I had just been saying how I had the insatiable itch to get back to Spain. In fact, I had signed up to receive daily reminders in my inbox of how depressingly expensive flights to my other-favorite-country cost. As fate would have it, one of my very best friends and my first ever Spain travel partner called to ask if I'd help her fill in as a last minute chaperone to some of my old favorite and never visited cities. I felt like a lucky girl.
Suddenly, we were back here. Right where it all started. The very first place I remember in Spain. The place we spent our first night in Madrid.
And I was immediately on the hunt for tortilla. And cookies, and 100 other Spanish foods that I'd forgotten I'd missed so much.
A new place in Madrid....with a stellar view, and very applicable graffiti...
"Here's where it all started."
Back at the palace...our 3rd time here...and hopefully not our last.
Things I'd forgotten I'd forgotten. And loved. 1. Doors that swing open to elevators.
3. Bocadillos on fresh crunchy bread.
4. Streets like these...that are impossibly beautiful and impossible to walk on in heels.
New places in Spain! In Cordóba to visit the famous striped cathedral. It was immense and seemingly endless. Every column was different...some taken from older buildings and others created for just this building.
Our tour guides...the Albertos... took us on an amazing adventure. They put up with our choppy Spanish, learned some new teen-American phrases, and even went on a late night discoteca cruise with us and 30 high school girls.
The place I spent way too much time...the candy store. I had to see every single one just to make sure I could find all of my favorite candies. When asked at customs what was in my bag, I truthfully answered "At least 5 pounds of candy".
My first time in southern Spain! We got to have a tour of a bullring that is still in use.
And since we were in the south...a little flamenco, too!
Las Setas de Sevilla. We hunted through winding streets to try and find these. We had been told they were built to provide pedestrians a place to relax in the shade. The crowd of teachers and students I was with didn't have any interest in climbing to the top, but I just had to do it.
The single more peaceful and memorable part of my trip: alone on the top of the "mushrooms", getting to enjoy an incredible view.
Next we took the high speed train to Barcelona with our lovely Alberto and our new guide Luis.
They somehow managed to score their own train car at least 6 away from all of the high schoolers.
A bike tour in Barcelona is not something I would have ever done on my own, but it was so much fun. 20 of us following a single guide all on matching green bikes. We certainly attracted a lot of attention. We ended up at this gem-of-a-fountain in a park I'd never been to.
And then we parked at the beach where all the girls touched the ocean.
To close out our trip, the girls insisted we visit the place where they had shot the Cheetah Girls music dideo. I went along to humor them, not knowing what would be in store. We arrived just as the "magic fountain show" was ending and as the sun was setting. We felt like we were on top of the whole city. It was the best way to end our whirlwind trip.
I was so surprised at how much I enjoyed the high school girls. Traveling with them allotted my very little sleep and hardly a minute to myself, but they were wonderful. They reminded me how much highschool girls don't just like anything, they love it. Their excitement for food, the ocean, and foreign boys helped me appreciate all of these things in a new way.
I thought this trip would help hold me over for a little while longer, but I was so wrong. As soon as I got back I was looking at flights to get back to my old cities this summer. Being there made me want to visit all the things I love most. So off I go again in August with Nate. I can't wait.
