arriving into spain
My plane arrived into Barcelona at about 5.40pm.
At the airport I couldnt find the Google map of the hostel on my phone, even though last time i'd searched id found it. My phone was running out of battery so I hurriedly went to the hostel website and coppied the address out. I asked around and eventually found out which bus I had to catch. The hostel website gave instructions - carry on a little down the road and turn right. When the bus stopped though it was in a square, but I found the road the hostel was on. the numbers were all very low though- 17, 18, while my address said 111. I asked at a shop: "donde es *point at address*" to which they replied (or at least what I could decypher after a short conversation in which I said ¿que? a lot and the shop assistant gradually simplified their language and included more and more sign language) that yes, atoche was the road I was on, but 111, thats a very long way down the street, maybe 40 minutes walk. I set off then, walking slightly awkwardly since I needed the loo, counting numbers as I went. often I would come to cross roads or y junctions and would peer up at the grandiose buildings to try and check the road name, but more often than not there was none, or a shop portch would mean I had to cross the road to get a look. I asked at several more shops cafes and the like, each time being helped by friendly but non english speaking assistants, until one looked befuddled at the adress and told me they didnt know the road name. "es aqui, non" I asked. no, it seemed id made it onto some other road. I retraced my steps until I found atoche no 1. number 1? ok, so I walked 20 minutes back to the square again, it went up to no 23, and continued up the road. looking at the sign though, it was a different road name... ??? crossing my legs a little desperately - I still needed the loo- I asked a girl sitting on the step of a shop. to my relief she spoke some english and had heard of the hostel - it was only just down the road and in my rush I must have written the number down wrong - it was 11, not 111. so I walked back down the road, and finally I climbed the steps to the hostel.
tbc....
At the airport I couldnt find the Google map of the hostel on my phone, even though last time i'd searched id found it. My phone was running out of battery so I hurriedly went to the hostel website and coppied the address out. I asked around and eventually found out which bus I had to catch. The hostel website gave instructions - carry on a little down the road and turn right. When the bus stopped though it was in a square, but I found the road the hostel was on. the numbers were all very low though- 17, 18, while my address said 111. I asked at a shop: "donde es *point at address*" to which they replied (or at least what I could decypher after a short conversation in which I said ¿que? a lot and the shop assistant gradually simplified their language and included more and more sign language) that yes, atoche was the road I was on, but 111, thats a very long way down the street, maybe 40 minutes walk. I set off then, walking slightly awkwardly since I needed the loo, counting numbers as I went. often I would come to cross roads or y junctions and would peer up at the grandiose buildings to try and check the road name, but more often than not there was none, or a shop portch would mean I had to cross the road to get a look. I asked at several more shops cafes and the like, each time being helped by friendly but non english speaking assistants, until one looked befuddled at the adress and told me they didnt know the road name. "es aqui, non" I asked. no, it seemed id made it onto some other road. I retraced my steps until I found atoche no 1. number 1? ok, so I walked 20 minutes back to the square again, it went up to no 23, and continued up the road. looking at the sign though, it was a different road name... ??? crossing my legs a little desperately - I still needed the loo- I asked a girl sitting on the step of a shop. to my relief she spoke some english and had heard of the hostel - it was only just down the road and in my rush I must have written the number down wrong - it was 11, not 111. so I walked back down the road, and finally I climbed the steps to the hostel.
tbc....