Gibraltar

One has to cross an airfield in order to enter Gibraltar

Gibraltar is British overseas area in the south end of Spain. To me it came as a surprise that the peninsula was dominated with a huge rock filled with caves and monkeys! I spent the last five days here with Shawn and John from Britain Felix from Germany and their other guests Mick and Jo from Australia.

We had a day trip to the mountain which due circumstances did not include monkeys nor the top where you can see to Morocco. Next time I will visit Gibraltar I will conquer the rock.

During my stay I have already multiplied my hatred towards mosquito. These dark overlords have been eating my hands during the nights. Their proboscis leaves a sore far more itchy than their finnish counterparts. For that they shall feel my revenge. I must remember to acknowledge when I reach the malaria area.

Felix, Shawn and John (Mick is hidden behind Felix)

The tunnels were used during wars

This is me at mt. Everest

Returning to Spanish side (La Linea)

Some poker and whiskey during the powerout (John kept our money)

It took me two days to slouch trough the harbor area to find a boat ride to Canary Islands. Young Australian Couple had bought Ganga (Bavaria 43) from Spain and were sailing it to their homeland. The atmosphere on the boat could not be higher as Ben had asked yesterday Bridget to be his wife (congratulations will be forwarded from comments). I did not expect to be the oldest person on a boat for my first offshore sailing but the boat is well equipped and they seem to have good grip with the boat so I feel confident we will be having a really nice trip.

Navetta means barn for cows in finnish

Name Ganga has many meanings

Fist the size of my arm

When I started travelling I never thought that the hardest part would be constantly saying goodbyes to nice people I just got to know. I had great fun staying with S,J,F,M and Jo and it would have been nice to stay longer to fulfill my dream of playing ice-hockey in local hall. Things do not always go as planned and the boat to canaries was what I originally came her for so I am happy things worked out so easily.

I sadly will say goodbyes to my long time served Finnish army boots. This is sad moment for me since it will be hard to find shoes that can cover my loss. But foremostly this is sad moment for my dear hosts who yet do not know about my intentions of leaving my boots in the flat.

One seldom encounters such a fine pair of boots

Laces are cut, bottom is spilntered and heel is partly missing

Fuengirola (hitch-hiking in Spain)

The second day to Gibraltar started at 7:00 and after walking 5km to gas station a car with nice people took me and we headed to south. Unfortunately there was no good place to drop me off so I ended up in the gas station off the highway. After an hour i got ride 5km to nearby gas station that was said to be better, though it was just as bad. Few hours passed and I got a ride 10km to highway. There I waited two hours to meet an Arabic truck driver with whom I waited some time for his friend going to Gibraltar. When the friend arrived they had nice conversation in Arabic and I waited again for half an hour. Also it took some time for their praying towards Mecca. When we started going to south It turned out he was only going to Granada. I didn´t have to wait too long there before next ride to Malaga. From Malaga I got a ride 5km to better gas station and later on 20km to Fuengirola. At this point the clock was already over 21:00. I waited there for and hour with one guy threatening me not to look at his car or girl and also paid the gas station employer to watch if I do so.. I though it was time for me to look for a hostel to sleep in.

This was second time with Muslim driver and it was quite hard to have conversation about religion as I am not exactly religious and the conversation was in Spanish. Other topics were more simple and I learned a lot. Also I had my first rides from really rich people. It was interesting to hear how different the possibilities in life are for them and how they see the life.

Ahmed listened eurotrance

Windmills were as common as solar panels

Andalusia

Just when I was leaving the gas station one of the locals I had been talking to felt sorry for me and offered a cola. We talked about many things and had good conversation but when the conversation started to regard religion it got out of hands (from mine at least). He was a Jehova witness and really pleasant chap but he was persistent in neglecting any attempt to change topic or argument so I thanked for the cola and headed town.

Touristic paradise Fuengirola

In Fuengirola I had the other happy moment of my day as I saw a couple kissing passionately. They were probably over 80 years old. Right after them I passed group of suspicious looking Arabs. I wasn´t because they were Arabs but just the general feeling. I heard some whistling and another group of Arabs ran towards me with knives in their hands. I heard few gunshots behind and the knife boys fled. I walked to the other side of the street to avoid being shot but I think it was meant for the knives. Also I have feeling it was just blank shots but still quite exciting. (the happy moment wasseeing the happy couple, not the gunfight)

I found cheap hostel and went sleeping.

In the 3rd morning I went back to the same gas station and talked to drivers for half an hour. I also met Jaakko from Finland who told me how they bred froglings sometimes with his grandchildren back in my home country. I took a bus to next city and just when I was giving up I got a ride from three beautiful Spanish ladies and their crazy seven-month dog Baby. I think It is last time I will hitch-hike in Spain. 

Gibraltar here I come! 

The sea

Alcoy (Hitch-hiking in Spain)

Theme for the art project was monsters. We had session in the park in saturday and our painting camp was popular among local children. We were planning to go to the Occupy but failed our timetables and friends and just painted in the park. During the weekend we could not make enough paintings for the exhibition but I am sure I will do it later during the travel.. Also I rather make the paintings again better.

It was Mohammeds bitrhday!

Crab is monster

Monster!

