To star things off, I had to bloody make the flight in the first place. Now it is common knowledge that Sundays, Europe shuts down. Super. Duh, we all knew this because on Sundays nothing was open in Lille. However, once school is done, you are not working…the days sort of blend together and you don’t really have a clue what day of the week it is, only the number of the day. Brilliant and useless all at the same time. Now pulling my first all nighter at the airport I realized that I would be travelling to Zaragoza on a Sunday. Shit.
This means that trains leave Lille later to get to the train station, and buses to the actual airport leave at incredibly awkward times. Working this plan backwards: my flight was leaving at 11, meaning that latest I could check-in with Ryanair was 10:10, it was a 20ish minute bus ride from the station, meaning I had to leave at 9:50, and my train was arriving at 9:39 from Lille (which left at 8). Yeah…except that the only buses going to the airport left at 9:35 and then 10:35…right. I miss the bus by 4 minutes and I didn’t have time to wait around for the next one. Superb. I got in at 9:39 and like clockwork I ran and got a taxi to the airport. I was perfectly on time. Insane really. My flight ended up being delayed about 40 minutes or so, but still, it was a close call. All my fingers had crossed and the taxi driver was a dream who practically flew me there in record time and was quite chatty as a bonus.
Arriving in Zaragoza was the most brilliant feeling. It had been 5 years since I had been here and yet all the memories came rushing back. It was the best 2 week trip I had had, and I couldn’t wait to add to it with another 8 days.
I didn’t really have a game plan of what to do, since it wasn’t so much a touring trip, but Pabs worked during the day so his younger sister Julia (who I was paired with when our school came 5 years ago), we would be together. She had been 14 and was now 19. Way to make me feel old for once.
The schedule actually worked out spectacularly, their dad worked, Pabs worked and while I was there Julia started a new job so I would wake up in the morning, make some ‘coffee’ aka espresso and sit outside in the Spanish sun and read. Perfection. And for someone as neon white as I am, surprisingly the Spanish sun loves me. No burn. How wonderful and rare. I couldn’t get over it. Reason number 56,383 to love Spain right?
I was lucky enough during the week to meet up with two friends that were part of the original exchange program 5 years ago. Borja and Ana had come to Canada in September and we had gone over in March, 2005. So the three of us met up one afternoon for drinks and gosh was that ever a blast from the past. It was so cool catching up and seeing where they were now and just how different and yet exactly the same we all were. I loved it.
The week essentially flew by between reading, tanning, venturing around town, shopping, and then going out for gelatos, beers and tapas at night. Delightful sounding? Oh yes.
My fav place was one little joint I had the privilege of going five years ago. So just outside of the main downtown, little streets and you see this open restaurant. I wouldn’t’ even call it a restaurant. It’s a room, the floor covered with hundreds of napkins, and a bar. Maybe 2 high top tables and no chairs. This is not a place you come to sit and eat, you grab a beer, and the tapas they offer: one thing on the menu and you leave. But baby is that one thing on the menu heaven. It’s a piece of baguette, two large garlic and butter sautéed soaked mushrooms and a small shrimp on top stuck with a toothpick. Sitting there, the butter and garlic soaks into the bread creating the most mouth watering experience of a lifetime. If I lived there, I think I would go every damn day of my life.
Another great place we went was an all seafood spot. Holy crap batman, they had it all. Same type of place, except some places to sit, but you choose it and they bring it. We got shrimps with lemon and you realize how something so simple can be so good. It was unreal. Makes you wonder why we don’t eat like this every day. Calories. Right. Yeah well, Europe has kind of sacked that idea from my brain and left me with 100% good food in front of me. No regrets there.
The weekend was already here? How did that happen? I couldn’t believe how fast time flew while I was there. It had been just so relaxing catching up with Julia, Pabs and their dad that I almost felt like I had been there for weeks. So Friday night was a world cup game against Chile which Spain thankfully won 2-1. It was mental. We went over to a friend of Pabs named Nacho and with a room full of guys I felt like one of them instantly. We drank a ridiculous amount of beer and ate a ton of munchies before heading over to a local club/bar. Needless to say it was not an early night. This is the kind of place you order sangria and they hand you a 1L plastic cup and ask only 4EUR. Pardon? 1L for 4 Euros….absolutely. We danced, chatted and basically laughed our heads off all night. The guys were hilarious together and like I said, it was a fabulously long night ending at an appropriate Spanish time of 6am.
Saturday we were off to Madrid for another friend’s graduation party. Yay, I couldn’t wait. So we had debated between trains and driving, and ended up with the latter. Driving would be a hell of a lot easier getting from place to place. I was advised to get dolled up I my dress and heels before heading on our 4 hour road trip, and although I thought that was ridiculous (driving 4 hours in a dress?) I did it and thankfully so, since we arrived just after 9.
Now our commencement ceremonies in Canada start at around 10am because they are well killer long. Well here in Spain it started at about 9:30 and was all said and done in less than 2 hours. Brilliant. We should learn from this. I have my commencement in October and well I always hear such amazing things, not, I mean it is commencement and super cool, but why does it have to be so boring and long? Anyways, enough about that and back to Madrid.
His buddy that was graduating also plays in a band and had a bar they were playing in that night. We got our drink on waiting for them to play and just rocked the night away. It was a blast a) they were playing English and Spanish music b) they were actually really good and c) great drink menu. Of course, in grand Spanish style the night did not end there. We went to a club around 5am, and stayed there until close. What a blast. The night ended somewhere around 9am where everyone met up for churros and chocolate. Churros and passed on the chocolate however, a killer good night.
It was one of those weekends where you barely sleep and yet you are wide awake cause you had a blast. We drove to Madrid City to actually tour a bit around before heading back to Zaragoza and boy was it gorgeous. I loved everything about it. We walked a ton looking at all the sites and somehow managed to stop at this gorgeous palace of sorts. It was breathtaking. We sat there for a while and a man on the violin was playing not far off in the distance. One of those moments you won’t forget.
Leaving was such a surreal event. I felt like I had been there for weeks, and yet leaving I knew I would have to come back again one more time if I could help it. I loved Spain and Spain treated me pretty damn well right back.
It has officially been added to the top of the list of places visited thus far. Te quiero Espana.
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