The 'el Espania' adventure

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Arrived and landed in Madrid without any plan for how to reach Pamplona. Pamplona because there was the St. Fermin festival going on. Always wanted to see close to what it was really like. No more than a run in front of the bulls in the early morning and just drink and party in the evening. To reach Pamplona I did not have much choice. So when i arrived in Madrid airport at the end of the afternoon i had no any plan how to reach pamplona, also I missed the bus and had to wait the next morning for the bus wich was going to Pamplona which I did not really wanted. I decided to go walk the highway. I was literally walking from the airport along the highway i walked where it is normally forbidden to walk. With the idea to hitchhike and in the hope to finding a car that would go to Pamplona. After walking 5km i saw a split. A split where the cars was coming to my way. These cars drove slowly where I immediately saw a car that stopped. I screamed "where do you go amigo!" They answered loud Zaragoza! I said back: "Yes okay let's go to Zaragoza")) It was not going straight to Pamlona but also not far from Pamplona so it was just 110km left from Zaragoza. With 3 South American construction workers we were on the way to Zaragoza. The funny thing is that they could not speak English and I did not speak Spanish so we had done the sign language which was very funny 😊 So I arrived in Zaragoza, which was not planned. Because later i couldn't find a car to pamplona and so i missed my 1 day airbnb booking in Pamplona. But that was of course not a disaster so i spend one day in in Zaragoza. Zaragoza was a cozy place with a nice old city center and nice people.



The next day i took the train to Pamplona, ​​which was only 110km far from Zaragoza. In the train to Pamplona i met the German cyclist who inspired me with his story. The boy bumped without money throughout the world. I asked how he saved it without money. He found that he was able to find food in the trash bin and could get throwed away food in the supermarket. And slept with his tent in the woods. Apart from seeing him very well. Remarkable to meet such people who give you inspiration about his food and indifference in the world. I have admiration for such kinds of people. Then finally we arrived in Pamplona saying goodbye and wishing good luck to the German cyclist. In the pamplona trainstation i saw all white-clad people. You almost saw everyone in this white shirt and white pants and red bow tie with red belt. Very appart it was from young to old. Altough I left my stuff at the airbnb house where I had missed one day, but for a small amount I could stay for another day thanks to the friendly landlord. The Pamplona bull run is every morning at 08:00. Thereby making everyone themselve ready for 8.00 am. And when the church bell rings, the hell breaks. The bulls runs with the locally trained people and some drunk foreigners. After I saw people who were taken off by ambulance. I spent in total 2 days in Pamplona, ​​where the next day challenged me the hitchhiking trip to Logrono 110km away.

Logrono was the city wich is on the Camino del Santiago road. Camino del Santiago is the 650km road where pilgrims enter this challenge as they try to get to the city, one of which begins at a city in France or starts at Porto in Portugal and ends in Camino del Santiago. In Logrono I had a Couch Surfing host where I could stay at Haritz for 1 day. We have had fun interesting conversations. It is always fun to meet a local person who can tell much more about the city and culture and the way of his life in the city. Haritz was actually from Zaragoza, where I had visited the first day by chance. But still worth to here more and discover more things.

The next day I tried to hitchhike from Logrono to Bilbao. This partly succeeded until Miranda de Ebro 65 km away to Bilbao. In Miranda de ebro I took the bus to -Gasteiz and there further to Bilbao. The splendid of Spain is that you will always come across different regions where they have their own regions with their own culture and sometimes their own language. Basq country was always where I wanted to go. Here in Bilbao I was lucky to get to know Jose from Couchsurfing. Jose was willing to offer me a stay. Jose's house was therefore 10km far from Bilbao center but in a green mountain where you wake up in the morning with a green beautiful mountain in front of your window. I found this beautiful, so I have been joining Jose with 4 days. On arrival at Bilbao station, Jose immediately took me to the St. Turzi festival in Bilbao, a local fishermen's festival where people were partying. Funny thing I discovered here was that there was a lot of political freedom associatons groups that belonged to something. Thus there were many feminist groups or freedom fighters, which is also understandable because basic countries themselves want to become independent of Spain. After having celebrated, we went home. Woke up day after in the morning with the beautiful mountain view, Jose took me to a political Basque bar next to Jose's house. There we went for coffee and breakfast. Yes having breakfast in a bar which is quite normal in Spain 😊)With lots of fun and laughter we drank some wine in the political bar next to Jose's house. After we went to the beautiful coasts of Bilbao and also the nice city center where was also the science museum wich is only one in new york and the other one is located in Bilbao. I taste also the local 'Chulleton' wich was very tast. After a 2 day nice stay, I wanted to pursue my way to Gijon. Also with a hitchhiking. This day I got up and failed that day after walking a lot, I lost a bit of the road then I could not find a car. After which I eventually walked 8km. Luckily, Jose came back to pick me up whit his car and with a big smile because he saw my failing action with my hitchhiking 😊 Where we later in the evening laughed and had fun for my failed action.Next morning try again to go hitchhiking towards Gijon.



