Dear Future Travelers

After our three months traveling, we have decided to compose a list of things we wish we knew before we left. These would have made our travels much simpler and easier! So firstly, we have written a list of tips – actually read them, they are useful. Secondly, our favourite accommodation and thirdly, a list of helpful websites.

Part One: General Travel Tips

ü  Get a Eurail Pass
Yes, at the time, they seem ridiculously expensive. Trust us when we say it is totally worth it. Wouldn’t you rather be paying a 10 euro reservation fee for a train compared to a whopping 118 euro for a three hour train trip?!
As well, actually get it for countries you are going to….

ü  Be Flexible
Plans change. Don’t plan everything ridiculously early. In the words of Katherine “Wing it”. Do have a general idea of places you want to go, but at the same time talk to people from hostels, find out where their favourite places were and plan accordingly.
 

ü  Use Hostel’s Reviews
Hostel world and Hostel bookers are websites which have reviews on each of the hostels. Use the reviews as much as possible as they give true indication of things like the hostel’s location, the cleanliness and just the general quality of the hostel.

ü  Pay more for Location, So you can Save on Transport
As can be expected, the hostels in the centre of the cities are more expensive than those on the outskirts. However, when staying in the centre, you can walk to the majority of the sights and hence save money. Whereas when staying not in the centre, you have to pay for public transport which definitely adds up.

ü  The Lighter you pack, the Better
Well obviously, if your bag is lighter it is easier to handle your bag. But as well, if you only bring a handful of clothes – you firstly, have more room for shopping in terms of clothes and gifts but secondly, you are only with the same people for a couple of days. You can re-wear outfits and no one knows (minus photos… but no one really cares anyway.. you’re a backpacker!).

ü  Wear your shoes in before you get to Europe
Being silly, both Katherine and I bought shoes that we had not worn in. It kills your feet and when you’re walking around for 6 hours a day, it really is not fun. Worn in shoes are just so much more comfortable to walk around in.

ü  Free Walking Tours
Technically they aren’t free, you pay via a small tip. However, the tours are definitely cheap and definitely worth it. You walk around for between 2 and 4 hours with a tour guide who knows, and loves the city. So yes, you can see the sights by your self for probably a slightly cheaper price, but at the same time, you don’t get the history or the interesting stories to go with the sight. As well, because they get paid only via tips at the end of the tour…. They make the tour really interesting.

ü  Cooking your own Food
Use the hostels’ guest kitchens as much as possible. If you are tight on money, it is so much cheaper buying a packet of pasta and sauce which lasts two or three meals compared to going out for food or even Maccas.

ü  Hotels and Apartments
Paying for a room rather than per person (as in a hostel) can sometimes be cheaper. Do all your research!

ü  Plan breaks throughout Travels
Traveling is exhausting. You will get tired and believe me when I say you need a break in the middle. Think about visiting friends or relatives where you can just chill in their house for possibly a week or so, to revive and survive! If you have no one in Europe… find a beach!

Part Two: Our Recommended Accommodations

O  Munich: The Wombats Hostel (they also have one in Berlin but we didn’t stay there)
Great location and fun bar.

O  Edinburgh: Smart City Hostel
It was expensive, but the rooms were nice and clean and they had the most amazing breakfast and good bar downstairs with nice food. Amazing location as well.. within walking distance to EVERYTHING. Good club around the corner as well.

O  Madrid: Las Musas Residence
Walking distance from the main plaza and as well it was cheap. The activities they run are definitely worth attending (free drinking games, pub crawls, free walking tour etc). Breakfast is included and free wifi.

O  Barcelona: Equity Point Centric
Fantastic location – on the 2^nd most expensive street in Spain and relatively cheap for a hostel. Good bars, good breakfast and free wifi.

O  Nice:  Meyerbeer Hostel
Amazing location - a block to the beach and as well it had a really good atmosphere where everyone spoke to everyone. It was a relatively small hostel which meant that everyone got to know who was staying. Good kitchen and common area, great staff and free wifi. 

Part Three: Helpful Websites

8 www.hostelworld.com

8 www.hostelbookers.com

8 www.airbnb.com

8 www.ryanair.com

8 http://www.neweuropetours.eu/

8 http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=en

8 http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

As well, keep your wits about you when traveling. Keep an eye on your belongings, lock your bags, use the lockers and safes provided and work out where the hostel is located from various airports, train stations etc. READ ALL INFORMATION ON YOUR TICKETS!!!!

