Las Aventuras De Navidad - Part 1

Christmas is a time that must be spent surrounded by family and friends. Unfortunately, being on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean will create a slight problem with this last statement. I was extremely nervous as to how I was going to spend my Christmas holidays here in Spain. In actually I was able to spend my holidays with both facts coming to fruition.

For Christmas Eve, I was invited to enjoy a traditional Sevillano style family Christmas Eve dinner that was delectable. I was invited to enjoy Christmas Dinner by Lufrez, the lady who owns the language academy I teach at part-time.  I have never had so much seafood as a celebratory meal. The most memorable dish from the meal was a platter of whole shrimp. The plate itself was so simple, but the perfect cooking of the shrimp and the unrivalled freshness made me melt in my seat. I wish I had taken photos, but the food did not stay on my plate long enough for me to take a photo. After the meal, we sat down to play a game of scrabble. This was extremely comforting to me as I love playing cards or boardgames during family celebrations. Even after being an 'expert' in all things English, I still got beat (bad).

Christmas day was pretty uneventful, although it was a day brimming with anticipation. It was a day for me to pack my bags and anxiously finalize my plans for my next adventure. I was packing my bag in preparation to head to Madrid and meet my cousin and two friends who were arriving in Madrid ready see and explore the best the Europe has to offer. 

Upon picking up my cousin Pier-Luc (PL), Tommy and Vincent from the Madrid airport we dropped off our bags at the hostel and went off to discover Madrid with no time to spare. Without even a moment to sit down and catch ones breath we were off discovering the city as much as possible. In one day we visited the Prado Art Museum, the Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art, and Retiro park. These accomplishments have officially put us in the ranks of All-Star tourists, and this was just the first day. 

Retiro Park at sundown.

PL and Tommy showing that a 7 hour flight can't slow them down!

Unfortunately, our visit to Madrid was over almost as quickly as it begun. After only two nights we packed up our backpacks and made our way to the train station to catch the Ave High Speed train towards Barcelona. 

After crawling into the train at an unholy hour in the morning, we were finally off towards the Catalan capital. This city saw some massive changes due to it hosting the Olympics and being a city packed with history, culture, and especially art. If the city wasn't so massive, and spread out, it would be an ideal city for anyone.

The rear facade

After arriving in town, we promptly got lost and went to the completely wrong hostel, and decided we needed 4km of extra walking exercise. I don't care what people say, if you need to lose a few pounds, just get lost in a massive city. Once finally reaching our hostel we completely nullified any benefits we gained by replacing that lost weight with cheap corner store wine. Meh, we could be doing a lot worse. The Catalan/Irish bar was a great time. The wallet definitely felt thinner leaving, but it was all worth it to see Tom and Vincent take a few extra whiskey shots as penance after we wiped the floor with them at darts. The Moreau cousins (PL and I) make an unstoppable team.

The next morning we decided it would be smarter to see the city on rented bicycles. What an excellent idea! Touring a city with a hangover is much better sitting down. We started with the quintessential Barcelona attraction, the Sagrada Familia. What a sight. As this was my second time seeing the church, I knew what was in store, although still an extraordinary sight to see! Walking through the doors of Antonio Gaudi's crown jewel, you can't help but just stand in awe of the grandeur of it all. Just to think oh how meticulously everything was designed and planned is just mind-blowing. They also had some fantastic benches to help stave off the dizziness that sets in from looking up too much. Once we had sufficiently discovered the majestic structure, we set out to continue discovering Barcelona on our bikes.

Nice lighted view of the pillars designed to look like tree trunks.

The ominous view down the middle

Vince was just happy to be outside after a while!

Before we knew it we had biked by some of the most important sights in Barcelona and seen most of the historic and downtown core. It is a marvellous city and I can't sing its praises enough. Just before packing things in for the night we  stopped at the beach and took in the view of the Mediterranean. Nothing rivals the tranquil sound of the waves softly coming in from the sea. The calm that can come over you from just listening and watching in silence can really make for a surreal moment. Although, it was time to head back and prepare for our flight to Rome the next morning. On the way back to our hostel we decided to stop and enjoy another Kebab. For taste and value, there is nothing better. It our second kebab stop of the day, and it most certainly wasn't our last! No matter where in Europe you go, you will be able to find tasty Doner Kebab at a great value. 

Ok, all for now. I will be updating you all on the second half of the adventure that took us to Rome, back to Seville for a short rest (if you can call it that) and then to an unforgettable stop back in Portugal. 

Hasta pronto! Talk to you soon.