Rome/Barcelona Anniversary Trip Journal

As of October 18, 2007, Steve and I will have been married 20 years. We were trying to figure what kind of anniversary trip to take when we went to last year’s Kids Auction (benefiting the Boys and Girls Club; we’ve gone every year for nearly as long as we’ve been married). One of the items in the live auction was a Windstar Cruise and we both said, “Sounds good!” Steve was the highest bidder, and when we walked out of the auction we were all set.

Not exactly ALL set…we still had to decide which cruise to take, what else we wanted to do, where we should stay before and after the cruise, and how to get there.

After all the planning, here’s how it went. If you want to know more about our “adventures,” please read on…

September 6, 2007

We’re in our hotel, the Westin Excelsior Rome, THIRTY-FIVE HOURS after a Shuttle Express driver knocked on our front door at 6am.

The trip became a 35-hour trip (instead of a 24-hour trip) because we got stuck in Madrid. Once we landed in Madrid we saw on the monitor our flight to Rome was “CANCELAR.” You don’t have to speak much Spanish to know that’s bad. The cancellation was caused by a brief (2 hour) random strike by air traffic controllers in Rome.

We found out we’d been re-booked on an alternate flight – AFTER it had already left (we’d missed it because we were busy following the instructions we’d been given – to wait for our luggage, then stand in a long line to re-book our flight). While we were doing all this, our flight left for Rome without us.

Eventually a lovely and sweet Iberian agent named Christina booked us on a flight later that evening, and even gave us vouchers for dinner (and drinks!) while we waited.

It was almost 11:00 pm when we got to the Rome airport. After many hours of travel, we were exhausted…as we waited for our luggage to come off the carousel Steve said “If there is a God, my suitcase will come off FIRST.” It came off SECOND (I swear I heard a chuckle).

We got a taxi, and soon were speeding toward Rome. As our driver swerved between lanes at a breakneck pace, the scenery, and my life, flashed before my eyes. The speed limit was 100K, but Steve peeked at the speedometer and saw our driver doing at least 160 (matching my heart rate). Oh, and there were NO working seat belts in the back seat.

Once we got to the city, our driver slowed down a little as we ran into more traffic (thank goodness). It was great to catch our first view of Rome after dark, with many of the well-lit ruins and monuments interspersed among the other buildings. What a great “appetizer” for the days ahead. The view was breathtaking.

We checked into our hotel, the Westin Excelsior Rome. Our room was very “Italian” looking, ornate and opulent. When I peeked in the bathroom I saw it had a bidet, common in Europe. From my point of view, the bigger problem in Europe is “BO,” (I’d already caught several whiffs), and it occurred to me that bidets would make more sense if they were used for armpits!

We got ready for bed. When I turned on the bathroom light, I blew a fuse…we went to bed in pitch black. We were so tired we barely noticed, and collapsed into our “heavenly bed” (two twins, pushed together and called a King). In moments I was out like a light (that had blown a fuse).

September 7, 2007

First, I called maintenance to fix the blown fuse. Then we arranged transportation with the concierge to Civitavecchia on Sunday. I requested a GOOD driver and a car with WORKING seat belts (fingers crossed).

We’d gotten in very late, and didn’t have a lay of the land around the hotel. To keep things simple, we decided to eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant. It was very good, and we enjoyed it, but if we’d known the price, we would’ve enjoyed it even more carefully. It set us back 84 Euros (almost $110). Yikes.

We walked to the Spanish Steps, where many famous people have hung out. We continued on our trek toward the Vatican, passing an extremely upscale shopping area (Gucci, Prada et al). Some of the stores had menacing-looking guards standing at the entrances (Gee, c’mon in)!

We enjoyed the scenery of Rome – zooming scooters (ridden by men of all ages, and a few brave women), tiny “Smart Cars,” and the buildings – a mix of both ancient and new. The women were fashionable, as were the men – though I didn’t like one trend – men in Capris (not a good look). I got a kick out of the lively cell-phone conversations –the Italians would walk, talk, gesture and smoke – all at once.

We took everything in as we headed to the Vatican on foot, wearing sensible clothes and athletic shoes that screamed, “American tourists!”

The line to the Vatican was long, but moved quickly. My description of the Vatican: impressive, but HUGE. There were MILES of ornate, unending art and sculpture…like nothing else in the world. But, it’s exhausting to look at.

