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Dinner
our first night in AlicanteThere are many ways to travel. Some people plan every minute in advance, reading travel guides, choosing restaurants, booking tours and hotels before departure. Others fly by the seat of their pants, with nothing but a credit card, a Lonely Planet and word of mouth to guide them along the way. While we are not so footloose to jump on any train not knowing where it’s headed, we do like to plan as we travel, sometimes not knowing where we’ll be next week. This trip has become as much about visiting family and friends as it is about seeing Europe. Even before Panama and hospitality became our way of life, we often traveled with our parents to go and visit people we knew, whether it was grandparents for the holidays or siblings abroad.
Because our original plan for Europe was to find work, we didn’t plan much of an itinerary. Fortunately for our past with hosting exchange students and working in hostels for a number of years, we have built a strong friend base all over Europe. We have been so lucky to have so many great, flexible people who are willing to open their homes to us and show
us where they live.
Before flying to Europe we had little intention of going to Spain, however by midweek in London, the idea of visiting had grown from a possibility into reality. Almost ten years ago, Laura’s family had hosted an exchange student from Quebec. While Pierre Luc and Laura had only spoken a few times throughout the years, the bond built by foreign exchange remained strong. Since then Pierre Luc moved to Alicante, Spain for graduate school. When the possibility of reconnecting with him arose, we took it. Thus, we found ourselves on a cheap flight from London to Alicante.
The evening air of the Mediterranean was delightfully warm compared to the early spring we had left behind in England. Back at Pierre’s flat, we met his roommates, Alan and Regina who welcomed us as Pierre Luc cooked us a great traditional Spanish dish of Patatas Espanolas. It was great to meet/reconnect with Pierre Luc after so many years and with so much to talk about, we stayed up late catching up.
With only a couple of days to visit we woke up with sightseeing in mind, but not before a beautiful breakfast spread on their
rooftop balcony. We headed out to a nearby street market, and walked uphill to the city’s castle, Castillo de Santa Barbara. The 10th century Moorish castle overlooked both the city and the mountain range beyond to one side and sea to the other. It was as good of a place as any for Aaron to take in his first view of the Mediterranean. The palm lined esplanade filled with street stalls, lazy pedestrians and moored yachts and sailboats, is also a great attraction as it is picturesque and connects the beach to Pierre Luc’s apartment.
Walking of course gets anyone hungry and what better way to satiate an appetite but with a two euro tapas and Rioja wine combo on a quaint alley in perfect spring weather. What an introduction to Spain! As the sun set, it was time to hit the town. In classic Spaniard fashion we ate tapas and drank wine with a few of Pierre Luc’s friends from school late into the night. After ‘dinner’ we checked out the bar and discoteca area of town, bouncing from bar to bar and seeing which promoter would give us the best deal.
Concierge Pierre Luc decided that
no trip to Alicante would be complete without a day at the beach. Thus, the next day we set out with a packed lunch to get some sun seaside. The beach is the social center for all types, from the international students at the university to the local families. With Pierre Luc, Regina, and their grad school friends Vanessa and Gual, we spent a great day throwing the Frisbee around, playing some pick-up volleyball, and getting some sun (with use of sunscreen of course).
To end the evening, the boys cooked shish kabobs and salad, and we enjoyed a fine time with old and new friends by eating, drinking mojitos and pretending to celebrate birthdays so the neighbors wouldn’t get mad at us for being loud… Or so we thought it was over. Even with a 7:00am pending departure, it would not be in the nature of Spaniards to let us get a good night’s sleep. So at 2:00am nonetheless, we were off to the club, and in high spirits we danced into the wee hours of the night, departing only when the club was just filling up at 4:00am.
With very little sleep, we were off to
Alicante's Beach
Looking out on the Mediterranean the train station. Our next stop on the tour de Europe was Barcelona. We were both excited to visit one of the most popular cities in Europe and see an old friend from our Bocas days, Lorena. Pierre Luc came too; it just so happened that his mother and aunt had flown into Barcelona from Quebec the same weekend to see Pierre Luc and visit Cataluña.
