Just a short bus ride today and we got in at 1.30pm.

We got to the hostel and the place is like a little 'B&B' and the man that runs it is so lovely and I was in a room with just one other girl - very nice.

This place is big on siesta so most things were closed when we arrived and were to reopen at about 4.30-5.00pm.

Museo de la Catedral (two photos)---The Grail in one of the windows

The Holy Grail in the Cathedral - and close-up shots (two photos)

A postcard Tanya sent over "Saint Chalice"

So instead of doing my washing first thing as I had planned I headed off to the Cathedral to see the Holy Grail (allegedly - not the Da Vinci Code one)
It was pretty cool actually.
You can take photos and everything but I didn´t feel particularly overcome or anything like that when I saw the cup that Christ allegedly drank from at the last supper with his alleged wife etc etc etc - but I saw it!!

Then back to the hostel to get my washing.
I went to the laundromat with Christie and Julia and when we got there they tried to charge us 10 euro each which is about
$AUD20 - I don´t think so Tim!!
I brought a bucket for 1 euro and did it by hand at the hotel and our room looks like a chinese laundry - but it is cheap!
I will have to do the washing a little more regularly tho because I was stuffed by the end of it!!
Lucky it's hot cause most things dried pretty quickly.

I went to the internet cafe and changed my plans to spend more time in Lagos and less in Madrid.
It is meant to be 40 degrees in Madrid and with no beach I might not survive it!
Had trouble with accommodation in Lisbon on the last night but emailed the hostel direct and should hopefully get it sorted out.

I met the girls for dinner and we had pasta and then it was back to the hostel.

A postcard look at the city

It is really really hot but things are all open late and at 9.00pm it is still light and 30 degrees!!
Definately not like England!
I slept in shorts and a singlet and didn´t even use a sheet - no aircon in this place!

Then it was up for the two euro breakfast - freshly squeezed orange juice presented on a silver plater in a wine glass and then toast and tea or coffee or hot chocolate.
The man that runs this place is such a doll!!

The girls and I then headed to the internet cafe again - me to check I had accom in Lisbon and them to try and do the same as me and have less time in Madrid.
Mine was fine but the bus out of Madrid was full so that girls have to stay there.

Tanya at the beach

Then it was to the beach.
We caught the bus and it was a thirty minute ride but well worth it!!
We paid for an umbrella and all had our heads in the shade and baked the rest of us!!
It was such nice water and the beach reminded me of Palm Cove (Cairns) where you can just go out and out and out and still stand up!
The girls went back to town cause they were getting burnt.
Not me in the 40plus!
So I stayed a bit longer and did the European thing of topless.
There were so many people doing it it was fine - but I couldn't do what some of them were doing and get up and go to the shop and get an icecream topless!!
I probably stayed an extra hour and a half and then decided to head back to town.

The sand at the beach was quite crappy - actually very fine and silty and stuck to everything.
I got back and had a shower and washed the clothes I was wearing.

On the bus on the way back I had seen a Body Shop so I walked back to find it and get some leave-in conditioner for my hair because it is quite yuck actually after the ocean and the heat is just making a mess of it.

There is heaps of other stuff on sale at the moment so I also picked myself up two tops - only one of mine has covered shoulders so I got two that do.

A postcard from Tanya after her day in Valencia

I bought a salad for dinner and a big bottle of water and then it was back to the hostel for the night and to get ready to leave again.

Up for the two euro breaky and I sat with a couple that are on Busabout too.
I asked if they had had a nice time in Valencia and they said that they definately had and the girl showed me her new big diamond ring!
They got engaged the first night here - how lovely!

The Ceramics Museum (three photos)

A brochure giving a few details on the Museum

------------------

----------------

--------------

--------------

and the Carriage of the Nymphs or of the Marquis de Dos Aguas

Anyway, breaky was over and it was time to head to the Ceramics Museum.
It was really nice and I got some photos of some nice things to show Mum although I don´t think that you can buy any of it on Ebay!!
Some stuff was really old and the work that went into it was really great.

That's it now - bus goes in about an hour so I have to finish up.
I get into Madrid at 7.30pm tonight and leave at 8.00am tomorrow so there probably won´t be much to tell but we will see.