Stream of Consciousness

There is so much to see/experience here in Barcelona that doesn’t fall into a logical topic heading.   As such I’ve decided to share all of the random things that, for better or worse, have caught my attention.  Being so early in the trip, I’m positive there’ll be updates to come. 

Laundry –

After all these years, the process of washing and drying clothes still makes me laugh.  While I fought with my parents when I was younger to have the privilege of having my clothes dried in the dryer, there is no such option here.  My clothes are washed in the a small and while water efficient likely an energy inefficient washing machine (which has been washing one load for over 1.5 hours now) then hung to dry on a make shift contraption.  On a very positive note though, my first use of towels after washing also aids in exfoliation thus, I'm convinced, making my skin look even more radiant! 

(Washing machine in the apartment)

(Laundry lines outside of window and picture of other's laundry.  Is that an air-conditioning unit???)

Trash –

It wasn’t until I rented this apartment that it dawned on me that I have no idea how trash is disposed of.  I know this seem like a ridiculous concept however even my first few days here were wrought with what to do with my ever-accumulating trash.  Until that is it dawned on me what all these large bins on every street are for.  They don’t have trash shoots, trash rooms or curbside pick up.  You have to separate your trash and deposit in the bins as you see below.   I’m still trying to determine if I think this is the weirdest or greatest idea ever.   I mean it really forces you to manage your trash daily (avoiding odor from days of laziness) and keeps critters away from dwellings.   On the other hand, there are these large bins everywhere not exactly blending in with their surroundings and you see people rummaging through them daily.  I’ll let you know if I ever come to a conclusion. 

(Trash bins on street)

Groceries –

The grocery stores here are very small and often you need to go to more than one shop to get everything you want.  For instance, I can buy cereal, yogurt, toilet paper and certain soaps/shampoos at the grocery store near the apartment.  If however I want to buy sunblock I need to either go to a bigger store (el corte ingles) or a pharmacy.  If I want to buy fruits and veggies it’s wiser to go to a stand/store which sells just that – it yields much larger selections and the food is beyond fresh.  And then there’s bread.  I swear the bread here has crack as one of the ingredients.  I RARELY eat bread in the states but here I can house half a loaf in the first day alone.   There is just something about how fresh the bread is (baked daily), it's crusty and just overall a gift from the heavens.  With all of this I have to say this is probably why Americans are struggling with obesity; our food is processed to death and then filled with salt and preservatives.  Before I left for Spain I was definitely in a food slump – nothing tasted good to me and I craved nothing.  Here you can smell the aroma of the fresh tomato before you even slice into it and when added to a piece of freshly baked bread…. There are no words to describe it, just take my word for it, it’s awesome. 

(Freshly baked bread which I rationalized immediately eating some so it'd fit in the bag (thus preserving freshness).  Ha)

(Fresh tomato, unwaxed and delicious!)

(Everyone say "Manchego"!)

(Grocery store where I shop)

(Where I buy my fresh fruits and vegetables) 

Motos –

I personally will never own a motorcycle and while they may be fun for a leisurely Sunday drive (not on a major highway) – I just have no desire to ever own or be on one.  HOWEVER, the motos here just look like so much damn fun!  Everyone owns one; old, young, student, professional, men in suits, women in dresses.  It is not demographically specific and when you see them all lined up at a red light like they’re lined up a the starting line of a race, I want to cheer them all on.  Of course this is very different than in the US where cars rule and pedestrians on foot or on anything less than 4 wheels need to beware.  Here there are a lot of cars but for the price of gas (compared to the cost of everything else here) and the sheer number of spots to park, it just makes sense to own one of these.  Hell, you can park it on the sidewalk! 

(And they're off!) 

Yoga –

As many of you may be aware, Yoga is a big part of my life and I recently completed my 200-hour certification in hatha yoga (vinyasa specifically).   I was able to locate a studio near my apartment in Barcelona and have attended two classes… in Spanish.    First I have to say while everyone has their own view/opinion regarding yoga, one thing that cannot be disputed is the community or bond that comes from being part of this.  While I struggled to explain that I wanted to take a class and that I was very familiar with yoga, everyone has been so nice and very welcoming to me even switching briefly to English when I’m really confused.  The classes are amazing and a great way for me to practice Spanish 1.5 hours a day while getting some exercise!  Unfortunately, I found the one studio that was just sold and there’s ambiguity around how it’ll be run under the new owners.  As August is a vacation month for most Europeans, they’re not even sure they’ll have classes (or when/style) so I will be forced to find a new yoga studio further away.  At least I’ll know a few more words by that point and won’t be staring too intently at everyone else trying to figure out what’s next. 