Nikola Tesla - Inventor of mustache

 I felt very comfortable in Barcelona but if I want to travel around the world I must be going on. To me it came a bit surprising but so far the hardest part of the trip has been always saying goodbye to nice people I just got to know.

I started 1100km hitch-hike towards Gibraltar where I had my next place reserved for sleeping.
I got my first truck ride quite fast and was nicely on my way to Valencia. The driver was from Equador and only spoke Spanish so I had four hour lesson in the language with refreshing sandwich and beer.

Patric teached me animal names in spanish

In the next place I had to wait quite long for the next ride. Finally I got a ride to Alcoy a bit north of Alicante. The driver was psychology student and we had so far the most interesting conversations about travelling instead of the same old sightseeing guide and listing of countries. When we reached Alcoy it started to get darker and we decided it would be better if I stay there for the night.

The hostel was really expensive (38e) but there was an alternative. Receptionist told me about red cross shelter for homeless and I decided to give it a try. Turned out that the bureaucracy was more complicated than expected and one volunteer had to stay with me for the night. I felt a bit guilty for his sake but I had good nights rest and some food also. Waking was at 7 in the morning and next day to hitch-hike was to begin.

Barcelona

This morning I felt great when I woke up. Sometimes you just have the feeling it will be a great day. Yesterday we visited La Petite Gallery near from the Macba modern art museum. The bar has gallery for young artists and now I am thinking should I be really creative this weekend and try to have my own exhibition done in just two days. I am thinking of doing colourful acvarel stuff but lets see if i have enough ideas for it.

I have been living now one week in the center of barcelona with 4 guys from Spain and one girl from Finland. I have my bed on the living room sofa. Even though there is one room that i probably could use I think I will stay the last days one the sofa anyway. This place has really nice atmosphere and I am learning spanish all the time.

Here I left my Hitch-hiking ride: Casa Batllo

On the first day we went to see a garden labyrinth near from the city but got lost before we could reach the labyrinth. We found strange restaurant by accident and decided to have lunch there. First we wanted to see the Fountain of milk. We never found it and ended up in mount Tibidabo and forgot the lunch. On the way we ate some figs from a tree. It was nice day.

Climbing to mountain

Paula, Steffano and Fig tree

Albert

On Tuesday was my turn to make food and I continued perfecting my karjalanpiirakka. We had also some kasvissosekeitto. We met one finnish girl by accident on the street and invited her also to the finnish evening.

Maria and Paula

My room

I had got a list of places to visit from Mikko and used one day in search for them. I found every place except the two libraries even though I forgot the paper with names maps and addresses back home. I was not  hungry so I spared Pim Pam Special Burger for later.

Some Fruits

Some heads

Some fish

Macba

In Montpellier I had conversation with Numa about modern art and he had interesting view for it. He thinks that art is about communication between the artist and the viewer. This is where the modern art fails sometimes and becomes too elitist to be understood by normal people. I think he has good point here. As I went to Macba I did not quite get the point of most of the works and waited until 16:00 for the english guide. The guide was mostly speaking about the history and I quickly fled the lesson.

Photography is forbidden

Art

Notes

More art

Saint Catarina Market

St. Cat. market

nice light

Saint Maria Cathedral

World oldest oven for frying almonds

Now the blog is again up to date with my location. I will stay here until next tuesday when I will head to Madrid or Valencia. I have not yet decided.

Montpellier

It is amazing how small world we live in. In the random car that picked me up from Lyon had some friends of the people who I met  in Lyon the earlier day. After few times being stuck in bad places i have been thinking it is not good idea to go to cars who dont speak at all same languages as my self as it is hard to explain in 130km/h where it is good to get of and where not.

When I reached Montpellier by night I got offered drugs by many people. However if felt no need for those and kept going. My host this time was Numa who had impressive mustache. He had strong enthusiasm for music and cooking, especially for spices. 

Numa is happy when cooking

I will have one day even bigger selection of spices in glass jars

More glass jars

On the first morning we had some sightseeing in montpellier town center. I am seeing too much for so short time and head is full different languages, location,s behaviour and people so sightseeing was not the first thing in my mind but we found some nice places in the center (picture above is from universitys medical museum)

Botanical garden of university

Plant on wall

Park is made on old plot of protestant church

Some drawing with wine

Lyon

Hitch-hike to Lyon was nicest so far. I traveled with train to service station south of Paris where I met Japanese Masa. He had been there since yesterday and sleeping on the bench of gas station. We had same direction and once there were two of us one could hold the sign while the other trains juggling. He was the fastest learner I've ever met. After one hour or so a french lady picked us up and we went all together to Lyon. 

Masa and Sonya

In Lyon we met Salla who I had contacted few days earlier. We went all together to get some food and had nice picnic in the riverside. Sallas friend Sofia had birthday the next day and we were invited too Hooray!

Sofia and Tatiana

Street with some nice houses on it

On my last day in Lyon I climbed to hill that rises around the city to see sights and practice watercolour painting. After few postcards two jehova witness approached me and I sold my first artwork for 5e!

From now on I will sell few postcards to cover paper costs instead of giving and sending them all away.

Man makes hole in church floor

Church 

View from Sallas room