This is just general knowledge stuff but it doesn’t hurt for us to reinforce it.

What I am going to say is, if do get the chance to travel, take it. It has been the most amazing experience for the both of us and neither of us would change it for the world.

Hope this is helpful!

Cait and Katherine xx

Day 82 to 92

Day 82 to 92 (END)

Day 82: Saturday 10^th September

As a continuation from the last blog, I would like to remind everyone never, ever to do the overnight bus from Barcelona to Nice. We got to Nice at about 12:30pm and as the bus station was miles out from the centre, we had to get a taxi to our hostel. The actual location of the hostel was pretty amazing. It was only a block back from the beach!

After checking in and showering the two of us had a lovely nap (well needed!). We then went to the supermarket and bought enough food for the next couple of days. The hostel had a guest kitchen and living area which were combined so after shopping, we went and sat and socialized with many of the other travelers staying in the hostel. The majority of people were Australian but there were also people from England, Argentina, Russia and France.

We made a simple pasta for dinner and then had a really early night as we were absolutely exhausted.

Day 83: Sunday 11^th September

We slept in, and then had a really nice breakfast which was provided by the hostel. The two of us then headed down the road towards the beach! Nice’s beach is not a sandy beach but instead a rocky beach.

Nice Beach 

Both Katherine and I thought it was a beautiful beach. To be honest, the rocks were more than slightly uncomfortable at first to lie on but eventually you get used to it. We spent about five hours just lying in the sun, reading, listening to our iPods and swimming.

Generally, it was really relaxing day. There isn’t much else to say about the day. We finished it with home made pasta and a bottle of white wine whilst chatting to the other travelers. A good finish to a good day!

Day 84: Monday 12^th September

Today was slightly more eventful compared to the previous two days. After breakfast, Katherine and I caught the train to Cannes, which is another town along the French Rivera. It took about 45 minutes to get there and it was a really short walk to the beach. The beach was gorgeous.

Cannes Beach

Unlike the beach at Nice, it was a sandy beach. Although whilst I say that, it was almost like dirty sand as there were still small rocks scattered throughout the sand. We spent about 4 hours just lying in the sun and swimming which was very, very relaxing before then catching a train back to Nice.

Once at Nice, we showered and then headed to the common area to hang out with the other travelers. We made friends with an Australian guy who was traveling on his own, named Matt, a guy named Tony, a couple of Turkey and a guy from Russia. We had dinner and then continued to have a couple of drinks with everyone.

Then, we decided that we wanted to go out. So, after asking the receptionist, we found a place to go. I then made the choice to wear high shoes because I had to practice as I have to wear them in seven days at the Blue and White. Basically, this was a silly mistake. Walking to the venue…all was good. We went with a group from the hostel and when we got to Waynes (the bar/club), Katherine and I headed to the dance floor, whilst they all went and got drinks. Unfortunately, on the way to the dance floor, there was three steps… I only thought there was two…. You can imagine what happened next, I was on the ground. I had the notion that all was okay, I only thought my foot was hurting because I was in high shoes, but apparently not. When we went outside, some guy asked if I was okay, I said “yes..” but he then pointed to my foot, it was covered in blood.

Essentially, when I had fallen over I must have cut my foot and it was a really deep cut because it wouldn’t stop bleeding. Katherine was off chatting to the locals to find somewhere to go dancing that week and so had no idea what was occurring. When she turned around to find me, she found me surrounded by the guys from the hostel, helping me with my foot. Katherine went and got a first aid kit from the bouncer and once we had tried to fix it up, we headed back to the hostel… mind you, we did stop by Maccas on the way J

Day 85: Tuesday 13^th September

After waking up and discovering that firstly, my foot was still bleeding and secondly, that I couldn’t actually walk on it – I realised that I seriously needed to go to get it checked out.

We ate breakfast relatively fast and after quickly speaking to Mum we headed off to the pharmacy which was luckily just a block away.

The pharmacist seemed rather bemused with my foot and gave me some spray to stop the bleeding and covered it with a large water proof band aid thing. After, the pharmacy, Katherine and I decided that I should rest my foot and so we just hung around the hostel for the remainder of the afternoon.

