From Bonjour to Hola

Boom. So Ollie has set off to run some errands for a friend back home and I've decided to use the time to bore you all with my droll sentiments. Since leaving the beautiful lake Como we've travelled entirely across the coast of southern France, on trains quite literally 6 foot from the ocean. We stayed in Marseille in a hostel I'd found (a rare occurrence). This particular place had been open a mere 6 days when we arrived and we had literally no idea what to expect. It turned out to be pretty amazing. We met looooads of people, the place had a great atmosphere and the owner was a really nice guy. We spent a day exploring the city and a night exploring the effects of alcohol on an empty stomach. In conclusion, Marseille is lovely and hangovers are not. After leaving Marseille, we continued on our coastal train journey to Barcelona, somehow managing to find some middle aged american woman who decided to latch onto us and stay with us all the way to our hostel and it was only the following morning when we managed to finally escape this ridiculous human being, who at one point referred to her English teaching job in Egypt as a way of "helping to show that Americans arent all bad, so they dont come over and try and bomb us on one of their crazy jihad things". Right. So far we have spoent a day exploring Barcelona and last night went to an Irish bar that Ollie had been to before. After sitting by the bar for 10 minutes, we somehow attracted the attention of the incredibly drunk owner, who constantly insisted that I had a jew-nose and that Ollie must spend at least half an hour on his hair. Either way, we had a really funny night, with this drunken man giving us free drinks all night.
Rob x

Hola chicos.
So Marseilles. Where I couldn't help but say 'Marseilles,Marseilles,Marseilles, what's going on 'ere then?' It was gorgeous and we stayed in the best hostel we'd been in yet. It was basically a brand new mini penthouse with wooden floors, all white walls and a big sofa in front of the plasma. Oh you didn´t know? That's how we live life now.
Anyway, Marseilles was beautiful, but most of the interesting things happened in the hostel. The first night we met some Australian girls who happened to be lovely and not short of pocket money, one of them had a toy watch. If you don't know what that is, just know it costs more than my phone and ipod combined. Mum&dad I'm working on a proposal. Tomorrow we're catching up with them on their Yacht which is here in Barca. Who said flattery gets you no where?

The morning after we were talking to four english girls who live in Paris and invited us to stay with them when we go to save on accommodation costs. In the spirit of reverse inventing, it's like couch surfing, but without the internet.
So Marseilles was brilliant, Notre Dame, the sea, churches and things of that sort, and of course being france plenty of croissants and coffee. Our combined French improved a little..although always included the phrase 'you can not tell by my OUTRAGEOUS french accent?'

So we're back in Barcelona. Which is buzzy and brilliant as ever. Last night after seeing the Sagrada Famillia (still unfinished, I blame the siestas. The church will flip when they find out that Gaudi didn't include VAT in his original calculations), we went out into the night. In authentic spanish style we got tapas and champagne (champagne in the way that tesco's cava is champagne, we are only students afterall..almost) We then moved on to the Palace bar and as Rob said spent the eevning being bought drinks by the owner. Worth it despite the repetition of 'so..you're israeli' and 'seriously..seriously..how long on the fringe?' comments. A merry night indeed.

Hope all is well back home,
Ollie x