Day 1 (Feb. 13): Mere and I got up extra early to get to the train station. We got into Paris just before 10, then had to navigate our way to Paris Orly (I'd been there once, Mere had never been). But we got there sans probleme... until we saw boodles of cancellations on the screens, and a 2.5 hour delay for our own flight. Turned out the air traffic controllers were on strike. But we couldn't complain about our delay, as several flights were being full-on cancelled (memorable moment: the lady on the cancelled flight to Nice who started threatening the staff with lawyers). But eventually, we got on the plane and were on our way to Barcelona. We got into Barcelona around sunset. First off, we got on what is possibily the slowest Metro ever from the airport. We found our hostel easily, just around the corner from the Gaudi house.
The staff could not have been more friendly and welcoming-- they introduced us to every other hosteler by name, impressive! Mere and I searched for some dinner and found it in the form of a noodle bar (random, I know). Memorable moment: Mere's moving noodle dish. We got back to the hostel and chatted with 2 girls who had gone to the Dali museum and said it was so awesome, the biggest piece of surrealist art or something like that (note to self: go next time I am in Barcelona!).
Day 2 (Feb. 14): Valentine's day in Barcelona, and Mere and I had romantic plans with... each other. We started off walking: through the Gothic quarter, where we found an awesome store with lots of knick knacks like these ceramic cats
We passed the Colombus Memorial and finally made it to the beach. Was this California girl happy!!! OK, so was the Ohio girl, as she was brave enough to wade ankle-deep in the water. We had some fun writing beach-y Valentine's for our boys
On our way back to the hostel, we stopped for lunch at one of the many tourist trap restaurants on the way to the water. 11E for a 2 course meal, plus sangria? Count us in. The server seated us, and I have no idea how the topic even came up, but he soon learned we spoke French. Oh la la! He kept popping over to our table every 10 minutes to chat us up-- 2 "single" girls, I'm sure he thought he had an ace in the hole. Eventually one of the universal single rose salesmen guys walked into the patio, offering a rose to every couple (mind you, not to Mere & I). A few minutes later, Overly Amourous Waiter returned to our table, rose in hand. "Today is the day of love!" he proclaimed. Yeah, thanks buddy. He then asked if we wanted to join him at a discotheque that evening. "Sure," Mere & I replied half-heartedly, knowing damn well we would never show up. "Do you mind if I bring my friend?" Great, we were being set up on a double date. As far as I know, Mere still has his phone number in her notebook, sans name, which we never learned.
After lunch, we walked through the Citadel Park and saw the Arc de Triomf.
And Valentine's night, we made dinner: Yes, Mere and I took a Spanish cooking course! 18E and got to make & enjoy our own sangria, tapas and paella. Yummy! I definitely recommend this to anyone going to Barcelona! We had a fun crew of about 10 of us. Our side of the table made about 3 batches of sangria, and each batch had more brandy than the previous ones.
After the sangria, tapas and paella, the staff welcomed us into the bar for free shots and drink specials. A drunken good time. Mere and I stumbled back to the hostel and, in lieu of hitting up the bars, ended up chatting with the other hostelers over some wine.
OK, more to come later!
2 comments:
jealous! Barthelona (ha!) looks so pretty :)
I'm actually going the CHEAP route and staying with a friend who's an English asistant in Toledo, which I'm told is quite close to Madrid.
Do you speak any Spanish? I know one quarter of it and that's about it, ha. So hopefully that doesn't end up continuing on my theme of struggles over here in Europe :)
Looks like you had a good time though!
I hardly speak any Spanish, except for what a native Californian picks up after 20+ years of exposure to Spanish speakers! But even then, Spanish-Spanish is different than Mexican-Spanish. But by the end of our time there we were able to get by OK. At least in Barcelona (and I imagine other big cities) most restaurants, etc, spoke some English.
You will love it! It was already much warmer (not warm, but warmER, and sunny) there this time of year, so by the time you make it out there it should be great beach weather!
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