The Picasso Corner Hospital

After experiencing pure Spanish cultural activities consisting of Bull Fights and Flamenco Dancing in Sevilla, both Andy and I were required to return our brand new Volkswagen Polo to the Sixt Car Rental Agency in the southern Spanish city of Malaga. We both agreed that we got a real cheap deal with the rental for a week and also giving us the ultimate freedom of driving our own car in Southern Europe.

Needless to say, we were happy that we only filled the gas tank 3 times, paid limited road toll fees only in the north and most importantly and amazely without getting a speeding ticket we drove the car more than 130-140 KM / hour on the highway feeling like we were cruising in the Nevada desert. The only thing that was missing from the car was it's ability to convert into a convertible.

Driving to Malaga was a smooth and easy ride through the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains with the last thirty kilometres being a quiet drive without touching the accelerator on any part of the hill. I had to drive as Andy was feeling sick and also sleeping in the passenger seat, the downward drive was like cruising down the big hill going into the town of Cochrane, Alberta. Steep and curvy were the main feelings however we save lots of gas by putting the stick into neutral and using the brake from here to there made the drive really smooth and peaceful until we reach the outer limits of Malaga.

Once we have reach Malaga, I was not happy that we did not have pack any traveling directions to where the Picasso Corner Hostel, the International airport or the Canada Embassy branch (This is Andy's looooong story in his quest for a Power of Attorny). Being frustrated and driving around the city centre, I told Andy that we should "Screw this S#$%" and agressively drove back out on to the highway and search for our way to the International airport. Reaching the airport, we have returned the car and took a public transportation bus (with a paper map from the airport tourism office) to the Picasso Corner Hostel where we have booked rooms for the next three nights.

Upon our arrival at the Picasso, I immediately began to feel that my body was shutting down, sweating, coughing, sneezing, and feeling nauseous. After eating the local hostel Spanish food, I decided to go downstairs to bed to see if I can fight off this flu-like symptoms. For the next three hours, it progressively gotten worst as I was hacking and dealing with the biggest nose run of my life. Thank god later I have fallen asleep.

The next day I woke up late and decided that the Picasso Corner Hostel would become my Picasso Corner Hospital for the next 3-4 days. I went to the pharmacy that morning to purchase some Anti-Histamine medication and to rest in bed drinking water like a plant starving in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

During my R & R at the Picasso Corner Hospital, I realized that the Hostel's computer systems were badly managed and in need of configuration repairs. One of the client computer's WIFI connection was disabled and also had to reinstall the operating system from scratch. I told the staff that I was an IT manager in Vietnam for three years, allowing them to believe that I can fix their computer system for free or possible exchange for food and possible free night sleep at the Hostel.

We both stayed at the Picasso Hostel Hospital for nearly a week and ended up paying for three nights out of six with free food every day for fixing their computers and also helping with their public website. The had some other small issues in the hostel such as slow Internet and a broken card reader on their fax machine so in the end they were easy tasks for me to repair for them. At the same time, the hostel staff members were sooo nice and took care of me to fight the flu and also treated me as their own. I even got a chance to talk with their cool owner who lives up North and to explain to him that their hostel web domain has expired and he needs to renew it ASAP.

As I stayed in the Hostel, Andy mostly went out to the Beach and met a few new people from the USA. It was good for both of us as sometimes spending too much time with each other can make us ready to kill each other.

The biggest highlight that made my life happy during the week was the chance to talk with Moony over the phone / Internet as we have missed each other's voice for over a month. Thank god for Internet Phone connections. (Cheap too!!)

Also during this time, we also had the time to explore on the Internet and talk with some of our friends in order to decide that we would continue our journies into the country of Morocco or make an 180 degree turn and head Northwest to Germany. Andy was facing decisions to leave for Africa as his novelty of Europe was starting to ware off. For me, I wanted to make sure I got my money's worth of using the Euro-Rail tickets before June 26th for 10 travel days in Western Europe.

It were days of decisions, decisions and decisions...

Bull Fights

I decide to get a taste of real Spanish culture by visiting a local Bull fight in Sevilla. I was having a hard time deciding if I should go or not as the events is perceieved as a negative immoral issue especially with the death of the Bull at the end however I made my mind as it was something that I will never see again and it's something once in my lifetime. Please note the following text is from the internet and gives you an idea behind the bull fights in Spain.

Above all else, Spain is know for its corridas or bullfights. Viewed by most as a cruel and torturous act, the Spanish believe it to be a highly skilled art form that requires courage, valor, technique, and the ablity to fit into a tight gold suit and wear pink socks. They wear neat hats, too.

The season lasts from early spring until around mid-October. Fights are held in a plaza de toros (bullring). Tickets fall into three categories, and prices are based on your exposure to the sun: sol (sun) is the cheapest; sombra (shade) is the most expensive; and sol y sombra (a mixture of sun and shade) falls in the medium-price range.

