Hey everyone!
Day 4 in Barcelona has been a great one, but before I can tell you about today I have to tell you about last night! I went to an awesome tapas cafe in Passeig de Gracia (the neighborhood I am staying in). I was eating alone, which I´ve become ok with doing . . . I guess that means I am growing? I was enjoying my meal (the food here is fantastic!) when I overheard a group of people speaking English. I, of course, struck up a conversation and they were a very nice group of friends from London staying in Barcelona on holiday until Sunday. They were loud, obnoxious, and used awful language but MAN they were hilarious!!! I ended up abandoning my table and joining them, and then going out to some pubs with them after dinner around 1 am. We had a blast! They speak no Spanish, nor did they have any desire to. To see them try to talk to locals and get directions or even to order a drink was QUITE hilarious to say the least! Let´s just say that each conversational transaction ended with loud words being shouted by the Brits. When I woke up this morning my abs hurt from laughing so hard for so many hours. It really was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life. They have a very dry and twisted wit about them that was so fun to hear. I arrived back at my flat this morning around 6am.
When I woke up around 11, I headed to La Rambla to rummage up some breakfast. I'm including some great pics of this area. I´ve grown to this custom very quickly, just like a local. I´ve taken some awesome pics of this area of the city, it is by far my favorite. It´s a place where olde world meets modern, but tradition is still such a part of the daily fabric of the lives of the people here. Typically you can eat a GREAT breakfast of fruit and juice, a bottle of water, maybe even a tortilla for less than 4 or 5 euro. However, today, market prices were outrageous as a result of the trucker strike! The 4 or 5 euro that usually gets me a wonderful breakfast from a few different stands today only got me a pineapple and a bottle of water. From what I could read of the newspaper, the government has has reached an agreement with about 90 percent of the drivers but the other 10 percent still striking are starting to get violent in some parts of the city. Let me insert here that I have NEVER felt unsafe in anyway in the city. The truckers who are still striking are simply making it difficult if not impossible for the truckers who have gone back to work to make their deliveries. There have been some special force law enforcement wandring La Rambla all day with big guns. As long as they are there protecting me and not aiming at me, I am good to go. You can tell the people of Barcelona are not use to this because many are saying rude things to them and bumping into them in the market. Today was a great day to people watch!
I also ventured out to Pàsseig de Picasso this afternoon and spent a few hours at the Picasso Museum. What a beautiful endeavor! Picasso loved Barcelona and near the end of his life he DONATED around 3,000 of his works to the city as a thanks for the many great memories and inspirations he found here. The city created the museum in an old medieval castle that has been beautifully restored, it was quite a delight to see. Gina, I wish they would have allowed me to take pictures, it was so divine. I was particulary fond of a piece called La Copa Bava which is quite simply a glass of water containing a flower sitting on a cafe table. A woman who studied Picasso at university, who was standing beside me, told me in Spanish that Picasso created the piece in honor of the many many hours he spent at cafe tables in Barcelona with friends and family. She went on to explain that many say when Picasso created the piece it was at the end of a month. She said at the beginning of the month Picasso and his friends always met at cafes to enjoy conversation and wine, but towards the end of the month, they enjoyed just conversation and water as the money ran out! I can totally relate! I loved the piece because for me it captures the essence of what Barcelona has been for me, great people enjoying life to its fullest, often times at a cafe over a coffee, wine, or even water! The painting was made during Picasso´s blue period, Picasso´s mourning the few years that followed the death of his best friend, but I think that only adds to th symbolism of the piece for me. Through good times or bad, wine or water, friends and family will always be there. I will hopefully be able to find a great copy of this piece when I get home to have in my own house.