Traffic Signs –

Not much to say here – but is this in English?   I’m still reeling over the fact that most, if not all, music here is in English (unedited versions no less.  I have to say though that listening to “my humps” by the Black Eyed Peas while grocery shopping is quite fun) and that half of all tv channels are in English but traffic signs? 

Todos las cosas son divertidos

Thus far I think I have covered a large portion of “sights to see” in Barcelona, simply by wandering around Old Town.    Of course I haven’t seen anything in any real detail and will need to go back and explore more during the duration of my time here.   I did however have a few “must do” items, which I wanted to get accomplished in my first few days, including find the water (port and/or sea) and locate a Yoga studio.

Port Vell

Port Vell lies at the bottom of Las Ramblas, one of the most famous avenues in Barcelona.  There is a swing bridge that allows vessels to pass through and multiple pedestrian bridges that allow visitors to cross over to numerous restaurants and Europe’s largest aquarium (a site I’m saving for a rainy day).  Currently in the Port is a replica of The Galleon the history and specs for which are included below. 

Also near the port is the Monument a Colom, which was designed by Gaietà Buiga for the 1888 Universal Exhibition.  It marks the spot where Columbus stepped ashore in 1493 after discovering America (bringing with him six Caribbean Indians).  Note that Columbus is pointing out to sea. 

(base of monument)

The Mediterranean Sea

Since my very first experience with the Mediterranean Sea (back in 2001), I have loved this body of water.  I’m not sure why but I’m instantly happy every time I’m near it; you can imagine how happy I was to find this and to FINALLY stick my feet into the water! Now that I know where how to get to it (vs just walking around the Port) and the subway to take, I’ll undoubtedly be spending a lot of time here.  Of course as you can see – so will half of the world that’s currently on vacation.

  

(I hope the video comes thru ok)

Las Ramblas

Las Ramblas comes from the Arabic ramla, meaning the dried-up bed of seasonal rivier.   The river beds have been filled in but are remembered by the five Ramblas that make up the avenue (Rambla De Santa Monica, Rambla Dels Caputxins, Rambla De Sant Josep, Rambla Dels Estudis and Rambla De Canaletes) with Port Vell and Plaça de Catalunya at either end of the avenue. 

(Plaça de Catalunya)

As mentioned in the beginning, this is one of the most famous areas of Barcelona – for good reason.  There are shops galore, delicious varieties of food and of course “specialty shops”.   I’ll just post the pictures and leave it at that.  (No, I have no stores to tell regarding these….. yet)

One place in particular that I was really interested in walking around was Marcat St Josep La Boqueria, a large fresh food market.  If you’ve never been to a market where fresh food (fruits, veggies, meat, fish) is sold – you have got to go.  There is nothing like ordering something so fresh that they filet it up right in front of you (i.e. fish) so that you can bring it home to cook.   These people are pros – drop cloths and all to protect themselves from flying parts!  And I’ve never seen a completely plucked chicken with its head still attached.

 

Barceló Sants – The Train Station

  

I was able to achieve minimal redemption with my Vodaphone/English experience here by attempting to start the conversation at the information desk in Spanish.  The guy gave me a "wtf are you saying" face but he was a good sport.  We were able to answer most of my questions in a mixture of Spanish and English and eventually I will be attempting to book travel on the train.   At least this is a picture of the station – which took me days to find only because I found the subway entrance first, which is on a street without a direct view to the (obviously) large train station. 

Yoga

Well I finally found the place but it being Sunday and all it was closed so we’ll see if I can actually make it to a class this week.

A friendly (street) reminder

Look both ways before crossing the street!

Braveheart

Today was quite a day a day!  It is my 4th day in Spain – thus far very interesting in that I am on the Spanish schedule sans the Spanish life.  I have managed to get on a schedule of staying up until 2am, sleeping in until 10 while incorporating a 2-3 hour siesta somewhere in between.   I’ll post more later on what I’ve seen/done thus far, but as for today -

The only consistent thing I’ve done over the last 4 days is search for internet.  In this year (2012) internet seems like a complete necessity in life but is still hard to come by if you’re not betrothed to a wireless provider (a fact I am completely aware of now).    I have, unfortunately located approximately 10 Starbucks in this city – a fact I am not proud of.  I think what’s more sad about that statement is the number of locals which jam pack these places vs. the local, more intimate, establishments. 