That night, the hostel was holding beach party to say goodbye to one of the guests who had been there for nearly two weeks. We started off in the hostel in the common area having drinks and dinner and then at about 10ish we headed off to the beach. The hostel was lovely enough to provide towels to sit on, free French goon (cask wine) and chips! The party was good fun. We met basically everyone who was staying at the hostel at the time and had a good chat.

Eventually, we then decided it was time to go to bed, so we wondered back to the hostel at about 2.

Day 86: Wednesday 14^th September

After breakfast, Katherine and I headed back to the pharmacy and there was little to no improvement on my foot. The pharmacist decided that I should go to the doctor about my foot, so, after trying one doctor (which was closed), we found one who stuck my foot together and dressed it. He informed me that I was not to touch it for six days.

After the doctor ordeal, Katherine and I had sandwiches for lunch. We then headed off to the beach where we lay around for a good three hours.

Photos of the Beach

That night after dinner, we just hung around the hostel and watched movies. 

Day 87: Thursday 15^th September

We checked out after breakfast and then chatted to family until about lunch time. At about twelve we eventually walked (well I hobbled) to the station where we caught a train to Ventimiglia in Italy. Ventimiglia is a town on the Italian Riviera. It is almost untouched by tourists, so not many people… well hardly anyone spoke English. It was very, very lucky that I spoke some Italian – so we could at least communicate in some way.

The train took about an hour and once there we walked from the station to our accommodation. We were staying in these guest rooms which we described as a hostel but for an older crowd. The place was right down the road from the beach which was lucky.

So, we checked in and then went and wondered around the area. It was a truly beautiful area. It was surrounded by mountains and the mountains were almost constantly in either fog or clouds whilst the beach was always sunny.

For dinner, we wondered along the beach and found a local restaurant which was delicious. After dinner, we hung around in a room for a bit before then going to sleep.

Day 88: Friday 16^th September

Today, we slept in (which was divine) and then after a quick breakfast, we wondered down to the beach. We spent probably three hours lying in the sun, listening to music before we went and got some lunch. We got a basic pizza for lunch at a beach bar place. As I said before, I don’t think they get many tourists because once all the school kids started arriving at the beach bar and realizing that we spoke English.. they were not very subtle about staring and clearly trying to understand our conversation! We got an ice cream and then headed back to the beach for the afternoon, where we spent about another two hours chilling in the sun. We eventually headed home as we were both baking in the heat and unfortunately due to my foot, I couldn’t go swimming in the water which was actually rather warm. I was really disappointed about it. 

We showered and chilled a bit in the room before then going out for dinner at the same little restaurant as the night before. The waiter recognized us, because as we were leaving, they gave us free shots of lemoncello!

Once back in the room, we attempted to watch some drama in Italian… but we eventually gave up and went to bed.

Day 89: Saturday 17^th September

We slept in a little this morning too, and once we got dressed and packed, we decided that we probably should have a look at the train timetable so that we could get a train to Milan, and then change to go to Florence. Once looking at the timetable… we realized that the train to only Milano would take nearly four hours and that we could either get once at 10:58 or one at 2:58. We quickly decided that the 2:58 one was much too late as we would get to Florence at nearly 9:30 whereas the 10:58 train meant that we would get to Florence at about 6:30. So…. At 10:30, we quickly jumped into a taxi and got to the station at about 10:50, booked our tickets and luckily the train was delayed slightly (as most Italian trains are). The rest of the trip, was pretty simple. We got the next train from Milan to Florence and once in Florence we walked from the station to our hostel.

Florence is a really gorgeous city and those who haven’t already been there… I would definitely recommend that you go. We wondered around the city just getting a feel for where we were and then eventually, we went and had dinner at a restaurant, which was lovely and then continued our walk before heading off to bed.

Day 90: Sunday 18^th September

We had a free hot breakfast provided by the hostel which was lovely before heading off to do a free walking tour of Florence. The tour guide…. Holy moly she was hilarious.

She clearly was not very interested in giving a tour which resulted in half of the group leaving in the first ten minutes. To make matters worse, there was some sort of parade going through the city with at least ten marching bands and baton twirlers to accompany them. Basically… neither Katherine nor I could hear the tour guide so we just wondered along with the group whilst looking at the city.

