The Future, Spain Style

The Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias in Valencia

Well it was a rough transition from Granada to Valencia, but after a day, I got back on track with things! I was a walking mess last Thursday when I got off the bus - midnight in an unfamiliar city, no place to stay, a throbbing headache and running nose, and a swollen arm from mosquito bites. The swollen arm was the result of sleeping with my left arm pressed up against the tent "wall" (an admittedly poor term for something that offers little to no protection from the outside), which was undoubtedly to the pleasure of the local culicidae population. It turns out that upwards of forty bites in a concentrated area causes the body to react with intense swelling. So along with a terrible itching problem, I looked to be carrying one of the Elephant Man's digits at my side. In spite all of this, after a few circuitous loops in downtown Valencia I managed to find a hostel.

I wasn't in too much of a rush to get out the next day, but I went scouting in the afternoon and wound up at the central marketplace - a really cool spot. Valencia is also home to the Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias, which was built about a decade ago in an effort to turn the city into more than just a major industrial center. There was some great architecture that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Star Trek set. The parks around here also had some interesting characters - namely the BMX riders and the "hitchhiking" skull.

Bridge at the Ciudad

Detail of the bridge reflected on mosaic tiles

BMX at a nearby park

Didn't quite get the focus right on this one.....

Something interesting happend to me that Friday when I was looking for a restaurant. So I walk up to this place - it's completely empty because it's only 9:00, too early to eat dinner for any serious Spaniard - and wait in the entryway. This guy who is sitting in the alleyway smoking starts talking to me and I fumble to answer him in Spanish, but I manage to get a seat - turns out he works here. He asks me if I want an english menu and I say sure. I get the menu and start browsing and it's definitely not in english, but it's not spanish either, it actually looks like italian to me but I don't think that can be right - maybe it's a local dialect? Well, it actually was italian I found out later and the restaurant was french cuisine - so I was in Spain, expecting english, reading italian, and eating French food.....very confusing. 

Grathias Valenthia!

What does Euro-camping mean? Capris baby! (Or at least improvised ones)

 Four days of Granada are now over, to give way to four days in Valencia (that is 'Va-len-thi-a' for whatever thupid reason). Not only is it easy to pick me out as a tourist because of my appearance or minimal spanish speaking ability, but the lisp-thing they have going on here is killing me! 

Thank you guys for the feedback on the blog, it's been great hearing from you! However, it has been brought to my attention by one avid reader that I am not writing in the same way that I speak, and so, in his honor, I composed a sonnet about my experiences in Granada to further exacerbate him - Luke this is for you:

Granada I would fain wish to compose,

A lyric tune, which fear shall not compare,

Thou endless wonders, plentiful repose.

Alas! Mosquito fiends my nerves do wear.

Do not tarry in the outskirts unless,

Concrete slab and steel thou heart desire.

Straight to Alhambra! Fit for a princess.

Gardens, emerald, set my heart a-fire!

Twilight brews, sardinas fritas, braised meat

Enjoy! Hunger knows not a home with thou,

To partake in all dishes is a feat! 

My heart is glum for 'tis adios now.

To be a guest, something beyond measure,

Whence I return shall be utmost pleasure!

Mi casita

A house in Bobadilla, (small town on the outskirts of Granada)

Not quite sure what this is doing here....

Bobadilla bus stop

I think you have a cassette painted on your face....

The market in el centro

Flamenco guitar in the cathedral square

Inside the Puerta de la Justicia (Alhambra)

Walking towards the Alcazar

View from the inside of the Alcazar

View of Granada 

The Palacio Generalife

Some cool masonry

One of the many gardens

Detail from inside Palacio Generalife

I couldn't believe how intricate this stuff was!

This was my favorite part of the Generalife, a carved and inlaid wood ceiling

Goodbye Madrid, Hello Granada

I wasn't aware that it was possible to look like an old man where you're only 4 years into life but this photo at the Reina Sofia Museum proved me wrong

It has been a long time since Wednesday! But now that I've set up camp in Granada (and when I say in, I do mean that the campsite is actually in the city - only in Europe would they think it's a good idea to camp next to a highway) it seemed like a good time to let you guys know what I've been up to.

