spain – sarah fynn

Why I Travel

Happy New Year!

I want to start the year sharing somewhat of a testimony and the reason why I travel so much (according to friends and family lol, personally I think I’m an average traveller but well..). I actually wrote this post back in October but I have been hesitant to post it until now

So I’m sitting here in Nice waiting for my delayed flight back home to London. I’ve been contemplating why I love travelling and I feel blessed to have visited so many beautiful places and for some reason I can’t let go f the thought that I need to put this into a post so here it goes.. Stay tuned to the end where I will share some tips on money & planning

I remember back home in Ghana, I was either 10 or 12 years old and my mum had sent me to get some stuff from the market. It’s about a 10 min walk from home to market. As soon as I stepped out, I remember looking down and for rest of the journey my head stayed down. I felt ashamed that I was going to the market alone because I was thinking people would look at me and say she doesn’t have any friends. I would see people laughing and think oh they must be laughing at me. And that feeling of been alone stuck. Been the overthinking child I was (and still am) I thought of the future etc etc. If I would be alone, get a job etc etc and it’s funny I should feel like that because in school I was actually very popular and a teacher’s pet.

Fast forward to ages 16 to 20 and a lot of things happened to me I moved from Ghana to London when I was 13) which forced me to actually be alone. From failed relationships to realising personal truths, I had to be alone and in those moments I sought God. In those moments, when I could do nothing but cry, I began to learn a lot about God and myself and I began to love been alone! I didn’t see it as a negative anymore. At 20 I decided to step out of my comfort zone and travel, on my own to Thailand! I decided to volunteer for 1 month in Thailand teaching English. I met so many people that after two weeks, I decided to go travelling. Again by myself made my way from Phuket to Bangkok by bus at night, I couldn’t speak Thai AND I had no internet. But I safely made it to Bangkok. The very next day I met Jess a fellow traveller from Australia and we decide to go travelling together through northern Thailand. Just like that.

Me?! someone who couldn’t even leave home by herself

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Post on Thailand here

I came home and a month later in the same year, I found myself in Madrid Spain, on a year away from uni, where I was working and studying (I always had this dream where I would do this but only remembered after I came back home after the year was done). I have been to so many other places since then and now sitting here in Nice, after a really good weekend with my friend’s family (a friend I met back in Madrid and we kept in contact). I’ve been blessed and sometimes I take it for granted but in conservations, with other people, I realise it’s not that easy for some to travel even though money and timing is not an issue and they actually want to travel. I guess it’s hard to step outside your comfort zone esp if nothing has forced you to be out of it.

I guess I’m writing this to anyone who feels they will be alone forever or feels they need the validation of others’ company. God has a way of getting through to you, in a way you would understand and know it’s Him. That thought of loneliness or dependence on others is a lie straight from hell. It could be that your very calling is the exact opposite, to stand or minister to millions but if the devil could get fear in first he knows he could stop you from reaching your full potential. Why else would an 11/12 year old feel so lonely when been sent to the market when literally I knew a bunch of people in the neighbourhood? I am also reminded of the story of Moses, how he wasn’t an eloquent speaker and this made him afraid when God called him to work however his calling was literally to speak to kings to free a nation!

So Why Do I Travel?

I travel because I want to continually prove to that 11-year-old me that I can do anything I put my mind to, even if it was impossible to me at one point.

I travel because I see my life as a bank of experiences and in those experiences I try to seek God in them. Travelling gives me new experiences to add to that bank. And every new country allows me to see the variety of God’s workmanship.

I travel because I don’t want to settle. In routines, same knowledge same experiences. I want to push myself to seek new and exciting experiences

And I travel because after catching the travel bug and buying a map, I now want to cross every single country on that map! My personal challenge is 3 new countries/cities/places every year

Now that’s out of the way, I want to share some tips on travelling. It’s actually not as expensive as people think

Incognito mode is your friend. Google is very smart and after a quick search of a place on your laptop, you will begin to see things related to your search everywhere else e.g. phone and even on Instagram! Have you ever noticed you randomly search for something on Google and in the next couple of days, you begin to see it as ads on other websites you visit? This is because of cookies. When you google hotel/flight prices I believe it increases with every search because it thinks you are thinking of visiting there hence an increase in prices may force you to purchase because you want the cheapest deal. girl, I search for all prices relating to travel in Incognito mode, that way no cookies are placed on my device and the true price comes up every time

