My birthday is fast approaching.
In unrelated news: I love flowers. And shoes.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Weekend Update--Memorial Day Edition
I had both a lazy and productive weekend. Very nice.
I finally finished unpacking (although I have one box left of stuff I don't know what to do with--empty picture frames and other random stuff) and I actually hung stuff on the walls. I never did this in my old apartment, so this place is SO much more "finished" than the last one. It looks pretty good actually! The family room is still blah, but since I don't hang out there that much I don't care too much. :)
On Saturday I went to the grocery store for the first time since March. Between moving and going on vacation, it never made much sense to me to go to the store. I had such a good time! I was up early (thanks Sadie) and after an hour walk with the pup, I left for the store. I got a coffee and shopped for a good hour. Tons of produce, some seafood, and other natural, healthy stuff and I was out the door, $135 lighter. The total was a bit of a shock, but I reasoned it away with "well, I did get olive oil" and "it's healthy food!!" And the best thing? I wasn't embarrassed by anything in my cart. Ever since the time I bought ice cream, mac & cheese, peanut butter, and a snickers bar behind the guy with organic vegetables and tofu I've been really conscious of what I buy. This was the first time that I was proud of my purchases! Veggies, fruit, chicken, and no processed, crappy food. Yay me!
Now comes the fight against time so that my produce doesn't spoil before I eat it! Chicken and leeks with a salad last night for dinner, shrimp and chickpeas for dinner the night before. Tonight? Um...leftovers, probably. With a salad. For some reason the lettuce gets bad on me first.
And I brought cherries and an apple to work today. Yay cherries! (They're better with Nutella though)
I also wandered over to the 7-11 that is near my apartment. It's so close! That's trouble since I love me some slurpees. I had two this weekend. I try not to think about how much sugar is in one of those things.
In between all of my unpacking, grocery shopping and slurpee drinking, I saw a few movies: The Departed (awesome), Just My Luck (horrible, ugh), and Happy Feet (eh, fine). Plus 4 hours of Veronica Mars. I'm so sad that show is off the air.
My apartment is also part of Chicago's new recycling program so my roommate and I are recycling maniacs. We've filled our recycle-can three times already. Go green!
I finally finished unpacking (although I have one box left of stuff I don't know what to do with--empty picture frames and other random stuff) and I actually hung stuff on the walls. I never did this in my old apartment, so this place is SO much more "finished" than the last one. It looks pretty good actually! The family room is still blah, but since I don't hang out there that much I don't care too much. :)
On Saturday I went to the grocery store for the first time since March. Between moving and going on vacation, it never made much sense to me to go to the store. I had such a good time! I was up early (thanks Sadie) and after an hour walk with the pup, I left for the store. I got a coffee and shopped for a good hour. Tons of produce, some seafood, and other natural, healthy stuff and I was out the door, $135 lighter. The total was a bit of a shock, but I reasoned it away with "well, I did get olive oil" and "it's healthy food!!" And the best thing? I wasn't embarrassed by anything in my cart. Ever since the time I bought ice cream, mac & cheese, peanut butter, and a snickers bar behind the guy with organic vegetables and tofu I've been really conscious of what I buy. This was the first time that I was proud of my purchases! Veggies, fruit, chicken, and no processed, crappy food. Yay me!
Now comes the fight against time so that my produce doesn't spoil before I eat it! Chicken and leeks with a salad last night for dinner, shrimp and chickpeas for dinner the night before. Tonight? Um...leftovers, probably. With a salad. For some reason the lettuce gets bad on me first.
And I brought cherries and an apple to work today. Yay cherries! (They're better with Nutella though)
I also wandered over to the 7-11 that is near my apartment. It's so close! That's trouble since I love me some slurpees. I had two this weekend. I try not to think about how much sugar is in one of those things.
In between all of my unpacking, grocery shopping and slurpee drinking, I saw a few movies: The Departed (awesome), Just My Luck (horrible, ugh), and Happy Feet (eh, fine). Plus 4 hours of Veronica Mars. I'm so sad that show is off the air.
My apartment is also part of Chicago's new recycling program so my roommate and I are recycling maniacs. We've filled our recycle-can three times already. Go green!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Kick Some Ice
Oh, Blades of Glory. I shouldn't have laughed. But I did.
I even clapped with glee once. That was embarrassing.
I even clapped with glee once. That was embarrassing.
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 18, 2007
Jeanene left this morning, so we're down to four. And it's out last full day in Spain. Sadness.
Our plan for the day was to head out to a neighboring town, Sitges, to lay on the beach for a while before heading back into Barcelona for our last dinner and night out.
It took a bit to figure out how to get to the main train station, but once we got there it was pretty simple to jump on the train and head out to the pretty little beach town. It was kind of like jumping on the Metra in Chicago to go to Naperville--frequent stops and just 45 minutes away.
We got into Sitges around 2:00 and followed the crowd toward the sea. The town was really cute--hilly, narrow streets, and little boutiques. I'm so used to the crappy beach towns in Florida that it was nice to be in a place that was residential and pretty. And clean! And there weren't junky souvenir shops every two feet like in Daytona.
We got to the beach, covered ourselves in sunscreen (we had all gotten a little sunburned the day before), and layed down in the soft Spanish sand. It was really nice--about 75 degrees, clear, and a little breezy. Perfect.
We were only on the beach for about 1 1/2 hours, but that was perfect for me as I get a little bored just sitting in the sand. We did venture into the water a couple of times, but it was FREEZING. So cold that I lost my breath for a few minutes once I hit chest-high water.
Once we were done with the beach, we had lunch at a beach side restaurant (hamburgers that weren't so mu;ch beef as possibly sausage), and walked around the town a bit before catching the train home around 6:00.
At home, we started the cleaning of the apartment and packing our suitcases. It didn't take too long considering there were 6 of us at one point and we were there for over a week.
Around 11:00 we left the apartment for our last night out in Barcelona. We first stopped by the Groucho Bar for a drink and to reminisce about the last time we were there. We had been doing that all day, really, telling stories of things we had done while we were in Spain--I think we were all sad to be leaving.
After our drinks, we went to go find dinner. We didn't have any place in mind, so we walked around a bit hoping something would strike our fancy. On one street there were three restaurants in a row, and just like Goldilocks, we decided on the third one and it was just right. Actually, it was amazing! The best dinner we had in Spain.
The restaurant, Anima, was incredible. Fusion food that sounded slightly intimidating when you read it off the (moderately-priced) menu but was delicious in person. We decided to split everything and ordered 3 appetizers and 2 meals. Babaganoush, lasagna, sirloin, mushrooms, even the bread was beautifully presented and cooked perfectly. SO GOOD. We sat outside, but the decor was minimalist but warm. And, to top it all off, our waitress was charming and attentive. She didn't speak much English but didn't seem annoyed by our attempts to speak Spanish. Overall, a wonderful experience.
Happy with dinner, we left (Terri with a menu she got from the bartender!) and headed to the Whiskey Museum for one last time. Unfortunately, since it was Friday night, it was way too crowded to go in. Oh well. Back to Groucho.
At Groucho, we decided to pool all of our change since we can't change coins in for US dollars. It turned out to be around 20 euros, which is pretty good! We ordered a round and went for it. The bartender there kept flirting with Rose and eventually brought us all a round of shots. It was a special that night--1 euro per shot and they even had a menu of the different kinds. They were all girly shots, but it was fun to try to figure out what they all were since the menu was in Spanish. My free one (that I DID NOT pick) was the banana one with whipped cream. Some of you can guess what we call that one at home.
Flirting, flirting. Drinking, drinking. And another round of shots--this one was purple with squeeze of fresh lemon, topped with an energy drink. It was good! And I hate energy drinks!! :) Around this time we decided it was time to go. It was almost 3am and we had to get up at 8 the next morning to get to the airport. We left for home, happy with our last night in Barcelona.
Oh, and we paid the whole tab in change. Everything, down to pennies. They much have been pleased.
Note: Pics on Flickr
Our plan for the day was to head out to a neighboring town, Sitges, to lay on the beach for a while before heading back into Barcelona for our last dinner and night out.
It took a bit to figure out how to get to the main train station, but once we got there it was pretty simple to jump on the train and head out to the pretty little beach town. It was kind of like jumping on the Metra in Chicago to go to Naperville--frequent stops and just 45 minutes away.
We got into Sitges around 2:00 and followed the crowd toward the sea. The town was really cute--hilly, narrow streets, and little boutiques. I'm so used to the crappy beach towns in Florida that it was nice to be in a place that was residential and pretty. And clean! And there weren't junky souvenir shops every two feet like in Daytona.
