5 Apr

All right, first let me be perfectly honest (as if I have been anything else in the course of writing this blog). I am writing this entry on 9 August 2006 from my desk at GlaxoSmithKline during my lunch break. There. I said it. Some time ago, I decided to take a break from writing. I intended this break to be rather small, but as you can see, it has grown to unconscionable proportions. My memory being what it is, the entries following and including the current one may not be entirely accurate recounts. Bear with me, and do give me the benefit of the doubt. The detail you have witnessed (perhaps to your dislike) earlier shows that I can remember enough to be specific, if not always entertaining. With no further ado...

5 Apr 2006

We managed to enjoy a peaceful ride to Barcelona. There was just one other girl in our 4-person all-female compartment and, being Spanish and knowing very little English, she hardly said a word to us the whole trip. Could have been worse. I was eager to get off the train and get moving again after staying in a cramped space for so long. We unloaded our luggage with relative ease and headed for the Metro to take us into town. The map is very easy to follow and the system is rather well designed. I still think the Tube is one of the better one's I have ridden and certainly most London stations were cleaner and neater than this.
Since I was the only one who had studied a map of Barcelona before arriving (shocking, I know), it was up to me to find our hotel. I got us off at the right stop, but unfortunately led us in the wrong direction for a couple of blocks before realizing my mistake. Such a misturn would have been so bad if I wasn't so terribly eager just to get to our hotel, take a shower (trains don't do much for making you smell good) and put our luggage away. Toting around a heavy duffel bag can get real old after a while, especially when it's warm outside, you're dressed a little too heavily for the weather, you're in a new and crowded city, you're not 100% sure where you're going, and your parents aren't helping with directions or keeping your patience. I pride myself on being a rather patient person, but this morning I just lost it. Finally, after what seemed like half an eternity, I found the hotel.
It was an awfully nice one too, 4 stars I believe and in an excellent location, right on one of the main boulevards of Barcelona. With great relief, we checked in. After resting for a bit and showering, we left in search of a funky looking music hall Dad and I had found in a guidebook. Note: Barcelona is very famous for its modern art and architecture. It is also a bilingual city in a bilingual part of the country known as Catalonia. Catalan and Spanish are the official languages of Catalonia. Just when I was getting used to Spanish, another language comes up that looks like a mix between Aztec and French. Perfect.
The music hall looked pretty neat from the outside, though when we found out the tour of the inside costed far more than we were willing to pay, we decided a nice look at the exterior was enough and moved on. In the alley outside the hall leading to the main street, a huge troop of schoolchildren were playing, screaming, and eluding the control of their chaperones. I was wearing the hat I bought in Ronda and as I walked by a small group, a little Spanish boy of about 8 years old cried out 'Indiana Jones! Indiana Jones!' and pointed to me. I turned immediately at that and gratefully tipped my hat at him. That little boy saved my day.
It was getting around dinner and we decided to try out a salad bar place I had noticed on the walk to the music hall. Dad said he'd been craving salad for some time and since they also pizza and such, we thought the place sounded just fine. Typical of Europe, or at least just Spain, a drink was included with the price and you had a choice of wine, sangria, or some fountain drink. What the hell, we were in Spain so I chose the wine while Dad picked the sangria and Mom just had water. Too bad the white wine wasn't too good, but then again, I couldn't expect much. The food was decent and after eating, we headed back to the hotel.
There is a plaza near our hotel that is rather nice with several fountains, some green spots and trees, and a huge open space where pigeons love to scuttle around. We walked around here for a spell before heading to the hotel to rest and make plans for the next day. Cheers!