Small arrival at the city hopping - Marseille —> Barcelona —> Madrid —> Cádiz

As I sit alone at my table in the hostel bar in Marseille, with groups bustling around me, I realize that I am alone. And I know that I will be alone again in the coming months. It feels good. Not speaking, just observing what is happening around me, slowly enjoying my dinner. Peaceful.

Of course, this state doesn't last long and I decide to accept an invitation to one of the tables. A brief testing of different personalities and biographies before I retreat to the cozy hostel bed, feeling revitalized.

The next morning, on the bus ride to Barcelona, I use the time to book my onward journeys. I'm looking forward to arriving at the harbor and finding out if the idea of sailing works or not. So I try to get to Cádiz relatively seamlessly by bus and carpooling. However, this turns out to be quite complicated, as half of all BlaBlaCar profiles try to rip me off, which almost worked once and I almost said goodbye to my savings with just one click. For now, I have only lost my credit card, which I preferred to have blocked. Buses are full, trains are so expensive that you could fly five times with the fare.

Before later, on the overnight bus from Barcelona to Madrid, I try to find a comfortable position to sleep on the stairs, and practice behaving as normally as possible as a stowaway, I had a stopover in Barcelona that invited me to arrive internally.

Just knowing that I have several hours until I continue - Space for movement in the park, hanging out, getting something to eat. I met my former roommate from Valencia at Plaça de Catalunya for a short and spicy reunion, and then strolled through the lively streets and crowded squares of Barcelona, admiring carefully selected shop windows and absorbing everything attentively, seeing where it draws me. In the end, I settled in a rather quiet, green-covered square in the outdoor area of a bar.

It was exciting how being with myself, dwelling in my calmness, seems to be an invitation for others to join me. Well, in any case, it's once again noticeable how many young and diverse people are out and about in Barcelona with open eyes and hearts. Very pleasant.

Now I'm sitting in Nestor's limousine and feel well taken care of with my own seat in the car. We're listening to Nestor's favorite music "Rave español" (e.g. https://youtu.be/b1JDS5_N54g).

In Cádiz, the Atlantic will open up to me, with many requests waiting for me at the harbor to take me to the Canary Islands. I'm sure I can choose the most likable ones...