We got to the beach, covered ourselves in sunscreen (we had all gotten a little sunburned the day before), and layed down in the soft Spanish sand. It was really nice--about 75 degrees, clear, and a little breezy. Perfect.
We were only on the beach for about 1 1/2 hours, but that was perfect for me as I get a little bored just sitting in the sand. We did venture into the water a couple of times, but it was FREEZING. So cold that I lost my breath for a few minutes once I hit chest-high water.
Once we were done with the beach, we had lunch at a beach side restaurant (hamburgers that weren't so mu;ch beef as possibly sausage), and walked around the town a bit before catching the train home around 6:00.
At home, we started the cleaning of the apartment and packing our suitcases. It didn't take too long considering there were 6 of us at one point and we were there for over a week.
Around 11:00 we left the apartment for our last night out in Barcelona. We first stopped by the Groucho Bar for a drink and to reminisce about the last time we were there. We had been doing that all day, really, telling stories of things we had done while we were in Spain--I think we were all sad to be leaving.
After our drinks, we went to go find dinner. We didn't have any place in mind, so we walked around a bit hoping something would strike our fancy. On one street there were three restaurants in a row, and just like Goldilocks, we decided on the third one and it was just right. Actually, it was amazing! The best dinner we had in Spain.
The restaurant, Anima, was incredible. Fusion food that sounded slightly intimidating when you read it off the (moderately-priced) menu but was delicious in person. We decided to split everything and ordered 3 appetizers and 2 meals. Babaganoush, lasagna, sirloin, mushrooms, even the bread was beautifully presented and cooked perfectly. SO GOOD. We sat outside, but the decor was minimalist but warm. And, to top it all off, our waitress was charming and attentive. She didn't speak much English but didn't seem annoyed by our attempts to speak Spanish. Overall, a wonderful experience.
Happy with dinner, we left (Terri with a menu she got from the bartender!) and headed to the Whiskey Museum for one last time. Unfortunately, since it was Friday night, it was way too crowded to go in. Oh well. Back to Groucho.
At Groucho, we decided to pool all of our change since we can't change coins in for US dollars. It turned out to be around 20 euros, which is pretty good! We ordered a round and went for it. The bartender there kept flirting with Rose and eventually brought us all a round of shots. It was a special that night--1 euro per shot and they even had a menu of the different kinds. They were all girly shots, but it was fun to try to figure out what they all were since the menu was in Spanish. My free one (that I DID NOT pick) was the banana one with whipped cream. Some of you can guess what we call that one at home.
Flirting, flirting. Drinking, drinking. And another round of shots--this one was purple with squeeze of fresh lemon, topped with an energy drink. It was good! And I hate energy drinks!! :) Around this time we decided it was time to go. It was almost 3am and we had to get up at 8 the next morning to get to the airport. We left for home, happy with our last night in Barcelona.
Oh, and we paid the whole tab in change. Everything, down to pennies. They much have been pleased.
Note: Pics on Flickr
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Where in the world?
I've just gotten an e-mail from American Airlines that let me know that I have enough miles to travel to an exotic locale (off-peak) with my accrued miles. Hurrah! That's totally amazing!
But...I don't know where to go. When the whole world is available, how do you choose just one place? I need suggestions.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
But...I don't know where to go. When the whole world is available, how do you choose just one place? I need suggestions.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 17, 2007
For the last couple of days, we had discussed going on a one of the bus tours that go around Barcelona in order to see the whole city in one go, but had put it off and put it off, opting instead to wander around on our own. Today, however, we decided to finally get on the bus and see the city as touristicly as we could.
Around 12 (which is GOOD for us! We got out of the house before 2!) we headed over to the Placa de Catalunya to catch one of the buses for a tour. One of the touts for a bus company approached us and convinced us to with their tour other than the more popular Bus Touristic--which turned out to be a great thing! The lines were shorter and we got to see the whole city instead of just a portion of it. We hopped on board, paid our fee, and headed up to the open-air top deck to plug in our headphones and start the tour.
As the bus snaked it's way through the city, we we able to revisit some areas of town that we had already seen, which was nice. It was almost like reminiscing (even if it was only a few days ago). We passed by the Gaudi houses, wound through the Exampile area with it's beautiful facades and balconies, and moved north to pass by Parc Guell. After showing Stuart the hill that we had to climb to get to the park, the bus moved south into the more urban/city area of Barcelona. We got of the bus here to do a little shopping and get a cafe con leche. We popped into a little bistro, had some tapas and coffee and wandered down the street (Diagonal, I believe) and shopped a bit. We then caught a new bus to move to the football stadium and into Mont Juic.
This was a new area for most of us as we had not yet ventured too far west. Mont Juic is a large hill/small mountain in Barcelona that holds a lot of the Olympic venues as well as a castle and other regal looking buildings. We got to see the Olympic spire, which I THINK is the one that had the guy shoot a flaming arrow into it to light it, as well as Olympic circle where a number of sports were played. When we got to the Miro museum, we again got off the bus to check it out.
Now, I'm not a big art fan, so I don't have much to say here. The museum was nice. I recognized some of the art. The guy was obviously talented. I didn't get most of it.
Once we left the museum, we decided to see if we could walk to the castle that was at the top of Mont Juic. We didn't really know the way but thought we'd give it a shot. About 45 minutes and a few hundred feet later, we made it. The walk was pretty much uphill, but along the way we got some amazing views of the city and were surrounded by trees and nature. Not a bad thing!
The castle itself was kind of need (we didn't poke around much) but it afforded the best views of the city by far--we could see EVERYTHING. The port, the beaches, Sagrada Familia, the big phallic-looking building, La Rambla, etc. After a quick snack, we decided to take the funicular down to catch the bus and move on with our tour.
After getting back on the bus, we were all pretty beat. We sat up top and just enjoyed the drive down Mont Juic, into Port Vell, by Barcelonetta, and by Olympic Village. The tour ended up back where we started and we hopped off to head home.
Later that night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Jeanene's last night in Barcelona. We walked a bit and ended up having dinner near home (pasta this time!) before headed on to The Whiskey Museum for drinks. There's a story from this night that includes a couple from Michigan, a big imposing guy, and stupidity, but I'm not going to spell it out here. If you're interested, let me know and I'll tell you in person. :)
Around 12 (which is GOOD for us! We got out of the house before 2!) we headed over to the Placa de Catalunya to catch one of the buses for a tour. One of the touts for a bus company approached us and convinced us to with their tour other than the more popular Bus Touristic--which turned out to be a great thing! The lines were shorter and we got to see the whole city instead of just a portion of it. We hopped on board, paid our fee, and headed up to the open-air top deck to plug in our headphones and start the tour.
As the bus snaked it's way through the city, we we able to revisit some areas of town that we had already seen, which was nice. It was almost like reminiscing (even if it was only a few days ago). We passed by the Gaudi houses, wound through the Exampile area with it's beautiful facades and balconies, and moved north to pass by Parc Guell. After showing Stuart the hill that we had to climb to get to the park, the bus moved south into the more urban/city area of Barcelona. We got of the bus here to do a little shopping and get a cafe con leche. We popped into a little bistro, had some tapas and coffee and wandered down the street (Diagonal, I believe) and shopped a bit. We then caught a new bus to move to the football stadium and into Mont Juic.
This was a new area for most of us as we had not yet ventured too far west. Mont Juic is a large hill/small mountain in Barcelona that holds a lot of the Olympic venues as well as a castle and other regal looking buildings. We got to see the Olympic spire, which I THINK is the one that had the guy shoot a flaming arrow into it to light it, as well as Olympic circle where a number of sports were played. When we got to the Miro museum, we again got off the bus to check it out.
Now, I'm not a big art fan, so I don't have much to say here. The museum was nice. I recognized some of the art. The guy was obviously talented. I didn't get most of it.
Once we left the museum, we decided to see if we could walk to the castle that was at the top of Mont Juic. We didn't really know the way but thought we'd give it a shot. About 45 minutes and a few hundred feet later, we made it. The walk was pretty much uphill, but along the way we got some amazing views of the city and were surrounded by trees and nature. Not a bad thing!
The castle itself was kind of need (we didn't poke around much) but it afforded the best views of the city by far--we could see EVERYTHING. The port, the beaches, Sagrada Familia, the big phallic-looking building, La Rambla, etc. After a quick snack, we decided to take the funicular down to catch the bus and move on with our tour.
After getting back on the bus, we were all pretty beat. We sat up top and just enjoyed the drive down Mont Juic, into Port Vell, by Barcelonetta, and by Olympic Village. The tour ended up back where we started and we hopped off to head home.