There was art everywhere (it reminded me of Applebees…Applebees advertises portions so generous, they serve plates “without one square inch showing.” That school of thought applies to the Vatican. It is FILLED with art and sculpture, with NOT ONE SURFACE left untouched).

It is all very impressive and…overwhelming.

As I walked through the Vatican, I thought the first art was amazing. The next …beautiful. We saw more…okay, pretty. And still more, yes, attractive. As my feet began to ache, I asked, “How much could there possibly be!?!”

I remembered what I’d read in the Rick Steves guidebook. He’d given tips on enjoying the Vatican. He said, “Don’t be goal-oriented. Don’t follow the crowd, racing to the Sistine Chapel like it’s the finish line.”

I looked at Steve. “Last one to the Sistine Chapel is a rotten egg!”

Call me a shallow tourist…anyway, I have to say, the Sistine Chapel was the highlight of the Vatican. The most famous and special part of the ceiling, Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam,” was beautiful in person. It was fascinating to see “Judgment Day,” painted 25 years later (also by Michelangelo, or “Mike,” as I call him) which had such a different, dark feeling.

Next stop: St Peters, where they denied entrance to anyone wearing shorts or baring their shoulders (there were a lot of shops around selling women’s’ scarves which could be draped over your shoulders).

After we saw the inside of the Basilica Steve described it as being “on the list of 100 things you should do before you die.” (Fortunately I have about 99 left, so I can’t die yet). St Peters was very powerful, and the art incredible, moving, and more understated than the Vatican. Michelangelo’s Pieta was awe-inspiring (too bad it was behind glass because in 1972 a crazy guy tried to hack at it with a hammer). We also saw a list of ALL the popes through history, and one of their bodies (dead, obviously) in a clear tomb. Creepy.

After all that walking, we still had the long walk back to the hotel…Gelato at a little shop along the way (delicioso)… then…feet so tired…the hotel…sweet Siesta.

After our Siesta, the laundry we’d sent in was delivered (yep, we’d already each sent in one shirt. What can I say, we packed light!). The only problem, the shirt I’d sent was missing. While I was taking a post-siesta bath, a woman from the housekeeping showed up to straighten things out. As I lounged in the tub, here’s what I heard through the door:

From the Italian woman: a steady stream of rapid, animated Italian.

From Steve: dumbfounded silence.

Finally Steve called to me, “How do you say “I don’t speak Italian????”

(Good thing I’d studied those phrase books….)

I called back… “Non parlo l’Italiano!”

I got out of the tub to find that she’d mysteriously left with HIS shirt, too. We were puzzled by this, and slightly concerned that I wouldn’t be the only one to “lose my shirt.”

Luckily she returned with both shirts. I, the expert in Italian, graciously thanked her. In Spanish. Oops.

That evening (we started out late because we’d heard they don’t even think of eating before 8pm…and when in Rome…) we strolled through Villa Borghese (I read that it was “Rome’s Central Park”), lovely, the huge park near our hotel. We heard the beginning of a concert (like Andrea Bocelli with accompaniment by Kenny G). Then, to dinner (almost 8:00-…we’re like, really Italian!) al fresco. We had Insalata Caprese (Steve’s new favorite), the best thin crust pizza ever, beer and a late cappuccino. Molto Bene! And only 43 Euros total. Goodnight…

September 8, 2007

For breakfast, we skipped the Westin and found Croissants (the best!) and cappuccinos, which we ate at a sidewalk café nearby. Then a cab to Piazza Venezia to look more closely at a building we’d seen lit up the night before, the imposing Victor Emmanuel II monument (he must have been pretty special). The tomb of the Unknown Soldier was the best part.

Then to the Roman forum, passing the Forum of Augustus on the way to the “main event,” remnants of courts, markets, and other buildings, in ruins but very impressive (how did they build all this using only human and animal strength?). Everything was on a very grand scale.

We climbed up the hill to the Palatine Ruins, the huge stadium (circus) and a great view of the Colosseum (huge).

The walk back to our hotel was most enjoyable. It was so fun to observe the people and buildings that are part of the Italian life. We passed the Presidential buildings, including the longest building I’ve ever seen, several blocks long.

Back on “our street,” Via Veneto, which was very fashionable, dotted with upscale restaurants. We picked one and had a meal that was to be a highlight of the trip. Our waiter was a young man named Marino. We had a lot of laughs together, as his English was so-so, and our Italian bad.

