I arrived in Spain on the 2nd of September. I had slept the previous day in hotel Van der Valk Schiphol. At 4 AM I was already up because 30 minutes later the shuttle bus would bring me to the aiport. The journey was uneventful. I had a short delay but manageable.
When I stepped out of the plane the weather looked promising. I was brought to the hotel in Santa Susanna by a shuttle bus which took approximately an hour. The check in went smoothly and before I knew it, I was already packing off my suitcase admiring the view from my hotel’s balcony. I had bought a book from the airport: Midnight Blue written by Simone van der Vlugt. By the end of the day I had already read it, with my eyes full of tears and shocked by the amazing story.
The days there had passed so fast. I was enamored of the sea. Its colour was creating the deepest forms of admiration in me. I loved walking on the beach in the evening watching the reflection of the moon on the waves. One night I even dared to go for a swim. That was an amazing experience (salty and full of sand, hahaha).
I was quite afraid before I arrived there that I would not be able to eat vegan but I never had a problem with that. People were really surprised when I was asking them to remove the cheese from a vegetarian dish. In the hotel I could always find something fitting my diet. The buffet contained all sorts of dishes. I felt so blessed to be able to eat so many kinds of fruits.
Culturally, I was minimally exposed to “real” Spain. The hotel was full of Dutch people and Santa Susanna as well. So, there was almost no chance to explore the local culture. However, I was happy to be able to visit a fruits and vegetables market. Another endevour to get in contact with the locals was by having a tour with the train in the non-touristic part of Santa Susanna.
I was very happy to buy a fiction book written by a Spanish writer: Story of a Sociopath (Julia Navarro) for which I will write a review soon. I began reading it right away and I got hooked.
Probably the highlight of the holidays was my trip to Barcelona. Even though I always thought people exaggerate with the positive reactions when they visit this city, I also found it very pleasant. Full of contrasts, exuberant, vivid and busy, Barcelona offered that shot of urban adrenaline that I needed during those 7 days. I absolutely loved the harbour and the view from the last floor of El Corte Inglés.
So, if you want a holidays where you don’t have to worry about food and where sun is desired, then go to Santa Susanna. You won’t regret it.
Dissected Life 