Gazpacho in Granada

Good call, Amie, on the gazpacho in Granada tip. I´ve found that taking others´ food advice while traveling rarely leads me astray. Travel guide books say to order from the menu del dia (menu of the day). So I naively try to order paella today and was told it requires a minimum of 2 persons. No!! Please don´t tell me this, stab stab to the heart, discrimination to singletons, my rant is going on and on in my head. My crestfallen face must have prompted him to make an exception, yippee! Ok, now I´m happy again, please don´t mess with my food, senor! I take back the discrimination comment.

So I´m normally a big promoter of traveling solo.....I won´t use the term alone because you´re always meeting people. You have to or you´d go insane, like today for instance. I caught myself talking to the tv and I rarely watch tv, I just felt the need to hear other human voices. Plus I told myself I need to listen to Spanish because I´m in dire need of some improvement in that area. I am constantly attempting to engage strangers in conversation but am limited to mostly the present tense while speaking to locals. Really? Where are you from is not enough of an intelligent conversation for you? I went to a bar frequented by locals on my own last night and barely said two words. I tried to order a capirinha and the bartender didn´t understand me so I resorted to cerveza. I think he felt sorry for me when I was at the bar alone and he alone engaged me in conversation, I came to this conclusion after he poured a tiny shot for himself and I. Horror of horrors, I just might have to resort to non-local bars here on out, there never seems to be a shortage of meeting foreigners there. It´s the locals who are so elusive to me right now. My other solution to meeting people seems to be while journeying from place to place whether it´s via plane, train or bus!

So, about the sights, they have all been amazing. I feel so lucky to see so many important religious and architectural sights, this just 1 week into my trip. My Cordoba visit included La Mezquita, the important Islamic site now turned into a catholic cathedral where I just so happened to stay in the Jewish quarter. Wow! Now I´m in Granada, a university party town, home to the famous Alhambra. Another tip from the guide books say you have not lived until you´ve visited The Alhambra. Well, I must say it was beautiful and all but I think I´ll stick to my theory (as previously stated after my trip to Thailand): one has not lived until one has ridden an elephant.

Now food continues to be my favorite exploration....I know you´re thinking nightlife but that´s just a bonus. Anyway, I´m indulging in so many different cuisines here: just ate a doner kebab that was pure bliss. Oh and did I mention the free tapas when you order drinks? I´m all over it!

¿Tomatinos?

Is it possible to visit a quirkier, funkier country? If a festival solely dedicated to throwing tomatoes at people for 1 hour is any indication, I seriously think not.

I am a big fan of Valencia. The buildings are gorgeous and ahhh, the beaches. Spaniards certainly know how to live!! Restaurants and bars serving tapas right on the beach followed by walks along the beach into the wee hours of the night, this practiced by literally all ages. And when visiting, it is imperative to experience the outdoor night clubs near the beach, reminiscent of Miami, so I´ve been told. Me gusta esta lugar!!!

My hostel is quite scary, actually. The location is amazing, very close to the central market, which is the largest produce/meat market in Europe. Moldy smelling towels, a hot room with one measly fan, and construction add immensely to the ambience. But the price is right….only 30 euros!

The next adventure is figuring out where to explore next….Andalucia is on my mind. I´ll try my luck at the train station tomorrow morning and see if I can get to Granada, home of the Alhambra. If not, I´m sure some other adventure will present itself.

(Lukewarm) first impressions of Spain

Finally I am on Spanish soil, I´ve been wanting to visit here for as long as I can remember. Oddly enough, I do not feel as if I´m in a foreign country. There are entirely too many familiar sights: Starbucks, McDonald´s, Sephora and H & M. Or maybe it´s that I understand maybe a quarter of what people around me are saying. I´d prefer to be thrown into a culture and language I do not understand when traveling. That´s so much more exotic, in theory, anyway. Although paying for food (tapas) based on how many toothpicks are left on your plate, now that is a foreign concept.

Bar-the-lona! I prefer to reserve judgment on this city for now since I was only there for 1 jetlagged day and night and surprisingly, it did not overly impress me, which I was expecting based on everything I´d heard. The architecture did impress me, however. Gaudi, Gaudi, everywhere! Not to mention the style and fashion, everyone seems more fashionable than the average American, one only has to look at the shoes to decipher the difference between a European and American. I´ve never seen more varieties and the heels, yowza!! I do believe a Spaniard would not be caught dead in white tennis shoes. I wonder what sort of shoes they wear to work out in. I must admit I was very aware of how uninspiring my flip flops must have appeared!!

When in Spain, it´s imperative to embrace the local practice of a siesta, this I learned my first day. After this lovely tradition, I walked along La Rambla with a handful of locals and half of the tourist population in Barcelona and then, appropriately enough, followed the hordes to eat tapas and drink sangria!! My hostel was conveniently located and would have been perfect had I not experienced a mini heart attack waking up to the A/C unit spitting out ice!! Ahhh, the perils of travel.

I´m now in Valencia, home of the famous oranges, although you can´t tell that from inside this internet cafe. The train ride was made more fun with some Ozzies explaining the merits of tomato throwing and why one must wear swim goggles when participating, but of course! Apparently, there is a tomatino festival where you continuously throw tomatoes at people for 1 hour in a town close to Valencia, Bunol: http://www.spain-info.com/Culture/tomatofight.htm And yesterday was the fateful day!

Valencia itself is charming. Except I would not recommend staying in an industrial park in a suburb for your first night. Although if you make a reservation and they don´t receive it, you just may be lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite. It was bigger than my studio!! Two bathrooms, two tv´s (which I couldn´t figure out how to turn on) and no clock. The latter is an important detail as I conveniently do not have a watch, my watch at home is my cell phone and my cell phone has been abandoned. Non-communicado, ahhh, it´s liberating.....and a total ice breaker. I have asked countless attractive, young men: ¿Que hora es?

Now my stomach is growling, perhaps I will just tell time based on my hunger. Hmmm, yeah, great idea. Tapas time!! Spain awaits!! Hasta luego!