The meal was probably my favorite of the whole trip. Me: Ravioli with spinach and cheese. Steve, Gnocchi with clams. Both: Insalata Caprese and beer.

I loved the meal so much I told Marino, “Fantastico! Impressivo! Super-greato!” (After a couple beers my Italian consists of adding an “o” to any word).

The bill was expensivo – mainly the beer (2 each at 10 Euros apiece!!).

It was time for our daily siesta, and for me, a long bath. Afterward Steve and I checked email in the business center. Then, at 8:00 pm, our evening was just getting started as we acclimated to the Italian schedule. We left for our night on the town, taking a taxi to Piazza Navona before a late-night walk back.

On the way we learned that tonight was “Notte Bianco” – the one night a year everything in Rome stays open all night, and millions of Italians (we heard estimates of between 1 and 2.5 million) flock to the city to walk, eat and shop all night. We had an exceptionally nice (and handsome) taxi driver named Fabio, who filled us in on the way to Piazza Navona. Apparently the first “White Night” was just a few years ago, and at midnight the city had a blackout (what’s with the power around here?).

Fabio told us soon the city would be jammed with people; there would be free concerts and many special events going on. Therefore he was heading home after he dropped us off (party pooper).

When we got to Piazza Navona, it was already filling with people (and vendors selling various junk). I did my best to blend in and look Italian by having a gelato (there are a thousand gelato places in Rome).

We walked to the Pantheon, which rivaled St Peters in awesome-ness (a 10 on a scale of 1-10). It was dark by then and the building was lit inside and out, and as we walked in we heard chamber choir singing accapella for Notte Bianco. The acoustics were perfect, and the voices clear from the moment we entered. I got chills.

Out to the street…more people streaming by. We headed to Trevi Fountain (packed with bodies). Though it was crowded, we were amazed that the crowd (mostly younger than us, natch) was so orderly…no visible drinking (or drunks), shouting, etc. Everybody was very civilized.

We were getting hungry – (10:00pm?) so as we wandered the narrow, cobblestone streets with “the pack,” we looked for a restaurant, and found Al Caminetto, a café with tables along the street. As always, I used my great Italian to ask our waiter: “Come si chiama?” (What is your name?). Sensing Italian wasn’t my first language, the waiter answered, “My name is Manuel.” He took great care of us. We had Inslate Caprese (of course), Pizza and beer over an historic aquaduct as we watched the crowd go by.

Time to wander back toward the hotel. No hurry – a good thing – it was slow going as we walked with the mass of people. There were more great surprises along the way, the best being “light art” on one of the buildings (lights shining to make it look like the historic building was “painted” in fluorescent colors). We also wandered into a church that was open, which was as impressive as the ones in the guidebooks.

Our route to the hotel took us to the Spanish Steps, but they were now impossible to climb because of the wall of people. Neither of us has ever seen that many people in one place, it was one of the coolest sights. We took a detour to the hotel, and I called Teri on my “mobile” to tell her about the happy coincidence of landing in Rome on Notte Bianco.

Back at the hotel at 1:30 am… I leaned out the window to take one last look at the unforgettable sight of the people streaming by…and listen to the loud din of the festivities…then closed the window. Surprisingly…there was complete silence. I guess Italian builders work harder on soundproofing than the wiring. Goodnight…

September 9, 2007

Breakfast -- Croissants and Cappuccino (al fresco) at the café down the street (even better, only 11 Euros!).

The driver we’d arranged through the concierge arrived, and we discovered his fee to take us to Civitavecchia was 220 Euros (oops, we forgot to ask how much)! His name was Giovanni, and he drove us to meet The Windsurf in his immaculate Mercedes. With seatbelts. I felt safe.

(The ride to Civitavecchi: Expensive. Getting there alive: Priceless.)

We boarded the Windstar, explored the ship and marveled at our cabin very nice, and even though compact, had a place for everything.

One sad note…mostly Americans on board…we missed hearing Italian :(

Then a beer on deck, hors’douevres and, of course, a siesta –how will we ever break that habit???

In the afternoon there was a required safety drill. After multiple announcements to instruct us, the alarm sounded, everyone put on life jackets and went upstairs to find out where to go in case of emergency (the life boats, DUH).

“Women and Children first,” they said. Hmm…just like the Titanic… (I was nervous, but calmed down when I realized the Mediterranean is too warm for any type of iceberg besides lettuce).