After the walking tour we went and got lunch and then we wondered back to an area where we had noticed there were markets. Unfortunately, when we got there, the markets were food markets rather than clothes markets which is what we wanted. So, we then wondered back to the hostel to rest my foot for a bit where we spoke a bit to people at home. After about an hour we headed in a different direction to where the walking tour took us and we found markets!!!

They were huge and both of us were probably waaaay too overexcited for what they were. I did a large amount of shopping whilst Katherine just came along for the most part and checked out what was about. Whilst walking through the markets, Katherine got proposed to and I got asked on a date by a married guy with kids – you gotta love Italians.

We had dinner out and then eventually wondered back to the hostel and to bed!

Day 91: Monday 19^th September and Day 92: Tuesday 20^th September

So, after breakfast we checked out and then headed to the station. We caught a train to Rome which took only about an hour and a half where we then met Alfredo. Alfredo picked us up and then we had lunch at his place. Katherine and I spent the afternoon relaxing and packing so that we wouldn’t have to pack on the Tuesday. At about 6ish Ivano came and picked me up and I went back to his house. Please note that this was the longest period of time we spent apart which was a strange thing for both of us.

At Ivano’s we just hung around and caught up on our summers. After dinner, we picked up Ale (his brother) from water polo and then watched Jersey Shore before heading off to bed.

The next morning was pretty slow… we got up, ate breakfast and then headed off to the airport to fly home!

Day 73 to 81

Day 73: Thursday 1^st September

Today was our first full day in Madrid and in true Katherine and Cait style - we did the free walking tour provided by our hostel. The tour was really good. We learnt quite a lot of Spanish history in a really short period of time.

The tour started in the main square of Madrid which is known as Plaza de Sol. It translates as “The Gate of the Sun” because originally the gate way into the city was in this plaza and the sun use to rise over the gate way. This however, was knocked down when the city was to be extended past the gate. The plaza currently, is where the majority of the protests in Madrid are held. I don’t know if many of you know, but Spain has only been a democratic society recently so the people protest quite regularly as a reminder that they have a say.

Plaza De Sol

Any way, enough of the history lesson…..  The tour was fabulous. We wondered through the main shopping areas, saw the Opera house, saw the Royal Palace and learnt that apparently Madrid was chosen as the capital by the royal family in one day and the whole movement of the upper society to Madrid was completed in the day.

The Royal Palace

We finished the tour about mid afternoon and then Katherine and I had a lovely long nap before then heading to the common area of the hostel to play free drinking games! Basically, the aim of the hostel was to make sure that we all had a brilliant time so that we’d leave good reviews and so they’d get more people. Part of this included them organizing activities for us.. so the free walking tour, free drinking games, pub crawls etc etc. The free drinking games involved them giving us an unlimited amount of Sangria (which is like the Spanish version of goon.. cask wine) and playing a version King of beers with it. The coolest difference was that you had to make a roof made of cards when you finished with a card.

The cards

There was a wide variety of people playing the drinking games and one guy from Australia.. I think Melbourne, had taken it on himself to make sure that all the ladies had enough to drink. Katherine and I had been watching him all day trying to chat up girls and finally he tried to chat us up… let’s just say he got that we were not impressed at all and he did not try again for the rest of the time!

The pub crawl was entertaining as usual. Once again, we had the free shots and the free entry after paying a basic amount. It was totally worth it. We also met these lovely American girls who we ended up dancing with for ages and they informed us about a club known as Kapital which I seven floors high.

Day 74: Friday 2^nd September

As we didn’t get many photos the day before, Katherine and I decided that we needed to get more photos of Madrid so set out so basically the same places to get photos.

  

Once again Madrid was full of couples. Which was rather uncomfortable for Katherine and I so… so else could we do but make it more awkward for them by taking photos with them in the background

Katherine

That evening we met up with Tara (friend from Sydney), her boyfriend Cam and then a friend of Cam’s (Rob) and Tara’s cousin (Amanda). We went out for dinner at this restaurant called Ginger which was recommended to Tara by her Bus About (Tour thing around Europe) leader however…. The exact location of the restaurant was unknown. So we spent a good hour looking for it. In the end we found it and it was totally worth the search. It had really reasonable prices and really nice food.

