Let’s Catch Up

Malaga

I have been blogging my travels for over a month now and have enjoyed writing every post. It has allowed me an outlet to express myself, share our stories, and explore my dormant love of writing. It’s been great connecting with fellow bloggers and learning about how the travel blogging process works, but I sometimes feel like I’m missing something.

 

I have focused a lot on the place we’ve been, what to see, where to go, etc. but have been leaving out some of the things I find most entertaining about our travels. I get asked often by friends and family, “What’s been going on?”. So, I thought a good way to share that would be to have a “Let’s catch up” post which is essentially me talking about whatever I feel like.

Without further a due… Let’s Catch Up.

Yesterday I had the best Tuna Tartar of my life
Andy and I are huge tartar fans. From red meat to seafood, give it to us raw and we are a happy duo. Last night we were wandering the streets in search of dinner and noticed that a restaurant called Buenos Aires Grill was packed, so we thought we’d give it a chance. Little did we know it is one of the highest rated restaurants in Barcelona. The only available seating was at the bar, which is no problem for us because that’s our usual hangout. We decided to share the Argentinian Beef Carpaccio and the Tuna Tartar, which was hands down the best dish we have had of this entire trip. I’m salivating now just thinking about it. The tartar was served with diced mangoes on a bed of homemade guacamole, and the flavours were incredible. There is a high likelihood this will be repeated.

My new obsession is The Bondi Vet
The Bondi Vet is basically the best show on television. Now, I didn’t come to Spain to watch TV, nor do we regularly have access to television, but when we do, I’m always looking for The Bondi Vet. The show follows around Australian veterinarian Dr. Chris Brown, who is in reality a living Ken doll, and oh-so-sweet emergency veterinarian Lisa Chimes as they save distressed animals. It’s as addictive as cat videos on YouTube. Andy will deny it, but he likes it too because they often visit the Australian Reptile Park and feature dinosaur like creatures, he actually watching it right now as I write this…

Everything is closed on Sundays… and I like it
Unlike major North American hubs where everything is open basically all the time, Spain is different. Most retailers and restaurants here close on Sundays. Now, that’s not saying the entire city shuts down, not at all. If you are looking for a restaurant to eat at you will find one, and you can definitely find a corner store or a “China Shop” as they are referred to here where you can pick up the necessities – but Sundays have a different vibe in Spain. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a pain when you forget it’s Sunday and you can’t get your hands on something but I like the fact that the majority of people have the day off.

The trains go really, really fast here
We were on a train yesterday that was going 300+km/h through the Spanish country side. It was insane how fast and how smooth the ride was. We took the Renfe route from Madrid to Barcelona which is a distance of over 620km, and were there in less than three hours (stops included). The train system here is definitely a marvel of machinery and worth travelling on just for the experience. You can get up, walk around, use the washrooms, and even visit the bar for a high-speed refreshment.

I’m officially anti-selfie stick
We are about two months into our European travels now and I have had enough of these fucking things. They are everywhere and a complete nuisance! I understand that many people are travelling alone and want to document their travels, but can’t you just do it the old fashioned way and I don’t know… ask someone to take your picture?! Now that it is entering “tourist season” in Europe, the crowds are getting larger and having people whipping around these selfie sticks is becoming a danger. I’m not against them because of the vanity or narcissistic argument, hey, if you want to look like a vain dork taking a selfie with a stick, more power to you. I am against them because they are intrusive and obnoxious. Plain and simple.

What’s your opinion of the selfie-stick?

 

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5 Comments

  1. April 27, 2015 / 10:21 pm

    Most of my travelling has been done before this ‘selfie-stick’. I will be mindful to watch out for this hilarious tool.
    I am a fan of the old school selfie without the stick, but think it’s important to maintain human contact. I think asking random people to take a photo will become a part of my travel routine now 🙂 never know where just a quick question to a new person will take you.

  2. April 28, 2015 / 6:36 am

    Now I’m craving for tuna tartare! But since I can’t get that right now, I’d settle for a tuna sandwich….

    My boyfriend visited Marbella last year and told me how they take midday naps! I’d love that to be the norm here.

    I don’t mind selfie sticks. They’ve everywhere here in the Philippines and they don’t really bother me or get in my space (but then, I’ve never been to a super crowded tourist spot since these things were invented!). I have one that I use at home when I want to take selfies with my phone. I did hate it when this one guy had his GoPro on a vertical stick during an entire concert, though.

    Also, I’m too paranoid to ask a stranger to snap my photo because they might run off with the camera haha.

    • Sarah Lynn
      April 28, 2015 / 8:19 pm

      Hi Helga,

      Thanks for the comment! If you ever end up in a crowded space with Selfie Sticks flying everywhere… watch out! 🙂
      `~Sarah

  3. April 29, 2015 / 12:07 am

    I love the fact that Spain semi closes on Sunday. In the US there is no such thing.. maybe sometimes Easter but that is about it. I wish we would close as if you work retail you are chained to your job. Spain does it right! Love the catch up!

    • Sarah Lynn
      April 29, 2015 / 11:16 am

      Hey Monica!
      That is my thought exactly. It’s nice to see that everyone gets a guaranteed day to relax and unwind. All the best!
      ~Sarah

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