Spain & France May 1998

May 15, 1998 - June 2, 1998

This was my first trip outside of the United States.
Selena, Trevor and I went on a vacation to Madrid, Alicante and Barcelona, Spain and Marseille and Paris, France.
I had such a wonderful time on this trip with Selena and Trevor...it will never be forgotten!!!!

We arrived in Madrid on May 16 and started by visiting a friend of Selena's who was studying there.

This is what I wrote in my notebook about the trip:

Madrid
16/05 - Found a hostel, ate at "Bar Cruz", made dinner at Grant's house
17/05 - Went to Retiro Park - the largest urban park in Europe
18/05 - Went to Reina Sofia Art Museum - saw Guernica by Picasso
19/05 - Walked around Madrid, went to Plaza Mayor and at night went to a Jazz Club

Alicante
20/05 - Took a train to Alicante (4hrs.), found a hostel, walked along the beach
21/05 - Went to the beach all day (I got burnt), we met Al from Algeria who was Croatian and supposedly spoke 6 languages but didn't speak English
22/05 - Went to Santa Barbara Castle, walked along and relaxed on the beach
23/05 - Took a 1/2hr. boat ride to Tabarca Island, went to a bar at night and when the song "You Can Leave Your Hat On" came on an old man got up on a bar stool and danced while taking off ALL his clothes just leaving a hat on!!!

Barcelona
24/05 - Took the bus to Barcelona (8hrs.), found a hostel, walked around the city
25/05 - Went to El Corte Ingles, walked along Las Ramblas, went to Santa Maria del Mar Church, went to The Cathedral - Catedral de la Santa Creu
26/05 - Went to the beach, took the train to Marseille (10hrs.) - it was funny trying to buy the train tickets!!! The vendor didn't understand what I was saying in Spainish when I was telling him we where wanted to go!!! I tried asking him for a sleeper room on the train so that we could sleep, but we didn't get that...I think we almost went to Seville, too!!!

We arrived in Marseille on May 27 and stayed with Selena & Trevor's uncle Jimmy who lives there. He showed us a great time in France!!!

Marseille
27/05 - Went for coffee, saw the Opera, walked around the city, washed our clothes, went to a jazz club
28/05 - Had coffee and croissants for breakfast, went shopping, went to the beach
29/05 - Went hiking to a rocky hidden area where we went swimming in the Mediterranean, went shopping, went to the Opera

Paris
30/05 - Took train to Paris, walked around, went to Notre Dame
31/05 - Went to Eiffel Tower, went to Musée d'Orsay, walked around
01/06 - Went to Montmartre, went to Basilica of the Sacré Coeur
02/06 - Flight home

This is what I wrote in my notebook about my general impressions of Spain (now that I live here, I find these notes hilarious!!!):
  • cars everywhere
  • lots of motorcycles/mopeds
  • everyone honks all the time
  • subway
  • smoking everywhere
  • vending machines with beer
  • McDonald's sells beer
  • urine on every sidewalk
  • no toilet paper
  • sewer smells in the streets
  • PDAs
  • tight clothes
  • lots of platform shoes
  • rose salesmen at night in the bars
  • beggars
  • trash collection everyday at midnight
  • bars are all the same
  • all the same type of food
  • topless beaches
  • men in speedos
  • lots of dogs
  • small streets that look like alleys
  • every window has a balcony
  • stores and restaurants close for siesta
  • dancing at 3 in the morning
  • hash
  • no bugs
  • sun stays out until 9:30pm
  • beer and wine cheapest to drink
  • no recycling
  • no bubblers
  • eating outside
  • soccer
  • police walking around with semi-automatic guns
  • no sanitation
  • no washing hands
  • pigeons
  • soda, water and beer sellers on the beach
  • fanta
  • bread
  • old men
  • beautiful men!


This is what I wrote in my notebook about my general impressions of France:
  • tall shoes
  • small cars
  • dog poop on streets
  • Mediterranean is really clear sea
  • coffee
  • croissants
  • beautiful monuments
  • homeless people
  • subway
  • good food



1 comments:

TBF said...

Small cars in Paris!! como mi Smarty!!!
Lo que me he reido..!
BESOS