I’d like to stress that my time away is not to be connected 24/7.  What is necessary though is booking the rest of my time away.   Its funny though; I spent all this time preparing to get into Spain – booking an exit ticket, writing up details regarding the apartment rental agreement, gathering support proving I wouldn’t be a burden on society only to have the immigration guard make a wise crack about some movie as I passed by.  In short – its not all that complicated outside of the US.   

However, I would like to continue the journey and find the internet a great resource.  Thus while all great efforts were made to procure internet service prior to departure, Verizon in all of its bureaucratic glory managed to provide zero (zippy) support.  As such I was forced to seek out other alternatives here locally.  I’m not saying this wasn’t ever an option, but you figure if you have service in the US they should be able to aid as you wander the world.  Nope.   A Starbucks every mile but no global wifi internet service (even Starbucks provides internet).  Way to go, Verizon.  

So today after a late start (I believe I made it out the apartment by 1pm with a wake-up time of mere hours beforehand) I began the journey of finding an alternative to pacing outside of restaurants or ordering my 100th cup of coffee from Starbucks.  Alas – 2 hours and a walk including a not so “touristy” part of town, I found Vodaphone.  Ahhhhhhh (angel’s singing).  I stood outside for a good five minutes practicing what I was going to say:  “Yo necessito wifi para mi computador”  No idea if this is even correct, but what finally did come out was “habla usted español….. er…. ingles”?  What a looser. 

After 30 minutes I left with a prepaid wireless card for a price substantially less than could be obtained in the US.   Score!  I’m so on my way to being a normal human that can book travel at night and sightsee during the day.  Until that is I get home and realize that all instructions are in Spanish.  No problem, I’ve managed to decipher from El Pais (the national newspaper) that Nadel is out of Olympics because of a busted rotator cuff (ok he’s out but that’s not why).  1.5 hours later – nada.  

So back down the stairway (that does not lead to heaven) to Vodaphone – Mac in hand.  This time I do not practice my speech but walk in immediately saying “habla usted español….. er… ingles?”.  When I get a “little” I proceed to repeat “no funtiona” as if I was Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man.  I believe there were more incorrect words muttered (probably something about sitting and wanting to buy something in the future)….. I can’t imagine why this kid decided to pass me off. 

Once finally called to tech support (and sputtering out “habla usted ingles”) I was informed that I had just a mere 5 Euros remaining on my account and would need to replenish the prepaid account.  But how, I inquired, I just purchased this and the damn device doesn’t work!  2 hours later it was determined that the wrong software was installed (by Vodaphone); finally I had internet.  I may in the future have my “used” Euros refunded as well.  Where they went… well that just didn’t make it through translation.

As a reward for having the guts to procure internet in English, I decided to have dinner accompanied by vino.  At 9pm local time, I dined alone, in the company of the only two (old, white haired male) patrons in the entire establishment, who I may add were not eating.  While this is late by US standards, this is “blue hair” dining here.  To add insult to injury my waiter refused to even acknowledge my futile attempts of ordering in Spanish, speaking only to me in English. 

With all hope of trying not to stick out like a “typical American” gone, I threw caution to the wind and enjoyed my pizza and multiple glasses of vino tinto.  I then promptly wobbled home. 

More fun stories to come, I promise….just gathering facts on what I’ve seen so I can share (in an educated manner). 

In the mean time I leave you with this golden nugget:

If you can’t figure out how to open a garbage can… just ask – someone will help while laughing with you. 

Hola, Barcelona! Estoy aqui

After far too long I have finally returned to Spain!  While my last time here was spent primarily in the south of Spain, it took no time to feel completely at home here in Barcelona.

Leading up to this point was filled with many, many tears and long “see ya laters” but the entire trip here went well.  Having booked my trip coincidently at the same time NYC decided to do construction on the GWB (and NJ on any road leading into the city just to add insult to injury) the trip to the airport seemed like a herculean effort.   Rapidly closing in on the 2 hours before take off it seemed almost certain I was going to miss my flight.  Fortunately, and surprisingly, once in the airport – check in and security lines were so efficient that I actually had time to grab a beer and food!    Thank you Aer Lingus (I recommend this airline, especially internationally, to all) and especially thank you for having a power source right by my feet so that I could charge all my electronics.  Look – it was a big step to do this trip in the first place…. Giving up all technology/electronics cold turkey would be too much of a shock to the system.

