Last month, my girlfriend and I decided that we would visit Spain, but this time do it differently. We would fly in to Barcelona and fly out of Malaga. The rest we would do by train. Barcelona, Benicassim, Valencia and Fuengirola - 4 cities/2 weeks.
We arrived into Barcelona and stayed on a street just off the Gothic Quater. For anyone who hasn't been to Barcelona, this city is a must. The roof top bar in the Hotel had a panoramic view of the entire city, it was night time but the city was alive and lit up.
We then went out to experience some of the nicest tapas the Gothic Quater had to offer. After a substantial feed, washed down with some of the nicest Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever tasted, we hit the streets. For all the hype that Las Ramblas gets, I just don't see it. I far preferred wandering through the back streets and in to the many great squares Barcelona has to offer. Placa Reial is one that we took a particular shine to. Here you can sit down, have a cerveca, taking in all that is happening around you. The next day we were in a rush to get our train to Benicassim music festival, so my morning of sightseeing had to be reduced to a half hour taxi ride. To be fair we only had half an hour to get to the station yet our taxi driver was able to bring us to sagrada familia, Casa Batll and more for a fraction of what you would pay for a taxi in Dublin.
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| Barcelona Taxi |
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| Roof Top Bar H10 Montcada |
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| Plaza unknown |
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| Gothic Quarter |
So we got on our train from Barcelona Sans heading for Benicassim. We were staying in a town just south of Benicassim called Castellon. There was not a lot happening in Castellon but the prices of the hotels are a fraction of what you would pay in Benicassim and it is only a 25 min journey on the bus away.
I have been to many festivals before but this was my first festival where I would not have to worry about wether to bring wellies or not. This is without a doubt the best festival I have been to. Layout on the beach all day, have a beer or two, have a swim, some dinner, a cocktail on a roof top bar and then the walk to the festival. That is how each day would go, and why would you change it?
The walk up to the festival is great, the sun is starting to drop, you bump into different groups and everyone is in good form. Once you cross over the bridge at the motor way you can see right into the venue. You can hear the music, you can hear the crowd and the atmosphere is electric. As you walk around the back of the festival you notice on the hills some of the locals go for a birds eye view without having to pay in. Here you can get a home made mojito for five euro and it's worth it.
Then into the festival. The feel is more laid back than most I have been to. You feel very safe and I never saw any trouble. Saying that, the crowd is absolutely electric and the performers don't hold back.
Some of the acts I saw include Django Django, Lisa Hannigan, Jero Romero, Miles Kane, The Stone Roses, Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, and much more. The highlight would have to have been Noel Gallagher. He played most of his new album whilst mixing in some Oasis classics to get the crowd going, finishing on a high with Don't Look Back in Anger. I was particularly looking forward to seeing the stone roses but I have to say, I think Noel stole their thunder.
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| Looking into Benicassim |
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| At Maravillas(Main Stage) |
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| Mojitos en las montanas |
After three days at the festival we headed on a 30 minute train ride south to Valencia. Can't recommend this city enough. It is more laid back than Barcelona but after three days at a festival in 38 degree heat, it was exactly what the doctor ordered. We were staying bang in the centre of the old town which is filled with classic gothic architecture and scenic square. I highly recommend the bus tour on the first day as it gives you a feel for the city. It goes through the old town, the new developments on the river banks and then out to the beach. Plenty of nice places to eat and drink, and very friendly. It is also a much smaller than a lot of the European major cities I have been to, so even though we were only there for 2 nights, we still got the feeling that we had gotten a real taste for the city.
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| Valencia |
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| Tour Bus |
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| Taking it in at the plaza |
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| Oceanographica |
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| Last night in Valencia |
Finally, our last train journey of the trip and by far the largest, Valencia to Malaga - 8 hours. To be fair, the spanish train service ' Renfe' is actually quite comfortable so it did not feel like 8 hours. All the same, when we got there, we were pleased to finally drop our bags.
Now this was not our first time in Fuengirola, we knew exactly what to expect. It was nice to be able to know exactly where was good to eat/drink, what beach to go to and to be able to not have to worry about needing to be anywhere. We could just take each day at our own pace. More Tapas, more cocktails, more sun, more beach.
To sum up it was an incredible trip. Although I have been to many great destinations on this planet, Spain is a country that I feel at home in. The spanish as people are extremely welcoming, proud of their country and great fun to being around. It is not necessarily a hidden gem but, it is still a gem!
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| Mijas |
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| Dinner with a view |
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| Mijas |
