The Best Thing So Far!

In Barcelona, I took one of those bus tours that is the hop on/hop off double decker things so I as able to get out and see the sights that I was supposed to see!  And it took us up the Olympic mountain to the Olympic stadium and supposedly some of the best views of the city from the gardens in the area.   On the way up the hill, the little voice in my ear told about the dive pool complex and how it was open for swimming to the public. My ears perked at that little tid-bit! When the tour was over, I asked one of the red vested helpers about it, and she basically gave me a blank stare.  So I asked at my hotel, and the guy at the front desk said that any pools in Barcelona would be memberships that would be extremely expensive.  I wasn´t going to accept that, so I got on the internet to search it out.  Seems that the polo pool is in fact open to the public for only 5€...awesome!  So the next morning I got suited up and headed to the top of the hill.  Yup, 5€ and I was in...had to climb all the way down to the changing rooms, then up the stairs at the back of the pool to enter the complex.  Oh my goodness, amazing!  I felt like Greg Louganis, well, except that he wasn´t in the '92 Olympics...And there were only a handful of other people there, imagine this awesome resource and no one in the city even used it!
But swimming in that pool with the gorgeous view out over the entire city was absolutely the highlight of my trip.  Heck with all the beautiful architecture and cathedrals, I liked the pool!

Barca

Just about the time I figure a city out, I head to the next one. Such is the case with Barcelona. I really like the city...it is much more like a city as defined at home then the other places I've visited. Although las cocinas do stay open much later than at home! Today I did one of the hop on/hop off bus tours. It was a great way to see many things that I otherwise would have probably skipped, but it also stays on the major roads so the little hidden gems are still hidden to me. Guess those will be for my next trip :). I did get out to the futball stadium. Holy crap it is big. And not a football upright to be seem! I'm noticing that a lot...many soccer nets on random fields/parks. And I've also noticed that groups of boys (I have yet to see a group of girls) always have a soccer ball as the equipment of choice. Guess that is how you get good...always have your feet on a ball. I think my soccer coach said that in high school. Unfortunately it was too late for me. Anyway, the furbal stadium where FCBarcelona (Barca) plays...it is a fair distance from the city center so if I hadn't been on the tour bus I probably would have missed it. Granted, it cost 22€ to get in for the tour and such (do they think I'm made of money?!) but I at least got to walk around a bit and go to the official store. The non-player specific jerseys were 80€, and the good players were fetching over 100€ for a jersey. Seems they are on par with football and baseball stars back home (which, by the way, if anyone wants to get me an Ellsbury jersey I won't complain...did you see what an awesome night he had last night?!). I did get myself some soccer socks though...official FCB colors that they wear at home. They look just like Nike socks I can get at home, but I'll know the difference :).

Leaving Gran Canaria

Unfortunately I had my flight out already booked, or I would have tried to leave earlier. I must say, being in a tropical paradise just isn't the same by yourself. The hotel was fairly far from the downtown area, and not really lit well so I was a bit nervous to head to town after dark. Plus, it didn't really look like there was too much going on from what I could see from my balcony. Ah well, guess I'm learning all sorts of things on this trip.
The same guy that checked me in was working the desk this morning. And he reminded me I was there alone when he gave me a quizzical look and asked if the room was now empty. Oh, right, you're the one that was here alone.
I must say, it was quite amusing at the airport though....first off, Ryanair is "The low fares airline" which meant I had to print off my boarding pass before getting to the airport (luckily there was an Internet cafe in town cause the hotel couldn't handle it) or risk a 40Euro charge. Imagine charging $60 for a boarding pass?! Anyway, at the bag drop, everyone was weighing their bags because apparently they are sticklers for weight or they charge you another hefty fee. Luckily I had bought a 20 kg checked bag when I bought my ticket so it wasn't a problem.
Fast forward to boarding. Think southwest only without organization. Or maybe there was and I didn't catch it since I don't know what they say on the PA system. This airline actually uses the little baggage check thing to make sure bags will fit. And if you have more than one, they make you consolidate. And make you take stuff out of your bag till it fits in the little thing! It was very funny to watch these harried travelers fighting with their bags and the airline rep trying to get their bags to fit. I actually laughed out loud at what people were doing to stuff their bags in the little checker.
Then, open seating....and since I was near the end of the line, I thought I would be relegated to a center seat, but there was a lovely couple in the 8th row that had an empty window seat! Now I'm watching Africa/Morocco go by out my window. Only an hour and a half till Barcelona and civilization!

