This morning sucks. I woke up at 4:15am to walk Valerie to her bus stop, then returned at 5am to sleep for a couple hours before waking up to pack. Five churros and a couple cups of coffee and I'm off to catch my train to Sevilla. It leaves at 11am and I'm off with no problems. When I get off the train I'm in disbelief. I knew it would be hot. I had been checking the weather for weeks. I didn't think it would really be 110+.
This is ridiculous.
After walking the wrong direction for a while I finally stop to ask for directions and got back on track. I walked back to the train station and around the town for another 20 minutes before coming to my hostel. Along the way I took it all in: the beautiful Spanish architecture mixed with Moorish style, the white buildings, and the beautiful bell towers. At the hostel in relieved to be out of the heat. Seeing my name on the blackboard welcoming me to the hostel was a nice touch, too. I settle in for a few minutes and sit down next to a guy that doesn't say much. Shortly after a couple blonde girls sit down across from me and we get to talking. They're from Germany and they've just came from Portugal. They'll be making dinner soon and ask if I'd like to join. I say I would, but I'll have to get groceries first. They ask the guy next to me what his name is. He doesn't say anything. I try again in Spanish.
"Vicente."
He's from France but studied in Mexico. An interesting combination if you ask me. We all talk for a little bit before I go to the store to get groceries. I come back with pasta, olives, and tomatoes. The girls needed tomatoes and I offered to get them while I was out. I used some for my sauce as well. I sit down and I'm soon joined by the German girls. Vicente comes over too. He's found someone who speaks Spanish and now he won't leave me alone. I eat while we all talk. My meal is delicious. The chopped olives are incredible. I'm so proud of my little meal, it came together quite nicely. After we eat we all head out on the free walking tour at 6:40.
At night the weather is a little more bearable. We walk around the Giralda Catedral, Reales Alcázares (the palace), the narrow alleyways in the old Jewish district, and end at the town hall. It takes a few hours and we are all hot and exhausted. We head back to the hostel and get there at 9pm. There's free sangria at the hostel from 8:30p to 9:30p.
Perfect.
There's definitely a reason The Garden Hostel has been voted as one of the world's top three hostels three years in a row. The free sangria might have something to do with it. We all hang out on the patio for a few hours before all moving out on a pub crawl. Like most others, this pub crawl starts with a few bars and ends at a discotecha. This one has a little more walking involved that the others though. Along the way I stop constantly to take photographs.
"The buildings have a different spirit in the night" Tamara would have said.
I would have agreed. After a few bars and a few "Terminator" shots we're on our way to the discotecha. I'm so tired though and it's almost two. I will myself on. A few minutes later a girl starts walking with me. Her name is Petra and she's from Austria. She's got short blonde hair. I tell her about the festival in Villach. She pronounces it "Feelak." I tell her about the lederhosen and the traditional dresses. She tells me she wears hers twice a year.
Too cool.
When we get to the discotecha we go outside and sit down. I'm exhausted. I'm basically asleep with my head buried in my hands as I talk to her.
"Wake up."
Oops. What a jerk I am..
We get up and head inside. She orders a drink. I order a Red Bull. I'll not be falling asleep here. We go back outside and talk a while longer before leaving. She's couch surfing around the corner so I walk her home before returning to the hostel. I crawl into bed at 4am. I'm not sure I like this late-night habit. I'll need a siesta if I do this again.
This is ridiculous.
After walking the wrong direction for a while I finally stop to ask for directions and got back on track. I walked back to the train station and around the town for another 20 minutes before coming to my hostel. Along the way I took it all in: the beautiful Spanish architecture mixed with Moorish style, the white buildings, and the beautiful bell towers. At the hostel in relieved to be out of the heat. Seeing my name on the blackboard welcoming me to the hostel was a nice touch, too. I settle in for a few minutes and sit down next to a guy that doesn't say much. Shortly after a couple blonde girls sit down across from me and we get to talking. They're from Germany and they've just came from Portugal. They'll be making dinner soon and ask if I'd like to join. I say I would, but I'll have to get groceries first. They ask the guy next to me what his name is. He doesn't say anything. I try again in Spanish.
"Vicente."
He's from France but studied in Mexico. An interesting combination if you ask me. We all talk for a little bit before I go to the store to get groceries. I come back with pasta, olives, and tomatoes. The girls needed tomatoes and I offered to get them while I was out. I used some for my sauce as well. I sit down and I'm soon joined by the German girls. Vicente comes over too. He's found someone who speaks Spanish and now he won't leave me alone. I eat while we all talk. My meal is delicious. The chopped olives are incredible. I'm so proud of my little meal, it came together quite nicely. After we eat we all head out on the free walking tour at 6:40.
At night the weather is a little more bearable. We walk around the Giralda Catedral, Reales Alcázares (the palace), the narrow alleyways in the old Jewish district, and end at the town hall. It takes a few hours and we are all hot and exhausted. We head back to the hostel and get there at 9pm. There's free sangria at the hostel from 8:30p to 9:30p. Perfect.
There's definitely a reason The Garden Hostel has been voted as one of the world's top three hostels three years in a row. The free sangria might have something to do with it. We all hang out on the patio for a few hours before all moving out on a pub crawl. Like most others, this pub crawl starts with a few bars and ends at a discotecha. This one has a little more walking involved that the others though. Along the way I stop constantly to take photographs.
"The buildings have a different spirit in the night" Tamara would have said.
I would have agreed. After a few bars and a few "Terminator" shots we're on our way to the discotecha. I'm so tired though and it's almost two. I will myself on. A few minutes later a girl starts walking with me. Her name is Petra and she's from Austria. She's got short blonde hair. I tell her about the festival in Villach. She pronounces it "Feelak." I tell her about the lederhosen and the traditional dresses. She tells me she wears hers twice a year.
Too cool.
When we get to the discotecha we go outside and sit down. I'm exhausted. I'm basically asleep with my head buried in my hands as I talk to her.
"Wake up."
Oops. What a jerk I am..
We get up and head inside. She orders a drink. I order a Red Bull. I'll not be falling asleep here. We go back outside and talk a while longer before leaving. She's couch surfing around the corner so I walk her home before returning to the hostel. I crawl into bed at 4am. I'm not sure I like this late-night habit. I'll need a siesta if I do this again.
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