After a day of rest in central Barcelona, we decided on a change of scenery today, taking the little coastal train to Blanes and Tossa de Mar. Gazing out at the sea along the way was so relaxing, and we were full of anticipation for the surprises these two Mediterranean towns might have in store. On the little train hugging the coast to Blanes, we ran into a group of kids on their way to school…
That pretty much wrapped up our time in Madrid. Early the next morning, with the darkness still lingering and stars overhead, we set off back to Barcelona. We deliberately chose a different company's high-speed train for the return trip, hoping to see what was different. Honestly, the overall experience wasn't all that different from the journey there. The biggest thing I noticed was probably that the seats and carriages were a different color, …
Near Madrid is a little town called Toledo, about an hour away by coach. It has a rich history and was once the capital of Spain. Walking into Toledo feels like traveling back to the Middle Ages. The town is full of winding cobblestone lanes, sometimes so narrow that even two people walking side by side feel squeezed. And here you can see traces of Christian…
After soaking up Madrid’s laid-back atmosphere, we headed to the famous Royal Palace of Madrid. It’s one of Spain’s most iconic buildings, and a quick search online revealed that it’s actually the largest royal palace in Europe by floor area. Even before going inside, just standing outside was enough to feel its sheer opulence. I looked up a little background, and the palace was17…
After three straight days of wandering around here, we’d pretty much covered Barcelona. Today we’re heading to our next stop, Spain’s capital—Madrid! We’re taking the high-speed train to Madrid. We’d already bought our tickets online in advance. There’s one big difference between buying train tickets here and back in China, which is…
After being blown away by the Sagrada Família yesterday, today we figured we’d stroll over to La Boqueria Market and have a wander. To be fair, it really wasn’t far from where we were staying—probably only a ten-minute walk or so, just right for soaking up the atmosphere of the local streets along the way. But we’d barely gone two blocks when a very strange-looking vehicle suddenly appeared by the roadside…
After a night's rest, I was pretty much back to normal. We had a few fried eggs for a simple breakfast and headed out. Honestly, figuring out “what to eat for breakfast” has been a daily struggle these past few days—we ended up eating fried eggs for five or six mornings in a row after that, hahaha. Today we planned to start by climbing a small hill in the city center for a view of all of Barcelona, then head back down to that…
After a short rest, we set off to wander around Barcelona. Having learned from our last taxi ride, we went straight for the metro this time. It wasn’t exactly cheap either (a ten-ride ticket cost 12 euros), but compared with taking a taxi, it was a bargain. Once we’d bought our metro card, we headed into the station, only to find a platform with no safety measures whatsoever. To be honest, …
For my first-ever trip abroad, I chose Spain—a place I initially couldn't even explain to myself why I wanted to visit. Honestly, even after thinking it over, I still couldn't come up with a reason. Maybe I just had some time off, wanted to go abroad, and Spain popped into my head. Before setting off, all I knew about it was ham and bullfighting, but what I actually saw once I arrived…
The road to Xiahe County was pretty much all grassland, with all sorts of cows and sheep ambling leisurely along the road. After arriving in Xiahe County and resting for the night, we finally made it to Lanzhou, the “Manhattan” of the Northwest. The beef noodles and barbecue here are both incredible, and this time I’d finally get to properly try them. We started with the barbecue, just like…
