Fragment #29 - Seville's bus station

We arrived yesterday night and I still feel tired, even worn-out from the bus trip, almost two days long. This definitely was a good idea, to volunteer to go to the bus station to check out for the bus to Cordoba – we will be going there on Thursday, and I sure can’t wait for this, to discover the mosque. – I’ve seen the opportunity to escape for a while from the group, be on my own, and enjoy Seville for myself. Alison has been worried of course…
- You sure you’re gonna be ok? I know you can’t read a map and are you ok with asking information in Spanish?
- Yeah sure, remember, I took Spanish classes at uni… Don’t worry about that.
And here I am, all alone, trying to find my way to the bus station. It’s named la Estacion de la Plaza de Armas. Apparently there are two different bus stations, so let’s hope I’m on my way to the right one.

I guess I definitely look like a tourist and this is weird, for I’ve been very proud to live in another country than mine, manage to fit in, and stop being bewildered by anything new. But Seville is so much different from Glasgow. I can’t help looking everywhere around me, my eyes wide open and probably sparkling. This blue sky cheers me up, It’s a change from Glasgow’s winter grey sky. The sun is warming me up, I’m wearing a pink tank top I’ve not been wearing for a very long time, as Glasgow’s weather don’t allow me to take this kind of clothes out of my closet very often. I still wear a black cardigan over it: I can’t get used that quickly to not having long sleeves on me. Anyway, I think elsewhere my very white arms would just burn out under the sun. I’m wearing sunglasses, my hair is left untidy: it feels like holidays. The air has this heavy sugary smell, what could this be? Maybe flowers, it’s still spring too, even if it feels like a hot Scottish summer. And spring is flowers time. I walk along a street, I want to believe I know where I’m going. I’m passing by palm trees, bar tables with people chatting and laughing. Such good mood of course improves mine. I could sit at one of these tables, and take some time to smoke a cigarette, have a cup of coffee – it would be a change from the Scottish inevitable tea – and just chill out…

No I shouldn’t think like this, I’m on a mission here. I need to do what I have to do first, and then I could allow myself some free time. It will still be quite simple to explain I got lost… I arrive to a river, and have a look back at my tourist guide map. This should be Guadalquivir River, and the bus station should be just after the bridge then. The tourist guide said that the old station is now a shopping center, which of course sounds very appealing to me. But once again, work comes first. Though I don’t feel like working at all. I feel that I’m smiling to everyone, which is just so not like me. I keep walking, and there we are, the bus station. I can see the old one a bit farther, old massive Orsay like building. I’ll sure have a look inside later on. For now… Let’s get inside the bus station.

I go inside, remove my sunglasses, and look around. It’s a big place, with cashiers, lots of people… I try to think about what I will say. In Spanish… Hum… Well. It’s not that easy. How do you say “excuse-me”… Pardon? No, this must be French… Well, anyway. I come closer to the cashiers and then spot out a man behind one of those… Very handsome man, young, dark hair, the typical hot Spanish man like I would picture him to myself… Here I am, back to tourist’s prejudices! Well done Missus… He looks nice. Let’s ask him about Cordoba. I come close to the cashier, there is no queue, and I start asking my question, trying to enunciate carefully.
- Pardon, ¿dónde esta el autobús to Córdoba?
- ¿El autobús para Córdoba ?
He is waiting for some more details. Of course he is, my question is pretty vague.
- Sí, he reservido para treinta y seis personas un autobús para Córdoba, en jueves a las nueve…
- Es en la ventanilla de al lado… In that windows.
He shows me one of the other cashier and I realize how not impressed at all he is by what I've learned at my uni classes. I answer with a smile though.
- Ok, gracias.
I’m in a good mood, this place cheers me up: guys are hot, the sun is shining… All is well. Let’s just go to this other cashier then…