Later that night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Jeanene's last night in Barcelona. We walked a bit and ended up having dinner near home (pasta this time!) before headed on to The Whiskey Museum for drinks. There's a story from this night that includes a couple from Michigan, a big imposing guy, and stupidity, but I'm not going to spell it out here. If you're interested, let me know and I'll tell you in person. :)
Sunday, May 20, 2007
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 16, 2007
Matthew left this morning so group has now shrunk to 5.
Around 11:30 this morning, the girls went out for an English breakfast to try to counter-act the activities of the night before (Stuart was still sleeping, I think). Bacon, eggs, bread, and sausage did help somewhat, even if the whole thing was fried in olive oil.
At 3:30, we finally all left to go see Barcelonetta, the area where the beach is that’s supposed to have great seafood. We strolled down La Rambla and then over along the pier and into the Barcelonetta area and the beach. Once we reached the beach (which was beautiful), we sat and had a beer at a little café on the beach and enjoyed the view. It wasn't quite warm enough to be AT the beach, but that didn't stop anyone there. Even at 5pm, there were stil people on the beach and in the water.
We then moved on to another bar more inland and had sangria and calamari. The calamari here is so good. I don’t think I’ve had any at any of the cafes (and we’ve had it at least 4 times) and haven't really enjoyed it. At this bar, a little band came in to play and I got a short video of an older man dancing to the music. Stuart danced too, of course.
We then walked on to find a place for paella. We sat outside, ordered more sangria, and got both meat and seafood paella along with tomato bread. We totally devoured the paella and by the end of the meal there was rice all over the table and sangria on the tablecloth. It looked like a tornado hit!
After our huge meal, we had a giggly walk back to our apartment, stopping by the Bari Gothic and getting magnum ice creams on the way. (Magnum Ice Cream bars are awesome. Do they have them in the states??) Once back at the apartment, I passed out on the couch around 10:30 and crawled into my bed at 12.
Around 11:30 this morning, the girls went out for an English breakfast to try to counter-act the activities of the night before (Stuart was still sleeping, I think). Bacon, eggs, bread, and sausage did help somewhat, even if the whole thing was fried in olive oil.
At 3:30, we finally all left to go see Barcelonetta, the area where the beach is that’s supposed to have great seafood. We strolled down La Rambla and then over along the pier and into the Barcelonetta area and the beach. Once we reached the beach (which was beautiful), we sat and had a beer at a little café on the beach and enjoyed the view. It wasn't quite warm enough to be AT the beach, but that didn't stop anyone there. Even at 5pm, there were stil people on the beach and in the water.
We then moved on to another bar more inland and had sangria and calamari. The calamari here is so good. I don’t think I’ve had any at any of the cafes (and we’ve had it at least 4 times) and haven't really enjoyed it. At this bar, a little band came in to play and I got a short video of an older man dancing to the music. Stuart danced too, of course.
We then walked on to find a place for paella. We sat outside, ordered more sangria, and got both meat and seafood paella along with tomato bread. We totally devoured the paella and by the end of the meal there was rice all over the table and sangria on the tablecloth. It looked like a tornado hit!
After our huge meal, we had a giggly walk back to our apartment, stopping by the Bari Gothic and getting magnum ice creams on the way. (Magnum Ice Cream bars are awesome. Do they have them in the states??) Once back at the apartment, I passed out on the couch around 10:30 and crawled into my bed at 12.
Photos from May 15, 2007
Casa Batllo
Casa Milo
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On the rooftop of Casa Milo
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Matthew and Christina the Bartender from the Whiskey Museum (bar)
Casa Milo.jpg)
On the rooftop of Casa Milo.jpg)
Matthew and Christina the Bartender from the Whiskey Museum (bar)
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 15, 2007
This morning I woke up a couple of hours before everyone else and puttered around on the computer. I was able to write up what we did on the 14th and label all of my pictures, which was nice. I also caught up on all of my celebrity gossip (so important…). Around 11:30, the group started to wake and Terri and I went out for some coffee at the coffee shop down the street and did a little shopping. There are a number of low-priced clothing stores in the area, but nothing caught my eye—most of the clothing is really bright (hot pink, yellow, bright green) and I’m not quite there yet in incorporating color into my clothing. Where are the stores where everything is black and grey? :)
A little while later, we all walked up to the two Gaudi houses, Casa Milo and Casa Batllo to see the insides. They both have tours, but the Batllo was twice as much as Milo and we couldn’t really decide on which one to see. We decided to split up and I went with the group to see Casa Milo, the stone quarry. The tour was just ok, but the rooftop was pretty cool. It had really pretty chimneys on the roof and wonderful views of the city. When we met up again later, it seemed that the tour of Casa Batllo was probably a better idea. It was much more whimsical and colorful than our tour and included the headphones to learn more about what you were seeing. Depending on what I have time for in our last three days, I might end up going there to see Batllo as well. It’s got to have some amazing photo opportunities.
It was then back to the apartment for a siesta before dinner. Matthew picked out a place for dinner on our last night by the market, Ra, that opened up after 9:30. We left around 10:30, had a really good meal (Risotto, Cava, warm goat cheese salad), and then went bar-hopping for a while. The last bar we went to was one that Rose and Matthew found on our first night and we had a great time there. Lots of drinks and laughing and random photos with some English boys. Then back home for a Stuart Dance Party in the kitchen.
A little while later, we all walked up to the two Gaudi houses, Casa Milo and Casa Batllo to see the insides. They both have tours, but the Batllo was twice as much as Milo and we couldn’t really decide on which one to see. We decided to split up and I went with the group to see Casa Milo, the stone quarry. The tour was just ok, but the rooftop was pretty cool. It had really pretty chimneys on the roof and wonderful views of the city. When we met up again later, it seemed that the tour of Casa Batllo was probably a better idea. It was much more whimsical and colorful than our tour and included the headphones to learn more about what you were seeing. Depending on what I have time for in our last three days, I might end up going there to see Batllo as well. It’s got to have some amazing photo opportunities.
It was then back to the apartment for a siesta before dinner. Matthew picked out a place for dinner on our last night by the market, Ra, that opened up after 9:30. We left around 10:30, had a really good meal (Risotto, Cava, warm goat cheese salad), and then went bar-hopping for a while. The last bar we went to was one that Rose and Matthew found on our first night and we had a great time there. Lots of drinks and laughing and random photos with some English boys. Then back home for a Stuart Dance Party in the kitchen.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Leaving Barcelona
I have yet to post the rest of my trip to Barcelona--I promise, it'll come.
We're leaving in the morning and I'm torn. I LOVED this town and still have a couple of more things I'd like to see. I guess that's a good thing as it gives me a good reason to come back. I'm also ready to go home, pet my dog (I missed her terribly) and sleep in my own bed.
I get home at 10:30pm tomorrow and will most likely crash out as soon as I get home. I'll chat with family and friends in the morning. I've missed you all and can't wait to party with you soon!
We're leaving in the morning and I'm torn. I LOVED this town and still have a couple of more things I'd like to see. I guess that's a good thing as it gives me a good reason to come back. I'm also ready to go home, pet my dog (I missed her terribly) and sleep in my own bed.
I get home at 10:30pm tomorrow and will most likely crash out as soon as I get home. I'll chat with family and friends in the morning. I've missed you all and can't wait to party with you soon!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Interior
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 14, 2007
I woke up this morning to the sound of rain outside our balcony window. Ooo…Bummer. It took some coaxing to get up this morning, but once I was able to crawl out of bed, we realized that it wasn’t that bad outside and decided to get going.
Since Matthew’s last day in Barcelona is the 15th (Tuesday), we decided to go out for our big (ha…like the other’s haven’t been big) meal night that night and stay in and cook tonight. So, it was off to the market again!
Terri, Jeanene, and I headed out in the light rain to go pick up goods. The market was MUCH less crowded on a Monday with fewer stalls open. It also seemed cheaper than Saturday as well, which was nice, since we had to pick up more food. A LOT more food. An hour later, we left the market with tons of vegetables, pasta, shrimp, and olives. It was going to be a feast!
