Life in Spain

Our final day in Salamanca starts with a piso tour of rooms not covered in Life in Spain 6 and continues on through the next morning to show what Salamanca is like on the weekends.



--Joey

100th Post

My lil ol' travel blog has finally reached 100 posts. I feel it is particularly apropo that the milestone be reached in the city where I wrote my first post from the road: Barthelona! Thanks to everyone who has read the 99 ramblas in the interrim. Hopefully I have another 100 in me before my backpacking life ends.

Em and I celebrated our last night in Salamanca with a few of our new roommates. We had a pretty delicious Fettucini Alfredo with some veggies. Not knowing exactly how many people would show up, we prepared for a worst case scenario of everyone we invited coming and we low balled the serving size. Consequently our 12 big appetite servings, 18 for normal people, were shared among the 7 of us. Combined with deviled eggs and finished off with my ersatz bananas foster.

So with that we all sat around and chatted before leaving for a few Salamanca bars like La Chupiteria (literally, the shot place), Cubic, and a few others. Around 3am we had to decide whether to stay up, or head back. The train was at 8a, so we had to leave by 7a meaning to pack up required us back at 6a so sleep was either not going to happen or it had to happen right then. Nahhh....

Exhausted, we headed to the train station and bought our ticket to Barcelona. It was about 9 euros per person more than it said on the website for Saturday. The 12 hour train ride ended with an arrival in Estacio Sants the unofficial parliament for the pickpocketing capital of Western Europe. Ironically, it didn't feel like it. It was mostly empty (contrary to the other three times I have seen it) and but among the very few people there were Vb and Sophie who welcomed two weary travelers to the metropolis. Turned out they lived two stops from our hostel off a back alley of Plaça Reál. On day one we headed out to a greek place that offered up some of the best kebabs ever, and afterwards called it an early night.

Adieu,

--Joey

Life in Spain 7



On this Life in Spain vlog, Em and I head to Avila in search of Yemas and a photo I took 2 years ago.

--Joey

Via Libre

I found this place downstairs (literally) from my apartment (47 Gran Via). I have stopped heading to the Plaza Mayor to do my internet-ing. There you pay 1 Euro per hour for a connection on slightly older computers (still a deal, especially given the location). In the past I would spend about two hours there, get a drink and blow between 3-4 euros. In Via Libre, I get a Ca~a of beer for 1,50 then it comes with a tapa (I usually choose Bacalao--the fried and salty fish goes great with a creamy Estrella Galicia), and for an extra 50 cents I get a potato salad. So for 2 euros I can stay all day long and get some food. Most days I spend around 5 euros and get another beer and tapa or two.

Only downside is I wreak of smoke especially after "rush hour" since Gran Via is on a lot of people's way home.

--Joey

Life in Spain 6



On this life in Spain Salamanca celebrates Lunes de Aguas and the return of prostitutes from the banishment during Lent.

Enjoy!

--Joey

Avila's Home Again

I have mentioned on previous blog entries about my favorite untouristed touristy spot in Spain; Avila. Most Iberian bound travelers will be lucky to see it from the window of their train on the way to Salamanca. It is a either a shame or a blessing depending on your point of view. It is nice to be traipsing around 900+ years of history without every fannypack yellow umbrella follower getting in the way of your photos on the other hand, people are missing out on this day trip gem. Meh, I'm selfish I'll keep it the way it is.

The attraction for non Catholics, is the wall--called La Muralla; Avila is also the home to Saint Teresa of Avila. Em and I took the 12:40 train there for about 16 euros roundtrip. For people that like buses, you can do the same for 10. For people traveling with my sister, you spend the extra 6 euros ;)

The wall is roughly 1 km or so from train station so when you pull up you can see from end to end. Very impressive. Having seen this lovely pueblo twice, like a few things I have revisited, the wow wears off a bit. Although that is to be expected. Jokes aren't as funny the second time around and movies dubbed classics make you scratch your head at times.

Disculpe, donde esta 40.653466, -4.696451?

There is something here I wanted to see which is a bit different than most people. Two years ago, I took a photo that turned out by chance to be possibly my favorite of the thousands I have taken. I didn't realize it fully until I dumped it on my computer almost a week later. So one of my goals was to find this place. A tricky task. When I took it, it seemed good but not thinking much of it at the time, I took no steps to think about where exactly it was. I had a vague idea (which turned out to be right) that it was on the back side of the wall or near the back side of the wall.

Em and I wandered for hours looking for the place. I decided that it was probably not going to happen...at least not in time to see it in different light. Because Angela and I passed by at twilight, it is forever foggily sealed in my imagination the way it exists there. Part of me wondered if I wanted to see it any other way. There is something to be said for keeping it as it was in my mind. If I took a better photo with my better camera, would I really want to replace my first one? It wouldn't represent the same feelings or mentality I had when I took it. The photos I plan on hanging on the walls of my future house, should be more than a pretty picture, I want it to represent about that 1/8th of a second of time when it was taken with all the associated feelings and thoughts that went along with it.

We had lunch/dinner at a cafe called Bar Havana (alas no luck finding Cuban food, just burgers) when I noticed they had a few computers. So I jumped on took a look at the photo on my blog, photoed the screen and headed off with new found energy. I think I had seen the top of the cathedral in the background! Sometimes Dad will tell me he has no idea who he is rooting for in a random football game until one team scores or messes up and the outburst is off the cuff. Similarly, I wanted to find this place. No doubt :)


We got a bit turned around and as we found ourselves near a belltower I recognized from last time and we kept poking around the grounds because it looked promising. Having covered it from every angle I was resigned to not finding it again, only this time I knew I was going to be disappointed. More walking up narrow paths up to the wall and I see a familiar arch, with the top of a tree that doesn't appear to belong in Spain. YES! I ran up and as the road bent around I see a hemisphere of stone.