While I was touring the museum I ran into an American couple from Philadelphia. They were very, very nice and it was great to talk to people who spoke my native language the way I use it! (No offense to my new British friends and their bloody pushchairs! HAHA). The American couple has a 24-year-old son as well who is in college in Boston and the mom kept saying over and over, "Your poor mom, I bet she is a nervous wreck!" She was even trying to convince me to give her my parents number so when she gets back to the states on Sunday she can call them to tell them I am ok. They refused to let me leave them before they treated me to lunch, so we had lunch at a cafe around the corner from the museum. I had an AH-HA moment when we got to the restaurant and they had to tell me what they wanted so that I could order for all of us in Spanish. I am by no means fluent in the language, but it is amazing to me how much you pick up just from listening and practicing in your head. I can totally see why 100% emersion in a language is a great way to learn. I bet if I were here only another 30 years, I´d be a pro! HAHA
It is just shy of 21:00 here and after I leave this cafe, I am going to go home and take a nap before going to dinner tonight. I learned of a great little spot called quattro gats. Supposedly all the great artists and writers of days before hung out here to bask in each other´s creativity. I want to see what I can get from it. It was actually copied after one in Paris with a similar name during an artistic awakening there, so I may have to check out the one in Paris while I am there as well. After dinner I want to take some night pictures of the city. The architecture here is so magnificent. Antoni Gaudi is one of the most significant for Barcelona, and one of his most creative works is just a block from my flat. I am hoping to get some good pics of that and of the Columbus monument tonight. I have also captured some awesome images of the street performers in La Rambla, it is so cool. I have become quite skilled at realizing ANYTHING in the city that grabs your attention could be a possibility for someone to help themselves to your goods. I am following the locals on this one--if my feet stop moving I put my hands in my pockets before someone else does! Even if they are trying to get my spare change, they are still very talented artists! There are also many street bands that just gather and strike up a song. As I am sitting here at a window seat in a cafe writing this I am looking out into a side street of La Rambla where a band is playing Hotel California with a Spanish twist and several passers by, locals not tourists, have stopped what they are doing just to laugh and dance in the street together. I don´t know if this positive attitude for life is just in Spain or all of Europe, but I LOVE IT! I guess I will soon find out!
On a last note, I leave Sunday for Madrid but am thinking about taking a detour to Seville (pronounced suh-vee-uh) for a few days after Madrid, before Paris. I will let you know!
Keep reading and keep commenting, I love hearing from you!
Mucho gusto!
Derek, or Del has the crazy Brits have named me :)
Day 4 in Barcelona has been a great one, but before I can tell you about today I have to tell you about last night! I went to an awesome tapas cafe in Passeig de Gracia (the neighborhood I am staying in). I was eating alone, which I´ve become ok with doing . . . I guess that means I am growing? I was enjoying my meal (the food here is fantastic!) when I overheard a group of people speaking English. I, of course, struck up a conversation and they were a very nice group of friends from London staying in Barcelona on holiday until Sunday. They were loud, obnoxious, and used awful language but MAN they were hilarious!!! I ended up abandoning my table and joining them, and then going out to some pubs with them after dinner around 1 am. We had a blast! They speak no Spanish, nor did they have any desire to. To see them try to talk to locals and get directions or even to order a drink was QUITE hilarious to say the least! Let´s just say that each conversational transaction ended with loud words being shouted by the Brits. When I woke up this morning my abs hurt from laughing so hard for so many hours. It really was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life. They have a very dry and twisted wit about them that was so fun to hear. I arrived back at my flat this morning around 6am.
When I woke up around 11, I headed to La Rambla to rummage up some breakfast. I'm including some great pics of this area. I´ve grown to this custom very quickly, just like a local. I´ve taken some awesome pics of this area of the city, it is by far my favorite. It´s a place where olde world meets modern, but tradition is still such a part of the daily fabric of the lives of the people here. Typically you can eat a GREAT breakfast of fruit and juice, a bottle of water, maybe even a tortilla for less than 4 or 5 euro. However, today, market prices were outrageous as a result of the trucker strike! The 4 or 5 euro that usually gets me a wonderful breakfast from a few different stands today only got me a pineapple and a bottle of water. From what I could read of the newspaper, the government has has reached an agreement with about 90 percent of the drivers but the other 10 percent still striking are starting to get violent in some parts of the city. Let me insert here that I have NEVER felt unsafe in anyway in the city. The truckers who are still striking are simply making it difficult if not impossible for the truckers who have gone back to work to make their deliveries. There have been some special force law enforcement wandring La Rambla all day with big guns. As long as they are there protecting me and not aiming at me, I am good to go. You can tell the people of Barcelona are not use to this because many are saying rude things to them and bumping into them in the market. Today was a great day to people watch!
