookies off nuns though a fast food type window (see below) • tapas tour •

Keep your captions PG please. 

The gorgeous Canadian guys x 

Rooftop Dining 

OK no it can't, beautiful sun all day round! 

Rooftop drinking with the boys .... I may have forgotten to buy a round :/ Next time! 

Ordering biscuits from the "Biscuit Nazi" aka the Nuns 

Stay tuned for part 2... Porto and Lisbon. Or as everyone else calls them OPORTO and LISBOA. I'll soon be posting all my pics to Facebook. Look out for a link to follow. 

.... More soon!