The rest of Spain - a summary

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So I'm horribly behind in this blog. SOrry to all you dedicated fans who are disappointed when they check and nothing new is there. Its much the same with the journal I'm trying to keep. So I've decided just to highlight the key points of the rest of Spain, since to boot I wiped out on these marble stairs today in Athens and sprained my pinky. ITs nice and swollen and blue and makes you realize how often you use the letter a while typing....bloody hell!!!! So anyone wanting to know the full schoop on my awesome times will have to talk to me in person when I'm back in Canada. Plus there's at least a days worth of pics!

SO after Palma there was Valencia. THere they have the chapel which is home to the Holy Grail - the chalice the Vatican recognizes as the one Jesus used in the Last Supper...very cool, but much more undecroated then what I had in mind. Its kinda just in one of the side rooms and I was expecting so big shrine to it or something. THey also have the forearm of a dead saint there...umm, gross!

Then after it was on to Madrid. Met a fellow Canadian and some cool Aussies to hang out with. Went out for churros - deep fried pastry that you dip into a chocolate syrup....so good, but made us feel so sick trying to finish them all. See its times like that that counteract all the walking I'm doing. I'll have to kick my butt into high gear when I get back to Canada (which is rapidly approaching I must add!) Saw the Prado (I think thats what it was called), the royal palace and the REtiro park. The highlight though was definitely a flamenco show Jenna (the canadian) and i caught. So powerful and seductive. Very impressive.

Took a day trip to Segovia - a really quait little Spanish town. Saw the famous aqueduct. Its used to transport water and the story goes this girl who was supposed to carry water from the mountain to the town made a deal with the devil that if he could build this structure by sunrise to do the job, he could have her soul. She realized her mistake and started praying to God and he created a storm which made the devil's work harder and he was unable to complete it one stone before sunrise. SO the town's people blessed the structure with holy water and made use of it.

Then my last stop was Granada. Did the whole toursit bus thing the first day. I actually love them. ITs a great way to get around and hear the info about the city and you can get on and off at certain tourist stops throughout the city. And this one was good for 2 days! Sweet! Then upon the recommendation of some girls in Madrid I went to the ARabic baths...and wow! Heaven on earth! They have the lights dimmed and this really tasty tea to sip and all this aromatherapy jazz going on. THen there's three baths, cold, warm and hot and you just circulate as you wish. And when its your turn they have a massage service. When you're travelling, its such a sweet break! Went on a tapas tour with my room mates....one of which was a fellow Canadian ENGINEER!!!! Also just graduated in April. So we did the whole ring tap tap together. Instant bonding I tell you! And then of course the famous Alhambra. Apparently its up there on the list of the world's wonders. NOt top 7 but I think maybe top 10? ITs was breathtaking. SPent the whole afternoon there, and I hate to say it Grandma, but it puts even your garden to shame....you would have loved it!

And that was the end of the time in Spain. I've finally managed to make my way around and its time to leave. I didn't learn as much Spanish as i was hoping too, but I guess that's what happens when you have personal translators at home and work (Emerson and Irune), but it was enough to travel around. I msut stay I was always impressed when I ordered food, bought a bus ticket or asked for directions and the locals responded in Spanish instead of babying me and using English...go me!

well, off to explore news countries in Europe!

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