September 4, 2015; Wedding Day:

 

            I got up and got dressed. Emma and Alberto's wedding wasn't until 7:30 pm. So I had a few hours to kill. I had breakfast and worked on this report some more.

 

            I eventually headed out after noon. It was cooler than it had been the last few days in Granada. However the temperature would warm up as the day progressed.

 

            I walked over to the Burger King I had found the day before and had lunch. They ended up screwing up my order, but I was eventually able to get it resolved.

 

            I then walked several blocks to catch a bus on the U3 route. I had seen they used a brand of Mercedes articulated buses that a few years ago, a demonstrator had been brought to Mississauga with the possibility that Orion could produce it for North American markets. I made an unsuccessful attempt to see it back then. Orion never produced it and in 2012, they went out of business which made the TTC go to Nova Bus for future bus purchases.

 

            I got to the stop where the U3 comes. When once such Mercedes articulated bus arrived, I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            I rode the bus for a few minutes before I got off and photographed it.

 

 

            I filmed the bus pulling away before I walked back to the apartment. I went online and worked on this report for awhile before I had to get ready for the wedding.

 

            We headed out shortly after 6:00 pm and walked to the hotel were my uncles were staying. We had arranged for taxis to take us to where the wedding was. I was in the third cab that wound its way through narrow streets. I would NOT want to drive in Granada!

 

            We got to where the wedding was being held around 7:00 pm. I took some pictures.

 

 

            The ceremony soon began. At one point, they mentioned relatives who passed away the last few years including my late Aunt Mary Ellen. It was fast; so fast, that Emma and Alberto were pronounced husband and wife a little more than an hour after I had arrived! Needless to say, I took pictures.

 

 

            We were served food outside and eventually went inside for more food. At one point, they played a song I can't stand because it gets played all the time at home. (It was the same song that the wedding was playing in Spencer that the noise from a passing Norfolk Southern freight blocked out when I was in Spencer for Streamliners at Spencer.) I took some more pictures inside.

 

 

I've decided to have photos from the wedding separate from the main report. Click to see them:        Wedding pics

 

 

            After several courses for dinner, it was after 11:00 pm, but the wedding wasn't letting up. I decided to leave early with Emma's stepmother Elly and my Uncle Steve. I did say goodbye to Emma though and let her know I'd see her tomorrow.

 

            Uncle Steve, Elly, and I took a cab back to the hotel where they were staying. The cab took a roundabout route through more narrow streets. At one point, we passed by a concert, but I have no idea who was playing.

 

September 5, 2015:

 

            We got to the hotel where the aunts and uncles were staying. It was a short walk back to my hotel. I walked to my hotel and soon called it a night.

 

            I was woken up sometime after 4:00 am by my sister wanting to get into the apartment. I was tired, but I let them in. They were thankful. I headed back to bed and woke up around 11:00 am and had breakfast. I got dressed and worked on this report some more.

 

            Today we were going to a lunch celebrating Emma and Alberto. I eventually left with my cousins and took a taxi to Alberto's old high school where the lunch was being held.

 

            We soon arrived. There was a large area with many tables with a green tarp over. Emma and Alberto were already there. I took a few photos at the lunch.

 

 

 

 

            We were served lunch however, the event ended shortly after 5:00 pm. Emma and Alberto thanked us for coming to the wedding.

 

            My cousin Ellen had to leave sooner in order to catch a plane. The rest of us eventually headed back to the apartment.

 

            Everyone else was still tired from the wedding the night before. I decided to go out. I walked to a convenience store and bought some liquorice and a Pepsi. I then walked to the street. At one point, I saw two old cars outside a church. I photographed them.

 

 

 

            There is a portion of street in Granada that the LAC buses run that has a canvas covering. I wanted to photograph some buses under it. I waited for a few buses to pass and photographed them.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then headed back to the apartment. I went online and worked on this report some more. Eventually, every one else headed out for dinner. I decided to stay behind and make myself a grilled cheese sandwich. After dinner, I started packing as I would have to leave in the morning. I eventually set my phone's alarm and called it a night.

 

September 6, 2015:

 

            I got up at 9:00 am and had breakfast. I got dressed and finished packing. My sister and her boyfriend had left earlier in the morning. Katie had also left. I did the dishes and hung around while waiting for Heather to be ready. My hotel's check in was noon. I still had time to kill.

 

            Heather and I ended up leaving after 12:00 pm. I said goodbye to her as I would be on my own for the rest of the trip. I walked a few blocks to the hotel and checked in.

 

            I went up to my room. Once again, I had to use my key to turn on the room lights. I worked on this report for a few minutes before I headed out to lunch.

 

            I had lunch at the cafe near the apartment. I then walked around downtown. I photographed a couple buses.

 

 

 

            I also took a photo at a future LRT station.

 

 

            I then made my way to the train station. I photographed a train at the station.

 

 

            I then caught a LAC bus back to my hotel. I worked on this report some more. I went to the lobby and asked for the Wi-Fi password. I saw it was raining pretty hard; the first time I've seen it rain since I got to Europe. I went back to my room and went online and worked on this report until after 6:30.