On the way back, we stopped by the grocery store, and while the girls stayed outside with our bags from the market, I went in to buy red wine vinegar, water and coke-a-cola light. Well, it took me about 15 minutes to find the vinegar (yeah, I don’t speak Spanish) and get to checkout. Once in line, I noticed that a new cashier had opened up and immediately went over there when she called people over. I bought my purchases (1.5 euro!) and as I was bagging it up, she called over to the still long line of people in the front. They either didn’t understand her or were ignoring her and she looked at me and said…something…to me as an aside. I like to think it was something like “silly tourists don’t know what’s going on. Their loss.” I kind of smiled and giggled and left the store. I have NO idea what she said to me the entire time, but I liked that she thought that I did. Yay! I’m not a complete idiot tourist! Things like that make me happy. J
Once we made it back to the apartment, we decided to go check out the Sagrida Familia and a local flea market. By the time we had finished our shopping, the rain had stopped and the sky was bright and blue again, so more outdoor plans for today! It took a bit to get everyone ready, but we eventually made it out around 2:30 (insane! We got back from the market around 11).
After a quick trip on the Metro, we walked up out of the station right at the foot of this amazing church. It was started back in the early 1900 and after a few years, Gaudi took over and just revamped the whole thing. He worked on it for 16 years before his death and they’re STILL working on it, with the projected completion date around 2030. They were even working on it while we were there…construction saws, men shaving plaster, cranes everywhere.
There are two facades on the building, one by a cubist artist (whose name I forget right now) that is the “nativity façade” and on the other side of the church is the section that Gaudi had completed the most—the “passion façade”. The detail in this church, and especially the passion façade, is just incredible. The pictures don’t do it justice. After paying our fee to get in, we were able to walk through the interior that was designed to evoke a forest. The pillars were curved and gaudi-like and they really did look like they were meant to be trees. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the crypt where Gaudi’s remains are or go up in one of the elevators into a spire, but we were happy even without that.
After the Sagrida Familia, we decided to go out to lunch before heading to the flea market. We stopped at another tapas place and gorged on food, yet again. I haven’t had ONE thing that I didn’t like here. Octopus, potato tortilla (tortilla de patata!), potato salad, tuna salad, pork, yum yum yum.
And off to the flea market. Except that it was closed. The guide book said it was open until 8pm, but it looked like we just missed it. It was just around 5:30, so we’re not sure why it was closed, but…no big deal. Back to the apartment.
Rose and Matthew went to go walk by the pier but the rest of us headed back, stopping on the way home to get gelato (eh. Nothing spectacular). After a quick siesta (at 8 pm! Ha!) I woke up to fabulous smells coming from the kitchen. Terri had started dinner. She’s an amazing cook. The full spread consisted of pasta with sautéed mushrooms and olives, roasted leeks, roasted asparagus and red peppers, along with a fresh tomato and basil sauce. Jeanene made chickpeas and shrimp which was amazing as well. And a salad! The food just tastes better here, I think. Oh, and I shelled the fresh shrimp and quizzed Terri on some of the food so I can make both shrimp and roasted leeks when I get home!
We ate late—around 11, how European!—and stayed in for the rest of the night chatting and drinking wine. Another fabulous evening.
Since Matthew’s last day in Barcelona is the 15th (Tuesday), we decided to go out for our big (ha…like the other’s haven’t been big) meal night that night and stay in and cook tonight. So, it was off to the market again!
Terri, Jeanene, and I headed out in the light rain to go pick up goods. The market was MUCH less crowded on a Monday with fewer stalls open. It also seemed cheaper than Saturday as well, which was nice, since we had to pick up more food. A LOT more food. An hour later, we left the market with tons of vegetables, pasta, shrimp, and olives. It was going to be a feast!
On the way back, we stopped by the grocery store, and while the girls stayed outside with our bags from the market, I went in to buy red wine vinegar, water and coke-a-cola light. Well, it took me about 15 minutes to find the vinegar (yeah, I don’t speak Spanish) and get to checkout. Once in line, I noticed that a new cashier had opened up and immediately went over there when she called people over. I bought my purchases (1.5 euro!) and as I was bagging it up, she called over to the still long line of people in the front. They either didn’t understand her or were ignoring her and she looked at me and said…something…to me as an aside. I like to think it was something like “silly tourists don’t know what’s going on. Their loss.” I kind of smiled and giggled and left the store. I have NO idea what she said to me the entire time, but I liked that she thought that I did. Yay! I’m not a complete idiot tourist! Things like that make me happy. J
Once we made it back to the apartment, we decided to go check out the Sagrida Familia and a local flea market. By the time we had finished our shopping, the rain had stopped and the sky was bright and blue again, so more outdoor plans for today! It took a bit to get everyone ready, but we eventually made it out around 2:30 (insane! We got back from the market around 11).
After a quick trip on the Metro, we walked up out of the station right at the foot of this amazing church. It was started back in the early 1900 and after a few years, Gaudi took over and just revamped the whole thing. He worked on it for 16 years before his death and they’re STILL working on it, with the projected completion date around 2030. They were even working on it while we were there…construction saws, men shaving plaster, cranes everywhere.
There are two facades on the building, one by a cubist artist (whose name I forget right now) that is the “nativity façade” and on the other side of the church is the section that Gaudi had completed the most—the “passion façade”. The detail in this church, and especially the passion façade, is just incredible. The pictures don’t do it justice. After paying our fee to get in, we were able to walk through the interior that was designed to evoke a forest. The pillars were curved and gaudi-like and they really did look like they were meant to be trees. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see the crypt where Gaudi’s remains are or go up in one of the elevators into a spire, but we were happy even without that.
After the Sagrida Familia, we decided to go out to lunch before heading to the flea market. We stopped at another tapas place and gorged on food, yet again. I haven’t had ONE thing that I didn’t like here. Octopus, potato tortilla (tortilla de patata!), potato salad, tuna salad, pork, yum yum yum.
And off to the flea market. Except that it was closed. The guide book said it was open until 8pm, but it looked like we just missed it. It was just around 5:30, so we’re not sure why it was closed, but…no big deal. Back to the apartment.
Rose and Matthew went to go walk by the pier but the rest of us headed back, stopping on the way home to get gelato (eh. Nothing spectacular). After a quick siesta (at 8 pm! Ha!) I woke up to fabulous smells coming from the kitchen. Terri had started dinner. She’s an amazing cook. The full spread consisted of pasta with sautéed mushrooms and olives, roasted leeks, roasted asparagus and red peppers, along with a fresh tomato and basil sauce. Jeanene made chickpeas and shrimp which was amazing as well. And a salad! The food just tastes better here, I think. Oh, and I shelled the fresh shrimp and quizzed Terri on some of the food so I can make both shrimp and roasted leeks when I get home!
We ate late—around 11, how European!—and stayed in for the rest of the night chatting and drinking wine. Another fabulous evening.
Monday, May 14, 2007
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 13, 2007
What an amazing day. We did so much, I’m concerned that I’m not going to remember it all.
It started around 11am when we finally got up. It was wonderful to actually sleep a long amount of time and get caught up on the lost sleep from a couple of days ago. Terri and I then went to walk around a bit to see more of the city before we met up with everyone else to go off to Parc Güell.
Terri and I left and headed toward the Gothic Quarter. We walked around a bit, and eventually ended up at the Barcelona Cathedral. Unfortunately there was scaffolding on the front of the cathedral so there wasn’t a very good photo opportunity. We walked around to the back and got a couple of pictures before heading off to find some breakfast/lunch.
After getting some pictures of the different alleys, we stopped at a fast food restaurant called Barconelette (I think….I need to look that up) for some coffee (cafe) and food. I got a chocolate pastry that was really tasty. We then walked down to the pier to finally see the ocean. There were a lot of people out at that time, so we walked around a bit and then headed back to the apartment to meet up with everyone else.
Stuart was still sleeping, but the 5 of us decided to head out to Parc Güell to see all of the Gaudi stuff that was there. We took the Metro and headed up to the Parc. It was really easy, which was nice—the ticket kiosks even could be translated into English. It was about a mile walk to the park through a residential district, with the last ¼ mile straight up hill. Kind of tough, but not horrible.
We got to the park and headed in (free…yay!) and started walking around. It was really neat. I took a ton of pictures, and the two things I really wanted to see, the wave wall and the mosaic dragon were really easy to find. We also were able to get a really good view of Barcelona. It was kind of hazy, but still pretty amazing.
On the way back to the Metro, we stopped at a little restaurant to get a bite to eat. I decided that Jeanene got the best sandwich—tortilla somethingorother which was potato and onion and maybe egg on a baguette. Yummy. We then headed back home.
After a quick siesta (well, 2 hours) I was able to call my mom for mother’s day (thanks Matthew!!) and we headed out to dinner. On the way to the restaurant that was picked out of the Time Out book, we stopped by one of the Gaudi buildings, Casa Batlló, to get some pictures in the dark. Such an amazing building…all curves and distinctive railings. So pretty.
