(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!