I'm in love with...

I woke up with a dopey big grin on my face. I rolled over in bed, hugging my sheets to my body. I fell in love with her the way you fall asleep. Slowly, and then all at once.

Her name is Barcelona.

To begin with I was never excited about Barcelona, I'll be honest: it was a city that was just an added bonus to my trip. The second I arrived here I instantly had my heart captured. The scenery, the people and oh lord, the food. But let's not forget the sangria. I'm not one to drink, my last drinking night was Halloween last year. I've never been a huge fan of the flavor- or the following waste of day it tends to give, but once arriving here and trying a proper authentic sangria- I think I've become a Sangriaholic. 

Let's backtrack a bit. Once arriving here we were told we'd be staying in a Hostel. So of course with news like that we weren't excited. Now, let me get one thing straight. Hostels in Barcelona are different to everywhere else. It was basically 5 star sleepover luxury with all your friends. We had the cleanest room, the most spacious  private beds (with a personal adapter station and lights- yes a luxury for Contiki.) Our room in general was very retro: brightly colored and a flair of its own. For Contiki standards this was the best we'd had. 1000X's better than the chateau which Contiki bragged about. The chateau was an infested pigs pen in comparison to this. Heck, the chateau was a pigs pen in comparison to even a pigs pen. 

Our first night we went on a night walk around town. At first we were warned of pick pockets and sly people: but after an hour we realized we literally had nothing to worry about. We ended up in a quaint little pub with vines growing on the inside and surrounded by fairy lights. It was very different to anything Australia has. On our arrival, a girl dressed with a melted witch face came screaming and cackling past us. We never saw her again. To this day I'm still unsure if she actually worked there or not.

That night consisted of sangria, and even more sangria jugs (of course.)

It was splendid. 

Day two in Barcelona involved: cable carts flying over the whole city, getting lost in the most amazing food markets and then visiting the beach. Our time here was definitely too short. 

One strange thing that two girls have, are really inflamed looking mosquito bites all up their arms. So far our tour manager is adamant in saying they're an allergic reaction to the mosquitos. Which personally, I think is strange, as both girls have said they're not allergic. To be honest I think it looks more like a scabies infection or something similar. Probably from the chateau with how unhygienic and disgusting that place was. Hopefully their bites clear up though as they seem insanely itchy. 

Anyway I must go. I've stepped on the bus and once I do that my eyes automatically shut for siesta now. My body is learning quickly.

Until the French Riviera,

Adios

Xox

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Goodbye!

Today I leave my Friends, my Family, my Home and my Country- basically everything and everyone I've ever known and grown to love. On this day, Wednesday 26th of August 2015, I leave for my Dream: Europe! 

For five and a half amazing weeks I will be overseas exploring the lands I've spent years only dreaming and Googling about. I will be traveling completely alone to begin with- something that terrifies me as much as it excites me, but 3 days after landing in London I will be joining my Contiki and will no longer be by myself. Unless of course everyone on this tour decides they don't want to be my friend. In that case, then yes- they will have put Carissa in the corner. I doubt that will happen though. In the small chance it does I will just latch onto them and force my friendship upon them. 

Before this trip I had never done anything alone. Purely for the reason I have the worst memory and suck at directions. I kid you not. I used a GPS for the first three months of knowing my boyfriend, to get to his home. I should probably add his house is around 7minutes away from mine- with about 4 turns needed. On a positive note- I did go out for lunch by myself for the first time in my life a month ago- so I'm totally prepared to take on a whole new country solo. Lunch: Foreign Country- practically the same thing right? They both involve food anyway. 

One thing I have learnt after planning and organising this trip is I will Never be using a travel Agent again. Ever. I have never known a less organised bunch of professionals- in the end I was basically doing my Travel Agents job for her. Days would pass where I had phoned her and asked a question, and she still hadn't gotten back to me close to a week later. In the end it was me communicating with my airline and me organising my tickets to be sent to me. The only reason I used an agent to begin with was so she could price match the (already cheapest) flights I had found all on my own. In the end saving myself $60 which didn't end up being worth the stress she gave me. It may not be all Travel Agents- But Escape Travel in Ballina will never be getting my money again after this. 

On that note I am going to end this post- who am I kidding, I still have some packing to do and my flight leaves in 3 hours. 

Until my next destination,
xox

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