Arriving into Dublin 45 minutes early (yes, early) clearing immigration was again surprisingly quick/efficient, but then I think at 4am we were the first plane to land.  I was able to enjoy the free wifi and test out the ol’ skype to alert all that I had arrived safely.  Like every trip I take though, there was no need to tell my Mom that- she tracks me online every time and probably knew we were landing before I did.  : )

A short regional flight later, I arrived in Barcelona.  While all intentions were to take the train to the apartment I’m renting – oddly I was unable to find it.   Signs were in English and Spanish but no matter where the signs pointed, it just led me to outside with no train station in sight, so I hopped in a cab.  To this point, approximately less than 1 hours time had passed since landing and I feel like I spoke more Spanish than I had in the almost 6 months I had studied here (back in 2001).  Thankfully I arrived safely and don’t believe I cursed or said anything about sacrificing goats to the driver or if I did, he let it go.

Upon exiting the cab to enter my apartment building I run into my first “blonde” Spain moment.  I can’t open the front door and no matter how I try, the key is not letting me in.   A man was exiting (and I believe laughing from the inside prior to opening the door) and sputtered something quickly to me (in Spanish?  Maybe Catalan?) as I embarrassingly walked toward the stairs.

Now understand, I am staying in a mid-rise building and notice that there’s a typical (aka creepily small) European elevator for which, you guessed it, I can’t figure out how to work.  Seemingly out of options, I SHLEP my bags up to the apartment.  If anyone had seen me, CPR would have definitely needed to be administered.  But alas, I made it and even got the key to work!

After getting settled and straighten up from 10+hours of travel and x-game style stair climbing, I headed out to see what was around.  Ok that’s a lie – I was searching for Internet.  I found it at a restaurant run by Asian men who spoke (I’ll say Chinese but I don’t really know) and Spanish fluently.  They also knew enough words to speak to me in English though I quickly answered in my most “gringa” Spanish.  Not sure we really accomplished much in either language but Operation Internet was a success. 

Inherent in leaving is returning, thus I would have to once again attempt getting back into the apartment building….. but who would win, me or the keys?  Happy to report I won as I realized I had the keys upside down.   Ah the small victories in life!

So while the remainder of my first day has been filled with aimless wandering lacking excitement to write of, I have successfully found a grocery store, internet AND a great running/bike path.   If I can successfully find the yoga studio this week and maybe even the train station – I think I’ll be set! 

Now back to Law and Order: CSI in…. Spanish?  Catalan?  Guess it doesn’t matter as there’s no way I’d be able to successfully follow this show in any language other than English.   Maybe I should just stick to cartoons…….

The Impetus for Change

First let me start by saying that all of you that know me realize that this heading could have easily have read “The impotence for change” but rest assured I am devoted to spell and synonym checking for all words over two syllables for this blog.   This adventure is neither lacking desire nor ability to take action.

So briefly why I’ve decided to leave my job and DC – for years I’ve moved from state to state in the quest for the next step in my career.  DC to Knoxville, TN to Chicago, IL then back to DC – all this in just under 2.5 years.   The locations and titles changed but professionally things stalled.    And so, I’m taking time to contemplate what it is I want. 

Though let’s be serious, I’ll probably push off any adult decisions while on my trip but I’m ok with that.  

So here’s what’s happened thus far:

Stop #1 – Mountainhome, Pennsylvania:

On July 2, 2012 I officially moved out of Washington, DC and headed north for Pennsylvania.  To be specific, I moved back in with my parents who live in Mountainhome, PA for the 15 days prior to my international departure.  I bring this up only to illustrate the difference between living on a busy street in DC (nightly serenades from drunk bar patrons) to a town called Mountainhome (nightly fears of crickets and wild animal attacks). 

To date my time here has been filled with hanging out and enjoying time with my family; especially my two young nieces.  I believe the neighbors enjoy my being back as well as I spend approximately 6 hours a day chasing kids around the yard, swinging on an swing way too small for me and today playing a game that required “crazy dancing” every time you won.   I can confidently say one thing I hope to get from the international leg of this trip is dance lessons and if I'm lucky, rhythm.  

The rest of the days are spent trying to recover (damn, kids are exhausting) and frantically trying to wrap up loose ends before leaving.  I wonder – how did I ever get anything done while working?