My Mountain Retreat

Tuesday, 28th August '12
This is the day I leave Spain, on my long journey to Vienna! I planned stops along the way, to break up the journey. I didn't want to arrive suicidal from non-stop train rides.

I left relatively early on Tuesday hoping, you know, Madrid being the capital of Spain and all, that I could book my tickets within France. Alas, no dice. I was told I'd have to try in Barcelona... and then I get on my train to Barcelona.

While sitting, some guy comes up to me and asks me if I'm in the right seat. I show him on my ticket I am, and he shrugs it off and sits somewhere else. I later learn, I am in the right seat... on the wrong train. I accidentally got on the train one hour before the one I was meant to take. MY BAD. Luckily I didn't get fined or anything, but I felt like an idiot.

No luck booking tickets in Barcelona. I chatted with Sam most of the break and then finally after a few hours headed through to Beziers! I was picked up at the station by family friends, Hans and Jeanette and we all grabbed some dinner.

They live about 1.5 hours drive inland from Beziers, literally on the top of a mountain. We didn't arrive till midnight.

Wednesday, 29th August '12
This place is beautiful. Honestly beautiful. It's super remote, and they live on a huge farm on the top of a mountain. They have a super cute home, and they're remodelling the whole home room by room. Hans has made almost all the modifications himself. They do all their own plastering, tiling, carpentry etc. It's so impressive!!!

Madrid, Spain [Part 2]

Sunday, 26th August '12

I'm writing this on the 30th Aug, so I can't remember a lot of the details.

I went to the Sofia-Reina museum and whizzed through that super quick. It was a whole heap of modern art stuff that I'm super not bothered with. Though did take a few pics of some things I did find interesting. I also saw Guernica by Picasso, but no photos. Bastards.

Then went on to the Museo del Prado. I wasn't allowed to take photos there, so no images from there. The remaining day was spent squeeing over gyoza and watching MLG.

Madrid, Spain [Day 1]

Saturday, 25th August '12 
I arrived in the afternoon yesterday and spent most of the day in the hostel. At night I hung out with a guy I met in Barcelona who's teaching English here. We went to a few bars etc, but there wasn't much open so we just ended up walking around for a while.

I woke up quite late today, having come home late that morning. Slept until about midday. Once ready, I decided what I would go visit that day, and looked at the map and marked where I would go and in what order. I had some breakfast at Starbucks near Plaza de Espana.

Right near there was the Royal Palace. I actually think it's one of my favourites of all the ones I've been to so far. It wasn't nearly as crowded as the other places, the rooms didn't feel cluttered and overworked, everything seemed to be in perfect harmony and balance. It was also full of bright colours and beautiful mirrors and the fresco ceilings in every single room blew my mind. I wasn't allowed to take photos inside... but I snuck a few! 

From the Royal Palace I walked over to the Catedral de la Almudena. It was very clean and almost... modern looking. Inside and out. I prefered the outside, found the inside to be a bit bare. A little boring compared to a lot of the churches I've been to so far. Though, I quite enjoyed the super colourful ceilings. 

From there, I walked through to Plaza Mayor. Not entirely sure what's so great about it, but I saw it and took a few pictures of it and of the road on the way. It was pretty and had lots of restaurants, but nothing overly special I thought. 

Walked to the city centre, Sol, and took a metro train to Plaza de Cibeles. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Art was in the same vicinity so I decided to pay it a visit. It was around 4pm, and I still had a bit of energy. Not quite so much afterwards, but it was definitely worth it.

I wasn't allowed to take photos and they were super strict here, with guards everywhere, so I couldn't get away with it. But I found a new artist I was a big fan of, Thomas Cole. There was one painting there that was  beautiful. 

Seville, Spain [Part 2]

 From top left: Palace Lebrija, Casa de Pilatos

Bottom left: Church misc, Royal Alcazar 

Thursday, 23rd August '12
Following day was, thankfully, not as hot as the day before. Of course, don't let that fool you. I still returned to the hostel sweating the ocean out of my body.

I spent the day walking all about on my own. I noted down list of about four places I wanted to visit. I managed to get to them all, and they were all beautiful and worthwhile in their own way. I can't pronounce or remember the name of any of the places I went to. To google.

Ok, so in order, I went to The Lebrija Palace, some random church, Real Alcazar and the Casa de Pilatos.

