Do I speak Spanish? No. Do I remember hearing the word "Caliente" a lot, with fingers pointing my direction whilst I was in South America? Yes. Yes I do. So when 2 AM rolled around one Friday morning, I booked a flight to Spain for Saturday afternoon. It's so easy to be spontaneous when you can catch a flight to another country for $50. I love Europe!!!! I had a week off work, so I decided to buy a one way ticket to Barcelona and then figure out where I was going and how I was getting back later. Can you believe I used to be a business strategist? I am literally the worst planner in the world. Thank god I'm caliente :)
I didn't end up arriving to my hostel until late, but luckily they were doing a group dinner. Unluckily, I thought the whole, "Spanish people don't eat until 10 PM" line was a myth, so I ended up going through four beers and a bag of cashews before dinner arrived at 11 PM. Luckily 15 other people were waiting for dinner as well, so at least I made some friends!
Barcelona is a pretty interesting city, as the city was originally part of a country called Catelonia before it was absorbed by Spain. Therefore people speak a combination of both Spanish and Catalan, which are actually completely different languages. I learned that little fun fact from doing a walking tour on my first full day, but in all honesty you could navigate the city center on your own and save the 5-10 Euro tip. Barcelona is insanely cheap and easy to navigate as nearly everything is walkable and you can take the metro for only 1 Euro.
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| Not bad for 6 Euros, eh?! Suck it 5 star hotels, best meal I've had in Europe so far was at a hostel. |
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| When I look at this photo I can only think of Tobias Funke and his quest for Hot Seamen (Arrested Development ftw!) |
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| Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. In 2015, I just flew. And it was faster too. |
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| Barcelona Cathedral |
The thing most people come to see in Barcelona (outside of FC Barcelona) is La Sagrada Familia, which is one of the most architecturally impressive buildings I have ever entered, and it's not even finished! They have been building it since 1882 and it's not slated to be completed until 2026. Quite a few of the backpackers were debating the price as it was 15 Euros, but luckily I am employed these days, so I don't have to live like a complete backpacker anymore. I can shell out some cash to see things :)
After seeing the church, I felt like I'd pretty much seen enough of Barcelona for this particular visit, so I decided to hop on a bus and head to my next destination. I picked Valencia, which I knew absolutely nothing about, but I liked the name. Yup, that's how a man makes decisions.
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| About your hair, you needn't care, you look beautiful all of the time. Shine, shine, shine on. Yes! Oh won't you shine, shine on. Shine, shine, shine on. Yes! Oh won't you shine, shine on, because you're not done. |
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| If I want to see a chiseled body, I just look in the mirror. |
Valencia is a pretty cool city in it's own right, it's almost like a smaller version of Barcelona. Everything is walkable and there's an 8 kilometer park that wraps around the city center, so everything it's also easy to navigate. The coolest thing I stumbled upon was the City of Arts and Sciences buildings, which look really bizarre and futuristic. However, no matter how many cool things you see in life, sometimes it's the same old things that take your breath away.
As I rounded the corner of an unfamiliar street, an all to familiar scent caressed my nostrils, sending tendrils of ecstasy throughout my cerebral cortex. I closed my eyes, because I knew once they drank her in, I wouldn't be able to turn back, that her hold on me was too strong. As much as I tried to resist the temptation, my mouth begun to water at the thought of entering her once more. To taste, to caress, to love what I had missed for so long. I could feel the warmth of her glow as I basked in her light. Did I ever tell her that she was my everything, that she was the one that satiates all my needs. With dopamine now saturating my body, I raised my eye lids and let the violet flood into my pupils, for I was standing in front of Taco Bell.
When I hold the warmth of your body, there is no body that I'd rather hold. From the tip of my tongue, to the top of my lungs, you're making me crazy!
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| City of Arts and Sciences |
Since Valencia isn't that large, I decided to only stay there for a day and half before setting off on yet another 4 hour bus ride to my final city in Spain, Madrid. I chose Madrid since it is the capital and largest city in Spain... And also because I could fly back to London for $50. I'm not being cheap, I'm just being poor. Madrid has a different vibe than Valencia and Barcelona as it is landlocked, so there isn't any ocean to be seen. However, the city has a ton of tourist attractions, ranging from the Royal Palace, Buen Retiro Park, Prado Museum, and the Reina Sofia.
I'm not really into art typically, but I have to say that the Reina Sofia features some of the coolest paintings I've ever seen. They have a ton of Picasso's, including Guernica, but my favourite piece was Salvador Dali's The Endless Enigma. I could stare at that painting for hours and I still wouldn't be able to comprehend what's going on with it. I was also able to see the start of the Christmas Market that was being built in Plaza Mayor, however I left the day that it opened!!! I was lucky enough to walk by during the 1 minute they tested out the lights though, so I feel like I still won a little :)
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| All these Royal Palaces...I still haven't gotten over how weird it is that I live in Europe. I'm from small town Iowa, how the hell did I make it this far? |
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| I love the Fall. And I love you too! |
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| Oh I, can't get you off of my mind, but I think that it's alright. Cus looking back, I'm falling in love with you every single night. You know that feeling right, where everything is fine, just fine. I keep falling in love with you in the Autumn Time |
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| If I had to sum up this Picasso in three words: I'd do her. |
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| This room made no sense to me as I apparently forgot to take LSD before entering it. |
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| We're riding along with the song of a wintry wonderland. Our cheeks are nice and rosy, and comfy cozy are we. We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather should be... |
So that's my Spain trip! The final blog of 2015, but I'm sure you'll hear from me again in the New Year. Until next time :)
Random GoPros
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| Barcelona, I still long to hold her once more. Cus every time you have to go, I shut my eyes and you know. I'll be lying right by your side in Barcleona... |
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| The Sagrada Familia |
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| Cus when she sings, I hear a symphony and I'm swallowed in sound as it echoes through me. And I'm renewed, oh how I feel alive. And through winter's advancing, we'll stay young, go dancing...We'll stay young, go dancing |
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| I'm really into ceilings. |
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| The world will keep on turning, turning. You gotta keep that fire burning, burning! I know you think you're in a hurry, but there's no need to worry, cus I can feel it turning, turning. Our luck is turning around. |
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| Sometimes the dreamers have to wake up, but don't wake me, I'm not dreaming. Don't wake me, I'm not dreaming... |
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| Don't you wanna come with me? Don't you wanna feel my bones on your bones. It's only natural! Come and take a swim with me. Don't you wanna feel my skin on your skin? It's only natural... |
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| Just in case ya'll forgot what I look like |
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| Meet me when I'm in the city. And see everything is so fine. We'll get together now darlin', oh yes we will. We'll make everything alright. Now honey don't, oh honey don't. You got me baby, you got me darling. You got me where you want me baby... |