We slept the whole train ride north and upon our arrival bid Pierre Luc adieux for the day, and we were off to the Selva de Mar metro station. With hugs and kisses, Lorena met us and graciously got us set up in her place before heading back to work. We made ourselves at home, and spent the rest of our afternoon relaxing at the beach just a few blocks away.
That night we enjoyed stereotypical Spanish dining with Lorena, sitting al fresco in the busy plaza, overwhelmed by a delicious array of tapas plates, accompanied by what seemed to be bottomless glasses of Rioja. All the while enjoying fabulous company and reminiscing on old times as well as catching up on new events. It was a terrific evening, but not to
end too quickly, as we headed over to a nearby bar for a friend’s birthday party before going home.
The next day we had the pleasure of strolling along the port with Pierre Luc, his mom and his Aunt, grabbing some lunch, and then working our way to La Rambla. La Rambla, named after the creek which formerly ran next to the road, is one of the most famous streets in Barcelona. With fantastic street performers, beautiful buildings, shopping, dining and people watching, it divides the famous Gothic quarter and El Raval neighborhood. We continued our usual pace of checking things out by foot, from the Southern side of town up to Plaza Cataluña. We were most impressed with how well the Romanesque, Gothic and Modernista styles blend throughout the city. Barcelona is famous for many things but may be most famous for its architectural splendor and uniqueness.
On our third day, Lorena gave us a tour of the Gothic neighborhood, including the city’s cathedral and a fabulous lunch in 19th century square called Plaza Reial. We continued back to the colorful Raval Neighborhood, home of many immigrants and an incredible market. Our next leg of the tour
was the Passeig de Gracia where a few of the Modernista’s most famous buildings are located along with Gucci, Omega and Ralph Lauren. There we took time to admire Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló and La Pedrera and were astounded by all of the amazing architecture that so coolly blends into the modern cityscape. Feeling inspired, we journeyed over to the Sagrada Família, Gaudí and perhaps Barcelona’s most famous work of art. While construction of the church began in 1882, the project is still under construction as is evident by the numerous cranes shadowing the structure. It was a long day of sightseeing, thus we took the metro home to reunite with Lorena, make dinner, and relax.
Our week in Barcelona had become semi-routine at this point, as we were living at Lorena’s like locals; making meals at home, going to the gym, and watching movies in the evenings. However, the sightseeing was anything but routine. One of the best days in Barcelona was the day we explored Parc Güell, a Gaudí experiment in architectural landscape design. Perched on the hillside outside of town, Parc Güell was originally commissioned by Count Eusebi Güell to be a housing site. Gaudí worked
The view
from the castle and lived on site, designing the landscape throughout the later years of his life. However, the project was deemed unsuccessful, and it was only years later that the city of Barcelona made one of Gaudi’s best works as far as we are concerned, into a municipal garden and park. The parts that were finished are now a ‘Dr Seuss style playground’ complete with colorful mosaics, multi-tiered bridges and pathways, the famous rainbow spotted mosaic lizard, as well as Candy Land style houses overlooking the city below. It is unforgettable.
The next day we met with Laura’s college friend Matt Riotto for a cup of coffee (Matt just moved to Barcelona to become an English teacher). When Matt went back to class we walked down the tree lined Passeig de St. Joan, and admiringly walked under Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf. We lingered through the park, walked near the zoo and along the water to find the bronze fish in the Olympic Village of 1992. We enjoyed the sea air and the great view of the majestic Mediterranean. That evening we met Lorena for a farewell dinner. We finished our week together just as it started, eating tapas, drinking wine, and
enjoying each others’ company.
Spain is definitely a place that we would love to spend more time. With our ability to communicate, the beautiful scenery and weather, and the laid back, fun loving attitude of most Spaniards, it is hard not to love this country. It didn’t hurt to have friends who made us feel right at home the second we arrived. Our next stop is France; get excited to see family, drink cognac, and climb the Eiffel Tower.
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rachelle goldberg
non-member comment
..just happy..
love you.. it hurts, no I take that back.. it feels good, proud of you.. tell dad hi for me.. love to the family.. love, Aunt, Rachelle