Afterward it was time to “embark.” We all went on deck and waved to the other cruise ships (there were a lot of them – 5 on one side and 2 on the other, all huge) as we pulled into the open waters. It was exciting, and the weather was perfect, clear and very warm.

We went “aft” for a drink, and saw someone wearing a “Snoqualmie Ridge” shirt. It turns out he and his wife were not only from Seattle, they live in Federal Way and belong to our golf course, Twin Lakes. Small world! (Their names, Jeff and Shelly, and they were part of the “Northwest Contingent” we’d be dining and hanging out with).

We went back to the top deck, to lounge and enjoy being “at sea” before heading to our cabin to get ready for dinner, doing our best to wear clothes that were “casual yet elegant,” (from the “how to dress” part of the brochure).

We ate in “Degrees,” one of the two restaurants on board. The meal consisted of delicious, gourmet fare (I had Rack of Lamb, Steve had Ling Cod, both equally tasty). All meals came with multiple courses – appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, dessert (we usually picked cheese).

After dinner we checked our emails on the main deck. As we wandered, we met Jeff and Amy, ANOTHER couple from our area (Auburn). Wow!

We stopped by the gift shop and met two lovely young women who worked there – Edit, from Hungary, and Ivana, from Croatia. We ended up chatting with them a lot during the week, and both were charming. They said how lucky they were to have jobs where they could see some of the best scenery in the world. I agree.

Back in our cabin, the bed felt even more comfy than the Westin…and we were rocked by the waves into blissful sleep.

September 10, 2007

We didn’t set our alarms… and woke up at 10:15. We cleaned up and hurried to eat breakfast before they stopped serving (hot breakfast until only 9:30, chilled breakfast buffet until 11:00 on deck). We ate against the backdrop of Amalfi, where we’d anchored at 8:00 am. We needed a break and decided to stay on board, and the ship was fairly empty, except for us lazy stragglers.

We went to the fitness center and met Ciane (pr See-YAWN-ay) the Brazilian fitness trainer. She was very cute and seemed nice…little did we know that was a disguise, and she was planning to torture us. She told us to be sure to come back for personalized “training” sessions, and we agreed to see her later.

Back to the cabin as we sailed to Sorrento, and got ready for Pompeii, the only “excursion” we’d booked. We took a “tender” (small boat) to shore in Sorrento, then a small bus up the hill to a bigger bus (the big bus was too big to fit on the narrow roads down to the port). The big bus took us to Pompeii.

The ride was spectacular, with views overlooking the Mediterranean. Our guide, Febrezio, narrated on the way…one thing that interested us was the way crops were planted right next to the narrow roads. Febrezio told us that the soil is so rich, multiple crops can be planted together, with the tops (olives, grapes, etc) “layered” with wooden supports.

We went through several areas where we marveled at how our driver, Vincente, navigated all the traffic (including harrowing intersections where the various vehicles seemed to play “chicken.”)

On to Pompeii…the city that was buried in AD 79 by an eruption of ash by Mt Vesuvius. The city was only discovered relatively recently (1600’s) and was excavated starting in the 1700’s – the process of unveiling continues today.

Pompeii had been a bustling city, with chariots, shops, restaurants, residences (we toured one whose owner was very wealthy), brothels (complete with pornographic art that survives today), and public baths (to use after the brothels?). Febrezio, who had two art degrees, one a PHD in art history, made the trip fascinating.

The tour included a plethora of phallic symbols, Febrezio joked that we were viewing the “Penises of Pompeii.” He explained that they weren’t sexual, but represented fertility. We saw penis symbols everywhere, in paintings, drawings and sticking out from buildings. After all this time they still “stand” for fertility (literally).

A long trip back – the big bus, the small bus, the small boat…and finally the big ship.

For dinner we joined another couple – Shelly (Sheldon) and Linda. We had a great dinner, and some good laughs. Sheldon is a rheumatologist (Steve made him laugh when he asked if he keeps rumors from spreading). They’d met just three weeks before! Both are widowed (she’s 62 and he’s 72) and they met on the Internet.

September 11, 2007

A relaxing day…we arrived at the island of Capri, and after our Pompeii tour, we decided to be lazy once again, and stay on board.