Bull cults have existed since the beginning of man. Many civilizations revered them and the bull-cult at the Greek Island Creta is well known. The Bible reports bull sacrifices in honor of the divine justice. Bulls also played an important part in the religious ceremonies of the Iberian tribes during prehistoric times.The origins of the Plaza, or bullring, probably are not the Roman amphitheaters, but the Celt-Iberian temples where those ceremonies were held. In the province of Soria, close to Numancia, one of them is conserved and it is supposed that their bulls were sacrificed to the Gods. While the religious cults to the bull go back to Iberians, it was the Greek and Roman influences that converted them into a spectacle.

Ernest Hemingway wrote in Death in the Afternoon: The bullfight is not a sport in the Anglo-Saxon sense of the word; that is, it is not an equal contest or an attempt at an equal contest between a bull and a man. Rather it is a tragedy: the death of the bull, which is played, more or less well, by the bull and the man involved and in which there is danger for the man but certain death for the bull.

The corrida begins with a parade. For many viewers, this may be the high point of the afternoons festivities, as all the bullfighters are clad in their trajes de luces, or very tight gold suits with pink socks.

Bullfights are divided into thirds called tercios. The first is the tercio de capa (cape), where the matador tests the bull with various passes to get acquainted with his opponent. The second, the tercio de varas (sticks), begins with the lance-carrying picadores on horseback, who weaken, or punish, the bull by jabbing him in the shoulder and neck to break muscles. At times the horses are gored, even though they wear protective padding, or the horse and rider might be tossed into the air, like an irritating leprechaun, by the now-infuriated bull. The picadores are followed by the banderilleros, whose job is to decorate the bull by puncturing him with pairs of boldly colored darts.In the final tercio de muleta, the action narrows down to the lone fighter and the bull. Gone are the fancy capes. Instead, the matador uses a small red cloth known as a muleta, which, to be effective, requires a bull with lowered head. (The picadores and banderilleros have stabbed the bull sufficiently to achieve this) Using the muleta as a lure, the matador wraps the bull around himself in various passes, the most dangerous of which is the natural; here, the matador holds the muleta in his left hand, the sword in his right. Right-hand passes pose less of a threat, since the sword can be used to spread out the muleta, making a larger target for the bull. After a number of passes, the time comes for the kill, the moment of truth.

After the bull dies, the highest official at the ring may award the matador an ear from the dead bull, or perhaps both ears, or ears and tail. For a truly extraordinary performance, the hoof is sometimes added. Spectators cheer a superlative performance by waving white handkerchiefs, imploring the judge to award a prize. The bullfighter may be carried away as a hero, or if he has displeased the crowd, he may be jeered and chased out of the ring by an angry mob. At a major fight, usually six bulls are killed by three matadors in one afternoon.

Source: http://www.discoversevilla.com

Please note that I have taken some photos of the bull fights however they are very graphic and unsuitable for younger viewers. If you want to see them, please click on Scot's Photo Album #1 on the left hand side and then proceed to click on the Bull Fights in Sevilla. By doing so, you are viewing these photos at your own risk.

The Royal Kingdom of Naboo

After completing our journey in Granada, Andy and I continued our week long VW polo driving adventures east towards the City of Sevilla.

Sevilla city is known for their arts, culture, and also known to be southern Spain's biggest financial district. Some of the famous landmarks includes the Sevillian bull fight ring, the world's largest gothic cathedrael and the Plaza de Espana which was used in the first three Star Wars movies.

The cathedral was built from 1401–1519 after the conquess of the former city's mosque. It is the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in both area and volume. The interior is the longest hallwaz in Spain, it is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident. The Cathedral itself reused some columns and structures from the older mosque, and most famously the Giralda, originally a minaret, was converted into a bell tower. It is topped with a statue, known locally as La Giraldilla, representing Faith. The Giralda is the city's most famous symbol.

Sevilla city is also known for their invention of Tapas food which contains more than a thousand bars where the choices, is virtually unlimited, from seafood to ham and sausage and from vegetable to cheese. The Sevillians actually make a meal of them, moving from one bar to another and trying one dish at a time.

Finally the last biggest thing we did was exploring the Flamenco dance which was known in various bars throughout the city. Unfortunitely, we went to a dance which was tooo touristy as the bar itself was too loud to hear the performance and to enjoy the real richness of the spanish dance.

Click here and here to view the passionate traveler's photos from Sevilla.

Granada sounds like Canada does it?

