Today was yet another headache travel day. I seem to be having them with increasing frequency. Imagine having to go through the following every three days, for the past three months…

Must book hostel for tonight in Girona. Look up on net. Nothing listed. Look up in guidebook. Call number. Woman doesn’t speak English. Must ask hostel staff to translate. Hostel staff busy chatting to mate on phone. Wait. Wait. Hostel staff call number for me. Apparently hostel is booked out. Find number for Girona Tourism Office. Call. Successfully organise hostel. Warned that reception closes at 9pm so must arrive before then. Walk to train station. Stand in line at ticket office. Wait. Wait. Wait. Served but staff doesn’t speak English. Appears to be indicating I am in the wrong line. No signage in English, not sure which line to go to. All of them are long. Ask the guy at the info desk. Again no English. Write down Girona today on paper as my poor pronunciation renders it impossible for him to even understand my destination. He holds up fingers saying one or two. Waiting at counter one. Very long line. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Served but told all trains fully booked. FUCK. Walk to internet. Look up buses to Girona. All websites in Spanish. Decide to stay another night in Valencia. Current hostel tells me they’re fully booked for tonight. Look up more hostels on net. Call one. Guy speaks limited English but says he has one bed available. Return to train station. Guessing from sign at original line which has “salida hoy” (aka “leaving today”) – suppose this line no longer applies to me as am not leaving today anymore. Guy behinds me asks in English what this line is for. I tell him I am confused too. He asks a staff member. We are pointed to a room next door. Press button and collect ticket to stand in line. Ticket says “A310″. Board says currently serving “A235″. Sigh. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Guy who asked me question before now comes to talk to me. Doesn’t get the hint when I give my “polite but not interested” tone. Persists very annoyingly in asking questions with weird smile that never leaves his face. Decline his offer to go out afterward for lunch. Wait. Wait. Wait. Am served but all trains to Girona for tomorrow sold out. Only thing available is a 6.40am train to Barcelona and from there make my own way to Girona. Fine, book reservation. Now must get bags from old hostel to new one. Backbreaking 30 minute walk through sweltering heat with lots of fiddly map work. Swear backpack gains weight each minute. Found it. Ooof, carry gear up two flights of stairs. Am greeted – place looks nice. Now told there’s been a mistake. Apparently two guys canceled, so hostel gave me their place, but now they are coming, so no bed available for me. Could have cried. Been feeling like crying a lot of late. Guy tries calling a few hostels for me – they’re all booked. Explains there was a music festival on the weekend in a nearby town, and everyone is staying here tonight to fly out tomorrow (which probably explains booked out trains too.) Just my luck. And I didn’t even get to go to the stupid thing. Finally finds me a bed in a hotel but will cost me 32 euros. Am too drained to care and nod. Although had I have known it would require another 20 minute walk through a dodgy area might have reconsidered.

By now it’s 3pm. Half the day is gone.