Art

People that know me know I support the arts...being a member of the ballet, the pops, the ICA, etc...but I'm realizing that I am much more into the performing arts then still art. I guess I've always known I'm not a big art museum kinda person, but now I'm realizing I'm not a big art tour kinda person as well.
In Malaga, the tourist info counter had some maps of random things throughout the city, for instance, picasso's Malaga that took you to many landmarks relating to picasso's life there. I decided to try out the "Contemporary Malaga" tour...looked interesting. I wound my way through the city to find the beginning point, the contemporary art museum. Knowing I wasn't a big museum person, I skipped that and went on to stop #2...a statue/sculpture thing. A bit weird. And stop #3 was another sculpture nearby. Interesting, but by this point I realized that I enjoy accidentally coming across random sculptures in life, but I don't really enjoy the map of where to go to find each one.
I think this trip is making my box smaller, and defining more things I don't like, rather than expanding my horizons and making me realize there is so much out there left to discover. Or maybe I need an attitude adjustment and I need to learn to appreciate things for what they are and not try to look for a greater meaning.

Gran Canaria

My first impression of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands is that it sucks. Other then the delightful woman at the tourist info booth at the airport, everyone has been quite upsetting and just not nice. After getting my bag I went outside to find the bus to Puerto Rico (no, not the island, the city). After looking for a few minutes I realized that when someone says something is on the first floor, they really mean the second level...ground level is floor 0. So, I went upstairs to catch the bus.
Finally the correct bus came and when I asked the driver which stop I needed his only answer was "puerto rico". Yeah, great, but there are two stops listed! Ah well, I'll figure it out. I kinda did on the map, but not in real life...as we were pulling away from the stop I should have gotten off at I asked the driver if there was a bus that went the other way (cause damn it was a big hill we just went down). His answer was "Puerto Rico". Nice. Thanks for the help, buddy. Plan B. I found the taxi stand very close to the main bus stop and hailed a cab to get to the resort. I had to wait for a cab to come as the one that was sitting at the stand was driverless. I had a woman driver...I think that is the first time ever!  She was fine, although she had to wait before loading my bag...still don't know why...I think it may have had something to do with the abandoned cab at the stand, cause I think she called dispatch to tell them...but I don't understand much yet.
I arrived at the resort and was greeted by a nice set of stairs to get to the reception area. Ugh, 40 pounds up the stairs...then I was checking in and the guy at the front desk gave me funny looks when he asked for "the other passport" and I told him I was here alone. Guess he doesn't get that much. Then he asked for my paper reservation slip. Um, hello, I made the reservation about 36 hours before I flew out of the country. I didn't get it! I had the email confirmation and he tried to tell me I needed to print it out. On what, my hand?! He improvised eventually, after sighing loudly a few times. Really?! I'm the only person that has ever shown up without that stupid slip of paper? You want to conserve resources, stop making me print crap!
Anyway, I made it to the room. Honestly the only good thing is I have a private balcony overlooking a marina. Or if you squint you can see a beach. The rooms are old and outdated. The couch is entirely not comfortable. The kitchen looks like it is older than I am. And there is one a/c vent...in the bedroom...and supposedly the temperature is set automatically. Needless to say, it is pretty hot in here.
And there is no Internet. That is just going to suck. I should have gotten the iPad with 3G. Wonder if it would work here...
I think I need to go find a bottle of wine...it is going to be a long 6 days...

Africa!

