9am

We decided to buy our train ticket to Granada today - so early in the morning while I can see vapors when I speak or even when I breath. We hailed a taxi in front of the hostel to Santa Justa train station.

I had this eerie feeling that everytime I went to station - train or bus - I felt like I went into a morgue. It was so cold!! I practically jumping around trying to warm myself. Not a creative/conservative, feminine what ever way of warming myself but I don't care. I was just so DARN (pardon my language) cold!

I asked Jules to hurry up in buying the tickets. Finally we bought the 10.30am ticket to Granada that cost us EUR15 each. One way.

From the train station, we took another cab to Sevilla Cathedral. We were contemplating whether pay EUR6 and go inside the cathedral or not. We opted not. I don't think my heart can stand the view that would greet us inside the cathedral. The beautiful former masjid turned into a cathedral. We had enough in Cordoba. My hearts bled when we saw the beautiful Quranic verses on the wall marred by symbols from the re-conquered of Andalusia. We cried.

We tried to evade gypsies women selling olive leaves by tucking our hands in the pockets and shaking our heads. Be polite and smile but never accept the leaves. Once you had the leaves in your hands you will have to pay for it.

Not just we had to evade the buxom ladies, we had to be careful not to step on the fresh hot horse dung from the horse carriages lining near the cathedral. Urgh!

Today, we are on the window shopping and souvenir buying itinerary. So off we went into this chic shop selling all type of souvenirs at good prices. I bought a flamenco CD, some keychains, t-shirts and touristy souvenirs to bring back home. Happy.

We stopped at an internet cafe to book a room in Granada. We are nearing the tourist season so we do not want to gamble again. Granada is more famous for its Alhambra castle and we expected that some hostels may be fully booked by the time we reached there.

I am a klutz

We were in Express Workcentre internet and I was paying for my internet time when I suddenly dropped mak's present. A beautiful translucent, white and fragile glass decorative. Waaaaa! I just went blank and suddenly dropped the gift. It was wrapped in paper and tucked in plastic bag. I dropped the plastic bag and the glass shattered. Mak! I just paid EUR6 for the decorative glass. Jules laughed at me. Thank you very much.

I am a klutz. I could not hold anything without dropping it first or last. Cannot drive a car until I banged it into something and sent for repair. Would stumbled into holes or whatever thing that jutted out from the earth or can't even hold a conversation properly without making the other party cringed at my choice of words.. bah!

Anyway, the decorative glass shattered into thousands of pieces. Actually I wondered why I bought mom that gift. I knew I cannot hold anything fragile. Jules offered to carry the glass for me, but no thanks Jules, its broken already hahaha.

Shattered glass aside, we proceeded in checking mails and booking hostels over the net. Jules in charge on booking the hostel while I was trying to book flight tickets from the cheapest airlines at the nearest airport to Birmingham.

We have to stopped in UK to hand over Minna's stuff that were sent by her sister-in-law. My job was to find the cheapest and nearest flight that goes to nearest airports to Hull. But, I have a problem - I can't use my credit card to book - Darn!

There is this thing about my credit cards. We can't book anything over the Net. So what was the point of having a credit card then? We can only swiped over the counter and even then if we got over the limit for the month, the banks would bar the transaction. This is the worst credit card service I had ever encountered. I want to pay off as soon as I can and refused to use the cards ever again!

Well, back at the Internet cafe, Jules managed to secure a room in Granada so were assured for our transportation and accomodation, so we were happy for the day. Jules said we could try to book the flight in Granada or we can try to call the airlines and asked them whether we can go over the office to purchase the tickets.

So assured for the day, we proceed for our outing and shopping spree hahahaha.. This time we were just loitering around Sevilla town. Trying to cover as many places as we can. From the parks and shops selling souvenirs, we made our way back to the town area and this time looking for bullfight arena Plaza de toros de la Maestranza at Paseo de Cristobal Colon and a post office to send our postcards!

The place was quite when we arrived. No wonder, it was already siesta time. We had pasta at the nearby tapas bar. Communication was still the problem. The English speaking waiters/waitresses were only at the chic and expensive looking restaurants, while the locals rarely can speak English even to explain to us the ingredients.. *sigh*

So we settled for chease pasta.. got problem swallowing hahaha. Washed down with coke. After lunch we proceed to explore the city but because of siesta time we had to be content by just lazying around the city and watched the siesta time went by.

Before that we stopped by at a shop selling ice cream. The day was sunny and we thought why not an ice cream. I got crossed eyes just looking at the variety of ice creams available in this ice cream parlour. Jules made her choice of course if its not caramel two bolas grande. Erk! OK mine grande too.. two bolas too but give me chocolate and mint.. emm havean. We sat at the bench outside, people watching.. and struggling to finish two bolas grande cone icecream...

It was already late afternoon when strolled along the riverside and headed back to the hostel carrying plastic bags laden with souvenirs and tshirts. Told Jules that we should stop at Plaza Armas to check out the arcade. I mean the place was so near the hostel and yet we have not check it out.

She agreed and we stopped by the arcade. This beautiful building, built in a Neomudejar syle, was constructed in 1889. It was a train station before it was converted for the Universal Exposition of 1992. It has three main elements and the central part is covered by a great iron and glass dome.

So the building looked very unique. The upper floor housed a Warner Bros shop and a few cafes while the ground floor was lined with cute boutiques that sell shoes, clothes, baby clothes, bags and so on, while the lower ground floor was dedicated for super marcadonia or supermarket.

Here was where our excitement heightened. The goods sold at this supermarket were considered very cheap. Jules was like a gold seeker who found the first nugget. She found 1.5litre bottled water for EUR.42 hahahaha.. She bought two big bottles that looked like dumbell.

We found chocolate bars for less than EUR.50! Bons bons for less than EUR2, tuna can for EUR.42 and big loaf of bread for EUR.42 hahahaha.

Well we followed our own rules, do what the locals do and shop where the local shops.. ladida!