I don't remember experiencing jet lag last time I was in Europe, but this time around I'm getting hit by it full force. An early bed time on Wednesday night (-10:00 PM) led to me waking up at 11:30 AM the next day! I thought my watch was wrong but turns out I just slept like there was no tomorrow (haha get it?). I did finally manage to make my way downstairs and have some hostel provided breakfast before setting out into the city. The first stop of the day was the Reina Sofia, which is Madrid's contemporary art museum. My main reason for wanting to go was Picasso's "Guerica" which was incredible and really really massive! Although it turns out photographs are not allowed in this room, a fact that security so kindly notified me just as I was taking this shot (I was so pleased to be informed of this that a took a couple more when they walked off).

Reina Sofia: the "Off Limits to Photos" section

Another place that I visited that day was the Parque del Retiro (the Central Park of Madrid) which houses monuments like the Palacio de Cristal and the Palacio de Velazquez. I also came across these people blowing giant bubbles.

Parque del Retiro

Buuuuuuu.........

.......uuuuuuuuuu.......

....uuuuubles!

Palacio de Cristal

My last day in Madrid was actually spent about 70km to the southwest, in the town of Toledo, which used to be part of the Roman and Moor empires until it came under Spanish rule. I opted not to go into places like the cathedral and the Alcazar, in favor of wandering the cobbled streets to see what I could find. I had heard that it was also interesting to view the city from afar, in order to see the entire thing at once. I trekked across the river and circumvented the town via the opposite bank. The long, hot walk was totally worth the subsequent sunburn (handy to keep sunscreen with you and not in your bathroom kit back at the hostel) and exhaustion of my water supply.

The walk up to old Toledo from the bus station, or as I like to say "el estacion del autobus!"

This is Spain, not New Mexico, right?

You know it's hot when.......even the cacti are looking puny

The cathedral in Toledo

Detail on the side of the cathedral

Detail of of the Toledo city doors

Toledo from afar

After that it was back to the bus station and to Madrid. The countryside that surrounds Madrid is remarkably similar to that of the drive between Deming and Lordsburg......not attractive. Needless to say, I did not feel guilty napping while the barren countryside passed by. Since it was my last night in the big city, I first treated myself to dinner at El Fogon de Trifon where I had rabo de toro (a spanish take on osso buco) and sweet olive cheesecake. By the end of the meal, I'd met the owner, with whom I'd made friends and received a Spanish lesson from. When I was finished eating dessert, he brought me a liqueur "de la casa" as his treat. I can't say that it was my favorite flavor (it tasted like alcoholic, sour apple jolly ranchers) but I appreciated it all the same.  

Later that night I met up with a few friends I'd made at the hostel for a night out: John from Ireland, Tosin from Turkey, Derek from Toronto, Rose from Melbourne, Andrea from Virginia, and Eric from Alaska (who was much to my consternation not at all impressed by me knowing people from Kodiak). We didn't leave the hostel until after 11:30 but this didn't prove to be an obstacle as the bars don't even get going in Spain until 12:00-1:00! By the time we got back to the hostel at 4:30 we had been all over the city, a lot of it on foot because the metro closed at 2:00. The group was great and it was hilarious to decipher what everyone was saying through their accents as the night went on. 

Unfortunately, a night like that turns a reasonable checkout time of 11:30 the following morning into quite a hassle but I managed to pull it off with three minutes to spare. After a quick trip to the bus station and a 5 hr bus ride I made it to Granada. I haven't been into the centro yet but I'm planning on spending the next couple of days here so I'll have plenty of time to explore! 

Madrid: City of Tapas and....Golden Space Pedestrians?

Alright this wasn't the first thing that I saw in Spain but you can understand my fascination....
I've been here 9hrs and learned a couple of things:
1) I packed too much stuff.
2) Two years of high school Spanish? Too far in the past to be of much help.
3) Metros rock.
4) So do Tortillas Español.
5) When you get tired of looking at old buildings, don't panic - just start people watching.

Aren't those hats great? I'm trying to find out where I can pick one up before leaving Madrid. 

Until next time!