I had a tip to take a day trip to Morocco while I was here since it is so close. I was also told not to go alone. Well, turns out the waiter is a Moroccan citizen and he had a day off this week and needed to get his mother a visa so she is able to come visit him in August. Perfecto! We took the 6:45am bus from Malaga to Algeciras where there was a ferry. Jose had to stop at the Moroccan Consulate to finalize the visa paperwork, so we started there. I wasn't even allowed in the office, I had to wait in the hall. But eventually he came back and we headed to the ferry ticket office. We had just missed the bus, but still managed to get a ticket on the 11am ferry and then shared a cab with two random guys who were also a little late but still getting on the 11 o'clock ferry. The town where the ferry was is actually about 15-20 minutes away from the ticket office. So we made it with plenty of time and had to wait for el barco to arrive and empty before boarding. And we had to go through passport control on the way out of Spain...I now have a boat stamp in my passport! Sometime around 11:20 or so they finally let us start boarding. And when we got on we had to wait in another queue for Moroccan passport control (I've got a stamp in Hindi, too!). So, basically the whole trip was waiting in lines. But we finally docked in Morocco.
Immediately upon getting off the boat, we were approached by men in robes asking if we wanted a taxi. I quickly knew it was good I didn't go alone!  We made it out of the area and started searching for Jose's brother so we could deliver the visa documents. And we exchanged a bit of money...Moroccan money looks like euros but it is worth less than 10% of it.
His brother spent the day with us too. We first walked through a shopping district...I think that is all tourists do! Then his brother wanted to go to a place for lunch that overlooked the water....the hunt was on for a taxi that would go that far outside of the city center....we finally found one, that we had to share with two other people. I was a bit scared...the Mercedes had a horribly spider-webbed windshield, the back window had a sunshade Jerry-rigged to it and the speedometer was broken. Apparently you just agree on a price with the cab driver...no meter was to be found. But we made it. The place we went had a cave with a beautiful opening to the ocean and some random tourist trap souvenirs. But the restaurant had the best location! It was gorgeous! The food was pretty good, too. They had pans of fish with potatoes and carrots that they cooked on a bbq grill. Of course the fish still had heads...I'm not sure I really like my food looking at me! The guys also got an order of anchovies. Yes, full fish on a plate. I couldn't quite bring myself to eat them after my experience with anchovies last year in Italy. But it was a great lunch. And there were camels in the parking lot so I got a picture and pet a baby.
Then it was time to head back into town...we needed a cab. Phew, found one that has just dropped people off and he was willing to take us back. Of course along the way we stopped and picked up two more people. This was not a huge car...but I think they would have squeezed a couple more people in to get the fare. We made it back without incident. We also passed the King's house. Apparently he has one in every city of the country and he spends time at all of them.
We wandered around the city center for a bit and stopped at a nice cafe for coffee. I had Moroccan tea. It was herbal tea with something and mint. I don't remember what it was. But it was pretty good. Then we went back to the shopping area and Jose got a couple of fake Polo shirts for 10Euros. Now it was getting late and we said goodbye to Jose's brother and headed to the ferry. We got there in plenty of time for the 6pm ferry, but apparently so had the rest of the world and they wouldn't let us on, saying it was full and we had to wait for the 8pm boat. That boat finally showed up a little after 8 and after waiting for all the cars to clear out we were allowed to board. But we also had to wait for cars to load. My god, I think the entire country was trying to leave. The entire double decker car port was full, and it took over 2 hours for them to load everything. Ugh. We were extremely tired and cold by that point...sweating all day then sitting in cold a/c with no jacket...I used Jose's shirts as a blanket! We finally got underway and returned to Spain around 11:30. Then we had to take the bus back to Algeciras. Well, the bus station had since closed and there was now no way to get back to Malaga...so we found a hotel and called it a night.
The next morning, I woke with the rock of Gibraltar out my window! The room faced Algeciras port which looks right over the harbor to Gilbralter. Very cool. Although I didn't go climb on it, I at least got to see it!
So we headed to the bus station to catch the 9am train back to Malaga...and wouldn't you know it, sold out! And that was the direct bus. The next one at 11am was a route bus which meant it took forever because it stopped in every town along the way. And trying to get a train ticket was useless as apparently the train doesn't go that way. So 11 o'clock route bus it was...we finally got back to Malaga after 2. Then I got a 6:20 train back to Sevilla. Ugh. It was nice to not be on public transportation for a few hours...but Saturday morning I started all over again with the next leg of my journey...

