A flying visit to Barcelona

The morning of the end of Benicassim contained more sweltering sun alarm clock and an excessive amount of hungover people. Funny watching people attempt to pack up clothes and fold down tents while sweating out the alcohol and drugs. As we walked away, weighed down with tents, air mattress (lost soon after...sorry) and mattresses, all you could see were abandoned tents fluttering in the barely there wind and rubbish....maybe all the rubbish in the world. Stuck in Benicassim for a few hours, always disorganised, and then a short three hour train ride to Barcelona!

Hostel was fine, we were destroyed tired so we ate, slept and recovered. Checked out of the hostel and dropped off the bags in luggage storage (Had to be paid for...WTF?! Bold hostel.) Gaudi's church was amazing, almost alive. It looked like the inside of a cave, all stalactites and stalagmites. Tourist bus (easiest way to see everything) and we saw the city on the day.

Of course as backpackers we weren't going to pay to accommodation when we had an seven o'clock flight that morning so sleeping in the airport was the only option. AC blasting all night, hard floor and bright florescent lights. Nasty, but free.

We survived with only a bruised bum and cold bones. Now to Brussels... 

*sorry for the spelling errors

Freedom?! Maybe?!

I'm only saying it because I know it's basically Anthea and maybe Lee reading this, but for the first time in longer then I can remember I am so happy.

Tent life and communal showers

Arriving in Benicassim, on what I think was a Tuesday evening, after twenty four hours of travelling was like arriving on another planet. Tired, smelly, aching bodies and heavy backpacks, we stumbled off the train into the baking sun and somehow found ourselves instantly on the official bus service for the festival. Convenient.

"Bus pass. Bus pass"
"Em yes." Says Amy, muddled and tired.
"Bus pass."
"Two please." She asks, pointing to me.
"3." She pays, we sit down and realise we can get a pass for the week for fourteen euro. Bus driver is no longer a crazy person which is nice.

The campsite is rows and rows of tents, some massive and house like, others barely fitting a human adult. Above this sudden community is green tarp fluttering in the wind, offering little or no protection from the almost harsh sun. And that was nine at night, we instantly dread the morning.

Walking past the batches of tents, organised by number and letter, everyone seems so much more prepared, confident and laid back then us, currently two messes of exhaustion and heavy bags. Of course we were right at the back with the sun raising on us, giving our tent the enjoyable sauna feel we all look for at nine in the morning.

Tent up with some help, thank you James, and we manage to walk down to the supermarket and back. Food and a beer. Bed. Loud excited campsite keeps us awake most of the night and then sauna tent does the rest. Beach at half nine in the morning it is then.

Wednesday night and we made friends with the people around us- James, Holly, Isa, and Augustine. There were also the welsh lads, younger and on a "It's a festival" buzz. Madness I wouldn't scar you with (For the curious in you penis fights, vomiting everywhere, pissing themselves repeatedly and continuing to wear the shorts etc...etc...lovely guys though until they wrecked one of the girls tents the last night and pissed on it...not cool).

The music as always was amazing. Bands we saw:

Tiny tempa, kodaline, travis, Paolo nutini, lily allen, example, ignossus, kasabian, thr 1975, manic street preachers, and loses more...too good for words...

Paolo nutini was by far the best. So intense, never seen such an amazing performance, still buzzing from it.

Benicassim; the people, the music, even the camping, it was an amazing, surreal, crazy experiences and I didn't even mention the communal showers.

It's been a hell of a journey...

We were disorganised, shall we say, about leaving Lisbon to get to Benicassim.

And then we hesitated. So the night train and bus to Madrid were full. There goes our cheap convenient travel.

So we went Lisbon to Salamanca on a night train, surprisingly comfortable, arriving in Salamanca at half five in the morning. And suddenly the travel gods were shining down on us because a train was leaving Madrid in ten minutes. Hopped on that, watched the sunrise, slept. We were now slightly smelly. Salamanca, what we saw of it(the train station) was lovely. We saw way more of Madrid. There was the train station and the metro and the bus station. I mean realistically what else does Madrid have to offer.

Arrived at the bus station and hey there's a bus is thirty mins to Valencia. Thank you gods of travel. Got food, checked out some hot Spanish men and hopped on the bus. Watched scenery, slept and got more smelly. We've been in the same clothes for like 24hours. Like I said disorganised.

Arrived in Valencia, so pretty. Too bad all we saw was a bus station, inside a taxi (yes we cheated but its been sixteen hours of travelling now) and the train station. And here we are waiting on our last train so we can go set up our tent and shower.

Smelly update: we stink.

The first of many...

Optimus alive. My first ever festival. Amazing.

Held just outside Lisbon, its name randomly changed to Nos alive one day before the festival. We just went with it, confused but whatever.

Our campsite was not easily located. 30 minutes outside Lisbon, it was the secondary campsite so it was small, family orientated but...But...it had a pool and I do so love a good pool. Lying by it, sun shining down and slowly melting you away to a puddle, it was heaven. Better yet the shade and a nap. Have to keep the energy up for the festival. 

After the shockingly quiet campsite, music, no banter and the occasional shushing, Optimus was a heavy bass line of excitement and adrenaline, dragging us in. Mainstage and four smaller stages surrounded by food stands and games, and all with the sun beating down, helping me with this tan that is definitely real.

Bands we saw....
Allen Scott, the vicious five, for Pete's sake, diplo, Sam smith, MGMT, sbjct, Bastille, foster the people, drench, the black keys, caelums edge, tom mash, the 7 riots, nina kravetz, and probably more...too lazy to find the leaflet and write them all...

Crowds were amazing. Energy of that many people rocking out to shared loved of music is unimaginable. Its this rising tide of pressure building up to the song everyone in the crowd knows, fan or not, and its 7000 people having a shared moment of complete joy as they all sing out, the artist giving them the stage and a voice. And then of course its the hours of dancing. Nothing beats hours of dancing to high energy music.

Bring on the next one....

On a scale of ten to Richard Greer...

The hostel was gorgeous. Met nine Liverpudlian lads who took us on the beer for two days straight and basically gave us an awesome start to the adventure. Two days in Lisbon, did the obligatory sight seeing bus (I lie, I love them), ate ice cream, sangria and made friends. Weather was amazing, average 40 degrees, and my tan is company up nicely. Sunset party and football matches.         Also Irish bars and chats......

.....and then came the festival.

Hostel garden. Pure heaven after the last few months in retail.

We're tourists Amy but we're people too.

Lisbon is hot and sunny. I'm certain I already have a tan, if you look at me with one eye closed and the other squinting while in bad lighting. Yes, definitely a bit darker. The view from my window is sunlight warming red terracotta tiles and water. Life has improved immeasurably since this time last week. I was pulling yet another sale and trying to fill walls. I'm waiting to miss it...that's a lie. I'll never miss it. The people yes, the work?! Never, not even a little bit.

Freedom is nice.

Airports and coffee and rain.

Leaving today. Not at all sad when the weather looks like that. Amy says hi. Packed everything up yesterday and now to the adventure. Coffee split all down my top but its dark I'll get away with it. Random thoughts done.

"Haven't you travelled enough?!" They keep asking me. Doesn't even justify an answer.