Granada & Sierra Nevada: Unexpected meetings pt. 3

This might be it, people! I mean the last blog post from my time in Spain. In just 3 days it is time to head out for new adventures. I am kind of sad and happy at the same time. Sad because I have really loved these past 5 months, but then again eager to go back home again. Anyway, this week is my last week… But what a week it has been so far!

 

The last week here in Spain started on Friday with a crazy going away party and was followed by an amazing weekend in Granada! Last week, on Wednesday I got my cousin from Finland to visit me. It was very nice to see him from a long while as we had been roommates for over a year before I left to Spain in January. Anyways, on Saturday we left to see Granada with him, my two workmates and a girl from Iceland. By car, everybody in a terrible hang over – of course.

When it comes to unexpected meetings (this is again something unbelievable :D ), I met my friend from Barcelona in Granada (see this blog post). Of course I knew she was going to be there, but listen to this: this weekend, the friend that was travelling to BCN with me earlier went there again. The friend who we were visiting in BCN was then visiting Granada with her friends – as was I. But we didn’t know more than that. Little did we know that we would be all living in the same hostel – in the same dorm! I always thought Finland is a small place, but fuck, Spain is minimal! :D

We all headed out together to have a look at some famous street art. Some very nice pieces of work we saw! After walking uphill in the city, we stayed for a picnic in a beautiful park. There was also a small lake in the park. And a small island in the lake. And a small tower in the island. And then, somebody had taken a HUGE dump on top of the tower! :D But we didn’t let that bother us too much.

After picnic, we left for some beers and tapas. This is also something that is really something. One beer costs from 1,50 to 3 Euros. Every time you order a beer, you get a tapa (small dish of food) – every time. I mean, that is probably the most ridiculous tradition I’ve ever heard - but also one of the best! Imagine going out never having to think about if you had eaten enough or not: you just go drinking and you’ll get a free dinner same time :)

The next day, we woke up pretty early and went to see the Arab city high on the hill. The city and the view were totally worth the climb.  Unbelievable. Granada, is just a beautiful, beautiful city. After the tour, we decided to take our Renault and head for the hills: Sierra Nevada, baby! IF you ever go to see Granada THEN you must go to see Sierra Nevada as well. To be precise, go to Los Cahorros. I have never seen anything like that. The pictures give you just a glimpse how it was. Wow.

About Granada

I never knew so much about Granada, but I had heard some good things. Well, I didn’t misheard!! It is simply amazing city. So beautiful, so different, so bohemian, so Spanish, so sympathetic, so amazing. In Granada you can still see the influence that the Arabs had when they were living in Andalucia. Also, the city is a famous student city in Spain. Also, it is from Granada where Sierra Nevada begins. Also, they very cheap beer (including tapas). Also, I heard that Alhambra (an Arab fortress in Granada) is very easy to defend ;)

For all those reasons above, I honestly think that Granada is definitely THE place to visit in Spain. – IF you don’t believe me THEN look at the pictures! ;)

You're alright but I'm here darling to enjoy the party
Don't get too excited cause that's all you'll get from me
Hey
Yeah I think you're cute but really you should know
I just came to say hello 

Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette - Hello

Beach, partying and some Xtreme heat!

Wow! It is 17th of May today and I just realized that it is only two weeks and I am leaving Sevilla! TWO WEEKS! Time has gone so fast...! Well... I guess everything has to end sometimes. This time it just happens to be so far the best time in my life that ends.. All this should make me sad, but then again, the next 3 or 4 weeks are going to be the best of the best time! Let me tell you more in a bit....

But first: This week has been the hottest I've ever experienced! Ok, we did have this really hot season few years back in Finland as well, but this is even worse since it is constantly hot - day AND night.  During the day the temperature has been something around +36 in the shadow and over +40 in the sun..! During the night time, like at 12 in the night, the temperature in my room (no hopes for air conditioning) is over +31 degrees! Really easy trying to get some sleep.. and it's only middle of May!

But there are some positive sides about the sun and heat as well... Like the beach! Couple of weeks ago we went to a beach between Cadiz and Tarifa and it was really nice. Since there's no beach in Sevilla, it was actually the first time I went to have a day at the beach... and I got burn - so typical for us Finns :D Nevertheless we enjoyed the beach :)

So what's so good about the next 3-4 weeks? Well... first of all, I'm going to IBIZA tomorrow!! It is my long time dream to go visit that legendary party island and now it's about to come true! Secondly, right after Ibiza my cousin is going to come visit me for a week and most possibly we are going to Granada with some friends AND my friend from Barcelona is probably also coming there..! Granada is the one place I still want to visit here in Andalucia.