I also ventured out to Pàsseig de Picasso this afternoon and spent a few hours at the Picasso Museum. What a beautiful endeavor! Picasso loved Barcelona and near the end of his life he DONATED around 3,000 of his works to the city as a thanks for the many great memories and inspirations he found here. The city created the museum in an old medieval castle that has been beautifully restored, it was quite a delight to see. Gina, I wish they would have allowed me to take pictures, it was so divine. I was particulary fond of a piece called La Copa Bava which is quite simply a glass of water containing a flower sitting on a cafe table. A woman who studied Picasso at university, who was standing beside me, told me in Spanish that Picasso created the piece in honor of the many many hours he spent at cafe tables in Barcelona with friends and family. She went on to explain that many say when Picasso created the piece it was at the end of a month. She said at the beginning of the month Picasso and his friends always met at cafes to enjoy conversation and wine, but towards the end of the month, they enjoyed just conversation and water as the money ran out! I can totally relate! I loved the piece because for me it captures the essence of what Barcelona has been for me, great people enjoying life to its fullest, often times at a cafe over a coffee, wine, or even water! The painting was made during Picasso´s blue period, Picasso´s mourning the few years that followed the death of his best friend, but I think that only adds to th symbolism of the piece for me. Through good times or bad, wine or water, friends and family will always be there. I will hopefully be able to find a great copy of this piece when I get home to have in my own house.
While I was touring the museum I ran into an American couple from Philadelphia. They were very, very nice and it was great to talk to people who spoke my native language the way I use it! (No offense to my new British friends and their bloody pushchairs! HAHA). The American couple has a 24-year-old son as well who is in college in Boston and the mom kept saying over and over, "Your poor mom, I bet she is a nervous wreck!" She was even trying to convince me to give her my parents number so when she gets back to the states on Sunday she can call them to tell them I am ok. They refused to let me leave them before they treated me to lunch, so we had lunch at a cafe around the corner from the museum. I had an AH-HA moment when we got to the restaurant and they had to tell me what they wanted so that I could order for all of us in Spanish. I am by no means fluent in the language, but it is amazing to me how much you pick up just from listening and practicing in your head. I can totally see why 100% emersion in a language is a great way to learn. I bet if I were here only another 30 years, I´d be a pro! HAHA
It is just shy of 21:00 here and after I leave this cafe, I am going to go home and take a nap before going to dinner tonight. I learned of a great little spot called quattro gats. Supposedly all the great artists and writers of days before hung out here to bask in each other´s creativity. I want to see what I can get from it. It was actually copied after one in Paris with a similar name during an artistic awakening there, so I may have to check out the one in Paris while I am there as well. After dinner I want to take some night pictures of the city. The architecture here is so magnificent. Antoni Gaudi is one of the most significant for Barcelona, and one of his most creative works is just a block from my flat. I am hoping to get some good pics of that and of the Columbus monument tonight. I have also captured some awesome images of the street performers in La Rambla, it is so cool. I have become quite skilled at realizing ANYTHING in the city that grabs your attention could be a possibility for someone to help themselves to your goods. I am following the locals on this one--if my feet stop moving I put my hands in my pockets before someone else does! Even if they are trying to get my spare change, they are still very talented artists! There are also many street bands that just gather and strike up a song. As I am sitting here at a window seat in a cafe writing this I am looking out into a side street of La Rambla where a band is playing Hotel California with a Spanish twist and several passers by, locals not tourists, have stopped what they are doing just to laugh and dance in the street together. I don´t know if this positive attitude for life is just in Spain or all of Europe, but I LOVE IT! I guess I will soon find out!
On a last note, I leave Sunday for Madrid but am thinking about taking a detour to Seville (pronounced suh-vee-uh) for a few days after Madrid, before Paris. I will let you know!
Keep reading and keep commenting, I love hearing from you!
Mucho gusto!
Derek, or Del has the crazy Brits have named me :)
1 comment:
Hey D-Man (Del, really??...bloody hell) Anyway, I am loving reading all of your words and your many epiphany moments at the most random times. You are missed and thought of daily. Remember to bring me a certsie...free is great for me. Love ya sweetie!
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