After leaving the American Cup City of Velencia, Andy and I have continued our money burning adventures in our little small VW Polo hatchback into the Sierra Nevada mountains of Espanol. The trip itself was indeed very long as both of us had to share the driving time while the other was listening on the black IPOD and sleeping. The Sierra Mountains were indeed very beautiful and at one point (Later we found out that it's the only point) that the snow exist there all year round. The locals do many winter activities in the Sierra Nevada range such as skiing or snowboarding. (Damm, now I knew that I was missing something in my bag) at the end or the base of the mountains, we have now entered into the city of Granada.

The Alhambra, a huge citadel and palace, is in Granada. It is one of the most famous items of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian historical legacy that makes Granada a well known spot for cultural and tourist attractions in Espanol. The city has shown various geographic attractions from the Arabs, Romans and finally the Christians as each religious group has once invaded and settled in the city over time.

The hill facing the Alhambra palace is the old Moorish casbah or "medina", called the Albaicin, a fascinating network of narrow streets and white painted houses with secluded inner gardens, known as "cármenes". The Plaza de San Nicolas, at the highest point of the Albaicin, is famous for its magnificent view of the Moorish palace.

Our Hostel, known as the Oasis is ranked as one of the best Hostel in this region was embedding in the Albaicin as the Oasis’s features shows the true white painted colours and the elaborate growing vine like garden in the middle. We have stayed here for many nights enjoying the historical structures and the hostel night life such as the Paella meals and the Tapas bars.

The Alhambra was more than a day tour as we had to get up very early in the morning to get our tickets. The walk was not a regular walk as we had to hike up the hill which was approx 1 KM in length with a 30-45 degree angle. At the top, Andy and I ended up going into the Alhambra itself and later realized that we went through the back door and found ourselves embedded with the tourist people enjoying the early morning exhibits. After noticing that we were in the wrong place, we separated ourselves from the touring groups and found the ticket booth at the north west end of the Alhambra. This is where we were greeted by a KM long lineup. We waited for 30 minutes in the line and later greeted by a PA message saying that all the tickets were sold for the morning and there were 700 tickets left for the afternoon. We took our chance and continued to wait in the line. Luckily enough we made it through and brought our tickets for the afternoon viewing. Since this early morning exercise and our late night hostel activities, it was time to head back and catch up on breakfast (impossible in Spain) and went back to sleep for a hour or two.

Around 2 PM, we went back to the Alhambra with the same intensive hike as we did in the morning and went on a mad photo shoot (people thought we were professionals) taking pictures and enjoying the historical structures and scenery this palace has to offer.

Click here to enjoy the passionate pictures of the Alhambra Adventures…

East Coast City of Velencia

After visiting the famous Dali museum, we have drove our brand sparking new Volkswagen Polo south for 450 KM to the city of Velencia. The driving trip itself was indeed very fast as we found the roads to be in very good condition and everyone was driving like they live on the famous german "autobaun" with speeds of 150 -180 KM / hour. We have reached these speeds however we realized what a nasty financial strain on our gas tank so we decided to be conservative and safe and drive as if we were in Canada.

We stayed in a Hostel which has leased some of it´s space from a old church that is not really in service. It had huge 15-20 feet ceilings and it took forever to use the stairs to reach the floors for the kitchen and the bedrooms. We stayed in a room where everyone was from Canada. Too many ehh to be counted.

The local attractions itself was not really exciting however the inner city used to be protected from a huge stone wall perimeter (the gates of these walls still remain today) with various historical landmarks inside. At the port, Velencia is known to host the world wide Louis Vuitton Cup or other words the America Cup. Currently the event is entering it´s 32nd year with 12 teams competing.

Andy decided to visit the beach while I decided to visit Spain´s best art museum the contains various impressionist and historical paints from Spain´s famous artists from previous centuries.

Click here to view some of the pictures in Velencia, Spain.

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí Domènech Marquis of Pubol

After picking up our VW Polo car rental from the Barcelona Airport, Andy and I have continued our travels 1.5 hours to the northern town of Figueres which was the birthplace and location of Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí. Dali was known for his surreal, eccentric, off the wall artwork that has been taugh in art classes around the world.

In the middle of Figueres, contains his museum which host thousands of his artwork along with hundreds of scuptures and other wacky 3-D exhibits.

Click here to see some of the town pictures and of Dali´s work...

Hola Barcelona

After spending many days in Bordeaux, Andy and I continued our European adventures into the city of Barcelona, Spain.

The second largest city in Spain, the seaport of Barcelona is known for it´s architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which are now current UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

We have stayed in two different hostels as we had trouble booking one of them together for the entire weekend. It was a pure joy to be getting up in the morning, having a quick shower and then heading out the door cross town heading to the next hostel.

We have enjoyed the beach, the rain and of course the vibrant nightlife with lots of attractions as we explored the city.

The most remarkable Barcelonan attraction was Gaudí´s unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by tourist dollars; as of today, the church projected completion is planned for 2026.

Click here to see the photos of Barcelona...