We then headed back to their hostel where we bumped into two girls from Monte which was rather bizarre to have a drink before heading out. What they didn’t realize, was that the terrace where we were sitting closed at 10 and so one of the staff came and yelled at us in rapid Spanish which I will inform you is rather scary, so we bailed. On the way back to our hostel we ran into a bunch of English boys who Katherine had decided to trick – as she was telling them we were Australian she was doing it with an English accent… Tara and Amanda both caught onto it. But me… being as oblivious as always just picked up the accent accidentally. It was hilarious to watch as they were incredibly confused.

We headed back to our hostel where we had another drink before going out. Katherine and I went to the seven story club with Amanda and Rob. It was so cool. It was really expensive to get in (18 euro) but there were bars on every level and 3 dance floors and right at the top was a huge terrace area. Definitely worth a trip. We then met up with the American girls and who we danced with for a bit and then went back home at about 5:30ish.

Day 75: Saturday 3^rd September

So, we spent today wondering through the many, many shops. I bought a new iPod because mine had broken and both Katherine and I did the crappy touristy shop which is ever so fun!  So, that was about 5 hours of our entire day in one paragraph… Today truly wasn’t that interesting.

We also took pictures with the Bear and Tree ("El Oso y El Madroño”) which is the official symbol of Madrid. There isn’t an exact known reason just theories about why it has become that. Our tour guide informed us that the bear eating the fruits off the tree represents the people of Madrid as the bear gets drunk off the fruits and the people during the ages were always drunk because it was safer to drink wine then to drink the water.

Us and the El Oso y El Madroño

Day 76: Sunday 4^th September

After breakfast, we both spoke to our relative families before then heading off to the station which was apparently a short walk…. The receptionist lied. We had to wait in line to buy the train tickets for at least an hour but in the end it was all good. We got a really nice, fast train at 2:30 to Barcelona. Once at the main train station we caught the metro (which was incredibly efficient for public transport) to our hostel. Walking out of the metro at first we weren’t sure if we were in the right area because firstly, it was a huge shopping area and secondly, there were four star hotels everywhere. But in fact we were in the right area.

The hostel we stayed at was on Passieg de Gracia which apparently is the 2^nd most expensive street in all of Spain and we stayed there in a hostel for not even an 8^th of what most people would be staying on that street for. It was brilliant. You can imagine that our first impression of Barcelona was a good one.. and honestly, it did not decrease for the entirety of our stay.

View from our Room 

So, we checked in at about 6:30ish and dumped all our bags and then went and had a wonder around the area. And as we first thought it was a really nice area. At about 8ish we went and had tapas for dinner. Tapas is like… small tastes of meals that the Spanish have with their drinks. So, in their culture you always have some kind of food with every drink. We had some really nice seafood, chicken, cheeses and the most delicious potatoes. After desert, we went back to the hostel where we had a drink in the bar before heading to bed.

Day 77: Monday 5^th September

After breakfast, Katherine and I did a free tour of the gothic region of Barcelona. The Gothic region is the old parts of the city… so the narrow, cobble stone streets. Compared to the rest of Barcelona the Gothic region is a lot cooler in temperature because of the tall buildings surrounding the streets, so not much light reaches the streets. It is a much needed relief from the heat!

Narrow Street 

The tour took us to the various churches and cathedrals in the area as well as showing us good local areas to grab a drink or something to eat at night. The city is absolutely gorgeous. All the details in the buildings are definitely something marvelous. For example, in the photo below the designs on the building below - the building is a simple apartment block.

There are constantly reminders throughout the area about how old the city is. The exact foundations of Barcelona are unknown. There are not sure whether the city was there before the Romans inhabited the area.  We also learnt that Barcelona is a very proud Catalonian city. Catalonia is a community in Spain that is recognised as a nationality within Spain and was born in the early 1100’s. Basically, what surprised us was that the people of Barcelona call themselves Catalan before Spanish and the most spoken language is that of Catalan followed by Spanish and English.

Santa Maria Del Mar 

We also got told about the Spanish Civil War and about how even Hitler thought that Franco (the Facist leader in Spain) was an evil man and wouldn’t work with him.

War Memorial from the Civil War

 Damage on a Church from the Civil War 

We got to see the Cathedral of Barcelona which has had the statue on the top of the tower fall off!

