Portugal / Spain (2000)
PORTUGAL / SPAIN 2000 // 14.-28. of April //
Introduction:
There were five of us, one man and four girls. Myself, Barbara Jach, Agnieszka Bubak, Merle Liivak, Angela Maximova (she came later and joint us in Algarve /Albufeira) and later on one American friend Joshua from San Francisco.
The journey was planned going first to Madrid and than downthere to the south and back through Algarve and Lisbon to Braganca, but otherwise it was raining the whole week before and during the night also so it was pointless to hitchhike anywhere either to Madrid.
Friday 14th till Monday 17th of April
So we took bus going to Lisbon early in the morning. Merle has a friend from her studies in Helsinki, Spanish girl which was waiting for us and accommodated us in her father s flat, not far away from the center. By Metro it was something like three stations to center (Arroios). We appreciate this very much and thanx a lot to Patricia and her family. We spent four days in Lisbon and we almost saw the entire city (Belem,Alfama, Castelo de S. Jorge, Baixa … plus Sintra the beautiful small town west from Lisbon where is very nice palace (Palacio de Pena) and castle (Castelo de Mouros) … Agnieszka split and left to see Palace Convent in Mafra.
On the Sunday night Patricia took us to see nightlife (?) in Lisbon.
Tuesday 18th of April
Early in the morning (at three o clock) we took a bus going to Albufeira. We met our friends at the bus station in Lisbon. During this day we spent most of our time at the beach and sunbathed till we decided to leave this city, because it was full of retired people especially from Germany and England. We wanted to be in the hostel in Vila Real de S. Antonio. I hitchhiked with Agnieszka and girls together. We managed to get through Faro, Olhao to Tavira (like only 20 km far from Vila Real which lies on the border with Spain) and there got stuck. But after that we caught very small and almost full car going our direction. We met girls (Basha was picking up oranges from orange trees / she likes it very much, there are for free) and spent a night in the Youth Hostel.
Wednesday 19th of April
I hitchhiked to Seville with Angela and we caught a car straight to the city avoiding Huelva. They were very nice people from Northern Ireland. We met girls on the main Square and decided to check accommodation at the Youth hostel far away from center. Me and Agnieszka went there and there was no place for all of us, but we booked just two places for us and returned. We found different hotel for only 10 000 PTE for room for 5 in the center.
I forgot very important thing that during the whole week there were Eastern holidays in Spain and it means that there were lots, lots of people everywhere and everything was full (todo completo). And many of processions were held from each church or monastery one or more. Imagine it. Seville is very nice city. Cathedral, Alcaraz, Placa de Espana, … everything in one and half day.
Thursday 20th of April
By local bus we get to the suburb area of the town and started to hitchhiked towards Granada. I was with Merle and girls together. We waited one hour and half and took a man (speaking English, poor one, but it didn’t matter) which was going to Malaga. Close to Anteguera we left the car and continued, after 2 hours we took a lorry going to Loja (it was almost 8:30 in the night and we had a meeting with girls at 10 in front of the Cathedral in Granada) and there third one to Granada. We had the agreement like we will wait for the rest of the girls in front of the cathedral from 10pm but there was very big procession and we didn’t see anybody till 12am so we decided to search for accommodation . We came to the hostel and ask if they have some free rooms. They hadn’t any. But the man regret us so much and gave as the room for three persons, but we had to pay with Marushka like for three. Who cares.
Friday 21st of April
In the morning we meet girls just by luck very close to hostel packing out (or in?) the car of anybody. This was our American friend Joshua, we were introduced to each other and nobody knows, but after that we spent like 5 days together. Granada is very beautiful town full of Spanish (and Moorish) spirit. The main attraction is for sure Alhambra, the Moorish castle, very nice one, behind there are mountain covered with snow called Sierra Nevada. But for this day they didn’t have ticket anymore, so we spent almost whole day just walking in the city and enjoying ourselves. Merle left this day to visit her friend in Alicante so we were like me, Agnieszka, Basha, Angela and Joshua.
