Mes amis – je suis à Barcelone!

Today is day 6 in Spain! We have seen a lot so far…

The Picasso Museum was first on the list – perfect for two artists traveling together. We had hours before the museum would open and even more hours before our hotel room would be ready – typical for those in-bound morning arrivals from the West – so we left our bags at the hotel, took a cab to the museum area, and we walked!

The need for coffee kicked in, and we found ourselves in a restaurant enjoying a scrumptious breakfast, along with a shot of espresso. Perfecto! It was food we didn’t know we needed!

We wandered into the glorious parc de la Ciutadella, which was lush with palm trees and parrots! A kind gentleman gave us some sunflower seeds and we were told if you held our arm(s) out, you’d soon be hosting half a dozen lovely feathered friends. What a treat!

Picasso was next. Housed in a seemingly ancient building, we were in awe of the venue as well as Pablo’s early work – both in size and talent. He was 14 or 15 when he painted some of these enormous and more traditional oils, and they were EXQUISITE! We wandered into each gallery, seeing his growth (?) and how he worked WAY outside the box. And that’s an understatement if ever you’ve seen a Picasso. And who hasn’t!

What a treat, really, and we had an audio guide, as well.

We forced ourselves to stay awake. No naps, in order to easily transition to the local time.

We had a lunch reservation at the famous “Els 4 gats” nearby – which featured a lot of furniture and decorative art from La Belle Epoch era. Beautiful! However, we were disappointed with the restaurant and its unfriendly staff. Maybe it was a bad day. We laughed when the salmon dish we’d ordered was set down. It was raw, and we didn’t know that was what we’d ordered. lol! What to do? We decided to be brave and indulge! I know a lot of people love it – but we both do not – so that’s why I say “brave.” The sauce and Sangria made it all go down smoothly. Delicious, really, but not our cup of tea.

The chicken dish was unusual, and not so flavorful. Paul and i split every meal, and it is always still too much. Still, we went for dessert! Sadly, their crème brûlée was soupy, and the top tasted smoky and burned, rather than sweet and crackly. Paris has spoiled me, I thought!

(Not to worry – many incredibly delicious Barcelona meals would follow!)

Finally, our hotel was ready. It was 3pm local time, and we’d landed at 6am or thereabouts. I felt fine, but I’d gotten a little sleep on the airplane! My friend Paul had not.

We moved into our hotel room, filled all the shelves and closet space with our personal effects, and headed back out – without daring to make eye contact with the bed!

Where to? The beach!

Did I mention the weather? As I write this (in retrospect), the weather here during this time of year has been sublime. Every. Day.

As an aside, you should know that I was challenged to pack everything into carry-on luggage for this 10-day trip. And if you’ve read my blog, you’ll be laughing about now at the thought of me doing this. But I did it. And I have to say, I did it pretty well. I cannot believe what I was able to squeeze (roll) into my little bag. All my pieces are color-coordinated so I can mix and match it all! and for it being my first time, I’m impressed. If you don’t mind my saying so.

Back to day one.

What a lovely evening! We strolled the lengthy walkway along the sea, and even wandered out onto one jetty/fishing pier. People all around enjoying nothing in particular. The water. The views. Each other.

We decided on a restaurant – outdoor dining is big here, and every seat comes with a view. We indulged in some delicious breads, noshes and Cosmopolitans.

The sun was setting on our long, first day, so we headed back to the hotel, where we enjoyed another glass of Cava before retiring.