Spain and Portugal part I

Spain and Portugal Part

well, just for the sake of introducing a little organisation into my blog, i shall do a post by day to day basis. well, i figured by doing this, it wld aid in reviving my dying memory cells. at least to a certain extent...hehe

so here goes...

19-20 December => Barcelona -> Zaragoza -> Madrid

lets just say it was one hell of a plane ride tt i'm definitely looking forward to on my trip back to Singapore. 16 hours on the plane ain't a joke for sure. Thank goodness i've seemed to have ridded myself of the plane sick syndrome. *phew*. arrival was slightly delayed due to the frost tt had developed on the wings of our plane whilst in transit in milan and the defrosting process took a little while before the plane was in good condition to take off once again.

and since it was 7 hours behind Singapore time in Spain. it was as though we were buying time, and upon arrival, it was only 7 in the morning despite the late afternoon setting in in Singapore. of course, then, it seemed like a very very long day. By which at the end of it, i was exhausted.

Touring of Barcelona City started as soon as we touched down and collected our luggage. We were whisked off in the coach to the top of Montjuic Hill to enjoy a panaromic view of the city. Then we went on to the Gothic Quarters of the city where we came to appreciate the styles of buildings there. Cobbled pavements and houses with lovely balconies overlooking the streets were certainly a noble sight, but tt novelty lasted for a while only as far as the entire trip went as these sightings were common throughout the country.

We then visited the Sagrada Familia Church designed by Gaudi. this church resembling a grotto with magnificant sand columms and a chisled exterior proved to be quite a sight. Given its significant height within the neighbourhood, it certainly was a sight to be awed at.

In the late afternoon, we spent it wandering along Las Rambles where we enjoyed a bit of shopping in the city centre. it was madness with the crowds flowing in and out of the area at high volumes and speed. But nonetheless, with big brands such as Zara (originating from Spain) and Pull and Bear. it certainly called for a good shopping spree. Only our wallets were in denial... in the end i managed to get 2 tops from Zara and a pair of new canvas shoes! YAY! gosh.. i'm so easily satisfied... hehe

and of course we had to stop over for a comfort cup of hot coffee.. *yumz*

the next day, after a good nights stay in the hotel, we proceeded by our 'man-former' bus towards madrid. A pretty long bus ride which i knew i had to get used to since we were talking about europe over here. no attractions are back to back. travelling is a MUST! well, thank God for the coach anyway which was comfortable by my standards .

We made a stop over in the city of Zaragoza to view the magnificant cathedral of El Pilar and for our quick lunch break. Slight Rain dampaned our moods a little but the small aisles and the sight of comforting pastry shops comforted me immediately. oh yesh! i must mention the bestest hot chocolate i've had so far on the trip. it was practically melted chocolate, at least 60%, meaning tt it was all the richness of chocolate sans the sugary sweetness. Now tts ultimate indulgence with every warm mouthful. aahhh..

and look at the intriguing xmas decorations installed on the buildings! sorrie for the reallie small picture. But if u take a closer peek, u'll see tt they have little santa statues climbing on the rail. Lyke thieves sneaking into homes. how cute! hehe. Pity i dun get to celebrate Christmas in Singapore. But fret not! with family ard, christmas are always fun...

well... at the very least, you've got drinking companions! haha *cheers*

and in case u were wondering. we had beer and Cava (Spanish sparkling wine).. nothing too fanciful. heh

so tts the end of day 1 and 2. pls stay tuned for the rest of the installements! trust me, they only get more interesting!