I decided to meet them at the airport and my flatmate (who works at the airport) told me it would take me approximately ten minutes on foot to get there. After twenty minutes of power walking, getting stopped by some creepy man that wanted to give me a lift and eventually running with a full sweat on I got there just as they were about to leave in their taxi. Close!
We spent their first night at my favourite bar with Annalisa, her housemate and her housemate's boyfriend tapassing. Despite the language barrier everybody seemed to get on more than well - exchanging rude expressions in the two languages seemed to dominate the night!
The next day we had some breakfast near the port and couldn't help but notice the massive cruise ship sitting in Melilla's port. It turned out that 880 German tourists visited Melilla the same weekend Dad and Nicki came. They swarmed the town like Lemings in their straw tourist hats and I felt a little disappointed my visitors weren't getting the true Melilla that I know - nothing ever happens here!
On the Saturday we went to Melilla La Vieja (the old town - what you see on photos of Melilla), visited my flat and in the evening Annalisa's housemate, Mara, and her boyfriend offered to drive us around the sites of Melilla. We visited my favourite spot in Melilla, on the coast. It faces Spain and looks out to the vast sea - quite breathtaking. Unfortunately by the time we got there it was dark so they couldn´t fully appreciate the spot´s beauty. Then we went up to another part in Melilla called 'the canon'. There's still the original footing (is that what it's called?) of a canon and Mara explained that back in the day when they were deciding the size of Melilla they launched a canonball from this canon 360 degrees. This decided what land was Spanish. It was pretty from up high and we could see all over Melilla.
On the left is the beach and the port with the sea if you can't quite figure it out.
We went for a lovely meal in the centre after our sightseeing tour - a nice chilled evening.
The next day was a cracking day, albeit really windy. We walked along the seafront and along the little promenade that comes around the port.
The next day was a cracking day, albeit really windy. We walked along the seafront and along the little promenade that comes around the port.
Look at the colour of that sea!
Mount Gurugu
The weekly Sunday beach football match
As the afternoon drew in (am I trying to hard to write well?!) we sat on a sunny terrace with more tapas back in my favourite bar. The regulars were sat inside with their scarves and coats and we were sat in the sun (and wind) in our T-shirts like true English tourists. We spend the afternoon deliberating whether the plane would be leaving Melilla with the high winds and the options of the boat (there are ways to escape if you really need to!). In the early evening they headed off to the airport and successfully caught their little plane with no problems whatsoever.
The days that followed were hard, trying to integrate back into normal life out here and I sunk a little bit again. But I´m the up again now. Monday is another Bank holiday, as is Wednesday and my school are doing ´the bridge´ (this means that we don´t have school on the Tuesday either). So I´ve booked a trip to go to Granada with Annalisa and two other friends.
We´ve filled out five hundred more pieces of paper and gone back to the Youth Office and the Citizens Rights Office several times but now we can get the boat from Melilla to Malaga for €6 instead of the normal €30. Malaga is an hour from Granada but our friend´s dad is coming to pick him up and we´re skanking a lift back to Granada. Our friend also has an empty flat in Granada and is letting us crash there whilst he´s visiting his family (and his uncle has a B&B nearer the centre if we want to stay there instead) so the trip is working out reeaalllly cheap! We wanted to visit the ´Lahambra´ as everyone here has said that it´s a must see if we´re going to Granada but unfortunately it´s fully booked for the whole time we´re there. Bummer.
So we´re off... On a five day break, to Granada, further north than here, where it´s colder and windier... But, boy... It´s good to know I´ll be getting out of Melilla for a bit!
Will let you know how it went.