Sevilla esta muy calor

I love hot weather. Anyone that knows me knows that I hate winter and I would much prefer having temps in the 80's and 90's. Well, Sevilla called my bluff. Holy crap was it hot. I actually used the a/c in my apartment. Wednesday morning I went out at about 9am to walk along the river (think esplanade) and it was 30 deg C when I started.  By the time I made it back to the apartment around 11 it was up to 34. And the heat of the day hadn't even set in yet! By the time I got on the train at 8pm to head to Malaga before going to Morocco, it was 37. At 8 o'clock at night! Needless to say, I really didn't see much of Sevilla. I walked around a little on Tuesday when I got there but after about an hour I was spent. Luckily the bus has a circular route that goes around the city...my compromise was to take the loop so I was at least able to see stuff.
I even tried to go out on the roof deck at one point, but the heat was just over-whelming. I went to a flamenco show on Tuesday night and upon walking into the small performance room that fit about 75 people, they handed out paper fans. You know it is bad when they basically tell you you're going to be hot...
I'm a bit glad my trip to Morocco lasted longer than it was supposed to, just so I didn't have so much time in Sevilla.
I think I might have enjoyed the city, but I would much rather go when it is just slightly cooler. At least I learned how much heat is too much...

Personal space

I have found the Spanish, or maybe just Europeans in general, have a much different definition of personal space then we do in America. The other day I was sitting on a bench reading a book in the little park in the middle of the street in Malaga and three ladies came and asked me to move over so they could sit there too. There were plenty of other benches throughout the park so it wasn't like mine was the only available one. They then proceeded to start smoking, cause everyone does here. Yuck. Had to leave my bench...walked down the path about 20 feet and found another free bench to continue my reading.
And waiting in line like at a store, there is no room between people. The person behind you is right on top of you, like they are part of your party. I feel like letting them go ahead, but there will always be another right behind...
Yesterday, I saw someone with a McDonald's hot fudge sundae and it looked really good...so I decided to go get one to hold me over till 10 when it is time for dinner. I decided I would sit on a bench in the city center to eat it and had to walk for a bit to find a fairly empty one. Apparently I could have sat one one that already had a bunch of people on it anyway cause about 3 minutes after I sat down, another group came and sat down practically on top of me again!
At the beach, I had a nice spot staked out, and a group came over and parked themselves right next to me! Like in order to get to their towels, they had to get sand on mine because they were so close. There is a whole big beach, why do you lay your towels so close to mine?!
If nothing else, this vacation is teaching me patience with my fellow man. Or perhaps it is teaching me to keep moving cause every time I stop someone gets a little too close for comfort...

Waitstaff

So I think I figured something out...well, in my own head at least. Here in Spain the waitstaff are not very quick, not very attentive, and altogether not the best I've seen. And luckily in Spain tipping is very minimal, just some cents, not 15-20% of the bill. I'm told that is because the restaurants actually pay their waitstaff good wages so they do not rely on tips. Pondering this I've come up with an explanation. They are generally good at taking your order and bringing things out relatively soon (although I have waited more than 10 minutes to get a glass of wine), but they do not check to see if you need anything else once they have delivered the meal. And heaven forbid you should want la cuenta, forget about it! But when they aren't relying on tips, there is no urgency to turn the tables over. It is easier for them to just have you sit there so they don't have to attend to the table anymore. Last night after eating dinner, I was trying to catch my waitress's eye to request the check and she walked by me at least 8 times without even glancing at me! When I finally flagged her down, it took another probably 3 minutes for the bill to arrive.
Guess I need to relax and not be so anxious to get up from the table...although if they would bring me another glass of wine it would be easier!

To paella or not to paella...

One of the big famous dishes in the Andulucia region of Spain is the paella. It is a rice dish that has whatever else the chef wants to throw in it. Very popular here. But each place is a little different. However, it looks like most of them are seafood (since this region is known for its fresh fish) and with seafood comes eyes. Not sure why, but seems Europeans want to take their own heads off their fish. Yuck. So, I've been a little scared to try one because I don't really know what I'm going to get. Well, tonight I found a nice tapas place for dinner (with an English menu) and decided to try the paella since it would be a tapas portion and I would order other food just in case I hated it. For less then 3 euros, not a big deal. But wouldn't you know, 2 minutes after I ordered the waitress came out to tell me they were out of paella. And it was only 9:30...very early for Spain. So, it appears my venture into the world of paella will have to wait another day...

