Ibiza

In a word, underwhelming. Having supremely enjoyed my other stops in Spain, Ibiza may have been a bit of a stretch as a destination; I don't really like clubbing until dawn, I don't take controlled substances, and I can't make a party all by myself. So perhaps, in retrospect, going to Ibiza, the drug and club capital of Spain, alone, during offseason, may have not been the very best idea. To add to it, the one small beach they had in the vicinity of the hostel was rendered essentially useless by the fact that the weather was rather dreary. I spent most of my time in Ibiza strolling around, or lazing by the shady poolside and reading, or surfing around on the internet. I got the rest of my trip roughly planned (accomodation and transport), so at least it was a somewhat fruitful stay. The hostel itself was fantastic, and cheap, but it was more of a hotel than a hostel, in that I had my own room and therefore wasn't forced to meet anyone. I ran into a few other travelers staying at the hotel, but as it was very early in the season in Ibiza, the place was a veritable ghost town. The bar downstairs was often populated, but mostly with middle- to old-aged locals in search of cheap beer and old friends. There wasn't much social wiggle room for a solo Canadian, although I did have a great time with the locals watching the third classico soccer match (4th to come this week). I've never seen people so animated over a game of soccer! At one point, when Barcelona scored, one of the guys jumped up on his chair and started screaming some undecipherable garble at the top of his lungs, much to everyone's delight. He then ran into the street, keen to spread his innebriated message to the whole town. Which he did. It was truly entertaining.

After a 6 hour ferry, I am currently back on the mainland in Valencia, yet another beautiful Spanish city. I spent my morning doing laundry (previously insulted olfactory senses throughout the dorm can rest easy tonight), buying food for the next couple of days, and standing around outside watching the random parade go by. It's once again overcast today, so I think I'll leave the brunt of my sightseeing until tomorrow. Still, as soon as my pants are dry (the laudry here is cheap but the dryer doesn't really live up to its name), I'll probably just head out walking in a random direction and see what I run into. I feel a little bit like canned meat after Ibiza.

Next stop is Granada, in southern Spain, where I should witness a distinct change in architecture and culture. Centuries of Moorish rule will definitely have left its mark, and nowhere so prominently as in Granada's Alhambra, a huge Moorish castle designed to mimic heaven on earth. Should be awesome! If I can get tickets, that is. Wish me luck!

C