After breakfast Steve and I both met with Ciane, the Brazilian fitness sadist, for “Metabolism Analysis” appointments. Ciane put monitors on our skin, and a hokey little machine printed out the results…basically we were both dehydrated, our systems were acidic, we were bloated, etc…

The good news: she had pills to cure all of the above and ENERGIZE our systems. For only $300 each, we bought a complete set of “De-Tox” pills. What can I say, we were caught up in the moment…I guess you could say Ciane “toxed” us into the pills.

(Okay, one pun, sorry).

We weren’t feeling energized yet, so we back to the cabin to nap (you might think we were lazy since we napped every day…but we DID have to stay up late. We called Kelly every day after she got home from school, 1:00 a.m. our time).

After lunch we hung out on deck and read, then moved “aft” to watch as we sailed from port. They played “Hymn for Red October” (from the movie) as we sailed. The view was fabulous, plus the daily afternoon spread of food was laid out (yes, I sampled).

We tore ourselves away to go to our next training appointments with Ciane. She showed us both how to work out to build muscle as we begged for mercy. She pushed us until we felt like we were going to puke, for our own benefits (ha).

That night we went to the Captains Champagne reception, where we met up with the “Seattle Contingent,” led by our unofficial social director, Amy. We had dinner with Jeff and Amy, Jeff and Shelly, Mike and Johna, and Canadians Balvis and Jody, who are from Toronto. Dinner was fun with lots of laughs. Afterward, some of us headed to the small casino for Blackjack. I started with $100, played for an hour and ended up with $108. Cool!
Then we checked email and called Kelly…who gushed about all the “Coach” goodies Karen brought her.

September 12, 2007

Today was a day at sea, so we could do nothing and not even feel guilty. We slept in then ate breakfast and enjoyed the scenery while we waited for our next fitness treatment, the “capsule.” I thought it was another pill but Ciane told us it was a pod-shaped thing you lay in, with a combination of vibration/heat/aromatherapy (I couldn’t smell because I had a cold)… much more fun that the workouts. Steve and I took turns, and we stopped hating Ciane (I’m kidding of course, she was very sweet and funny, we had fun teasing her).

Meanwhile, there was a galley tour going on, and an elderly woman fell and got hurt. Bad for her, good for us because we made a special stop (in Bonifacio) so she could be taken to a hospital…the view of this city on the southern tip of Corsica was one of the most spectacular of the trip. Docking there for a while was an unexpected treat.

Dinner with “the gang,” and I had the best veggie lasagna ever. Steve had both steak and veal because he couldn’t choose. But he didn’t expect full portions of each. Oink!

Then more Blackjack…where I worked my $108 to $115. Woohoo! Time to turn in those chips....

September 13, 2007

Had a 10:30 “Core” workout with Ciane while Steve slept in (she kept asking if Steve was still her “enemy”).

I was anxious to get in shape, since my 30-year high school reunion is coming right up (in October).

We were now docked at Mehon, on the island of Menorca where we were stopping late that morning. As we went ashore an ambulance carried ANOTHER passenger away! That made two casualties out of 300 passengers This time it was a man, we heard rumor of a heart attack.

We went ashore with Jeff and Shelly to have lunch and look around. The lunch was okay but not great…the Spanish food it was a little harder to get used to than Italian. And we were eating outside (of course), surrounded by very bold, annoying flies…you couldn’t brush them off. Yuck.

We did have good paella (though the best I’ve ever had is still at Bahama Breeze plus s a cheese assortment and salami…but the highlight was the Gin and Tonic…Jeff and I are both Gin fans and the island is known for their own special gin. The gin dulled my sense of adventure for exploring the town though, which was very cool. Steve and just took a short stroll while Jeff and Shelly shopped, had some gelati and headed back to ship for our siesta.

We got up in time for our departure, and this was another memorable sight. The port was narrow and we had to be escorted by a lead boat. As we exited the harbor, we were surrounded by old military installations.

We watched from the balcony for a long time, we just couldn’t get enough of it. Dinner tonight was just the two of us. Wanting to try everything, I ordered the escargot (hmm…I couldn’t stop thinking of slimy snails) and cucumber soup.

September 14, 2007

Time for my LAST fitness appointment – yea! Still sore from the others.
Today,” we” worked on legs…afterwards climbing the stairs was murder! (There were five flights of stairs on the ship…we were on the bottom level. There are elevators but only WIMPS take them).

