When the Cheshire emerges...

It may appear that I've been neglecting my blog the majority of the time lately, save for the film reviews.

But I haven't, I promise!

A couple of weeks ago I ran into a dilemma where my free Picasa photo storage had run out... it's still the same situation.

***

Now, I have done some research. Forums are a great place to discover whether or not it's just you or others with the same problem. Turns out there is someone who is in the same mess as me. Unfortunately there has so far been no solution to the issue.

This upsets me because there are so many entries I've been meaning to make - there is more to my On the road to nowhere series for one thing, and obviously life and tacky shoes haven't stopped for this.

The easiest thing for me to do would be to get on a plan, where I get oodles of storage for a small monthly fee. But I don't need the space they're offering so I feel it would be somewhat wasteful.

I will keep working on it.

Sorry folks.

A year ago today I was in Granada, Spain, still recovering from a horror day that included this fountain.

Getting into Granada the morning before, after an overnight train, I decided to try and buy a five-trip ticket on the bus. I knew I was saying it right and I knew the bus driver was saying 20 Euros which was the 10-trip one that I didn't want. Perhaps it was that I didn't understand but he was saying I couldn't buy it. He then took my money and kept 20 Euros worth and gave me the 10-trip. I tried saying no and asking for my money back but he just kept jibbering at me without trying to listen.

I was so frustrated I actually turned to the full bus and shouted 'Does anyone speak English'. In Spanish of course, doing my best with my phrasebook as I had since entering Spain. And do you think ANYONE even murmured an answer? No.

Then I realised it was about where I thought I was meant to get off and I felt so exasperated. A middle-aged woman and a senior woman were trying to ask me something, then realising I couldn't reply spoke to each other as if to figure out what was going on. I managed to get the words for "I'm here two days" and they both went "ohhhh". So even THEY knew I got ripped off and there's nothing I could do.

THEN after getting to my hostel, waiting around and explaining that I wanted to try and sell the ticket to someone to get that 20 Euros, the walking tour I wait for at the fountain never shows. No-one else, no tour guide, nothing. Later in the day I put that ticket to use to find out tickets for the Alhambra castle are usually sold weeks in advance. I had to go that night, missing the Champions League final (with Barca FC) I was so keen to go to a pub and watch, having been in Barcelona the day before.

Overall, I felt so emotionally frustrated I walked around in tears for most of the day. And when I wasn't I looked and felt like I was about to.

Day two was a bit better. The ticket wasn't used up but did come in handy somewhat. It was just so frustrating that I was trying so hard to speak the language and it was STILL impossible to evoke any sort of help for people, especially after the Barcelona episode.

***

The next two days, in Sevilla, were surprisingly better. It didn't come without its own example of language/emotive barriers though... I went to the renfe information room at the train station on arrival after the man didn't understand my ticket query at the general counters. I ask if they speak English (again in Spanish, it was always in fucking Spanish because I'm not ignorant enough to assume English is the world's only language and I TRIED) and the chick just looks at the guy, they turn their heads back and just snigger.

Actual SNIGGER.

I seriously was so frustrated at yet ANOTHER negative welcome/response from people in the transport industry I actually gave them a big 'Fuck you' and stormed out. It was there I seriously considered going straight to Madrid and changing my ticket to fly out a week early. Atrocious.

Having said that I came out of Sevilla with a new Aussie friend, and from both places with some great sightseeing under my belt. Take a look.