And that's only two weeks... ;) Like I said, I'm leaving in two weeks and right before I leave, our company is going to arrange a huge pool party for our interns and other people here in Sevilla. Is that the coolest Goodbye-party ever or not?! Not to mention the fact that after leaving Sevilla, I will travel in Europe for a short while and visit Barcelona again, Amsterdam (another dream come true!) and Frankfurt to see a good  friend!!

So, the BEST of the best time EVER! - I think my choice for song this time is pretty obvious....

Don't you give me the stars,

Don't you give me your love,

Don't you give me your heart,

Just give me one night in Ibiza!!

Mike Candys & Evelyn feat. Patrick Miller - One Night In Ibiza

P.S. Besides all that, the national ice hockey team of Finland just got it's way through the quarter finals of World championship tournament today beating USA just 9 seconds before the end of 3rd period! I just hope this will happen again this year:

 

TOP LIST: Dance Música España

Since I can't think clearly because of the heat wave (constantly +36C!), I cannot also write anything reasonable. Therefore I'm going to present you some dance, electro and house music that they play here in Spain. As you can imagine, when it comes playing quality electonic music, Finland is FAR behind. That's why you guys can now find something nice and different music for parties etc.!

Before I start my view of the top 15, I just wanna say, that you're allowed to disagree and comment! One more thing! All the songs and the ones that didn't fit in the top15 can be found HERE !

Dance Música España - Top 15

#15 Sak Noel - Loca people
Well everybody knows this song and I'm actually pretty fed up with it... But since I've had to notice SEVERAL times that the lyrics are totally correct (in good and bad) I just have to include this track to the top15...!

#14 Inna - Sun Is Up
Not exactly my type of music, but I kind of like it for some reason. I think it's her voice..? And then again, 11 million views, so she can't be that bad! :P

#13 Martin Solveig & Dragonette feat Idoling! - Big In Japan
This duo makes pretty cheerful songs! Cheerful songs - if they're any good - usually make you cheerful! So this song earns it's place since it's... Cheerful! "S-T-A-R - that's what you are!"

#12 David Guetta feat Sia - Titanium
David Guetta is the number one DJ in the world according to the British DJ Magazine. Well, I have to say he might be a cocky French, but when it comes to producing music, he wrote the book!

#11 Christian Marchi feat Dr. Feelx - Love Sex American Express
This song is of course maybe a bit rude and senseless for some people... but I just love it! Very good house music with some funny lyrics will place it number 11.

#10 Eric Prydz - Pjanoo
Reaaally nice song from few years back. I didn't even remember song before I "reheard" it hear on the radio. No wonder this guy was popular years back: the melody just rocks all the way to the top 10!


#9 David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On (Michael Calfan Remix)
David Guetta and Nicki Minaj are pretty good already, but the original song would not have made it to my list. This remix by Michael Calfan is not so good known.. but IT IS DIAMOND!

#8 Tiësto feat Kay - Work Hard, Play Hard
Everybody knows Tiësto! The guy was ranked the world #1 DJ for 3 times in a row! He's a legend. I think there's enough reasons in addition to the fact that it's an awesome song.


#7 Swedish House Mafia - Greyhound (Radio Edit) 
Pretty new one, just came out! I have to say that the Swedish are ahead of us again... Avicii, these guys... They know just how to make good house music..!


#6 The Ian Carey Project - Get Shaky
Veeery good one! I've come to discover in here that American house DJ's are actually pretty damn good! This is just another example of that!

#5 Avicii - Levels
For the whole time I have been here, they've played this song over and over on the radio. It was the most popular song for at least 4 months! And... it's hard to disagree! That's why top 5!

#4 Mike Candys Evelyn Feat. Patrick Miller - One Night In Ibiza
This Austrian DJ has just his breakthrough to the top - at least if they ask me! Ibiza.. it's my dream about to come true in less than week, so how can I NOT place this in the top 5? ;)

#3 Basto - Again and again
I know this might not be the favourite song for many. When I hear this song, I just want to enjoy the moment, the feeling, the sounds! It is a perfect summer song! Just forget everything else.

#2 Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji - Pressure
The melody, the lyrics, the synhts, the rhytm, the structure... This song is one of the best I've heard for a long long while... Especially this particular remix. Nothing else to say really!


#1 Armin van Buuren ft. Sharon den Adel - In and Out of Love
Definate number one, numero uno, numero yksi! Not so new anymore, but then again what does it matter when it's ageless, beautiful - perfect! This is the song that I'll remember from here to the rest of my life!

Falling in & out of love
in love, in love
Falling in & out of love
your love, your love 
in love; in love; in love

Why can't you see it?
 Why can't you feel?
In & out of love each time.
 

Sevilla: the most Spanish city in Spain!