Steve was still asleep when I got back, I woke him and we showered and got ready to go ashore. We were docked in Mallorca, and the nearby city of Palma de Mallorca. At this stop we were docked (versus anchoring) but were far from the center of town. We had two options to get to town: bus or taxi.

We were approached by one of the taxi-drivers, waving brochures and offering a tour. We decided to hire him for a two-hour tour. Francisco was the first guide we’d hired on the trip. It turned out to be a great move. The day was sweltering, and we rode through the town in relative comfort…though it was still warm, the car had air conditioning (we later heard horror stories of our fellow passengers taking a bus or taxi into town, and not being able to find a way back, and just about passing out in the heat).

Francisco told us how Mallorca was the “Hot Spot” for rich Europeans, especially Germans (he acted like he wasn’t too happy about the Germans, I’m not sure why).

We saw the Bellver castle (which we could see from a distance on the ship) and a Bullfighting arena. The arena was empty, and Francisco explained that the gate could be unlocked and we could go inside, IF we agreed to look at the Pearl shop across the street. (Hmmm??).

We didn’t need to buy anything, he said, but just look and act interested…so that’s what we did …an interesting arrangement. We were the only ones inside, so we felt special. Francisco told us some people don’t like bullfights when they find out they kill the bull at the end. I’d be one of those people.

We then drove through the very narrow streets of town. There were gates blocking the streets, and you needed an electronic pass to open them. Francisco had one of these passes, so we got to drive through. Many of the residences had gated courtyards we could look into. They were fabulous. Francisco asked several times if we wanted to get out and look around. Looking out from the air-conditioned car, I said NOPE.

Francisco spoke very good English, but said funny things, like “children are problems,” and “Americans love the mountains!”

Back on board, we met up with the Seattle gang for a fun dinner, but I drank champagne, I should’ve known it would give me a headache.

September 15, 2007

Our last real day on board. We went ashore to Tarragona, mainland Spain, with Jody and Balvis. This was another great town with many worthwhile sights: the amphitheater (200 BC) and circus, which in its heyday seated 23,000, mostly watching chariot races. The circus had a network of tunnels underground, which we explored.

There was a festival going on in the town with music, festivities and decorations. They even made Paella for the crowd in a HUGE (10 feet?) wok-looking thing.

We took a break next to a 12th century cathedral where we watched a wedding take place. We had drinks…but they were horrible. The waitress spoke no English so we just guessed and pointed. Mine was a sickeningly sweet orange syrupy concoction, the others ordered a red carbonated bitter drink. All bad to the unaccustomed palate.

The wedding was quite the affair, and the suspense built as the guests waited in the square for the bride and groom to come out. What an experience it must have been to be married in that church. As the bride and groom emerged (very striking) the crowd showered them with rice.

Back on board, we had snacks and cakes (luckily there were no scales on board) then packed up to get off the ship and Barcelona.

We had cocktails with “the gang” for a final time, then a nice dinner with just Balvis and Jody. What a great and interesting couple. They’re both artists, and do amazing work. You should check out their websites.

After dark we took a last stroll on the deck, enjoying cool air, and the sight of the masts against the starry sky. I will miss it.

September 16, 2007

Woke up at 6:45 so we could shower and dress in time to have breakfast before “disembarking.” It was sad!

We took a taxi to the Hilton Barcelona, Diagonal del Mar, not expecting anything special (based on what I’d seen on the Internet). We were pleasantly surprised. The hotel was ultra-modern and way cool, especially the lobby.

I’d requested an early check-in via email before we’d left home (Seattle)… but it was only 9am…we were delighted to find out we could already get into our room. A huge King (for real) bed, and the room was sleek in design, quite a contrast from the one in Rome, which had been so ornate.

We collapsed and slept for 2 hours, since we’d been up so early. We got up at noon-ish, and needed to get our plan together (as of yet we didn’t have one). Reading our guidebooks, I read that travel guru Rick Steves recommended "Barcelona’s Bus Touristic." It's a double-decker bus that tours the main sights of the city. With an all-day ticket, you can hop-on/hop-off as often as you like.

Steve told me he’s not that type of guy (news to me).

I agreed it would be fun to skip the touristy thing and “do like the locals” and take the Metro, Barcelona’s subway, which we were told is a great system. It was. We had fun figuring out the various lines and getting to and from our destinations.

