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?