We got dinner on the way home and then went back to chill at the hostel for a bit. At 11 we headed off to the first bar of a pub crawl with a Iranian guy from our Hostel. Fun fact – Pub crawls are illegal in Barcelona… so it was known as a “Party Tour”. The first bar was really cool. Instead of one free shot, the tour guide was coming around with a bottle of flavoured vodka (I think vanilla) and pouring it into everyone’s mouths until we said stop.

 The Pouring of the Vodka

We lost the Iranian guy after the first bar because his phone and wallet got nicked which was such a shame. So, he left but the rest of us continued onto the next two bars and then finally a club. The club was really confusing… as it had many different rooms and levels and we all got lost within it.

The Club

Day 78: Tuesday 6^th September

So, Katherine and I had a bit of a sleep in before then heading to the port of Barcelona. To get there we had to walk done La Rambla, which is the main touristy street in Barcelona. It is a pretty cool street, as it is filled with all types of street performers, shops and restaurants.

La Rambla 

Street Performer 

After pushing our way through we eventually got to the water. Which was filled with all types of boats.

Katherine and I by the Water

We wondered along the port for a while and through the shops before then heading to the Aquarium! Apparently, Barcelona’s aquarium is the biggest in Europe. To be honest, both Katherine and I were slightly disappointed because it was slightly smaller than Sydney’s aquarium and really.. it wasn’t up to that standard either. But to be fair, it was still a really cool aquarium and a lot of fun. I’m not going to bore you with loads and loads of photos of fish… because trust me.. we have a lot, but here are some of the cooler animals.

It was generally a lot of fun. So, after the aquarium, we then headed towards to beach. Apparently, the beach is actually man made and was made in the early 90s to prepare Barcelona as a tourist city before the 1992 Summer Olympic Games.

After getting a quick bite for afternoon tea, we then headed back towards our hostel which took us about an hour to walk. We past a supermarket on the way home and got pasta to make for dinner, which ended up being rather yummy.

Day 79: Wednesday 7^th September

This morning we did the other free walking tour – The Gaudi Walking Tour. For those of you who don’t know, Antoni Gaudi is an Architect who was born just outside of Barcelona who eventually moved into Barcelona in hope of rising his career. To give you an idea of his success – Barcelona is known as the “City of Gaudi”!

Gaudi’s first job in Barcelona was designing lamp posts for the Barcelona City Council. He was given many, many restrictions and as you will see with the majority of his works – he completely ignores his restrictions.

Photo of the Lamp Post

The Council then decided that as Gaudi was just out of Architech school, they could pay him less than was written in the contract. Eventually, Gaudi took the Council to court and won. So, the reason for this story is that Gaudi never worked for The Barcelona City Council ever again and so he was able to work with a much higher budget and for a larger amount of money as he was working for private investors.

The next piece of Gaudi’s works we saw was Palacio Guell. It was a house designed for a man known as Guell who was an incredibly wealthy man. He is important as he funded a huge amount of Gaudi’s works for example, Park Guell, which I’ll show you pictures of later.

Palacio Guell

Palacio Guell is most famous for the 20 chimneys which are all unique and hand made by Gaudi himself. This building was built in the early years of his career, hence he didn’t have enough money to hire workmen.

The Chimneys

Casa Batlló is another house designed by Gaudi and this is on Passieg de Gracia (the second most expensive street in all of Spain). It was designed for the Batlló family, who are in fact, in the family who first created Chupa Chups!

Casa Batlló  

The original structure of the house was already there before Gaudi started working on it. He just designed the bottom two floors, added the top floor and decorated the remainder of the front.

The third building we visited is called Casa Mila. It was a house designed for a rich couple and it was the last building he completed before working on his master piece – La Sangrada Familia Cathedral.

Casa Mila

We then all took the metro to La Sangrada Familia. Our tour guide made sure that our first view of the Cathedral was all together and when we did finally turn around to look, we were all in shock. The Cathedral is gorgeous, absolutely bizarre, but gorgeous.

La Sangrada Familia 

And yes, it is still in construction and has been for about 100 years! The Barcelona Council plan to have the whole cathedral finished by 2026 as that will be the 100^th anniversary to Gaudi’s death but the popular opinion held by the Spanish is that it won’t be completed by then and the Council will prolong the finish as long as possible. A major reason for this is because when the Cathedral is finally finished, they can no longer charge an entry fee.