La Playa

I'm in La Costa del Sol, which is supposedly known for its beaches. I found the nearest beach to my hotel in Malaga and packed a beach bag to go investigate. It was 4pm, so didn't think it would be too bad. The walk there was very pleasant...Malaga actually has a nice street park (think Comm Ave only with palm trees!). When I got to the beach, it was packed! At 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon! But I found a spot of sand and laid out my hotel towel. Damn, the sand was hot! And so was the sun. I was literally dripping sweat onto my book as I attempted to read. All the travel sites and books I've looked at warn of pickpockets so I was scared to leave my bag and go in the water. But eventually I was too hot to care. So I waded into the Mediterranean Sea to cool off. It was quite chilly, not sure how so many people were able to stay in for so long. But it did the trick and I was back on my towel, a little cooler. For about 5 minutes. The sand was so hot I couldn't put my toes in it (what good is singing Zak Brown if you can't actually do it?!). So I decided to move up the beach a little to a nice grass berm that was shaded. It was much nicer....after another hour I finally ventured back to the sand as it was starting to cool down a little bit. It is nice that the sun stays out till after 9, so staying at the beach till 7 or so isn't a problem. The beach wasn't the beautiful white sandy beaches of the Caribbean, the sand is a little grey. But at least it is sand and not rocks.
Overall, a nice beach visit...but I can't wait to get to Gran Canaria for some serious beach time!

How does one meet people in a foreign country?

Throughout all my trip planning, I had many comments (from people who wouldn't come with me) that "Oh, you'll meet people" and I started to believe them. Then I got here. How exactly does one go about meeting people in a foreign country? First I've found that even in the touristy cities, not as many people speak English as you would like to believe. And add to that my introverted personality, and it wasn't looking good. And I wasnt planning on joining any clubs or playing any sports here, which is how I have most of my friends...my first stop in Granada proved my point. I don't think I talked to anyone that wasn't providing me a service, and then very minimally as it is tough to overcome the language barrier just trying to order breakfast.
Fast forward to Malaga, where I was only planning on staying two nights. The first night, I found a place for dinner (around 9pm...who eats that late?!) and shortly there was a single guy at a table nearby that started checking me out. A little creapy, but hey, this is Europe! So we both finish with dinner and he motions to me to see if I would like to get a drink. I agree cause Kate would kill me if she knew I wasn't staying out past last t every night...he was a very nice guy that was in town for business, he lives in Barcelona. He is an economist and is self-employed and is 46. At least I think so...he didn't speak English very well, and some of you have experienced my grasp of the Spanish language. So about 5 minutes into the nice glass of wine, he propositions me! Um, hello, what? Not even walk me to my hotel and ask to come inside, just flat out asked to sleep with me. Uh, yeah, sorry buddy, you're way too short and you aren't coming anywhere near my hotel room. He gave me his number so I could call him when I get to Barcelona. Nice try. I've already "lost" it.
But apparently dinner is the place to meet people, and guys in particular...this evening was day #2 in Malaga and I found a place for dinner that had an English menu. I think I'm giving up trying to learn food words, I just don't get them! So, this cute waiter, who speaks English, seats me at the last open table on the patio and gives me the English menu. Then he helps me figure out what to eat as I tell him I want vegetables. Then he pours me a nice glass of white wine. And he checks on me to make sure I like it...which just doesn't happen in Spain. After I finish, I ask him if there is a place to see a flamenco performance, as I had found one on the internet, but couldn't find it in person...he said there was one at 6pm and I missed it. Guess I'll have to find one in the next city...he then proceeds to ask if I would like to go with him to a disco/club. I think about Kate again and agree. He then gives me a nice glass of red wine to try. I think he's trying to get me drunk! He gets off work in 45 minutes...we'll see where this one goes. At least he hasn't asked me to sleep with him yet...

