Road to Spain

While I was hanging around in Caernarfon in Wales stuffing my face with Welsh food goodness, my phone beeped. I got a text! I ignored it and carried on sampling the leek and potato pie. Now my Facebook notification was beeping, followed by my twitter beep and an annoying blurb from my Skype. Someone wants me. Sighing, I pulled out my iPhone and found them all to be from Auston and David of TwoBadTourists. ‘Hey Rexy, we kinda want to know where you want to go in Spain. Like NOW!‘

They had a point, even though they are extremely American. (More about that later). In one week’s time, I would be flying with SACP to Madrid to stay with them for a few days and then we would go on our jollies around the country. But where in Spain? They wanted to ask me.

Burping and wiping my mouth with my sleeve much to the disgust of Tom in front of me, I excused myself and went on the swings outside in front of the pub to think. To think I need to be swinging. Just don’t ask. This needs sorting out straight away. I have 2 weeks in Spain before heading into Portugal and I knew I’d be spending at least one week’s worth in Madrid. But where in the other week? Uploading a guide to Spain, I narrowed down my choices and punted it to them.

 

Toledo

Known as the Old Capital of Spain, surely this is the place to start to discover how Spain came to being. Known as the Imperial City and the City of Three Cultures (Islam, Christianity and Jew), surely there’s a pot of experiences to uncover?

 

Salamanca

This old Roman post, now known as a UNESCO Heritage site for its Old City, this is truly Spain’s University city. That means students all around the spanish parts of the globe undertakes their learning here, whilst only a short hop away from Madrid. This is where I really want to go. I enjoy meeting people my age from other countries so it’s good to see what they think of the world today. Call me a philosopher. Or perhaps maybe I just want to see the beauties…

 

Seville

Once the biggest city in Europe thanks to its economic centre of the Spanish Empire, you know… when Christopher Colombus discovered America? (his tomb is here), this would ultimately be one of Spain’s glittering cities known for its grandness and extravagance. Will there be enough gold there for me to chip off and become a Spanish King?

 

Granada

I once read a lot about this city thanks to a historical fiction novel called The Constant Princess, about when the Christian Monarchs finally drove the Moors out of Spain by capturing their last outpost of Granada and more specifically, Alhambra. Drawing my imagination to fuel my reading, I think I have a huge expectation for this city and I hope I wouldn’t be disappointed.

 

Barcelona

Okay, okay. Barcelona. I hear the sound of breath being drawn through gritted teeth. Why? A lot of people have complained it’s just far too touristy and full to the brim of pickpocketers. I might as well be rocking up in full party gear mode and get ready to mingle with the chavs (council house and violent) and become a cesspit of drunken pool by the end of my stay there. But I disagree. This reputation has been forced upon a beautiful city so really, I would look beyond the sleaze and partying to explore the beauty within.

 

There’s too much choice!

 

Okay, yes I know it seemed a lot to get to each place, all within a week. But I didn’t mind where we went that Auston and David picked. All I just wanted was sun, sangria and s…panish way of life! So as I sent over my choices over to them, they went quiet for a while, and came back to me with one choice.

‘How about Malaga?’

I slapped my head. They were indeed two bad tourists. They have lived in Spain for more than a month and yet they don’t know anything about Malaga? I think I would urge them to watch this video…

We’re only here to catch the culture and life of Spain, right?….right?

Anyway, what did we decide on in the end? Well, you just have to wait. I’m annoying like that. So where was I? Oh that’s right…

Now back to my Welsh Cheeses and turn off annoying American notifications.

 

Where do you think I should go in Spain?

 

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