The greater part of the inside of the Cathedral is finished. It is mainly the outside that needs completing. Only 8 out of the 18 spires are currently finished and the main spire, which will be 150 metres tall, hasn’t even started!

Inside La Sangrada Familia

After La Sangrada Familia, Katherine and I left the tour and we went to Park Guell. Park Guell is the park designed by Gaudi with the intention of becoming a major suburb for the rich within Barcelona. However, the rich thought that the park was not close enough to the centre (it is now considered to be close) and that the idea of a suburb in a park (so including shops, schools, work etc) would not work and as a result, Gaudi went almost bankrupt and spent the remainder of his years living in a house within the park.

Pictures of Park Guell

After returning to the hostel, we had a really early night as the two of us were absolutely exhausted after walking around all day.

Day 80: Thursday 8^th September

After breakfast, Katherine and I went to the Picasso Museum. Before we actually got to the museum we realized that we forgot… okay, I forgot the battery of the camera. I brought the camera and no battery. To fix the problem because neither of us could be bothered walking all the way back to the hostel, we bought a disposable camera! So, point of this story is that apologies but there are no photos of this day to show you all.

Back to the Picasso Museum – it was pretty amazing. It had works from when he was just 16 right up until his death and the transformation between his various artistic styles are unbelievable. He moves from portraits, to landscapes, to abstract and through to even pottery. We spent a good couple of hours browsing through the museum so before we knew it, it was lunch time!

We found this amazing café for lunch where we had a really delicious quiche and a sandwich. Once finished, we caught the metro to a stop known as “Espanya” and here there are the botanical gardens, a museum and the Magic Fountains. I urge you to google to magic fountains of Barcelona, they are absolutely gorgeous and as the museum is on top of a hill, it has an incredible view over the city.

What was a little frustrating was that the fountains were not turned on. Katherine had even researched what days the fountains were on but unfortunately they still weren’t on. To be honest, they were still quite lovely.

After marveling at the fountains, we headed to the botanical gardens which were so serene and peaceful. It was a strange thing as it was like another world within the city. There was no artificial noises – only birds, water and the wind through the trees. It was seriously very, very bizarre.

We then caught the metro back to the hostel and packed our bags as we had managed to spread our stuff absolutely everywhere!!!

For dinner, we did a tapas tour which was provided by the hostel. We had five different dishes (very small mind you) and a glass of sangria. If I am completely truthful, sangria just reminds me of goon. The dishes were absolutely delicious and we met many other travelers who were also staying in Barcelona. After dinner we went to a Flamenco show.

The Stage 

There were two main dancers and they were supported by a live band consisting of four males – two singing, one on guitar and one playing a box thing. 

Their talent was truly amazing to watch. It was such a lively performance and it would take so much energy that each of the dances is not that long.

After the performance, the two of us walked back to the hostel and went to bed!

Day 81: Friday 9^th September

Today was our shopping day. I don’t actually have much to say about today really. We walked around for about five hours doing general clothes shopping and tourist shopping.

We went back to the brilliant little café we had found the day before and got these amaaaaazing quiches. The owner even recognized us from the day before and gave us each a free fruit juice!

That night, we got a 12 hour bus ride to Nice! I would never, ever recommend it. To start off with, the bus left at 11:59 except in reality the bus didn’t actually arrive until 12:30. We kept seeing all these lovely coaches at the bus station and Katherine and I were thinking… this might actually be okay. Our bus came and to be honest.. it was a  piece of poo. It was old, cramped and completely full. 

For those of you who don’t know, I get terribly, terribly bus sick, so the best place for me to sit is right at the front. However, the bus driver wouldn’t let anyone sit in the two front seats. The only other available seats in the entire bus were the two right at the BACK. Needless to say, I was not impressed. Katherine and I then thought… this is okay. No one will walk past us when getting off, we may actually be able to sleep for the majority of the bus trip – this idea was completely shattered due to the fact that at least once an hour, all the lights on the bus would turn on for people to get off or for us to have a “FIFTEEN MINUTE BREAK” as the bus driver would say.

Right, so that finishes day 73 to 81. I shall finish the bus trip and the rest of our expedition in the next entry!

Nos Vemos!

Cait and Katherine xxx