Ben Murrell

I got up at 11, checked my email, got out my copy of Crime and Punishment, and went to the roof of the hostel to read and try to get some sun before hitting the beaches of Barcelona. I read till 12:30 and thought I hadn’t really gotten any sun. I walked back inside, Facebooked, then walked to the Plaza Nueva and got a Tortilla Patata (Spanish omelet sandwich), then walked to the Corte Ingles [[big department store, like a mall all in one store]]. I found some swimming trunks and sunscreen… and didn’t buy either – they were way too expensive! I did buy some gum though. I went back to the hostel, changed & showered, then walked to the train station (I got Schwarma on the way). I decided I’d like to leave tonight and take the night train that arrives in Barcelona at 9:00am instead of the day train that arrives at 5:00pm… I got a night train reservation, walked back to the hostel, played ping pong with Collin (who I met in Seville), then said bye to Oliver. I made the final decision to leave (the reservation was only 5 euros, so I was still up in the air about leaving). I took a 1 hour Spanish course, then shared my 1.5L of sangria with David, Tatiana, and Collin before I left (David and Tatiana I met during the Spanish course). I left the hostel at 9:20 (I lost my 18 euros for the night – I had paid the day before), got to the train station, got on the train with some Irish girls from the hostel, then realized I had reserved a seat and not a bed. (When I ordered the ticket, I did it all in Spanish – the guy had a really strong accent, and I thought I had gotten a bed but I guess not. With 10 minutes left, I asked “Puedo cambiar a una cama?” and switched to a bed for 25 euros more). I’m on the night train right now and I’m looking forward to Barcelona and the Dia del San Juan festival tomorrow night

On the train, I met Felipe from Brazil on the train – we were sharing a room. He didn’t speak English, so we spoke exclusively in Spanish for about an hour – He’s from Brasilia (the Capitol of Brazil) but is living in Spain. He said I know a lot of Spanish compared to most people from the US that he has met. He also cracked some McDonald’s and Coca-Cola jokes on Americans, but I thought it was funny! We talked about a lot of random stuff – where we’re from, what he’s doing in Spain, about America and how people seem less friendly/personable there, and about Brazil, about Rio de Janeiro and its crime. This really brought the Spanish back – I had been using it a bit in Seville and Granada, but this really gave me an opportunity to practice, and it was good!