Home » Spain » Spain '99

Getting into Barcelona at about 9pm I was delighted to find everything still open (in fact most of it seemed to be just getting moving).

Spain '99

Nickjenkins
2003-11-20 11:41:17

Displayed times (last time: )

Barcelona

Friday, 08 Jan 1999 06:13:56

Getting into Barcelona at about 9pm I was delighted to find everything still open (in fact most of it seemed to be just getting moving). Spain seems much more easy going than Italy. It is also vastly cheaper. The shops seem more familiar, the layout of the streets is similar to home and the people smile at you occasionally. Pickpocketing is apparently a national sport, however, so I will have to be careful with my money.

I've found accommodation in the Kabul Hostel which is described in my guide as "rowdy but pleasant" which it certainly is. This morning I got up to a breakfast of churros con chocolat (donuts and hot chocolate) and am doing some light email (2 hours) and shopping before sight seeing tomorrow.

----------------------------

Valencia, Seville and Grenada

Friday, 08 Jan 1999 06:13:56 PST

Hi from soggy Malaga on the "Costa del no Sol en Enero". From Barcelona we went south and east to Valencia, about half way down the east coast. Valencia is not really a tourist town but is the home of paella and seafood. Consequently we all got food poisoning.

I only suffered a mild bout but my travelling companions were laid low for several days. Valencia was nice enough but the only real tourist attraction, the Cathedral was closed for renovation. Valencia did however give me a chance to do some shopping and practise my faulty Spanish.

Learning a language empirically can have its problems as some of you will know. Just when you think you have the basics mastered, something will jump out and bite you. Take the following example, ordering Tapas in a Seville bar :

NJ : Lets have the chipirones, I think they are like little sausages, a bit like chorizo

- waiter brings food -

...