Saturday 22nd of April
Joshua with Basha and Angela decided not to visit Alhambra so they left to Marbela. Me and Agnieszka we had different opinion not to save money (ticket was like 1000 PTE) and visit this palace. It was really worth to see. This was my nicest day in the whole journey. You should see what is inside. I recommend it to everybody. Not to avoid. But you should stay in very, very long line from 7am (or even earlier) like I did and wait for the ticket, because there is certain number (and certain time what to see) and they don’t sell any more for that day, you can not book it in advance. After visit we started to hitchhike without our rucksacks to Malaga (and Marbela). For almost 2 hours nobody wanted to take us (there were lots of cars, but Spanish are Spanish) and it seemed it will rain and suddenly on car stopped – French guys. They took us to Malaga. From Malaga it was the same – impossible to catch anything. So we took a bus to Torremolinos (there we made a phone call to know where in Marbela they are supposed to be – Marian confused us a bit) and from here another one to Marbela. We came very late and started to search in which hotel they are (we had the name and the street, but anyway it is not easy in the tourist resort, where are only hotels and all are similar). Finally we found the place and there was only Basha waiting for us and told us, that Joshua and Angela left for us to Torremolinos, because Marian told them different time … bla, bla, bla. But after one hour they returned and everything was o.k.
Sunday 23rd of April
Easy and lazy day – walking around Marbela (eating a lot – appreciate the main and the most expensive lunch we had with sea staff. I never in my life tasted so many different and strange things we ate) and I can not forgot lying at the beach and sunbathing (water in the Medditerean sea was quite good but not for swimming). We changed the place where we slept.
Monday 24th of April
Joshua wanted to visit Marocco so we went with him to Algeciras. But first to see Gibraltar. Very nice part of Great Britain. Nobody checked us (maybe it was due to, we were with American guy). You can see very well Africa from this place (it is like 40 km from there). First time in my life I say this continent. I hope I will go there anywhere to Marocco also, but later, not just for one day trip. After that we moved to Algeciras and Joshua took a fairy to get to Tangier. (Another place is Ceuta. It belongs still to Spain so, you need not to have a visa to get there, but to get to Marocco you need (I am talking about eastern Europe), you have to ask in the Morocco’s Embassy in Algeciras. Just ask at the port everybody knows, it is close to that). Algeciras is not a nice town. That is all I can say, nothing interesting. We left to the hostel out of town and Joshua came late in the night. He didn’t know but we were scary about him.
Tuesday 25th of April
From Algeciras we continued to see Ronda. Small town (we didn’t expect that there will be so many tourists as it was), where you can find the first (oldest) Bull ring in the world. I was driving the car (I though I had the driving license with me, but I didn’t. I realized it after we came back to Braganca, but nothing happened fortunately). From Ronda we went to Cordoba to visit the town and for sure to meet finally my good friend Lenka from Czech Republic. (I could study there with her, but … by fortune I appeared myself in totally different place called Braganca in Portugal). She was very nice and let us sleep in her flat for two days. Thank you Lenka for that again. She live together with Italians (girl and boy) and they had a friend from Italy there too. I can say I like Cordoba. (Especially driving in the night through very thin streets full of cars).
Wednesday 26th of April
The whole day in Cordoba. Cathedral and Mosque (Moorish cathedral), Alcazar … I regret I wasn’t in that Mosque. Agnieszka told us that it was really worth to see. Maybe I was so fed up with all these similar (for me) cathedrals that I didn’t realize this one was different. Maybe next time. This was our last whole day with our friend Joshua. He decided to fly to California (San Francisco) on Thursday from Madrid. He invited us all for last drink party to any pub which Lenka chose. Ehm … how to describe … girls were tasting all kinds of hard drinks they had (me also) and I was drinking mainly Absolute vodkas with orange juice. Nothing bad happened but I felt not so well in the morning next day.
Thursday 27th of April
Last breakfast with Joshua and after that he left and we were really sad. Who knows if we will see him again and when. But he was really nice guy, he helped us so much (we need not to hitchhike, we got used to his car … all those invitations anywhere, we spent really nice time with him). Thank you a lot Joshua.
From Cordoba we took a bus to Madrid (It was a pity that we avoided Toledo). I remember I was very tired. Madrid is different then for example Lisbon. I like more Lisbon. We were sightseeing all day.
Thursday 28 of April
We saw the King’s Palace (what was the name, I don’t have the guide here with me, so I don’t know, but I will … J ), but he is not living there anymore. I think he was tired of Madrid and moved to Czech Republic. There is also huge park in Madrid and there are some places (hidden ones) we several art exhibitions were held. We saw like three of them and I liked it. There is very nice post office building in Madrid. But Basha´s most favorite part of the town was one street named by Barbara from Braganca. She had a birthday that day. I screwed up … but after everything was o.k. I apologize all of you girls again, it was my fault. We were at the exhibition of Modern Spanish Art in one gallery also. It was for free, so why not.
In the very late night we took a bus from Madrid to Braganca. When we were buying tickets we met Merle returning from Alicante so we returned all of us together to Braganca. There was no surprise for us. Still the same rain like for the whole month.
We all have a nice time. Sometimes it happened that we were in small trouble or in quarrel but we managed (especially me) to get over it. That is all.