Spain has long been on my list of Places I Want To Go To And Still Can’t Believe I haven’t Gone Yet. So on the month-eve of my 28th birthday, I finally got to see some of the Spanish country for myself (yay!). And, like so many before me, I . loved . it .
Having started to settle down in my life (steady relationship, future planning, blah blah *yawn*), I guess I didn’t realize how much I missed feeling like a vagrant. In the past five years, I have not stayed in one city for longer than a year and a half … and moving around like that is a stronger addiction than I thought.
Starting in Madrid kind of kick-started the whole itchy feet feeling, and by the time I got to Granada I was making myself crazy fantasizing about shedding my entire life like old skin and hermit-crabbing into a new shell. It didn’t help that all the vagabond expats in Granada live up in the mountain cave houses where my boyfriend and I stayed, and every morning I’d see them languidly milling about the sides of the mountain and every night I’d see them gather at the square, play music, and instantaneously represent escape for me.
Not that I have anything to escape from, I just really romanticize ‘the escape’ is all. It’s sexy, no?
A few highlights from the trip:
- staying in Granada mountain cave hostel and walking out to an incredible view every single day
- Vueling mistakenly assigning my boyfriend a ticket with his first name and my last name
- slapping a pickpocket
- meeting Sue, a Malaysian expat, who gave us some LEGIT foodie recommendations in Barcelona
- strengthening and celebrating my relationship with my partner (shut up)
Anyways, enough talking, on to the pictures!
El Parque de Retiro, Madrid
Chocolate con churros in Madrid. I love breakfast here!
Granada at sunset. You can see the Alhambra on the left.
View of Granada from inside the Alhambra. Hot air balloon ride anyone?
The Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada.
A downtown Granada street lamp. Pretty!
It was either sangria or cervezas at every meal for me. Places where the alcohol is cheaper than the soda ftw.
Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló
Inside Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló.
Jumping around inside Antoni Gaudí's Casa Batlló.
A restoration artist at work inside la Casa.
Parc Güell, Barcelona.
More xocolate con xurros (mmm!) on Calle Petritxol, Barcelona.
Well, damn.
I was in Barcelona over Christmas and absolutely loved it! I also have an identical shot of the Sangria jug.
Hi Neha! Yeah, I feel like I was finally let in on the worst kept secret: Barcelona rocks! It was pretty sad the last day to have to leave such a great city…
Everything about this post is awesome. I wanna go to Spain!
Thanks Candice! YES, let’s all go to Spain together! My boyfriend doesn’t really drink so couldn’t get any real mileage out of the cerveza/vino prices — I bet you and I could do some damage though. ;D
DUDE. the churros and hot chocolate look amazing. Interesting that spanish churros are not sticks… I wonder if that is a mexican thing or a gringo thing.
They are amazing! But, like any food, you have to make sure you go to a decent place to get them. I learned that lesson the gross way ha.
Dunno much about the history of the churro shape… a new thesis for you perhaps? You can start your dissertation on geckos and gradually devolve into talk about churros! They’ll practically be throwing the Ph.D at you after they read it! Hopefully not violently…
<3
Loved this post! Glad you’re totally digging Spain and I totally dig your haircut (if it is in fact the short bobcut I see in the photo, and not hiding a ponytail behind). Super cute!
Thanks Lola! The photo stands true; there is no pony tail hiding in the back. I cut my hair to donate almost a year ago and have been gradually fixing it shorter and shorter since. One day I’ll probably end up rocking a crew cut ha.