Once we got to the restaurant, we realized that it was too busy so we moved on. The place that we finally decided on, Masón Cinco Jotas, was fabulous though. Lots of pork dishes and yummy sangria. The food was delicious all around and we had a great dinner.
Afterwards, we headed back to the restaurant we had originally picked out for a beer, and then back to our neighborhood. A lot of the bars are closed after 2am (we had dinner around 11) but we found a place called “Groucho Bar” (or something and went in). We had a great time there, but nothing like what Matthew had. After charming the bartender and a local, the one local guy decided to give him his t-shirt that had the Groucho logo on it. Because of this, Matthew decided to give him his t-shirt from his bar. So they both changed t-shirts in the bar. Nekkid men all around. So funny!! After that, we went back to the apartment.
And now it’s 3:45 and I’m typing up this entry. Not too sleepy, but I need to go to bed. We have another fabulous day in Barcelona awaiting us.
It started around 11am when we finally got up. It was wonderful to actually sleep a long amount of time and get caught up on the lost sleep from a couple of days ago. Terri and I then went to walk around a bit to see more of the city before we met up with everyone else to go off to Parc Güell.
Terri and I left and headed toward the Gothic Quarter. We walked around a bit, and eventually ended up at the Barcelona Cathedral. Unfortunately there was scaffolding on the front of the cathedral so there wasn’t a very good photo opportunity. We walked around to the back and got a couple of pictures before heading off to find some breakfast/lunch.
After getting some pictures of the different alleys, we stopped at a fast food restaurant called Barconelette (I think….I need to look that up) for some coffee (cafe) and food. I got a chocolate pastry that was really tasty. We then walked down to the pier to finally see the ocean. There were a lot of people out at that time, so we walked around a bit and then headed back to the apartment to meet up with everyone else.
Stuart was still sleeping, but the 5 of us decided to head out to Parc Güell to see all of the Gaudi stuff that was there. We took the Metro and headed up to the Parc. It was really easy, which was nice—the ticket kiosks even could be translated into English. It was about a mile walk to the park through a residential district, with the last ¼ mile straight up hill. Kind of tough, but not horrible.
We got to the park and headed in (free…yay!) and started walking around. It was really neat. I took a ton of pictures, and the two things I really wanted to see, the wave wall and the mosaic dragon were really easy to find. We also were able to get a really good view of Barcelona. It was kind of hazy, but still pretty amazing.
On the way back to the Metro, we stopped at a little restaurant to get a bite to eat. I decided that Jeanene got the best sandwich—tortilla somethingorother which was potato and onion and maybe egg on a baguette. Yummy. We then headed back home.
After a quick siesta (well, 2 hours) I was able to call my mom for mother’s day (thanks Matthew!!) and we headed out to dinner. On the way to the restaurant that was picked out of the Time Out book, we stopped by one of the Gaudi buildings, Casa Batlló, to get some pictures in the dark. Such an amazing building…all curves and distinctive railings. So pretty.
Once we got to the restaurant, we realized that it was too busy so we moved on. The place that we finally decided on, Masón Cinco Jotas, was fabulous though. Lots of pork dishes and yummy sangria. The food was delicious all around and we had a great dinner.
Afterwards, we headed back to the restaurant we had originally picked out for a beer, and then back to our neighborhood. A lot of the bars are closed after 2am (we had dinner around 11) but we found a place called “Groucho Bar” (or something and went in). We had a great time there, but nothing like what Matthew had. After charming the bartender and a local, the one local guy decided to give him his t-shirt that had the Groucho logo on it. Because of this, Matthew decided to give him his t-shirt from his bar. So they both changed t-shirts in the bar. Nekkid men all around. So funny!! After that, we went back to the apartment.
And now it’s 3:45 and I’m typing up this entry. Not too sleepy, but I need to go to bed. We have another fabulous day in Barcelona awaiting us.
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 12, 2007
This morning Terri woke me up around 8:30 (as requested) and we headed out to the La Boqueria market to pick up some fresh goods. It was really neat…I seemed to me that there were a lot of locals and was less touristy than other places. After wandering through the market a bit, Terri worked up the nerve to start getting some food. I didn’t have enough cash on me (I only had a 50 which seems to be annoying for most vendors, so Terri offered to pay today if the rest of us will pick up stuff later).
After wandering through the market for about a half and hour, we ended up going home with fresh fruit and veggies (lemons, cherries, grapes, tomatoes, and an avocado), fresh bread, olives, cheese, and some fresh cured meat that the guy shaved for us straight off of the shank. He basically grabbed the hoof of this pig and started cutting away.
I eventually bought the one thing I could afford, a fresh-cut fruit box, and Terri got herself a fresh guava juice (which was amazing). Feeling good about our purchases, we then walked back to the apartment.
Jeanene and Stuart were coming in today, so we wanted to do something relaxing and less touristy, so after getting some coffee (where I finally broke my 50), Terri, Rose and I did some shopping in our neighborhood. We went to Top Shop, which is a place I’ve always wanted to go to in London, and a bunch of other small boutiques. Lots of shoe stores. J I bought a glass ring that I’m really happy with. It’s cute! Green with some red swirls. Around 2:00, we started to head back to the apartment to wait for the arrival of our last two friends.
Around 2:30, Jeanene showed up. We were a bit unsure of how this was all going to go, because there was some back and forth on whether Stuart was going to wait for Jeanene at the airport, but since Stuart’s flight was delayed a bit, the timing was a little off. Since Jeanene showed up alone, we figured that they missed each other at the airport and Stuart would eventually figure it out and head to the apartment on his own.
Around 4:30 we started getting nervous. Rose checked her phone and found that Stuart had just called to let us know that he had given up on finding Jeanene (good thing as she was with us) and was going to come to the apartment. I crashed out on the couch and the girls went downstairs and outside to wait for Stuart.
5:30. I wake up and head downstairs. We’re a little confused on where Stuart is since it only takes about 30 minutes to get to where we’re at from the airport. We decide to go to a nearby bar to have a drink and wait.
6:30. Drinks are over and we’re getting a little nervous. Terri and I walk around a bit and do a little window shopping.
7:30. Terri and I head back to the apartment. Still no Stuart. Nerves are high at this point. We try distracting ourselves by looking at our pictures for the day. Rose and Matthew head out to walk around a bit and see if they see Stuart.
8:30. Terri has now started to reach serious freak-out mode. We start talking about the steps we can take to try to find him…American consulate, police, hospitals, etc. We start looking up phone numbers and talking about going back to the airport to see if he’s still there.
9:30. Rose and Matthew are back and we’re actively making lists and determining to call. Around 10, Rose makes a call to the consulate to see if they have any recommendations. The guy on the phone is not a lot of help (nice…totally reasurring) and when she gets off the phone we’re not really sure how to proceed.
10:30. Rose and Matthew decide to go to the closest police station to see if they can help. We figure if anything has happened to him (as it’s been 6 hours since we last heard from him) that they’d have his name in the computer. Jeanene, Terri, and I wait nervously back at the apartment with all of the worst case scenarios going through our heads.
11:00ish…Rose calls. Stuart has FINALLY called her. (side note: this is the thing that made ME the most nervous since we have a way that we can be easily contacted. Since he never called Rose, we thought the worst. If he was lost, we figured he’d call!) Apparently, Stuart wrote our street name down wrong (Pallers instead of Tallers) and lo and behold, there actually IS a Pallers. So he was there, trying to figure out how to find us. After about 3 hours, he realized that he was probably at the wrong address, so he tried calling Rose but had some problems with the local phones. He eventually found a guy to lend him his cell phone and got ahold of his sister.
Oy. I’m so happy he’s ok, but what a mess!! We’ve been in the apartment for (basically) 8 hours waiting for him to show up getting more and more stressed out. It could have been so much worse, so we’re very lucky. And now we’re all finally here!!
Rose, Matthew, Jeanene, and Stuart went out for a few drinks and tapas tonight, but I’m just beat. Terri’s having some acid reflux issues so she stayed in as well. I’m going to bed and hopefully getting at least 7 hours of sleep tonight (it’s 12:40 right now) so I can get caught up and be ready to party it up tomorrow.
After wandering through the market for about a half and hour, we ended up going home with fresh fruit and veggies (lemons, cherries, grapes, tomatoes, and an avocado), fresh bread, olives, cheese, and some fresh cured meat that the guy shaved for us straight off of the shank. He basically grabbed the hoof of this pig and started cutting away.
I eventually bought the one thing I could afford, a fresh-cut fruit box, and Terri got herself a fresh guava juice (which was amazing). Feeling good about our purchases, we then walked back to the apartment.
