Muensteraner reunion in beautiful Seville

After almost 6 month of going from one host to the next I decided to take a break and take the real backpack life. That means to explore Spain and live in hostels.

I went first to Seville because everyone I met told me it is very beautiful and shouldn't miss it. They were right! It is very beautiful and worth to see. 

My next destination should be Cádiz. I already organized a so-called blablacar which I didn't need in the end...

In Seville I had a great reunion with an old friend of mine from Muenster. It was very spontaneous. Great that I have the Facebook App because through I became aware that we were sharing the same city...

I had great fun to meet him after almost 8 years and it felt a bit like being home because we spoke the same Muensteraner slang... 

The cathedral in Seville.  For me the photo mirrors how impressive the city is. A combination of old and modern world which doesn't pretend anything. Even there are lots of tourists it feels real in Seville.

Same procedure... getting the bus

Like I mentioned it in my latest post it is now traditional for me to get the bus quite close... Alain brought me to the bus in Orce in the morning and I traveled to Granada where I had to get the bus to Seville.

The bus to Seville should depart at 10 am and I arrived at 9:50 am. I just thought: "10 min... plenty of time!" But the bus station in Granada is not that well organized. 

That means you have to find the bus on your own. There are not really a system and no information from which gate the bus go. When there are 10 buses - like it was when I arrived - then 10 min could be quite challenging...

But I was lucky and found the bus immediately. I had to queue because apparently a lot of people wanted to go to Seville at that day. It was a Tuesday. Finally it was my turn and I wanted to pay by cash when the bus driver told me that had to buy the ticket at a ticket machine... Ups... 

I forgot that this bus organisation wants that you reserve a seat in advance at the ticket machine. It is like booking a flight. First destination, date, seat, if you want a travel insurance ("No") etc.

OK 4 min left... I still had time and went to the ticket machine. 

After I accidentally chose a wrong destination I got really the last seat in the bus! I am not joking. Well, 2 min left, ran back to the bus and... I made it :-)!

Have a look in the right corner on the time when it was printed and then to "Fecha salida" :-).

But even if I had not made it, then I would just wait two hours for the next one and go into the city center. I would probably store my backpack at the hostel where I stayed twice.

So easy. Just relax and don't bother about things I cannot change and take the best of it. Actually, I was already looking forward to my favorite shop at the market in Granada. They have great dried fruits and nuts... :-)

The capital city of Andalusia: Sevilla (engl. Seville)

My tour so far through Spain: from Orce (E) to Seville.

I booked the hostel for three days with purpose because I wanted to decide later if I stay longer in Seville or go to Cádiz. 

By the way: 
Meanwhile I just book a hostel for two days to check out if I like it or not. Two days are enough to get to know where the main places in a city are and how long a walk lasts.

When I checked in in the hostel I just put my stuff in the room and went out to do my catwalk.

By the way it was quite hot in Seville... I don't talk about hot like 35 degrees which would be almost cold ;-). I am talking about 45 degrees without wind... Jap that is hot and it feels hot...

Even the thermometer is giving up... but it is trying to show 41 degrees at that time.

Getting creative... My long skirt which is also a dress is really a great travel item. With a knot it feels a bit like someone from ancient Greek.

I just use a map when I really have no clue at all where I am. In Seville I had some problems to orientate because the map I got was not printed north direction. 

Therefore I just saved the image of the map wrong in my mind because I also use Google Maps and that is north direction. I got confused when I went north and didn't come to the destination where I wanted to go.

So, I stood on the street and was looking in my strange printed map and on the names of the street and tried to find out where I was.

Exactly how I felt :-). A big question mark above my head.

Suddenly a postman came to me and spoke to me in Spanish. I: "Yo solo hablo un poco espanol..." He said in pretty well English: "I show you where you are... Attention because of the cars...It is dangerous!" He touched my back and leaded me away from the street. "Where do you want to go?" "Plaza de Espana" and I pointed on my map.

He exhaled heavy and said: "Ohh, it is quite far. OK. Just follow me and I will bring you to a street where you should reach it easily. But I am sure you will get lost again..." 

The very kind postman went with me through the streets of Seville and after a while he stopped and pointed to a street: "There it is. Just straight through the old town. But like I said, I am sure you will get lost again." Smiled and went away.

On my way to the Plaza de Espana I found a small jewelry shop. It occurred to me that my necklace closure was broken and needed to be fixed. Therefore I went into the shop and asked with my little Spanish if they could fix it. 

They could! 

It took them exactly 2 min and I had just to pay 1,20 EUR for the new necklace closure. That I call service and flexibility.

I didn't get lost again and found the amazing Plaza de Espana and the beautiful Parque de Maria Louise. There I took the following pictures.

Plaza de Espana - nothing to mention :-)

Where everything began... Alicante! Taken at the Plaze de Espana.

Nice arches at the Paza de Espana

That is where the palms the brown color get from ;-). In the Parque de Maria Louise

Romantic atmosphere in the Parque de Maria Louise.

The places are really beautiful and I took some more photos there but they are just too much :-).

