Sangrada Familia Church
Market in Barcelona
Christo Rei on a misty morning
Colorful Lisbon
Aija and I at the beach on a gray day
Plaza de Toros 
Plaza de Espana
View from the cathedral tower in Seville
Malaga
I had an absolutely amazing trip to Spain and Portugal! I kept a journal while traveling and here are some excerpts:
-I left Latvia this morning. Right now I am flying over magnificent mountains without a cloud in the sky. It is the most beautiful view from a plane I have ever had.
-I arrived in Barcelona and it was sunny and +15 degrees. I walked around all day without too much of a plan (one of my favourite things to do in a new city). I walked up and down La Ramblas, Barcelona’s famous boulevard and saw some very unique things. First there were outdoor pet stores, then flower markets, then artists and street performers all along the way.
-I took the metro to see Sangrada Familia Church. I am really thankful for the experience of traveling with Anna for six weeks in May and June because it was then that I learned all the basic of traveling within Europe. The church was remarkable. It began construction in 1882 and it continues to this day. The style is unlike anything I have ever seen. Afterwards I walked to the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau. The hospital was amazing. It may sound a bit strange that I went to visit a hospital and that it is one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my travels but the hospital was founded in 1401 and it is Europe’s oldest functional hospital. It is so neat to see the old medieval buildings and the new technology and doctors in the same area. Fantastic juxtaposition! Another cool thing about the hospital is it’s design. It is not one huge building, but rather a complex of small to medium buildings that are connected by underground tunnels.
-I just made my traditional hike to the top of the city. Whenever I see that there is the opportunity to have a great view of a city I always take it. Sometimes it is a church, a tower, city hall, park, hotel, mountain, costs 2 euros, 20 euros or is free. This time I opted for Guell Park. A metro ride, a walk up a steep hill, a few outdoor escalators and some more walking and I had reached the top! I took off my jacket and sweater and sat in the sun in my t-shirt.
-Another gorgeous +15 degree day. I don’t think the sun has ever felt so good! Long hours at Riga Hostel without windows were definitely worth it. Yesterday I was on a roll and saw everything that I had planned to see, so today is a relaxing one. I walked around and periodically sat in the sun to read my book. I also went to the market, which was fantastic! I bought 1kg of fresh strawberries for 2 euros. I was really, really happy :) One of the things that I am going to miss most about Europe are the markets.
-Today I flew to Lisbon. I arrived in the evening and walked around the center. What a beautiful city! The architecture is so bright and colorful. It makes me want a pink tiled house! I met my couchsurfing host and we went out for supper. She is a piano teacher with a degree in psychology who is studying to become a veterinarian, so we had a lot of talk about.
-Today I walked, walked, walked, walked from 9:00 until 20:00. Sight-seeing can be a lot of work. They say that Lisbon is a city built on seven hills. If so, I climbed four of them. The coloured houses are phenomenal. I went to an old monastery that was huge and the chapel was beautiful. I also saw a famous statue and tower. I walked around the city center some more and before I knew it, the sky was getting dark, so I walked back to my host’s apartment. We made supper and relaxed. She was very friendly and kind. Tomorrow morning I am going to Huelva to see Aija :)
January 18:
-The bus trip to Huelva wasn’t too bad considering it was a 6.5 hour bus ride. I was so happy to see Aija! We talked and talked and talked. I told her about what was new in my life and in Latvia and she told me what was new in her life and about all the oddities she has experienced in Spain. My favorite thing she told me was that when there were loud parties in her apartment the neighbors didn’t come over and tell them to be quiet... they threw eggs! There were marks on the walls to prove it. Her flat mates are really nice. She lives with a girl from Sweden, I girl from Germany and a Spanish guy. A very international house! Aija and I walked around Huelva in the evening.
-Well Aija had warned me that her apartment was cold and she wasn’t lying. I woke up in the middle of the night to put on my sweater and jacket (in addition to long sleeves and numerous blankets). I also killed two mosquitoes during the night... Spain is crazy!
-Another relaxing day. The weather hasn’t been the best... but I keep reminding myself that it is still far better than Latvia. I walked around Huelva while Aija was in class, in search of a bookstore that we had seen a couple days ago. I didn’t find it but I found something even better called”The English Bookstore”. Perfect! However, when I walked closer I saw that it was closed for siesta. Ah, even”The English Bookstore” has siesta. No fair!
-Today I went for a walk with Aija and Marcos to a hill overlooking Huelva... funny to think that +10 degrees feels cold in January. I made nachos for supper and everybody enjoyed them. I can’t believe I will be back in Latvia in a mere week.
-This morning I went to class with Aija. It was fun! Students were doing presentations about different countries, some in English and some in Spanish. I find that I can understand quite a few words in Spanish with my English/French/Latvian and very minimal Italian knowledge. Then we all went for tapas and had a siesta (very Spanish!) I read my book and drank lots of hot tea to keep me warm. Tomorrow Aija and two of her flat mates are leaving for Granada at 6:00 tomorrow morning.
-Marcos, Aija and I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning talking a laughing. I have had such a great visit. This afternoon, Marcos drove me to Seville, his hometown is just outside of Seville. We had quite the fun time communicating with a mixture of English, French, Spanish and Latvian. Now I am in Seville and it is +22 degrees, my warmest day so far. As I write, I am waiting for a tour of the bull fighting ring. Bull fighting originated in Seville.
-The bull ring was really interesting. Afterwards I went to Plaza de Espana, which was the site of the Spanish pavilion from the 1929 exhibition. In more recent years it was used in the filming of the new Star Wars episodes. It was incredible. Then I walked around the city for a while, bought groceries and went to the hostel. I met three nice guys from Canada! I haven’t seen Canadians since the summer and suddenly there were four of us in the same hostel (and there were only seven guests that night). It was a chill out, relaxing evening.
-It is extremely strange that my life seems completely normal despite the fact that I am in the south of Spain, was in the largest cathedral in the world and saw the tomb of Christopher Columbus (all before noon). I am so fortunate that I have the opportunity to live life to the fullest and do what I love. I can’t even describe the cathedral and pictures do not do it justice. It was incredibly huge and filled with beautiful art and priceless treasure. The ceilings were 37 meters high!
-Today I took the bus from Seville to Malaga. It was raining in Seville and in Malaga as well. I was greeted by Pedro at the bus station. I met Pedro in Latvia during the summer and he is good friends with my friend, Lasma. Pedro and his friend, Alvaro, showed me around Malaga and they were excellent tour guides. We ate typical food from Malaga, went to the Picasso museum (Picasso was born and retired in Malaga), and walked around the center. Pedro’s flat mates are from Germany, Italy and Denmark. Again, an international house! They all speak Spanish and I helped prepare a typical Spanish dish- potato omelette. It was delicious and I am going to try to make it again on my own someday.
-Pedro and I hiked up a hill that overlooks that city today. We also had a nice, long walk along the sea. Then we went to his apartment, made supper and some of his friends came to visit. It is a strange feeling to be in a room full of people who are speaking a language you hardly understand. Sometimes I try to figure out what they are saying and then other times I just zone out completely.
-I am back in Latvia after an awesome vacation. I flew from Malaga to Frankfurt, waiting in Frankfurt for 6 hours overnight and then flew to Latvia. I have traded palm trees for snow and + degree weather to – degree weather. In a way, it is nice to be back though. Back to Latvian language, people and ”normal” life. Latvia has really become a second home to me.
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