Canoeing in Avignon France!

I know I'm really behind here, as this camping trip was 3 weeks ago. But, blogging is so time-consuming...and I'm really busy trying to relax;)

So, I met up with friends in Avignon France to canoe and camp down the Gorges de l'Ardeche. 3 came from London, 2 from Paris, and 2 live in Orange, France. We drank Pastis by the bucket-full, ate stick after stick of French bread, and paddled more than 32K over 2 days. I feel like I got a good dose of real French culture in it's simplest form. I had a great time! So, here are the only pics I have right now. I didn't take my camera on the canoe with me because my partner was this crazy French guy, Alex who kept turning our canoe over for fun:) So, I've only got a few photos from my friends....and more to come in the mail I think shortly.

When we got back to town there were music festivals in the villages, so we finished the weekend with a dance partaay in the streets!

The sun shines a little brighter in Barcelona!

Barcelona!  Okay, so I could of honestly stayed in San Sebastian for the rest of my life...but, the weather turned on me and in came the clouds.  So, I followed the sun down South to Barcelona for more topless beach fun;)  And of course, the art!  So, I took the bus.....and driving from San Sebastian to Barcelona is a lot like driving from San Francisco to San Diego on the 5.  Almost looks exactly the same...lot's of dry arid dirt landscape interspersed with farms, rest stops, gas stations, and big-rig trucks. 

 I sat in the first seat of that big bus, and wished so badly that I could have wiped the bugs from the window!  9 hour ride.  

I headed straight for the beach upon arrival!

Even the tiles on the streets are so thoughtful!

My good luck kitty has been traveling with me

I took a Gaudi tour while I was there, but forgot my camera! It was incredible the amount of beauty in that city!

Friends and Food!!!!

San Sebastian is freAkin awesome!  I feel at home here!  There's just something in the air here....a really good vibe.  I'm feeling it whatever it is.  The mountains are butted right up against the sea, the beaches are incredible, the food is really fresh and authentic, most of the people are friendly, and weather is perfect...for now, that's all I need! I've settled into a comfortable hostel that's just a block from the ocean front and pretty central to everything.  I took a picture of the view from my balcony.  And the beach in the pictures is called Bahia de la Concha, it's the closest beach to where I'm staying.  I've been meeting a lot solo girl travelers, so that's always a huge plus!  In the picture from the left is Marisa, Maiya, and Winnie.  The girl in the blue is Ann.  Last night we all went out for pintxos (tapas) and drinks.  I think I ate a lb. of olives yesterday!  The sardines are fresh here, and taste nothing like any I've had before.  They're called Boquerones, white anchovies served in usually olive oil or vinegar and eaten with bread to get every last oily bite.  It might be my favorite bite yet!  The flavor is actually really mild and I could drink the olive oil it's in.  In bars legs of ham hanging from the ceilings are as common as TV's.  It's cured for at least 2 years and a leg can cost over $2K!!  It's called Iberian ham, named after the breed. It resembles prosciutto when it's sliced.  You can usually find octopus on the bar as well.  It's called Pulpo, which means octopus, and it's usually served in small chunks in the oil it was cooked in.  A tortilla here isn't a tortilla, it's more of a frittata.  It's about two inches thick and made mostly with egg, potatoes and sometimes onion.  It's called tortilla..?  This is definitely my ideal eating environment.  Small salty bites of fresh seafood, yummy Spanish olives with peppers, cheese, wine, bread, and God, the pastries!!!  I wish everyone I knew was here to eat with me!