Jeanene and Stuart were coming in today, so we wanted to do something relaxing and less touristy, so after getting some coffee (where I finally broke my 50), Terri, Rose and I did some shopping in our neighborhood. We went to Top Shop, which is a place I’ve always wanted to go to in London, and a bunch of other small boutiques. Lots of shoe stores. J I bought a glass ring that I’m really happy with. It’s cute! Green with some red swirls. Around 2:00, we started to head back to the apartment to wait for the arrival of our last two friends.
Around 2:30, Jeanene showed up. We were a bit unsure of how this was all going to go, because there was some back and forth on whether Stuart was going to wait for Jeanene at the airport, but since Stuart’s flight was delayed a bit, the timing was a little off. Since Jeanene showed up alone, we figured that they missed each other at the airport and Stuart would eventually figure it out and head to the apartment on his own.
Around 4:30 we started getting nervous. Rose checked her phone and found that Stuart had just called to let us know that he had given up on finding Jeanene (good thing as she was with us) and was going to come to the apartment. I crashed out on the couch and the girls went downstairs and outside to wait for Stuart.
5:30. I wake up and head downstairs. We’re a little confused on where Stuart is since it only takes about 30 minutes to get to where we’re at from the airport. We decide to go to a nearby bar to have a drink and wait.
6:30. Drinks are over and we’re getting a little nervous. Terri and I walk around a bit and do a little window shopping.
7:30. Terri and I head back to the apartment. Still no Stuart. Nerves are high at this point. We try distracting ourselves by looking at our pictures for the day. Rose and Matthew head out to walk around a bit and see if they see Stuart.
8:30. Terri has now started to reach serious freak-out mode. We start talking about the steps we can take to try to find him…American consulate, police, hospitals, etc. We start looking up phone numbers and talking about going back to the airport to see if he’s still there.
9:30. Rose and Matthew are back and we’re actively making lists and determining to call. Around 10, Rose makes a call to the consulate to see if they have any recommendations. The guy on the phone is not a lot of help (nice…totally reasurring) and when she gets off the phone we’re not really sure how to proceed.
10:30. Rose and Matthew decide to go to the closest police station to see if they can help. We figure if anything has happened to him (as it’s been 6 hours since we last heard from him) that they’d have his name in the computer. Jeanene, Terri, and I wait nervously back at the apartment with all of the worst case scenarios going through our heads.
11:00ish…Rose calls. Stuart has FINALLY called her. (side note: this is the thing that made ME the most nervous since we have a way that we can be easily contacted. Since he never called Rose, we thought the worst. If he was lost, we figured he’d call!) Apparently, Stuart wrote our street name down wrong (Pallers instead of Tallers) and lo and behold, there actually IS a Pallers. So he was there, trying to figure out how to find us. After about 3 hours, he realized that he was probably at the wrong address, so he tried calling Rose but had some problems with the local phones. He eventually found a guy to lend him his cell phone and got ahold of his sister.
Oy. I’m so happy he’s ok, but what a mess!! We’ve been in the apartment for (basically) 8 hours waiting for him to show up getting more and more stressed out. It could have been so much worse, so we’re very lucky. And now we’re all finally here!!
Rose, Matthew, Jeanene, and Stuart went out for a few drinks and tapas tonight, but I’m just beat. Terri’s having some acid reflux issues so she stayed in as well. I’m going to bed and hopefully getting at least 7 hours of sleep tonight (it’s 12:40 right now) so I can get caught up and be ready to party it up tomorrow.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 11, 2007
We arrived this morning around 11:00 after a fairly uneventful flight. I didn’t sleep on the plane, which was totally disappointing, but I was feeling ok. After all, I was in Spain!! Huzzah!
We got through customs very quickly (and without any questions…weird) and got in line for a taxi to go to our apartment. The apartment is pretty awesome. Large living space, two bedrooms, and really close to the main pedestrian/social area—Las Ramblas. After getting settled in, Terri and I both crashed out for some sleep. I know you’re not supposed to sleep once you get overseas because of jetlag, but we both couldn’t help it! Just 3 hours didn’t hurt though. We got up around 4:30 and decided to head out to walk a bit in the city. We walked the length of Las Rambles (I took just a couple of pictures) and then stopped at a coffee shop for a latte and a sandwich. Yum. We then went to the grocery store to pick up some water and some wine for later. On the walk back, we ran into (quite by accident) Rose and Matthew! They were going to met us around 6:30 at the apartment, but when we weren’t there, they stopped by a bar for a beer or two to wait. At one point, Rose went to go check the apartment again and ran into us. We had a beer with them, chatting to catch up (they’ve been in Spain for a couple of days already) and we eventually went back to the apartment.
Later that night (around 10:30) we headed out to have a few drinks and to get some food. We decided that we’d each pick a place and have at least one beer so we can check out different places in the city. The first place was a cute little ornate bar that looked more at home in Paris than in Spain. We then moved on and during our walk to the next place, we passed through part of the Gothic Quarter. It was GEORGOUS. Even at night, the amazing architecture and buildings and monuments were breathtaking. I can’t wait to go there in the day time and get some pictures. Beautiful.
After coming across a large square, we went down yet another small side street and Matthew picked a tapas restaurant. From the first step into the place, we knew it was going to be delicious. We got a booth and then went up to the front counter to pick out our tapas. Well, Matthew and Rose did first. The waiter almost immediately came back with their selections—calamari, fried zucchini (??), crawfish (I didn’t partake), and tomato and mozzarella sandwich bites. Incredible—especially the calamari. There was both fried and fresh and I loved each bite. After that was all gone (it didn’t take long), Terri and I went up to pick some stuff out. I eventually left Terri up there and when she got back, she told us that she was able to go behind the counter to see the full selection.
The waiter then came by with another spread of amazing food—some sort of whitefish on bread (a little too salty), a gnocci-type potato dish, potatoes with a yummy spicy sauce, and the kicker…escargot. I wasn’t going to try it at first, but then I HAD to. When am I going to have the chance again??? And guess what…it was SO GOOD. I ended up having about three. The sauce was a roasted pepper-type red sauce which was amazing on everything we dipped in it. And I dorkily kept the shell of my first escargot. Yum yum yum.
After dinner (I was practically rolling down the streets after this), we went to another bar that was a heavy-metal bar. All purple and skulls and the like. This time I had an estella dam (I think). San migual is better to me. I need to find an easy light beer.
Then, we walked home to go to bed. It’s now 2am and I’m typing this up so that I can remember my amazing first night in Spain. I can’t wait for tomorrow.
(I wish I had my camera tonight so I could share the food. So good)
We got through customs very quickly (and without any questions…weird) and got in line for a taxi to go to our apartment. The apartment is pretty awesome. Large living space, two bedrooms, and really close to the main pedestrian/social area—Las Ramblas. After getting settled in, Terri and I both crashed out for some sleep. I know you’re not supposed to sleep once you get overseas because of jetlag, but we both couldn’t help it! Just 3 hours didn’t hurt though. We got up around 4:30 and decided to head out to walk a bit in the city. We walked the length of Las Rambles (I took just a couple of pictures) and then stopped at a coffee shop for a latte and a sandwich. Yum. We then went to the grocery store to pick up some water and some wine for later. On the walk back, we ran into (quite by accident) Rose and Matthew! They were going to met us around 6:30 at the apartment, but when we weren’t there, they stopped by a bar for a beer or two to wait. At one point, Rose went to go check the apartment again and ran into us. We had a beer with them, chatting to catch up (they’ve been in Spain for a couple of days already) and we eventually went back to the apartment.
Later that night (around 10:30) we headed out to have a few drinks and to get some food. We decided that we’d each pick a place and have at least one beer so we can check out different places in the city. The first place was a cute little ornate bar that looked more at home in Paris than in Spain. We then moved on and during our walk to the next place, we passed through part of the Gothic Quarter. It was GEORGOUS. Even at night, the amazing architecture and buildings and monuments were breathtaking. I can’t wait to go there in the day time and get some pictures. Beautiful.
After coming across a large square, we went down yet another small side street and Matthew picked a tapas restaurant. From the first step into the place, we knew it was going to be delicious. We got a booth and then went up to the front counter to pick out our tapas. Well, Matthew and Rose did first. The waiter almost immediately came back with their selections—calamari, fried zucchini (??), crawfish (I didn’t partake), and tomato and mozzarella sandwich bites. Incredible—especially the calamari. There was both fried and fresh and I loved each bite. After that was all gone (it didn’t take long), Terri and I went up to pick some stuff out. I eventually left Terri up there and when she got back, she told us that she was able to go behind the counter to see the full selection.