If you can, sign up for the airline’s email newsletter so you are kept up to date on sales/discounts going on

Flexibility- try as much as possible to be flexible with dates and destinations and be open to visit countries off the beaten track! For me, I want to visit every single country so it’s just a matter of where I go first and price

Travel buddies- I believe there are some places that are safer and easier to travel with a buddy. Choosing the right travel buddy is super important because it can make or break the trip. Finding someone with similar interests and budgets is super important e.g. imagine you want to eat local mid-range food on holiday but your buddy just wants the full blown 5 star restaurant experience? Hotels? You may want a cheap and cheerful one, they want a 5 star hotel with room service?

Sites like TripAdvisor is your BEST FRIEND!

That’s all I will share, for now, I don’t want this to be a super long post! I hope this has inspired someone to travel and just get out there and do something you have always wanted! I will bring back my travel posts- I stopped due to pure laziness lol but I will bring them back from onwards! I think I will do it itinerary style as I find posts like that super helpful when I am researching a new destination!

Happy New Year once again and I hope your 2018 is your best year yet!

Xoxo

Cadiz: little town Great beaches

Located in the south of Spain. Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Spain. Thanks to its location, it boasts of some of the most beautiful beaches I have been to. Its all about weather and if youre lucky enough to catch the sun whilst here do not miss that opportunity to go to the Tk3 bar in El puerto de Santa Maria where you can get some really good cocktails famous within the town. Stroll along the beach which is right opposite the bar or sit by the fires and reminisce of all your travel adventure. This is where good company is needed. (Or if you are a solo traveler you will love the tranquility)

Eat fried calamares and drink tinto de verano in another well known restaurant I el puerto called Romerijo’s. Also try tortillita de camarones .Dont forget to visit los italianos in the center of cadiz to taste some good icecream to cool down in the sun. (Try the strawberry! )

Also try to visit Puerto sherry and have lunch by the beach in one of the resturants. I had lunch at an italian restaurant called blanca paloma.

The city of Cadiz is good for history. Dont miss the wall in the center and the castle. Visit the park Genovés opposite the university of Cadiz. Notice how most of the houses are white.

I think that as this was the last city and bad weather I didnt really get a sample of the place, however I do plan on going back there soon. Hopefully I can get more pictures and better ones too.

Granada: small town with rich muslim roots

Make no mistake as you walk through Morroco I mean Granada,( see what I did there). Thinking youre in Morroco! I was pleasantly surprised on how similar some patterns and parts of the town was to Morroco. So it was no surprise when the main attract in Granada is the la Alhambra.

Granada was apparently the… wait you want the best features of the place not the history( thats Wikipedia’s job)

Stroll along the river outside the las Alhambra. Its a sort of hill with pebbled ground so wear sturdy shoes. Go into the Alhambra if you can.

Take a walk into tge center and enjoy more muslim influenced architecture. When you get to the plaza de carmen there is a road that has a lot of restaurants. ( so bummed I didnt get a picture or the name of the place I ate at but I do have a picture of what I ate :))

My time here was very short. First i missed a day because the only tickets available from Valencia to Granada were overnight, therefore I only had one day there, however I was lucky enough to see the Paso de semana santa ( which I did not enjoy!)

Ok folks that’s all. I hope to go back there another time and spend more time there, so until then its off to Cadiz- the big finish ( For now)

VALENCIA: A TROPICAL PARADISE

Valencia, the birthplace of the famous Paella (watch how I learned to make this later!) and the 2^nd city on tour. With palm trees and sunshine, I felt like I was in a tropical paradise. Again I was surprised on how different this city was compared to the others.

What blew me away about Valencia was… everything! There was something about this place that kept reminding me of a tropical island. Maybe it was the trees, or fountains or just the open spaces I saw either way, here are the things you should miss whilst there

The city of arts and science

Park Turia

Stay in the Ayre Hotel Astoria Palace. This hotel is the bomb.com! I was surprised and in doubt for the duration of our stay there and how much I paid for the room. To me, this is a 3 to 4 star hotel but booking through agoda.com ( which by the way I totally recommend) I paid 106 euros for a double room and a private bathroom for 3 days 2 nights. This hotel is really nice. Its location is perfect! It’s not your typical backpacker’s hostel/hotel! I stayed on the 8^th floor so you can imagine the view!

