Ramblas Ramble

Hola from Barcelona! It is always so surreal traveling abroad. After two long and bumpy plane flights I arrived this morning an hour earlier than scheduled. The hotel staff sort of giggled when I showed up at 9am. I checked my bags and starting wandering the Ramblas, which is steps away from this hotel. I don't think I've ever been to a more vibrant city in my life. There is something about Barcelona... the energy is infectious.


I ate an egg tortilla at La Boqueria market and washed it down with fresh watermelon juice. By 1pm I was starting to see double so I found my way back to the hotel intending on taking a 2-hour refresher nap, which of course morphed into a 4-hour power sleep. By 5pm I was wide awake and ready to explore. 

 Hanging meat - so not my style...

Ahhh, rows of fruit cups. Now that's more like it!


Grateful for Palau Guell's summer hours, I bought a ticket and took a tour. Guell was the man who basically hired Gaudi for most of his career. The home was stunning and so astoundingly photogenic. I'm attaching a mix of pix so you can see the flavor of the decadent place.

 Detailed ceiling, stained glass windows, striking light fixture...

View looking up - Gaudi played with light in so many ways.

Gaudi chimneys/phallic symbols/broccoli stalks on the roof of the home.


Later, I wandered around the cobblestone alleys. I followed some locals into an interesting looking building only to realize it was just a post office. Later on my walk, I followed another local crowd off the beaten path into a building and it turned out to be an art show at an art school. It was sort of like the Otis Senior Show! I stayed for close to an hour looking at the student work which was really good. Stalking the locals, I followed a few more into a restaurant and ordered some Tapas. It was only 8pm so I guess I had the earlybird special. It is now 10pm and while the city is coming even more to life, I'm back at the hotel trying to get on some sort of functioning sleep schedule.


Tomorrow is the Picasso Museum, Sagrada Famillia, Parc Gruel and plans with Jen Kagan's friend Melisa. Thank goodness for friends-of-friends! Saturday I head out of Barcelona and into a farm house north of here for a month of writing. I kind of can't believe it. I hope to come into Barcelona at least a few more times while I'm in Spain.


I'm in Spain?