The waiter then came by with another spread of amazing food—some sort of whitefish on bread (a little too salty), a gnocci-type potato dish, potatoes with a yummy spicy sauce, and the kicker…escargot. I wasn’t going to try it at first, but then I HAD to. When am I going to have the chance again??? And guess what…it was SO GOOD. I ended up having about three. The sauce was a roasted pepper-type red sauce which was amazing on everything we dipped in it. And I dorkily kept the shell of my first escargot. Yum yum yum.
After dinner (I was practically rolling down the streets after this), we went to another bar that was a heavy-metal bar. All purple and skulls and the like. This time I had an estella dam (I think). San migual is better to me. I need to find an easy light beer.
Then, we walked home to go to bed. It’s now 2am and I’m typing this up so that I can remember my amazing first night in Spain. I can’t wait for tomorrow.
(I wish I had my camera tonight so I could share the food. So good)
Barcelona pics (just 2)
Las Ramblas (the main tourist strip)
The view of our street from the apartment balcony.
The view of our street from the apartment balcony.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Blogger is in Spanish
In Barcelona with sketchy internet...the funniest thing is that blogger is in Spanish! I have no idea how that happened.
Having a great time. Tapas, wine, and beautiful weather.
I'll post pictures soon if I can!
Having a great time. Tapas, wine, and beautiful weather.
I'll post pictures soon if I can!
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Ouch. And AHHHH!
I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm not ready. I'm freaking out a bit. AHH! I haven't packed, I don't have a fun new vacation outfit, I haven't bought a new bathing suit since 1999 and I'll be away from my doggie for 10 days. (No worries about work here, you see)
In other news, my dog attempted to jump on my bed while I was on it and proceeded to head-butt me harder than I've ever been head-butted before. Ouch. I'm surprised there's no bruise. She, of course, just bounced off my head and went merrily on her way as I rolled around on my bed clutching my forehead.
Also, I got my hair cut on Monday and it's looking a little drab. I wanted to work on it this morning, but since Sadie freaks out over the hairdryer, I couldn't dry my hair without waking up the neighborhood.
It's nice how my dog controls my life, isn't it?
In other news, my dog attempted to jump on my bed while I was on it and proceeded to head-butt me harder than I've ever been head-butted before. Ouch. I'm surprised there's no bruise. She, of course, just bounced off my head and went merrily on her way as I rolled around on my bed clutching my forehead.
Also, I got my hair cut on Monday and it's looking a little drab. I wanted to work on it this morning, but since Sadie freaks out over the hairdryer, I couldn't dry my hair without waking up the neighborhood.
It's nice how my dog controls my life, isn't it?
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Apartment Tour 2--The Room with No Name
I realized this morning that I haven't posted any pictures of the rest of my apartment. Unfortunately, it's now "lived in" and isn't as neat as I'd like. But I figured I'd share a little more.
This next room is the first room that you see when you enter in the front door. We're not sure what to do with it, so right now it's like an alternate family room with no TV. I've put my couch (it's free to anyone that wants it), my chair, and my bookcase in here. This is the view when you enter the apartment. Well, kind of. The first thing you see is my chewed up blue couch, but since I'm trying to get rid of it, it's not featured prominently here. I DID take this photo with my back against the front door, though.
A couple of close-ups on my bookcase. I think I need to update my nephew's pictures...these are both at least a year old! Jack's on the left, then Ben, then a family picture from a couple of weeks ago (Dad's side) and a picture of me and 3 of my friends in Toronto a few years ago. And apparently a wax/candle stain. Oops.
This is Sadie's treat jar. Every time we come in from a walk and I take her leash off, she'll run to the jar, nose it, and then sit and look at me until I give her a treat. 
Here's another angle on the room...and I just noticed that Sadie got in the picture. Silly dog. You can see 1 of the 2 boxes I have left to unpack on the couch and my framed photos that I still need to hang.
Here's my front door. And another picture to hang (this one's from the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam. Although it's french. Ah, well). I also plan on hanging Sadie's leash hook here as well (I tried to once already but I need to use a screw instead of a nail). 
This boring picture is of the ONE closet in the whole apartment. It's just between my bedroom door (on the right) and the front door (on the left). T and I decided to use it as a communal closet for coats, boots, random storage, and things like the vacuum cleaner. I took a photo of the inside but...yawn. No need for anyone to see that.
Lastly, here's a picture of Sadie. Just because. Beware of her one devil eye!!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Duffy's, Dogs, & Laundry
(I wrote this up already once but accidentally deleted it. Grr.)
After work on Friday, I headed out to Duffy's for a friend's birthday celebration. I've gotta say, I think I'm getting too old for bars like those. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, but once it got all crowded and loud I just got restless. the good thing, though, is that there is some good people-watching. While we were there, a REALLY drunk guy was trying to steal our beers. And not subtly. So I took a picture and am going to post it here. So if you're going to be really drunk and try to steal my beer in the future, you may get your picture online.
Oh, and this picture falls under my theory that sometimes you can photograph better drunk than sober. Something about how relaxed you are.
On Saturday, L and I took Sadie up to Montrose Harbor for Bark in the Park. Wee! It didn't rain the way it was supposed to (thank goodness) so we were able to complete the 5K without being totally miserable. We passed the dog beach during the route and stopped off to see if Sadie would take a swim. Yeah, she's not much of a water dog, apparently--not even a toe went near the water.
Once we finished the walk, we stopped by the booths, Sadie did a paw painting (so cute) and we drove home. After watching Casino Royale (hell-o Mr. Craig!) we crashed out on the couch. Sadie was so tired that she started snoring. Hee.
Sunday was pretty quiet but I did venture out to the laundromat for the first time since college. L went with me and it was totally fun! Laundry is NEVER fun, so I'm not sure what got into me, but I had a good time. It just felt very satisfying to get ALL of my laundry done. And no quarters needed!! And since there are multiple washers and dryers I can finally wash those thing that get put off--like my down blanket. And my bathroom rug. Yay!
I was totally going to take pictures but L made fun of me so I chickened out. If I ever do laundry at 3 in the morning, though, I'm taking pictures.
Oh, and I also saw Marie Antionette. Pretty movie. Boring movie. I imagine it was better in the theater.
After work on Friday, I headed out to Duffy's for a friend's birthday celebration. I've gotta say, I think I'm getting too old for bars like those. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, but once it got all crowded and loud I just got restless. the good thing, though, is that there is some good people-watching. While we were there, a REALLY drunk guy was trying to steal our beers. And not subtly. So I took a picture and am going to post it here. So if you're going to be really drunk and try to steal my beer in the future, you may get your picture online.
Oh, and this picture falls under my theory that sometimes you can photograph better drunk than sober. Something about how relaxed you are.
On Saturday, L and I took Sadie up to Montrose Harbor for Bark in the Park. Wee! It didn't rain the way it was supposed to (thank goodness) so we were able to complete the 5K without being totally miserable. We passed the dog beach during the route and stopped off to see if Sadie would take a swim. Yeah, she's not much of a water dog, apparently--not even a toe went near the water.
Once we finished the walk, we stopped by the booths, Sadie did a paw painting (so cute) and we drove home. After watching Casino Royale (hell-o Mr. Craig!) we crashed out on the couch. Sadie was so tired that she started snoring. Hee. Sunday was pretty quiet but I did venture out to the laundromat for the first time since college. L went with me and it was totally fun! Laundry is NEVER fun, so I'm not sure what got into me, but I had a good time. It just felt very satisfying to get ALL of my laundry done. And no quarters needed!! And since there are multiple washers and dryers I can finally wash those thing that get put off--like my down blanket. And my bathroom rug. Yay!
I was totally going to take pictures but L made fun of me so I chickened out. If I ever do laundry at 3 in the morning, though, I'm taking pictures.
Oh, and I also saw Marie Antionette. Pretty movie. Boring movie. I imagine it was better in the theater.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Randomness & Plans for the Weekend
So, I leave for Spain in 6 days. What? Spain? When did this come up?
I'm so not ready.
Since I'm leaving in the middle of the week, I have a lot to get done this weekend. I'm heading over to the laundromat (Bubbleland!) for the first time on Sunday so that'll be taken care of. I also need to buy new earbuds since mine are breaking and the last thing I want to happen is to not have ipod access on an 8 hour plane ride. I also need to find a new bathing suit since the last one I bought is from 1999, I think. THAT'LL be fun. Bathing suit shopping is always a horror.
