Relaxing Weekend in Lagos .... Not

So as the title says, this trip during the first long weekend of November was for the explicit intention of getting out of Seville to relax a little and recharge for the home stretch before the Christmas break.

Haha was I wrong on that account. I guess I should have seen the writing on the wall when I booked the hostel in Lagos and it was very highly rated due to its, "social atmosphere." Little did I know that this meant a hostel manager who always had a strong drink in his hand and was ready to start a party at any moment.

So, ever since my trip to Lisbon, I have really wanted to visit Portugal again, and the Algarve region of southern Portugal was circled on my map. Therefore I paid the small price to take a 3 hour bus towards Lagos Portugal, and was looking forward to relaxing by the beach and sleeping in for a long as possible.

Upon arrival to this small hostel I was greeted by this man with a grin that didn't leave for the whole time I was a guest in his establishment. He then proceeded to tell me that since I can't check into my room until 5pm I should hop on a bus and head to the most western point in southern Portugal, Sagres. So that's exactly what I did, and an hour later I witnessing some truly breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean in all its vastness. I was also informed that open alcohol in public was legal, so I felt I could be cheeky and drink a Sagres beer by the water in Sagres (as you will see below).

Having a Sagres in Sagres. I am the coolest, I know.

After making my way back to the hostel, from Sagres, I was introduced to the other guests staying at the hostel for the night. Since the hostel was quite small, there were only about 10-15 of us in total which is likely what contributed to us becoming a large family for the three days we were together.

The Sagres point. Closest I will get to Canada without being there!

So within this group of people there were two guys from the States working in the same capacity that I am, one in Granada, and the other in Seville and coincidentally lives just up the road from me here in Seville. There was also a vibrant quartet of ladies from Montreal, here on a vacation travelling around Portugal/Spain. Finally, there were two guys from Australia, in there late 20s/early 30s who were also on a vacation doing a complete Euro-trip. One of the guys from Australia was an astounding photographer and had an amazing eye for photos, so from that point on I put my little camera away and let Rob take the rest of the photos for the weekend. I, therefore, also have to give Rob full credit for all the photos you will see for the rest of this post.

After getting to know my newfound friends, we hit the Lagos bars and enjoyed ourselves before waking up and having one of the best hikes I have ever been on.

The next morning (ok afternoon technically) Hugo, with hard cider in hand, led us down the coastline for an extraordinary afternoon hike to a remote beach that offered the best sunset I have ever seen in my life. With the sun and, the relatively warm afternoon heat, we were even able to get into our skivvies and go for a nice november swim in the ocean before the sun started to set.

Now describing the sunset that I saw would just not do it justice so I have decided to just put a few photos below so that you will get a good idea of the majesty we witnessed.

Being a good Spaniard and practicing my siesta skills in Portugal.

what we say throughout the whole hike.

Just amazing seeing these formations everywhere. Just astounding beauty at every turn. 

Rob caught me contemplating life again. 

Not bad eh?

I like how Rob managed to capture the fun of the scene on my glasses. 

The gang posing for an artsy photo.

It's incredible how little it takes for complete strangers to be changed into lifelong friends. 

OK, last artsy photo. 

Lagos coastline, just past sunset. 

The remaining day was just one to recover, say our goodbyes, and travel back to Seville in order to prepare for the routine once again. Although, one of my favourite parts of the routine is being able to plan my nest trip.

Hasta Luego, until the next time!    

Segovia & Toledo

So right from the start I have to express how sorry I am for taking close to two months to post new content. Things have been extremely busy over the Holidays. There were a lot of students who needed my knowledge imparted unto them, and I also had to do a lot of travelling so that I can amass content for all of you!

Well, to begin things off. In the first weekend of November I was surprised by my good friend who I had travelled to Morocco with on one of my first trips that I did while living in Spain.  So naturally we decided to go on an adventure and see some of the smaller cities around Madrid during the school's religious holidays that allowed me to have a five day weekend!

Therefore we got onto the Renfe high-speed train and made out way towards Madrid to catch another train to our first destination of Segovia. The city known for its ancient Roman aqueduct that intersects the downtown core. 

Upon arrival it was a city that was one I knew I wanted to get lost in while wandering the winding streets. As it was November, and the tourist season was dead, we felt like the only tourists in the city, and it offered us some of Segovia's main monuments and middle aged castles as private visits. It almost felt eery walking through these places where it was rarer to see another tourist, rather than some memento to the spanish inquisition era by the catholic church. 

David and I spent a total of two days (plus a travel day getting us from Seville all the way to Segovia) in Segovia, and thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we were able to enjoy this small city at our own pace, without the distraction of other groups of tourists. Below are some of my favourite pictures from Segovia. After we had tired of Segovia, it was time to make haste towards the next fortified city on our list, Toledo!

David and I in front of the Roman Aqueduct as we arrive in the city. 

A nice side view of the Aqueduct to show truly how long this marvel of Roman ingenuity is. 

Fountains are pretty cool

Where the ancient ruler of Segovia once sat. What I aspire my office to look like one day!

the beautiful skyline of Segovia with the massive cathedral in the foregorund. 

me showing off the spanish flag at the top of the Segovia walls overlooking the cathedral.

Where do I go from here?!

Now a city just about an hour south of Madrid, by train, is Toledo. This was one of the homes of the great Spanish author, Cervantes, and his influence was evident all over the city. It was truly a city that has embraced and perpetuated its proud medieval history. Everywhere I turned, I was either looking at the ancient fortified walls, the castles that litter the skyline or the expertly laid cobblestone walkways that lay under foot. This was also a city that was currently lacking an influx of tourists which continued to be a refreshing change for David and I. We therefore took full advantage of this and saw all the sights and sounds that Toledo had to offer.

My fondest memory of Toledo had to be when David and I had had enough of walking around all day, and playing tourist, that we decided to walk into a very local looking stone tavern. We sat down at the bar and were quickly greeted by a seasoned barman who gave off a sense that he had spent a good part of his life behind that bar. It was a role he was born to own. We decided to divert off the game-plan and order two glasses of fine red wine which to our pleasant surprise quenched our thirst in a way we thought wasn't possible. We were also surprised by a small plate of tasty tapas that is served with every drink while at a bar in Toledo. Due to these stated reasons David and I stayed for 3, or probably 4 glasses of excellent local wine and enjoyed each others' company while in a city full of character and surprises at every turn.

Unfortunately the niños were calling and it was time to head back to Seville to educate the next generation of Sevillanos and Sevillanas on the joys of the French and English language.
Until next time, and next trip.

Thanks again for reading and enjoy the following pictures that I took while exploring Toledo.

A statue of Cervantes in front the main historical gate to Toledo.

The front of the cathedral in Toledo. I think the only cathedral that rivalled in size to this one was the cathedral in Seville (just massive buildings!!!)

The old roman bridge that helped to guard the ancient fortified city. 

A skyline shot of toledo, because skyline shots are extremely artsy and cultured.

Acquiring knowledge in the courtyard of the Toledo cathedral.