Back from the Rock.

   Hola amigos! I am back from my brief disappearance. The last few days have been relaxing, intriguing and wonderful. After I left Lagos, I spent the better part of one day plus one night in Sevilla before moving onto Gibraltar for the last three nights.

   Sevilla (or Seville) was absolutely stunning. I may try to get back there to explore some more before I leave Spain. There is SO much to see. So much history, color and culture. There was so much going on in Sevilla with its Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Christian influences. There are orange trees and outdoor cafes lining the streets which add to the romantic atmosphere of Sevilla. Tapas and flamenco are in abundance.

Orange trees and a beautiful balcony in Sevilla.

   The hostel I stayed in was great. It was in a 500 year old Jewish mansion. They did several different tours each day (walking tour, tapas tour, and nightlife tour) with a few other hostels so it was easy to meet people. I met some new friends from Germany, Finland, and Austria who I hope to meet again soon. I decided to go on the walking tour. It was free entertainment for three hours. The guide did a great job showing us through Sevilla. He filled us in on so many stories and so much history that I don't feel like I missed out too much by only being in Seville for one night. However, if I had stayed longer I would have loved to check out the cathedral and the alcazar.

My hostel. Ok, so it doesn't look like much here but it truly was stunning. Tiles, glass ceiling, terraces and all! PS - there are gold fish in the fireplace.

My favorite part of the walking tour, The Plaza. Check my Flickr to see photos of the exquisite tile details.

   Later that night, my new friends invited me to meet up with some of their friends from Austria. We went out for a wonderful tapas meal. I had some chicken with almond sauce and also some little bread tapas topped with serrano ham and quail eggs. As a group we shared the fried potatoes that had this delicious tomato-ish sauce stuff on top. Yum!

   On Tuesday, I caught the bus to La Linea. Pauline and her husband, Aris, met me in La Linea and we walked over to Gibraltar. Its hard to imagine but there is only one way in and out of Gibraltar which includes walking/driving through the airport runways to get into the actual country. It is an absolutely tiny country that is really just one small city. Small it may be but quiet it is not. There are SO many vehicles and the sound sort of bounces off the Rock of Gibraltar creating this deafening sound. At times its almost impossible to talk its so loud. Not to mention the insane amount of vehicles that add to the noise. Gibraltar really is an experience but the only thing to really see is the rock and the monkeys.

Half of the Rock of Gibraltar.

 Most of Gibraltar the country/city.

Me and some monkey friends. TONS more photos on Flickr.

   After settling in, the three (and a half if you include soon-to-be baby Evan) of us set out for some lunch before heading to the cable car that goes up the rock. The cable car scales the side of the rock and drops you off in amongst the rocks history, abandoned military buildings and monkeys. The views are stunning but the monkeys are what really got my attention. There were so many babies out playing in the trees and clinging to the adults backs. They were so precious! I could not get enough pictures of them! I loved them so much. We ended the day with a nice laid back evening in after we spoiled our dinners with smoothies. It was an enjoyable day and it was so wonderful to see Pauline after so many years!

  On Wednesday, Pauline and I enjoyed an afternoon of breakfast, coffee and lunch. It was very relaxing and so nice to just catch up and chat. It was even nicer to be chatting with someone in English with an accent I didn't have to strain myself to understand! We spent the evening in La Linea eating tapas and drinking tinto verrano with some of Pauline and Aris' friends.

  I had originally only planned to stay a night or two in Gibraltar but Pauline and I decided to do a day trip to Tarifa on Thursday. Tarifa is the most Southern point of Spain. It is surrounded by beautiful beaches where the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea meet. We enjoyed some lunch and coffee in the old town before heading back to Gibraltar.

Beach in Tarifa.

   This morning I left Gibraltar. I was very sad to leave thanks to Pauline and Aris making my visit so wonderful. They were the perfect hosts and I am so thankful to them for everything!  I very much enjoyed our visit. I made my way to Marbella by bus. Marbella is mostly a resort town and I am treating my self to a few days on the beach and in the sun before starting my home stay near Granada on Monday. I splurged on a private sweet in a guest house. The owners are so welcoming and its nice to have my own space for a few nights before sharing the apartment with the other Workawayers.

   I spent the rest of today laying on the beach and in the park reading. I ate some tapas and drank wine along the seawall. I expect tomorrow will be about the same. Reading, eating, drinking and maybe some walking. I will update you on all the happenings of my hard life in Marbella soon! xo