Adios Granada

I found out how everyone is able to stay up so late...this morning I got up early to get organized in time to catch the 11 o'clock bus to Malaga. Early is an understatement. I set my alarm for 7. The only sign of life was the street sweeper in the Plaza. Yes, they wash the square every morning. I ate my fruit on the balcony...it was gorgeous and completely peaceful. After showering I figured I would venture out for a pastry or roll, and still everything was closed and there were minimal people on the streets. I did find a cute little restaurant that claimed to have desayuno. That menu consisted of three things. So I got the spinach omlette.  And spinach it was. I'm not sure if there were any eggs in it, it was completely green. But it did the trick.
I went back to the hotel and got packed...somehow it was tougher to get everything in the suitcase, and I haven't bought anything other than a phone! Guess I need to completely unpack to get everything in sufficiently. I'll try to remember that next time.
I was able to navigate to the city bus stop to take me to el estacion del autobus to catch the bus to Malaga. The station was very clean and not creepy at all. Seems there were a number of people there taking the bus to the beach. What a great way to spend a Thursday! Although I did piss off the driver because again I got there just in the nick of time and had to put my bag underneath. He did not seem happy. Oh well, his reps sold me that ticket 3 seconds before the bus was supposed to leave! I'm now on the completely full bus on my way to the next city. It only cost 10E for the bus ticket and the roads seem to be in good shape as I'm in the back and not getting jostled at all.
I am starting to wish I had taken a crash course in Spanish before I left though. Why don't they teach you useful vocabulary in high school, like how to ask for a check, or how to buy a bus ticket? I am managing ok, though. But I'm thinking of getting in touch with Sra. Messing to give her a little feedback...

Siesta

Yes, Spain really does take a siesta every day. It is muy caliente in the middle of the day, and not a lot of trees, parks, grass. So they just close up shop for a few hours. Even the fountain in the plaza out my front door is shut off. The hustle and bustle of the streets is almost completely gone, except for the tourists. It is a very nice custom...as a tourist, I was walking all over this morning, now getting to rest is quite enjoyable. I wandered the streets of Granada in the Albaicin area. Quite a labyrinth. I did happen across a wonderful vantage point of the Alhambra...I think it was Mirador de San Nicolas.
I got some fixings for lunch on a bench and enjoyed fresh bread with some sort of cheese. And a limon slushy. I also found a fruit stand were I bought a peach and a nectarine for breakfast tomorrow. I don't think the guy spoke English, but my numbers seem to be pretty good, so I understood how much to give him without a problem.
This morning I also went into the Phone House and got a cell phone. The pre-paid phones are pretty handy. Although all the directions are in Spanish. Luckily the menus are the same as English so I can figure out what to do. Of course it will be interesting to use it...haven't tried calling anyone yet, but I know I have to call one of the apartments I am going to so they are able to meet me.
Other observations...locals all carry a folder/notebook with them. It is very easy to pick out! Haven't figured out why yet...
No one wears sneakers, everyone has sandals on. Must be because of the heat. Also, there are shoe stores (zapados) about as regularly as dunkin donuts at home. Do people really need that many sandals?!
And every store is having a sale, or rebajas, every day!
Next I am going to find the bull fighting ring...I need to see one while I am here...too bad the running of the bulls is over. Things are picking up outside, so guess it is time to venture back out!