Okie dokie people, this time I’m going to tell you a little bit about the culture here in the city where live in. Just like I said in the post about Semana Santa, Sevilla is the most Spanish city in Spain when it comes to religion, culture and holidays. Next you’re going to find out what this actually means. Firstly the Easter week was already an example of this phenomenon, but definitely not the only example.

Few years ago bull fighting was prohibited in Catalunya – but not here in Andalusia. In here, the tradition of bullfighting lives on - regardless the people who are protesting on the streets to stop it! Bullfighting is something that is strongly connected to Spanish culture. I mean, the natives consider bull fights as art forms that are linked with their history, art and culture. Even the King of Spain has said that if EU decides to ban bullfighting, Spain will leave the EU :O

Even though I’m not in favor of torturing animals, curiosity made me want to go see it here in Sevilla. I wanted to see what’s so cool about it? Sevilla has Spain’s 2^nd oldest bullfighting arena just after the arena in Ronda. The arena is actually pretty big, it has capacity of 12,500 people and it is considered to be the most important one in the world and so it attracts the best fighters. During the bullfighting season, all seats are full every evening!

For me, the fighting was not anything special. They brought up around 6 bulls and from the 3^rd one I was already bored a bit. I mean, it was interesting, but the show was always the same and actually more interesting was to watch these 50-year-old Spanish guys show in the top shelf of the audience where they drank wine from a flagon and shouted out insolences :D Just like in Finnish ice hockey games

Anyway, I did not quite understand what was so cool about the fighting. Of course, if you haven’t ever seen ballet, you don’t understand it either, do you? It's like a guy next to me said when people were chanting: "Why he's good, I don't know." :D Well, I kind of think bull fighting as "show business butchering". Because that’s what it is: butchering the bulls. And there’s nothing wrong with the butchering part - you can even buy the meat afterwards! It's just that I think those animals could probably go some easier way...

Soy el quimico unico con la formula secreta del destino
la formula del sonido rapido en nuestro universo - galaxia
voy a mezclar ahora un liquido, quimico, toxico, acido y peligroso,
que cambiare la materia humana, ah, ah...

Ruido sintetico, sonido rapido, ruido incognito, quimico unico...
666 - Ruido Sintetico

Feria de Abril, Sevilla

Feria was something that everyone who lives in Sevilla had been talking about since I got here. “During Feria this, in the Feria that..” Actually they started to build up the Feria area for over two months before the actual happening! So I figured it’s probably quite a big party! I still didn’t have any idea what was it about. But when you think of it, party that lasts for a week is probably pretty big!

Feria de Abril is a weeklong festival, always held in April as the name tells. It’s about eating and drinking good, wearing your best clothes: all the men wear suits and ties and all the chicas wear usually the flamenco dress.

You can’t compare it to the festivals back home where everybody who lives in the city runs away while people from elsewhere come around to party. In here, EVERYBODY in the city participates the festival! For instance, if you walk in the city, everyone is dressed up! It’s unbelievable!

We decided to go and participate the party the next day. Our company naturally didn’t have any days off during the week, but we still had shorter days so that we could participate in to the festival. Actually on Wednesday, we stopped working earlier, headed out to change nice clothes and went to have a late lunch in the Feria area. It was really interesting and nice to see all that. The place was full of people, horses and tents.

Yes, tents. People can rent a tent for themselves for the week. Only the cost is at least 2000 euros for one! Usually you can’t enter a tent, if you are not invited and that makes the tents really desirable for people to get. For those people, who don’t have access to any tent, there are public tents (where to buy food and drinks). Only the prize might get pretty high! Also, there are a LOT of horses around. All the people bring their own horses from the country side and ride them in the festival. You can even buy a horse ride for yourself – if you have the money, it only costs 200 euros for one hour!

In the night time, the Feria area is more about drinking than eating. My friend even said that the Feria is the only place where you can see even Spanish girls going as wasted as their sisters back in Finland! :D The area is lit by over 300,000 light bulbs during the night time and actually the whole Feria area consumes as much energy as a city of 50,000 people. In addition to the tent area, there is an amusement park in the area! All this combined, lasting for a week, now that is a BIG PARTY!?

Make me come alive
Come on turn me on
Touch me, save my life
Come on and turn me on
I'm too young to die
Come on and turn me on
 

Turn me on, Turn me on, Turn me on, Turn me on

David Guetta Ft.  Nicki Minaj -Turn Me On (Michael Calfan remix)

Escape to the sin city, part 3: Chillin' out!

So we got back from The club around… maybe at 5, maybe at six… and mom, I was dressing up like a bitch! But then what goes up… must come down! We had to change hostel the next day. And it happens to be that when you check out a hostel you have to do it 10 am in the morning at the latest! So after 2 hours of intensive sleep we got up and started to navigate our way to the next hostel.

