After traveling by bus, train and car from Hungary through Germany, it was time to catch a flight to a slightly warmer destination.

Madrid

I flew into Madrid and went to meet my best friend, Sam, at our hotel. Yes that’s right, a hotel, not a hostel. Having friends who work in hotels is great, especially when you haven’t had use of a bathrobe or fluffy towel in a while. Of course when I saw Sam’s flight was delayed I decided to meet her at the bus stop I had sent her easy directions to. At that point however, she had decided to take a taxi to see me sooner. This led to us both trying to surprise the other. Great friends think alike:

 

 

Our time in Madrid involved shopping, exploring, enjoying tapas and catching up on each other’s lives. We tried paella and other spanish foods- it was delicious! I started thinking about how long I have been traveling and all the amazing things I have been fortunate enough to do. Before you know it I’ll be at the end of my journey and returning home.

 

Seville

In Seville the main tourist attraction is called Alcazar of Seville. It it a beautiful royal palace with gardens, statues and water features. The scene is so spectacular that it is where they decided to film the city of Dorne in Game of Thrones. We walked around taking in the beautiful scenes:

 

 

When not roaming around Dorne, we spent time relaxing at the pool. We also went to a Flamenco performance which had an excellent dancer and guitarist. I couldn’t help but think that it was like seeing a real life emoji moving around the stage. If you have never seen Flamenco before, I highly recommend it. The talent and hard work that goes into each performance is incredible. 

 

 

Barcelona

Our third and final stop in Spain was Barcelona where we met up with more friends from New Jersey including one who moved to Barcelona. It was great to spend time walking around the streets and enjoying even more tapas. Did I mention the tapas? I really enjoy eating this way; jumping from tapas place to tapas place is fun!

 

While we avoided too many tourist activities, we did visit the Sagrada Familia church designed by Gaudi. The gothic building is one of the most famous buildings in Spain. Simply put, the architecture is spectacular. There was also a display of how intricate the design aspects of each piece of the building really are, and how Gaudi’s love of nature influenced his designs.

 

 

It was sad saying goodbye to my friends, but time to hop on the bus to France where the Euros were taking place!