Take a walk to Park Turia which is all around the city. I first went to the place with the massive sculpture of Gulliver (from the movie Gulliver’s Travels) and my inner kid surfaced! (So yes I did go down the slides and climb it too)

Then I went into the park itself with the flowers and fountains and the trees. Then I found out that the final of the Spanish cup was been played in Valencia and the Real Madrid camp was right there! I even saw the coach which was on its way to pick the players and went past the hotel the players would be staying at! And all of this and it was the last day there!

Also visit the many plazas I saw but forgot to take pictures because it was soo hot.

And of course eat Paella and drink horchata both very typical of the city!

Don’t be scared by the number orange trees you see, it’s very common there. Also try the agua de Valencia (translation- water of Valencia) I didn’t get to try this so I don’t know if its water or another drink but do let me know when you go!

Let your inner scientist out at the city of arts and sciences and explore the very fun and interactive science museum. You need a maximum of 3 hours in there. And I say that because there are so many interesting and interactive games and activities for everyone! From building an arc hand mind battles to seeing ghosts! I think this place is for all ages! These are a few pictures from the museum.

Next visit the hemispheric and catch a show about the universe! With the intelligent design of the place (well it looks like a hemisphere) you feel like you were right there in the moment! Language options are available for the audio. And also student’s discounts are offered so remember your student id!

There was also a market which I went to but forgot to take a picture of the name.

other discoveries

More or less Valencia, go experience it for yourself! next stop GRANADA!

BARCELONA- CITY BY THE SEA

Spain’s second most famous city, located in the east in the Catalan autonomous community (it is the capital city of this community), there is a lot I can say about this beautiful city. From the famous Camp Nou for the football fans, historic buildings and architecture for the photographers and history fans to the amazing food for the foodies, it comes as no surprise that Barcelona is a popular destination for travellers and my starting point of my 11 days tour around Spain!

I was excited for Barcelona. It was only the 2nd time I had been out of Madrid but nevertheless I was looking forward to it. After months of planning and saving for my trip, I boarded the overnight train to Barcelona on the 10th of April, due to arrive there at 7 am next day!( if you are already in Spain and want to travel there, check out renfe.com, alternatively you can catch a plane there too) I was pleasantly surprised on how different Barcelona was from Madrid, building, culture, food and even language(they speak Spanish there too almost everyone can speak Spanish however the main language is supposed to be Cataluña). I wonder if that’s why they want independence and all.

These are my thoughts/suggestions for Barcelona

Don’t miss

The Sangrada Familia

Font màgica de Montjuïc/ Fuente mágica de Montjuic (Catalan/Spanish)

Park Guell

Barcelona port

Las Ramblas

Stay in

Low to medium budget –Pension Segre which is where I stayed. About 10 mins walk from the Drassasans train stop which is about 10-15 mins from the main train station.

Literally 5 mins walk to Las Ramblas and the Barcelona port

Have lunch in Las Ramblas. You are spoilt for choice on the number of restaurants you can choose from. Almost all offering the same meals but different deals so if you’re not too hungry have a good look around at the deals about. I ate at the San Remo. And if none of the restaurants tickles your fancy there is always those bars/tapas places on either sides on the roads you can have a pizza or tapas at. Drink Sangria or Tinto de Verano. Don’t miss the hotdogs or crepe by the port and remember to take a river cruise whilst there! You can also check out the shopping centre and visit the bar which gives you a view of the sea. Make sure you come out at night. With all the lights on the city really comes to live!

Visit the market, La Boqueria located just of the Las Ramblas. Fruit heaven! You will enjoy fruit salads or shakes for very cheap. Have a look around there are other things to discover!

You cannot miss the show at Fuente mágica de Montjuic! Try and get there for 7’Oclock when the show starts. Any time after that and it will be crowded and you may not get a place to sit.

Get your hiking shoes on and go to Park Guell it’s located on top of a sort of hill so it’s. Long walk up!

Sagrada Familia is worth a visit too!

I tried to visit as many things as possible been in Barcelona. When every time I’m in a city I try to walk as much as possible. So that’s exactly what I did. I only caught the bus or train when I was going really long distances or in the evening when I was so tired to walk back, but other than I walked everywhere and I discovered some cool stuff which may not be on the map!