Granada

I made it to el tren station and got a ticket for Grenada. Not sure why I was told getting a train ticket was a half-day experience because I landed in Madrid at 7am and was on the 9:05am train to Granada. I decided to go with the local Spanish train company, Renfe, rather than Eurail. After I figured out where the platforms were, I was on my way. There wasn't much luggage space and since I was boarding just before departure, I got stuck with a very high shelf to put my bag on...completely broke a nail getting it up on the shelf...there was blood! And my bandaids were in my suitcase, yeah, not getting that down again.
Now we are off to the Andalucia region of Spain. So you thought Italy was the largest producer of olive oil...turns out it is really Spain. Apparently some Italians ship the olives to Italy and bottle everything there, but own the land in Spain. And let me tell you, I saw the evidence. The entire route consisted of olive trees in all states of maturity. Although I didn't see any nets on the trees like I did in Italy. Maybe it isn't harvesting season. I don't think I will ever need to see another olive tree. I also managed to get a little shut-eye on the train. Thankfully no teenagers in my car!
The 3 1/2 hour train ride ended in Granada...really the only place with much happening on the line. It was warming up when we pulled in, but I decided to walk the 1km to the center of town. I started to question that decision, but still made it. Luckily I pulled my sunglasses out as it is bright out!
In the tour book I got from the library, I identified a hostel that didn't look too scary...private bath and free wifi! I even managed to fine the square without asking for directions. But there was no Hostel Lisboa anywhere to be found. So I had a seat in Plaza del Carmen and thought about my next move...while getting the nail clippers out to cut off my bleeding nail (and put a bandaid on it), and having a few handfuls of cereal that I had packed. I decided to ask a guy with a uniform on that was standing outside this large, beautiful building with Spanish flags flying on it. Turns out it was a visitor information center! Perfecto! So I talked to William inside and he found me a cute hotel in the next plaza for only 45E per night. I am staying at Hotel Los Tilos in Plaza Bibrambla. Pretty big room (it is a double) with an adequate bathroom. And free wifi!
Now es tiempo por la siesta. Then I will head out to explore the city a little. So far the restaurants look nice, and they all have open air seating. I can see one in the plaza from my balcony...maybe I will go there, or maybe I will venture farther into Granada...

On the plane...

I made it to Madrid, and now the adventure begins! But first, the plane ride...I had a window seat and sat next to a really nice guy from Boston. Turns out he is one of boston's finest. Now I can namedrop if I ever get in trouble in the city :) his name is Ken, and he married a Spanish woman 25 years ago this past May. He was on his way to meet up with his wife and two kids in Sevilla, her hometown. For someone that has been traveling to Spain for the last 25 years, he really didn't know much about what is going on around here. But he was fun to talk to on the flight.  And talk he did! I barely got a couple hours worth of sleep between him chatting, the two teenage girls behind me who must have had a no-sleep pact and enjoyed hitting the back of my seat, and all the bells that kept going off. I'm going to sleep well tonight!
Dinner was lasagna with a green salad and I think tiramisu for dessert. Not bad, and again I'm glad I got the vegetarian option...the pollo looked a little sketchy. I think I had my first glass of Spanish wine, too. I don't remember having any before in my life.  Not too shabby. I'm excited to have more with tapas tonight!
Passport control was very quick. Guess it helps that many people on our flight were EU citizens, so the non-EU line was short! And I don't think there were many other flights getting in at the same time. And I was very good with my Spanish...walked up to the counter and exclaimed, "Good morning!" the officer replied, "Buenas Dias! " ah well, I'll probably remember about when it is time to come home.
Customs consisted of three guys in green uniforms talking to some local kid and completely ignoring the people leaving baggage claim. Guess I don't look like a trouble maker.
I found an information booth and got directions to grab the public bus to get to the train station...they seem to have a nice public transportation system. It cost 2Euros to get on the bus...not quite the deal of the Charlie Card, but I think this goes further...the sign said it is about 40 minutes to the train station.
I think I'm going to Granada first...seems like as good a place as any to start! Maybe I can take a nap en el tren.

Getting ready...

Does it count as my first day if I'm still home on the couch? I'm trying to get organized, but I think part of me is not really believing that I'm going, so I'm procrastinating. But all my laundry is done (well except for the sheets and towels that I'm having my assistant do while I'm gone). And I think I know all the clothes I'm taking, but now I'm wondering if it is enough, too much, or just right. It is in the 90's so do I really need a pair of pants? I'm also trying to take stuff that I wouldn't mind not bringing home...in case I find awesome stuff I need over there so I can have an empty suitcase! Now I just need to get everything actually in the suitcase...
My flight leaves at 6:20 this evening....I've still got plenty of time :) it isn't like I know what I'm doing once I get there anyway...and I can just imagine how that is going to go as I'm not always at my best without a good night's sleep. But this whole thing is completely out of my box, so might as well go with it!
Ok, guess I should go get everything packed and get the cats all taken care of...hope they don't miss me too much!