Wishing and Wining

Somewhere between Paris and Barcelona, and Barcelona
We gained consciousness around 6:30am because it as becoming light outside and the French children had come to life as well. I wasn’t feeling very well. I didn’t know if it was the lack of sleep or the fact that Bob Marley and his buddies were smoking out in our tiny area. All these elements combined resulted in a sore throat and an overall gross feeling. Around 7:00am the French children all got off the train freeing copious seats. Brad and I picked up a few and got a decent rest before our train stopped at our transfer point two and a half hours from Barcelona.

Off the train we wandered around dazed. We had two hours to wait until our connection came. I exchanged some traveler’s checks and bought some much needed water. Brad and I saw the Canadians with some other girls, so we went over to join them. Enter the Australians. They were a group of three friends traveling together and had been for some time. They were lovely girls, Gabby, Olivia, and Louise. We all swapped our stories of travels done and yet to do while sympathizing with each other the journey we had just endured. After that nice little break in the sun our train arrived. Of course, since it being peak season, we couldn’t find seats. The Aussies, the Mexican, and us sat in the circle in an open space in the middle of the train. The clever Canadians found seats for themselves. We had a great time talking with Gabby and Olivia. Louise had found a seat by herself.

Progressively more people boarded the train until we were forced to stand. The aisles were completely filled making it impassible to get to the WC. I had to jump out at a stop and run outside and jump into another car to go. Then wait until it stopped again and repeated the process.

Arriving at the station we were all ready to find a place to stay and rest a bit before we ate.

It had been nearly 24 hours since we had a real meal and some of us were entering delirium. We ate candy and played with the toys that came with them. The seven of us wanted to band together and stay at the same place. However, Xanat met her friend. So we said goodbye to her and got her email in case we ever get to Mexico City. Sara and Jaime already had reservations and were meeting their friend, so they did that. The Aussies also had reservations, so they left. But before all of us departed we planned to meet at 6:00 at the Tutuan Station. Mario approached Brad and I and found us a hostel called Gothic Point. It was 3:30 when we all left.

The room at the hostel had 16 beds. We took showers and got into some fresh clothes because we had the travelers funk. After resting a bit we made our way to the meeting point.

Gabby and Olivia were there and looking fine. Lou had wanted to take a nap and meet us later. We all waited for 45 minutes for the Canadians to show, but they never did. So we took the metro to closest stop to the beach. We walked along the boardwalk in search of a restaurant. And then we saw it: Crazy Piano. It was an elegant place with a piano in the middle but no one was playing. Our table was outside yards from the beach. The food was beautiful. I had spaghetti with prawns and clams in it. To complement the dinner we had two pitchers of Sangria. It tasted so good. It had peaches, strawberries, and several other fruits floating around in it.

After dinner we walked along the beach and out to the pier.

The girls got a message that Lou was on her way so they left to meet her at the station and would return shortly. Brad and I continued to sit on the pier. I really wished that I had my journal and pen at the time because I had great thoughts in my head. The sun had set behind the city opposite the sea, but it was still light out. I sat there in reverie and thought as I gazed, enthralled by the Mediterranean that seemed to never end. I thought what is to become of me? This six-month holiday is going to be over tomorrow and I am going to have to make life-changing decisions.

The portrait before me was a spectrum. The purples melted into pinks. The pinks turned to oranges. The oranges blended into greens and blues that rippled with the sea. The lights of the ships and the city glistened. And I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to sit and just think of all the beautiful things I have had and been able to do. How lucky am I? Words on paper can’t do justice to what my eyes have seen.

I took out a five-peseta coin and thought awhile about what kind of wish I should make. I think I made the most wonderful wish any romantic ever could. I wished to love and be loved in return. With a partial grim on my face, I side-armed the coin into the vast black and blue imagining it swimming to the bottom and finding a resting place never to be found again. My little wish was gone forever but will never be forgotten, buried in the sands beneath the Mediterranean.

The girls returned with Lou and we set off in the streets of Barcelona to find a bottle of wine to share on the beach because it was a warm, lovely night that warranted outside entertainment. After walking around for sometime we came across a café and I was able to ask in Spanish if they sold wine. They did and we got two bottles and five plastic Coke cups and headed to the beach. Paradise has its price and the beach was paying for it. Cans, bottles, and garbage littered the entirety of it all. We made home on a skinny dock that went to the water. We toasted friends and travel and deluged ourselves into conversation. The Australian accent is a pleasure to listen to.

The chilled wine was bringing chills to the ladies, so we decided to leave the beach. The plan was to take the metro home but it had closed for the night. Walking around we realized that we are going to be in Pamplona, Nice, and Italy all at the same time as them. We got their emails to keep in touch. A taxi came and we sent the girls off. They gave us kisses on the cheeks and were gone. Finding another taxi for us proved to be a bit of a challenge. The area where we were in was a little dodgy to say the least. Our hostel was near us but we were unable to locate it so we got a cab finally and got home at nearly 2:00am.