Tomorrow is Bark in the Park! I'm still pretty excited for that, but I need to coordinate cars/rides. My roommate may need his car which will make it a LOT more difficult for me, L and Sadie to get up to Montrose Harbor. Since he doesn't usually get up until 12, I think we'll be ok, but I've got to get that worked out. Too far to walk. And it's supposed to rain. Sigh. Wet dog + wet feet = ew. I hope hope hope it'll hold off until after the walk. If it's pouring, I might not actually WALK. Maybe just head up there and get some goods and then head home. (BAD)
Also, my dog is totally funny. At our new place we have a fenced in back yard so we've been taking her back there to run around. She seems to like it ok, but if the neighbor dog is out she has a BLAST. They can run back and forth for forever. I took a video since I found it totally cute.
Finally, that new Vitaminwater is really good. XXX, I think it's called. I'm totally going to buy out Target if they have it on sale still. Yummy.
I'm so not ready.
Since I'm leaving in the middle of the week, I have a lot to get done this weekend. I'm heading over to the laundromat (Bubbleland!) for the first time on Sunday so that'll be taken care of. I also need to buy new earbuds since mine are breaking and the last thing I want to happen is to not have ipod access on an 8 hour plane ride. I also need to find a new bathing suit since the last one I bought is from 1999, I think. THAT'LL be fun. Bathing suit shopping is always a horror.
Tomorrow is Bark in the Park! I'm still pretty excited for that, but I need to coordinate cars/rides. My roommate may need his car which will make it a LOT more difficult for me, L and Sadie to get up to Montrose Harbor. Since he doesn't usually get up until 12, I think we'll be ok, but I've got to get that worked out. Too far to walk. And it's supposed to rain. Sigh. Wet dog + wet feet = ew. I hope hope hope it'll hold off until after the walk. If it's pouring, I might not actually WALK. Maybe just head up there and get some goods and then head home. (BAD)
Also, my dog is totally funny. At our new place we have a fenced in back yard so we've been taking her back there to run around. She seems to like it ok, but if the neighbor dog is out she has a BLAST. They can run back and forth for forever. I took a video since I found it totally cute.
Finally, that new Vitaminwater is really good. XXX, I think it's called. I'm totally going to buy out Target if they have it on sale still. Yummy.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Really??? I do like Waffles...
You scored as Belgian.
Which European nationality should you have created with QuizFarm.com |
Apartment Tour--the Bedroom
I was going to post just a few pictures of my new place in one post, but as it's taking a while to finish up the apartment, I've decided to do this room by room. The first room that I've (almost) finished is my bedroom.
When you walk into the apartment, you enter an office/family room/extra sitting space room. Off that room, to the left, is the doorway to my bedroom:
When you walk into the apartment, you enter an office/family room/extra sitting space room. Off that room, to the left, is the doorway to my bedroom:
The main space is pretty sparse since I was able to store much of my stuff in my (substantial closet). And there are no pictures on the wall yet, but that'll come as well. This view shows my bed, endtable, a portion of the bay windows and the blanket that Miss Sadie sleeps on during the day. She's taken to sleeping on the bed at night. This is new with this place...I think it's because we don't have any rugs in this apartment and she likes to sprall out.
On the opposite wall of my bed is my dresser, TV, and the doorway to my closet. The closet isn't done yet, so don't look at that portion of the picture :)
Some more detailed pictures:
Most of these little travel things are from my mom. She's a big traveler and always asks me what I'd like as a souvinier. I usually say something wacked like "a giraffe" or "a toucan". And she delivers--I have both a giraffe from Africa and a Toucan (2, actually) from Costa Rica. The only travel-y things that I bought is the blue fish from Cozumel and the Trolly from San Francisco. In the middle is a music box my sister got me from Austria that plays Edlewiess. It's so pretty. I hide my treasures in there!
Lastly, here is a view out of my bedroom windows, looking down Stave. These windows face a bright blinking blue police light and camera, so 24-hours a day I have a mini strobe light in my bedroom. It's easily ignorable during the day (you can barely tell it's flashing) but at night, I could host a rave. Luckily, I'm an easy sleeper so both that and the el that's close by don't disturb me. This picture was taken on the dark side of the blue flash. If I knew how to make gifs, I'd totaly make a little video of the flashing. I might do an easy one and post it on You Tube just so you all can see it. :)
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Current Obsession
So, I have a new obsession.
My roommate has an XBox, and until we moved to the new apartment, it's been in his room so I haven't played it much. In the new place, it's set up in the family room, and I've been checking it out.
Now, I've always been really into video games. I play at lunch, on the weekends on my computer, etc., but I've never really owned a console system since Atari in the 80s. This XBox though. It is fun. In the middle the gorgous weather this weekend, you could have found me on my couch playing this game. For 6 hours.
Seriously. I shake my head at myself. But it's so fun!! :)
The game that I'm playing is Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. It's basically an adventure/puzzle/shooting game, but it's just so darn cute!! All of the characters are legos (Chewy, Luke, Jabba) and it follows the story line of the original 3 Star Wars games. I'm currently about half-way Return of the Jedi and can't wait to see what the Ewoks look like in Legos.
I was able to hold off from playing so far this week (Heroes was on on Monday. It will always take presidence. And last night was the Idol) but I think I'm going to have to dive in tonight. After the Model show. Hmmm...now that I think of it, my obsession might not be this game...it could be TV.
Oh, and I totally voted for Blake last night. I haven't voted since Miss Kelly Clarkson, but I had to. He was awesome. Check it out.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Weekend Update
But not in the fun, SNL-way.
So, I moved last Thursday. Phew! That's always a lot more work than I envision. I had been packing for weeks and once the morning came, I realized how much more I had to do. I used movers for the first time last year, and I've got to say, it's TOTALLY worth the money. My movers are amazing and the whole thing was over in 3 hours with not one broken glass. They even took my couch apart (literally, about 5 pieces) and put it all together again. Spectacular.
The place is a mess still (primarily my room. I have a lot of stuff) but I'll be posting pictures once it's a little cleaner. :)
On top of moving day, I had three different events/parties to attend. Busy busy weekend!
First: a wine party hosted by Miss Ashley. It was really fun and a great concept. We all were asked to bring our favorite bottle of wine for under $10, and once we got there, Ashely covered up the label and we all marked whether we liked or did not like it. Once the bottle was gone, the name was revealed. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of the wines, but it was fun to try new ones! I DO remember that I loved Rachael's sparkling red...I need the name of it so I can purchase it again. A great summer drink!
Friday was a low-key celebration for Val's birthday. We were going to go to a show at Gorilla Tango, but we were all beat from the week. Val, we'll go to that show and have a birthday re-deux soon.
Saturday was Rachael's birthday celebration. Now, whenever I go out with a group that includes Rachael, I can usually expect to be out until the wee hours. Like 4am. Her 30th was an INSANE night. Definitely one of the best "story" evenings of 2006. This evening, though, I ran out early. I'm kind of bummed that I had to leave, but it was probably for the best...I was ready to crash out at the table. I hope they all had fun! I still need to check to see if there were some crazy stories from that night! I hear that Rach was up until the wee hours again, so I'm sure they all had a great time.
So, I moved last Thursday. Phew! That's always a lot more work than I envision. I had been packing for weeks and once the morning came, I realized how much more I had to do. I used movers for the first time last year, and I've got to say, it's TOTALLY worth the money. My movers are amazing and the whole thing was over in 3 hours with not one broken glass. They even took my couch apart (literally, about 5 pieces) and put it all together again. Spectacular.
The place is a mess still (primarily my room. I have a lot of stuff) but I'll be posting pictures once it's a little cleaner. :)
On top of moving day, I had three different events/parties to attend. Busy busy weekend!
First: a wine party hosted by Miss Ashley. It was really fun and a great concept. We all were asked to bring our favorite bottle of wine for under $10, and once we got there, Ashely covered up the label and we all marked whether we liked or did not like it. Once the bottle was gone, the name was revealed. Unfortunately, I don't remember the names of the wines, but it was fun to try new ones! I DO remember that I loved Rachael's sparkling red...I need the name of it so I can purchase it again. A great summer drink!
Friday was a low-key celebration for Val's birthday. We were going to go to a show at Gorilla Tango, but we were all beat from the week. Val, we'll go to that show and have a birthday re-deux soon.
Saturday was Rachael's birthday celebration. Now, whenever I go out with a group that includes Rachael, I can usually expect to be out until the wee hours. Like 4am. Her 30th was an INSANE night. Definitely one of the best "story" evenings of 2006. This evening, though, I ran out early. I'm kind of bummed that I had to leave, but it was probably for the best...I was ready to crash out at the table. I hope they all had fun! I still need to check to see if there were some crazy stories from that night! I hear that Rach was up until the wee hours again, so I'm sure they all had a great time.
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