Seville, Spain [Part 1]

Wednesday, 22nd August '12
I did a walking tour this day. I tried to speak with a couple of the people on the tour, but they were all preoccupied with friends/partners etc. They were also a lifeless crowd and our Italian guide tried his best... with limited success. I blame the heat, it was too hot to try to be funny. It also didn't help that most people's first language was French and his was Italian.

Anyway, the walking tour gave a good overview of a lot of the places, but we didn't get much time at any of the places before we were told to move on. I guess the guide was aware of how hot it was and how hotter it was going to become, so he tried to do it as soon as possible.

We went to so many places and I didn't catch the name of basically anywhere I went. So just enjoy the pictures and use your imagination.

 Tallest Building in Sevilla (until some bank skyscraper is finished)... It's a Moorish bell tower, left from the original Mosque that was here before the Catholics came and took over. 

Granada, Spain [Part 2...a]

Monday, 20th August '12 - The Cathedral
After seeing the Alhambra, I trekked on over to the Cathedral. It was closed. AGAIN. But only because of the siesta, so I whiled away an hour and a half at the hostel and then went back and finally, finally got to go inside.

I didn't really have any expectations and I think, because of this, I was astounded by the inside. It was gaudy rococo insanity! Super epic shit. I think it's amazing to look at this stuff, but everytime I do, it makes me angry inside thinking about how the catholic church does everything it can to help eliminate poverty and feed the hungry. Etc. And by that, I mean, they spent their money instead on elaborate cathedrals, where every available surface is gilded with gold and shit. I mean, for reals bro? For reals?

All that pious, helping the poor garbage, I call bullshit. 

Granada, Spain [Part 2]

My walk on up to the Alhambra, early in the morning.

Sunday, 19th August '12
I spent most of Sunday walking around Granada. Walked to the train station to reserve seats etc and then walked again down to the cathedral. Every time I walked past the Cathedral I tried to get in but each time it was close.. I'm assuming for mass. It being a Sunday and all.

I took pictures, but they're mainly repeats of the day before, so I won't bother posting them.

Monday, 20th August '12 - The Alhambra
Being the disorganised person that I am I never booked a ticket to see the Alhambra. That being said, I had to wake up at the unholy hour of 6am to make my merry way on over to ensure I would get a ticket. I leave the hostel, and genuinely, it is still pitch dark. There's barely anybody on the streets. I'd planned to get the bus up the gigantic hill, but it's a cool morning and I think I have time, so I take a leisurely stroll up a massive ass mountain. Spain. Taking care of my yearly exercise quota in days. My thighs are burning and I eventually make it to the ticket box and the queue is already massive. It's now, what, 7am? I get my ticket at approx 9:40am. Just so you understand how long I had to wait.

I arrive at the ticket office... and it costs me 13 Euro for the day ticket. I have 12 Euros and some loose bronze change. I had to beg the guy next to me to give me money. Oh god, it was so embarrassing and I would have died if I'd waited for so long and couldn't buy a ticket.

Anyway the lovely gentleman gave me a 2 euro coin with no fuss at all. My visit for the palace was scheduled for 1pm.

I spent about 3 hours wondering around the gardens and the small little... houses... I dunno what they're called, but anyway. It was just a mass of pretty. Pretty gardens everywhere. Amazing moorish masonry. I've never been to anything like it before. First time I even heard of moorish achitecture, I'm a fan.

Now comes the onslaught of pictures I took. So many pictures. There were also stray cats everywhere, and I found a really cute docile little one that I took pictures of.

Granada, Spain [Part 1]

Saturday, 18th August '12
Woke up this morning around 11 and walked around Granada for most of the day. I had a delicious full english at a cafe near my hostel.

From there, I found a tourist office and essentially walked the entire path a lady there told me to do. First I walked past the Cathedral, I didn't go in, and then walked on through Sacremonte. I got so lost, and wasn't even sure what I was looking for. Turns out for about an hour, I just walked around a random neighbourhood, looking for caves that I don't even know what.

I didn't know this when I walked through there, but Sacremonte is a unique Roma neighbourhood and apparently gypsies still live in the cave and try to demand money from you when you try to go in them. A girl at the hostel said, and I quote, "I wouldn't want to go their on my own." So, I consider myself lucky.

Afterwards my leisurely stroll took me through the centre of the town, I saw lots of pretty buildings, not entirely sure what they were (other than pretty) and made my way back to the hostel.