The next morning I got up and with a successful hitchhiking. I drove to Santander but could not find a car further to Gijon after which I did not go further than Torrelevega. In Cantabria region where it was so beautiful green everywhere. In Torrelevega a small town I found a small hotel room that I could stay for the next morning to go to Gijon. I did not make it difficult. And found a ride by blablacar to gijon. In Gijon, in the Astoria region, where it was also so great. The whole of north Spain is beautifully beautiful green. Here in Gijon I was lucky to get to know Javi through couch surfing. Who still accept my couch surfing at the last minute. Javi lived in the middle of downtown Gijon. Javi took me and told me I had to taste local Cider. What was amazing with an authentic way of donning, I really liked this. Where we also enjoyed the astoretic music that is comparable to Irish music. Gijon is a coastal town in northern Spain with a beautiful long beach. The weather is not too hot and the old town is definitely worth going there and walking. The next day I had to leave again. Facing west to beautiful Galicia. Where I used to use blablacar again. The first city I arrived was La Coruna.



La coruna has been in my list for a long time. Because crazy enough the coruna people call themselves turks. Although the football club Deportivo Coruna. I asked the people I encountered in Coruna why they called themselves "loose turcos". Related to people from Vigo who called people from Coruna, because they had good ties with the ottomans in the past. Where the coruna people did not feel ridiculous but actually felt proud of this name. And then carried this name. I stayed here for 2 days which made me the most impression is the 'pulpo' dish, which I can highly recommend. This dish is so delicious with salted pepper and potatoes, this is delicious. This tasted so good that I went to the same restaurant the next morning to eat it again. La Coruna has an old fun city center and a cozy bar street where people sit together to drink and eat. After La Coruna I traveled to Santiago de Compostela. So I took the train because it was not that far. Santiago de Compostela ends either the finish of the Camino el Santiago pilgrimage route. It was very special to meet different people who gladly celebrate their camino trip. A lot of happy people who walked after finishing the finish endlessly after 35 days. So I met a boy from Germany who walked for 4 months from Germany to Santiago de Compostela. Normally it's a 650km trip where it starts at a town in France near the Spanish border or starts from the northwest of Spain or from Porto. So I met many special people with many travel stories. Santiago de Compostela, of course, has a very special old city center and is also the capital of Galicia. It is advisable to get there between 20 and 28 in connection with the holidays there.

After 2 days Santiago de Compostela I traveled to Vigo. There I met Turo the couchsufing guest who picked me up from the station in Vigo. I have certainly spent 3 days here Vigo is a port city with a small city center. During my stay in Vigo I did a day trip to Ourense. Where I have visited the terms. Definitely worth going there because the terms are outside and free. From Vigo it is by train about 1.5 hours and Vigo and 20 minutes walk to the terminals. This is definitely recommended to travel to Ourense which is 90km far from Vigo. After returning to Vigo, I traveled to Porto which is definitely nearby and definitely worth it. Portugal is a bit cheaper than Spain with both transportation, accommodation and food. There is much to be said about porto about the local people and it's a very chill atmosphere. The city is also worth a while to spend at least 2 days. The wine 'port' and the sweet 'Nata' is definitely recommended to eat it. Even the evening is definitely worth the effort.

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