Train from San Sebastian to Barcelona, Spain

Last night I experienced my first sleeper train. 10 hours from San Sebastian to Barcelona. We were crammed into our mini dorm-styled cabin at around 23:00 hours, six beds to each. I couldn’t help but feel my romantic notions of crossing a country overnight by rail were no doubt let down a little, although the room was clean and functional and it was definitely a boon to be horizontal rather than upright for such a lengthy journey. I could never understand why commercial airplanes weren’t designed in a similar manner, perhaps more akin to the Tokyo Capsule Hotel, or to Luc Besson’s not-so-far-out vision in ‘The Fifth Element’. It did not take long after putting my head down to be hypnotised by the carriage’s gentle rock and to drift off into a well deserved sleep. Buenas Noches. Awaking still in a state of motion to the warm glow of the Spanish sunrise was truly magnificent, and for the remainder of the trip I observed the spectacularly arid Catalonian countryside through our cabin window.