20140411_163059 — this is the catalan plaza

Ahh what else can I say about Barcelona? Other than I will definitely visit there again and stay longer! But in 3 days 2 nights you can get a feel of Barcelona and enjoy what it has to offer. Next stop Valencia!

BACKPACKING ACROSS SPAIN!

Hey guys! Happy Easter in advance! I hope everyone is fantastic wherever they are and have some fab plans coming up for Easter because I certainly do! Ok so here is Spain we have 11 days of for Easter, and since it’s the week leading to my birthday also and I LOVE to travel, what better way of spending that 1 week backpacking across Spain!

Yes guys, I will be going to Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Cadiz, Seville (maybe) and finally back to Madrid! I am so excited and can’t wait to get started! I purchased my 40L backpack from Amazon (Mountain warehouse brand) and I am ready to goooo. The weather has been amazing so far and I am hoping it gets better. And by better I mean hotter! So my itinerary is as follows

10^th-13^th– Barcelona

13^th– 15^th– Valencia

15^th– 17^th Granada

17^th-21^st – Cadiz (and if there is time, a quick visit to Seville/Malaga as well as it’s only an hour to drive)

With only 11 days I tried to visit the main cities and hopefully in July (if I have money) go to the others. It’s a lot of travel- overnight trains/coaches, but everyone knows the journey to your destination is half the experience! And with my 21^st birthday the day after I come back, it’s my birthday present to meeee! What I am going to try and do is make sure I buy a tshirt from every city and wear it to the next city I am visiting! (super!)

So I’m out guys. So obviously there is going to be a 5 part travel update on all these places including what to see, where to stay etc. so stay tuned!

So once again, have a happy Easter and see you soon!

Love Sarah

My first week in SPAIN!

Hey guys, hope everyone has enjoyed their summer (which is quickly coming to an end!). So I am currently living in Spain and will be here for the next year and I wanted to share my first week with you. (But why are my eyes watery?)

So, I am here as an Erasmus student( since nobody seems to know what that is, it’s basically an exchange programme funded by the British Council through Universities for students to study/work abroad or you can Google it).

Prior to me coming to Spain, I had read on quite a few forums and even watched some YouTube videos about their attitude towards black people and it was mostly negative. Now I am not saying this is true or false, but I will share my experiences so far with you. I havenot been here long, but I have been out a few times, both day and night.

All my experiences so far have been good. My landlord was kind even to let me stay a week without paying my deposit first (lol), he also spoke to his parents about picking me up from the airport to my house in villaviciosia de Odon, a town just outside Madrid for half the price. They are the lovely couple I have ever met. They took me to the supermarket then checked up on me later that evening. When I did go out, anyone I asked for directions with the very little Spanish I knew and English was still able to help me if they knew. I have stares but from men (lol) and that’s about it. The only negative/racist (I think so anyway lol, might not necessarily be true because this is biased) experience is my neighbours’ dogs who seems to find me coming out of my house a reason to bark! And it’s such a little dog. And at night and during the day. And when that dog starts all the other digs start barking as well. (I think I’m surrounded by dogs which is not a good thing!)

My advice is, don’t believe everything you read on the internet or even see on YouTube (so cliché I know) because the experience is different for everyone. All you can do is pray to God that nothing bad/negative happens to you. And even if there was racism, don’t let something that stupid deter you from experiencing a new culture, lifestyle and potential opportunities!

Now for the fun part.

I suggest checking out couchsurfing.org before travelling to a new country. This site is great for meeting the locals or other travellers. I have been speaking to quite a few people (which strangely are men lol) and met a few people as well. If you’re on an exchange programme or anything of the sort, make sure you check out any Facebook groups that may be or create one even! I have met so many people, we have been out and planning to go out. You will find people from around the globe! In the same position as you and everyone is ready to make new friends and start their experience wherever they maybe. And I met a guy who has been totally helpful with my moving here so shout out to him and it helps he’s cute too (LOL by the way Latino guys are too hot)

So to my family and friends back home, I am okay, well, safe, happy and getting darker lol.

To my new friends here and ones am yet to meet I hope we will have a great time here together and build friendships that will last a long time.

So my first week in Spain has been awesome and I’m so thankful for that! Here are some pictures of people I have met and things we have done. Until next time, hasta la vista