Bingo! Now that I had found it, I wanted to get some more information. If future generations were to do what I have done with my father's photos I would need to get them some details on what and where this is. I now know exactly what it is and EXACTLY where it is ;)

Turns out it is called El Convento de Nuestra Se~ora de Gracias. The street is Cuesta de Gracias and is a stone's throw from the Muralla. I remember Angela telling me she thought the courtyard felt spiritual and I agreed, and then whipped out the camera. The Convent was from the 1980s. Wow, only as old as me? Kind of a metaphysical bummer. A little more research showed that it founded in the 1500s but burned down in the 1700s. In the 200 years that followed it was decided that it should be a national monument. 40 years later it was reconstructed in its present form.

If you decide to take a day trip to Avila from Madrid (or Salamanca), make sure you take the last train back. The wall at night is really pretty.



--Joey

(post out of order*) The Exquiste Mezquita

Our 2nd full day back in Sevilla played a familiar unpunctual tune. It started with me seeing off Hwei and her friends from a night of tapas at Bar Esclava. By the time I saw them off from the bus station and made the long walk back to Santa Cruz and Mendez Pelayo I was pretty beat. I left a note for the Tios at the front desk but it never got to them so when they arrived early the next morning, we sent them along and decided to meet them there on the next train.

The ride there was on a quasi express train that gave the two of us some extra sleeping time. We rendezvoused with them at the bus stop all the tourists use to get to the Mezquita and headed to an open air cafe. The food was awesome which isn't always a guarantee in a centrally located touristy place as most of their patrons are one time visitors.

Their return ticket to Sevilla was three hours afterwards so we had enough time to lunch it up a bit head to the Mezquita courtyard and then send them off. Architecturally the place is pretty interesting, the courtyard is duplicated all over Andalucia. The arches outlining the former mosque feel like a forest of trees. If you align yourself just right, you may not be able to see from one end of the building to another.

We had just enough time to check out the old baths of Cordoba underground. The entrance to the place is non descript but the tour was interesting and worth the price of 1 euro. At the station we jumped on the first train back and purchased our tickets on board. Some of the trains in Spain allow you to do this with out paying anything extra. Really helps with you are pressed for time.

Back at Samay we made some breakfast for dinner and realized that Granny's French Toast is just so much better than ours it is ridiculous. We hung out with some of the typical assortment of travelers you see in the offseason (mostly study-abroad kids on vacation, long term travellers, and Australians). I met a girl who knew Hwei there so I sent some stickers that I had been meaning to give her. Funny how stuff like that works although I am getting somewhat numb to the coincidence thing.

We went back to the Alcazar the next day and did the typical tour pointed out the guy that looks like a colleague of Dad's and headed back to Samay where our Tios' luggage was hanging out under the stairs. They took a cab and went back to Lisbon via that crazy bus journey. We had our own trip the next day, Saturday, to Madrid. It was the same bus that Hwei and her amigas took a few days earlier. We had a really rough night's sleep on a hot humid bus. Around 3a we made a stop at a place called Pedro Abad in the middle of nowhere. So it stood as this neon bathed building in the blackness that extended in every direction to the horizon. Spain is kind of weird that way. I have know idea where the employees that work there actually live (maybe there, for all I know).

At the Madrid bus station there were lots of sleep deprived people awaiting their early morning bus ride to wherever. Once the metro opened Em and I jumped on and headed to Chamartin to take the train to Salamanca. We had 25 minutes for a quick chocolate con churros y cafe con leche breakfast before heading off westward. Without a place to stay, and no way to contact Enforex to get an apartment, we chose a modest pension across from the train station. I told the owner that I didn't want to pay anything over 20 Euros per person, so she scrapped her spiel and showed me a room in her personal apartment saying it was the best she could do. She said there was a huge demand for Semana Santa.

I already wanted to bite this woman. No there wasn't! She just got through showing us 3 rooms all empty! Not only that but Salamanca's Semana Santa didn't start in earnest until Wednesday! I called bullshit. Okay 18 per. She then asked us where we were staying. I told her I think we are looking for an apartment. "Oh I have another apartment in Salamanca...It is much nicer than this one". For the mere cost of 15 euros per night per person. I told her that was ridiculous, because on a monthly basis that was almost a 1000 euros. She answered with that includes electricity and water which is very expensive in Spain. She also said that because we were students we would be using a lot of electricity because we would have a light on to study a lot.

Seriously, incisors to molars from her lower eye to upper chin respectively. I was too tired to figure out how the reflexive nature of joder would apply to her so I just nodded dismissively and told her we were ready to sleep. She said we would be lucky to find anything for under 850. Yeah okay. We could have rented an entire four bed room apartment for that price...one a hell of a lot more central than hers. I really don't like people talking to me like I am a 3 year old and if you are going to BS me, please do it on a subject other than electricity.

Em's first impressions of Salamanca were pretty positive. The Plaza Mayor, in contrast to my last time here, was full of people enjoying a lazy Sunday in temperatures that could allow it to happen. The weather is described by locals as "Nueve meses de invierno y tres meses de infierno" or "9 months of winter and 3 of hell". We are in the overlap between our last month of winter and hell apparently because it is pretty much gorgeous here. Blue skies and 75/50 Max/Min temps daily.

So you can now resume normal viewing :)

--Joey

*This will be moved to it's proper place in the timeline after a month or so, if you need to find it, it will be in March 2008 :)