This place was a bit more further from the city centre, but it was near the FC Barcelona football stadium Camp Nou! We spent the day by chilling out at a park next to the stadium sleeping and sun bathing.. Chillin’ baby, chillin’! In the evening we headed back to the centre of the city to see my travel mates’ cousin and her friends again.
  

There, as we were sitting on this outdoor terrace and drinking some STRONG sangria from a can, this French guy from the next table came to talk to us. His friend had been pick pocketed! The thief had taken the guys credit card and ID’s… The thief had been pretending to be a guy inviting people to clubs, giving away flyers and stuff and then started “dancing” with this guy and off goes your stuff..!

Seriously, I’m telling you guys the same as my friend told us the first day we got to BCN: EVERYONE who comes to talk to you on La Rambla is a probable thief. So don’t talk to them, don’t stop and take care of your stuff! Everyone besides the “beer, cerveza?” –guys. They’re usually okay an’ if you should need some refill, they can save your day! :D

                         Remember to f*ck this on Facebook!                This guy is not one of the thiefs!

Anyway, we were so tired that we went back to hostel pretty early. We had some good night sleep until the next – and last day – in the sin city of Spain… On the last day we decided to go to the beach. Now this is what Sevilla lacks: the beach. Barcelona has several kilometers of nice beach where to sun bathe and chill out. The weather wasn’t the best though, but we enjoyed it.

After the beach we went to see this park designed by Antonio Gaudi. Very nice and modernistic park. What a shame that people of the time never understood it. By the way, while visiting the park, three (3!!) different people were trying to reach my friends purse – so annoying! Anyway, some time after the park we got back to the hostel and tried to get some sleep before our very, very early flight back to Sevilla.

After about 1,5 hours of sleep at 2 o’clock in the morning we headed out back to the airport and back to Sevilla. Back to safety from the city of pick pocketers, prostitutes and drug dealers :D I was back at work at 9 in the morning… pretty tired as you can imagine!

Tired but happy! 

I won’t break down tonight.
I feel it for the first time.
I feel it for the first time.

I found a new place here.
I’m coming down fast.

Afrojack & Steve Aoki feat. Miss Palmer "No Beef"

Escape to the sin city, part 2: Hello Barcelona!

Early on Thursday morning I headed out for the airport in Sevilla with a… let’s say a good friend ;) By the way we missed the airport bus, had to take a taxi instead and pay 25 euros instead of 2,30€… Nice start, aye? :D Anyway, by noon we were already walking in the streets of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, Spain!

I chose to go to Barcelona as a friend of mine lives there and she promised to be a guide for us! However, on Thursday she was still on a 9 hour journey back from Madrid so the first day was very typical tourist day. We just wandered around the main street “La Rambla” and wondered all the crazy stuff going on in the “sin city” of Spain (nickname that I gave, not in general use).

In the evening, around 10 or 11 pm we agreed that we’d meet this friend of mine and go for “one” beer… Well you know what happens when you’re going for “one” with a friend you haven’t seen for a while :D So we crawled back to the hostel around 3 or 4 in the night after seeing half a dozen of the coolest bars in the Barcelona city center, some prostitutes in the notorious area of El Raval and some pickpocketers around La Rambla (which the city is infested with)!

Next day, Friday, we got up pretty late (I wonder why) and started to plan our next moves for the day. The plan was to meet up with my friend and go see some of the famous buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi, who had influenced to the architecture in Barcelona a lot. Also generally, Barcelona is very nice city to visit because of its modernism in the architecture!

After that, later in the evening it was time for an international dinner! We had appetizers from Colombia (some fried sliced banana with salt and cheese), main course from Finland (kesäkeitto = summer soup, milk based soup with a lot of vegetables ;) and the dessert from Holland (some sort of chocolate jelly)! Also the dinner party was very international as we had people from Finland, Holland, Austria, Lithuania and Mexico!

Later in the evening, we went shortly to meet my travel mate’s cousin and her friends. This time I was the only European as there were people from all over South-America: Mexico, Venezuela and so on! I have to say that South-Americans, they’re laid back people! :)

Even later from that, we headed out for some SERIOUS PARTYING at the biggest club in Barcelona: Razzmatazz! Well actually it’s around 6 or 7 clubs in 3 floors in the same club made out of old factory building… It was unbelievable! You could change from one “room” to another to listen some other kind of music style and choose whatever room you’d prefer… How cool is that!?

More about the escape to Barcelona on part 3!

Tell you like it is with a kiss,
Baby when it drips from your lips.
Tell you like it is it’s like this,
Don’t be such a slave to your brother.


Baby get shaky after school,
Oooh ooh ohhh ohhh there you ooh there you, baby go crazy break the rules,
Oooh ooh ohhh ohhhh there you ooh there you go go go go go go go go ohoh ohhh there you go go go go, ohhh ohhh there you go!

The Ian Carey Project – Get Shaky