 

            I then headed out looking for a place for dinner. I considered the place where I had dinner at my first night in Granada, but in the end, I ate at a restaurant across from where I had lunch. After dinner, I photographed a bus/train used for local tourist.

 

 

            I then walked back to my hotel and worked on this report until after dark. After dark, I went outside and photographed the Alhambra one last time.

 

 

            I walked back to my hotel after stopping at a convenience store. I continued to work until after 11:30 pm. I called it a night.

 

September 7, 2015:

 

            I got up at 8:30 am and got dressed. I went downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast, I went back up to my room and finished packing. I checked out of my hotel shortly after 10:30 am.

 

            It was raining out. I walked to the LAC bus stop. I saw people were doing something with the machine that sold the tickets. There was also a large crowd to buy tickets. After they were done with the machine, I was stuck waiting behind many people getting tickets and stuff. It caused be to miss a bus, but I had plenty of time.

 

            I was able to get a ticket in time to catch the next LAC bus. I rode it three stops to a block away from the train station. I got off and filmed the bus pulling away.

 

            I saw there was a hi-rail truck on the LRT tracks. It was the first vehicle with flanged wheels I saw on the line. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I walked to the train station. I decided I was going to try one more time to get on an earlier departure from Granada. There were a few buses waiting for people and inside the station, I saw a crowd lined up to board them.

 

            I joined the line in the hope I could get on an earlier departure. I was able to! The bus was full, but we left Granada just before 11:30 am. We soon hit the highway. At one point, we drove past Granada's airport. I photographed a Vueling Airbus A320 at the airport and a few minutes later, a jet that was coming in for landing.

 

 

 

            The rain soon stopped. We were in the countryside. The ride was over an hour long. The bus driver ended up going to the wrong station at Antequere station; not Antequere St. Ana where we were going. A Renfe employee who was on the bus let the driver know and we left Antequere and got to Antequere St. Ana at 1:00 pm. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

            I went inside and had to put my bags through an X-ray machine. I went to the ticket counter and asked if I could get my ticket from Antequere St. Ana changed to an earlier departure. Unfortunately, all earlier trains were sold out so I had to wait until 7:30 for my original departure from Antequere St. Ana.

 

            I bought lunch at a cafe in the station. I photographed an N scale model of the station.

 

 

            I eventually found an outlet and worked on this report some more. I tried to go online but I couldn't fine a Wi-Fi network. After awhile, I decided to go outside. I photographed an AVE train as it arrived into the station bound for Barcelona.

 

 

            It started to rain so I went inside. I bought a Coke from the cafe. I then found an outlet and worked on this report some more. It was a long 6 ½ hours at Antequere St. Ana.  Eventually, it was time to go up to the platform. Once up on the platform. I took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            A train heading in the opposite direction that I was going pulled in on another platform track. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            The train soon departed and I filmed it pulling out. My train arrived a few minutes later. I was expecting a train similar to what I rode from Barcelona a week before. However, this train looked more streamlined. I filmed it pulling in.

 

 

            I had an aisle seat on the left hand side of the train. I put my suitcase at the far end of the coach. The train departed on time. Shortly after we departed, I found an outlet. Unlike the train I rode from Barcelona, this outlet worked. I plugged in my computer and worked on this report some more.

 

            At one point, we hit a speed of 299 km per hour. A train passed in the opposite direction. I checked to see if there was Wi-Fi on board. The train didn't have Wi-Fi. Another train passed by.

 

            We passed by a freight yard. I saw a flat car with numerous axles. The train stopped at Cordoba Central station. We soon departed.

 

            The train passed through a tunnel. A double set of AVE high speed trains passed. I went to the cafe car for dinner. I took it back to my seat. We passed through four tunnels. At one point, we passed through a city and I could see a carnival from the train. We were soon in the countryside again. The sun went down.

 

            It was soon dark out that you couldn't see anything unless the train passed through a town or city. With less than 20 minutes before our scheduled arrival into Madrid, the train passed by a Costco store. We were getting close to Madrid. We passed a yard with many Renfe high speed trains. I readied my stuff in preparation to get off at Madrid.

 

            The train arrived into Madrid six minutes early. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then went into the station. I still had to get to my hotel. I was able to buy a ticket for a commuter train that took me to the airport. The ride was about 30 minutes. After I got off, I photographed the train.

 

 

 

 

            I then waited in line with a bunch of people for a taxi. When it was my turn, the taxi driver took me to the hotel I was staying at. Despite the fact he was on the highway, he had the windows down for a portion of the drive. We soon got to the hotel and I went inside and checked in. I reserved a shuttle to the airport the following morning.

 

            I learned that there was no breakfast. I would try to get something at the terminal. I went online for a little while. I send Des an email reminding him I'm coming tomorrow and set the alarm on my phone and called it a night.

 

 

Click to read about my time in Ireland and my trip home:           Ireland