Muensteraner reunion in Seville

I sat at the river in Seville had just my dinner in front of a beautiful scene when I checked my Facebook App and saw that an old friend of mine from Muenster posted something about his Festival of Colours Sevilla.

Having dinner in front of this beautiful scene.

I just thought: "So cool that Marco organizes this great festival in Seville... [long break...] One moment... I AM IN SEVILLE!"

Therefore I wrote to him on Facebook, sent him my Spanish phone number and we caught up on the next day. So great that he was free!

I was so happy to see him that I jumped and ran like a small girl to greet him :-).

Marco is the best friend of an ex-boyfriend of mine. It was almost 8 years ago that we saw each other. 

So we had a lot to talk what we did in the last 8 years. Well, my story was apart from the last 6 month quite short. But his story was quite long and interesting. 

After Marco's education in a hotel and he did a second one as chef. He also worked on the M/S Europa and on the Queen Mary 2. His wish was always to have a job where he could travel. I had him in mind as tough worker.

His brother who owns a Flamenco school in Seville and is quite famous in Spain needed help in his office and asked his father to come for 3 month. The father told Marco that he should go. He did and stayed...  I think he lives now around 5 or 7 years in Seville.

Now he is doing his own stuff like organizing his festival in Seville and in some more cities in Spain.

He is a real maker and very modest. I admire him for that he takes people like they are without prejudice. Doesn't matter where they come from and how strange they seem to act he just doesn't judge them. He also appreciates the small things in life.

I am happy that we caught up. By the way: it was his idea to publish maps on my Facebook page. It was actually one of the most seen posts...

After telling our stories to each other Marco and I watched the World Cup opening in Ingrid's Bierstube. Well, sounds not really Spanish and it wasn't but quite cool!

There it is: Ingrid's Bierstube

On the next day I went to the river and meditated at the riverside. Interesting was that two women stopped on their bicycles and sat close to me and meditated as well. 

Obviously the place is attractive for meditation.

Meditation with nice distraction...  :-)

I was ready to go back to my hostel to change in another one when suddenly my phone rang: Marco.

He just said to me: "Hey Jeanine. It is a stupid idea to go in another hostel because I will take you tomorrow with me and my friends to Cádiz to the beach and tonight we will watch Spain vs Holland together close to my place. I suggest that you will just sleep on my couch. Otherwise it is a lot of action for you to get to your hostel tonight, tomorrow and stuff..."

So cool! I agreed and went back to my hostel picked my stuff together and later Marco picked me up. 

I would be one day earlier then I planned in Cádiz and I can hang up with my friend. Therefore I canceled the blablacar and booked quickly a hostel for the next day.

I went with Marco to a bar where some of his friends were. The bar owner offered barbecue for free for the people. 

The life in Spain happens outside on the street and public places. Marco told me that he meet with his friends most of the time at a place outside and very seldom at home. Due to the nice weather in Spain it is the whole year possible.

When Spain lost 1:5 the Spanish people were not really pissed off. They just took another beer and had fun. Me too. Actually, it was quite a long time ago that I drunk that much... 

Well, but if guys from Muenster catch up, then it compulsory to be like that....

Spain on the ground but the Spanish people just celebrate.

Some time later - I think at 2am - someone said "Vamos!" and we went to a place on a hill where some other people were. A typical meeting point for young Spanish locals. 

From above this hill I got a great view over Seville. Marco explained me a lot of things about the city. I just cannot remember properly what due to my beer level at this evening... But it was quite interesting.

I suppose we left around 3:30am. At his place I fell immediately to sleep on his couch. 

What a great day!

On the next morning I woke up by the burning sun on my head... I forgot to close the blinds the night before. I recognized that I had quite an hangover and the hot sun made it even more worst... 

But I was just too lazy to close the blinds, hence I just took the pillow and placed it where my feet were and turned myself... A bit more sleep in hope my hangover get better...

It got a bit better but still it was not nice... But the evening was great. I made myself a breakfast and waited until Marco came out of his room. He gave me some painkillers :-).

When he finished his breakfast we started our tour to Cádiz and picked up some friends of his.

Welcome to Cádiz!

In Cádiz I literally thrown my stuff in the hostel, ran back to the car and we went to the beach. Cooling down from the hot temperatures in Seville. Despite my hangover I could really enjoy it :-).

It was really nice to see Marco again. I had really great fun. Such a kind guy. When he left it was a bit strange in sense of closing the chapter Muenster and go to the next adventure. 

I felt first like an abandoned cat...

It let me think about where I was so far, which people I met and where I will go etc. Well, that is my life now. A lot of different and inspirational encounters, places and experiences. The life of a nomad. That what I want.

An inside in my hostel life. All what I need now fits in a backpack and in a locker.

Read next time about my very nice time in Cádiz the oldest town of Europe. I really fall in love with this creative and beautiful place.

There I became aware of my change so far, what it means to be in balance, I experienced the great kindness and hospitality of Spanish people, met very nice girls and found through one of them my next job close to Malaga in a meditation center, watched the game Germany vs Portugal with a Portuguese guy  and I visited for free a Spanish rock festival...