We got Euros, then bought a “T-10 pass” and headed to our first stop, the Sagrada Familia. This was our first exposure to the architect, Antoni Gaudi, whose famous work is spread over the city. Sagrada Familia is a church that was started in the late 1800’s and won’t be finished for 50 years (Gaudi died in 1926)! Gaudi’s style is extremely unique; filled with rounded shapes, imitating things found in nature. The cathedral had strange-looking formations, like pillars with “berry bowls” on top…I guess these could be called “the fruits of his labor.”

Afterward we headed to our next stop, another Gaudi building called La Padrera, which is a residence he designed. The small museum on top showed examples of the curved branches, skulls, fruit, etc, that inspired his designs.

For lunch we had an “ok” meal, Paella that was like glorified Rice-a-Roni, and a small pizza. We definitely weren’t hitting pay dirt with our Spanish meals! Back to the hotel for a siesta (surprise) then out again about 8pm to head to Las Ramblas, the famous street we’d read so much about in the guidebooks. We took the Metro to the Barri Gotic, and the famous Barcelona Catedral. The square near the cathedral was interesting, with lots of buskers, even an opera singer with a sound system set up.

We were both “on guard” the whole time…we’d heard over and over how this area is the TOP area in the TOP city for pick-pocketing. I held on tight to my small bag (and to Steve). Happily, we didn’t get pick-pocketed.

We wandered down the street…it didn’t impress us compared to what we’d seen before…but we WERE surprised when we ran into Jeff and Shelly, our new friends from the ship. They were talking to other people from the ship, and they told us they’d run into Balvis and Jody earlier in the day and had had lunch with them…again, small world…or city.

We continued down the street, and by now I was getting hungry. We didn’t see anything except very formal (and expensive-looking) restaurants on the main drag. As I got hungrier, we decided to explore the side streets. Steve and I were both hoping for authentic Spanish tapas. First, we saw an Irish Pub. NO. Then, a restaurant with a sign-board advertising tapas. OKAY! Too bad it was named…of all things…”American Soda.” By now I didn’t care what it was called, or whether or not it was great. (It wasn’t).

We took the Metro back to the room, in bed around midnight-ish.

September 17, 2007

Our last day before “hitting the road” for home. For breakfast we ate…at the mall. That’s right, there was a mall right across from our hotel with a Subway, a McDonalds and a Starbucks. Just like home! We avoided all things American and chose Café Roma. Even though it was a “mall” restaurant, we had the best croissants so far, stuffed with ham and cheese. Plus cappuccinos of course, with the accompanying packets of sugar, and our ritual of “watching the sugar sink.”

Then to Placa del Mar on the Metro. Today was Monday so there were lots more “Barcelonans” riding…it was fun to people-watch.

We walked through an upscale neighborhood, admiring the ornate ironwork on the residences (the more upscale the area, the more ironwork). We saw a sign to Park Guell, our first stop (a Gaudi-designed park). The sign said 600 meters, what it didn’t say was…UPHILL. One saving grace, there were several outdoor escalators. I wondered what happens when it rains? On the way up, a little old man had fallen…he was sprawled out with his cane and newspaper…it took BOTH of us to help him up without hurting him…he was dead weight! He thanked us profusely in Spanish, then resumed his SLOW progress up the huge hill.

Finally we got to the park, which had amazing rock and tile structures. The rocks were made of many small bits of rock “glued” together (somehow) and formed into tunnels and pillars..very unusual..again, like nothing I’d seen. But it was tiring, and the day was hot.

Even in the park, the Spanish women wore dresses and nice shoes. It was funny to see people so well-dressed at a park (and even funnier to see more men in Capris).

We saw the famous Gaudi tile Salamander…then walked down the loooong hill. We took the Metro back to the Barri Gotic area, to shop for some gifts to take home.

We were out of Metro passes, and tried to buy them separately…we should’ve bought another T-10, because the one we bought couldn’t be “shared.” I got through the gate, but Steve couldn’t get through – he had to go back and buy another one.

By now we were hungry (again) and found a small café where they spoke absolutely NO English, but the food (pizza and a sandwich that we shared) was fantastic.

We did our shopping at 2 Bis, a funky shop that reminded me of “Fireworks,” then took the metro toward the beach.

I wanted to dip my feet in the Mediterranean (I hadn’t yet) and we were also curious to see if the beach would be topless – it WAS. About half the women were topless, including the young attractive ones, and the older, not-so! We had a beer at a bar that was right on the beach, while two women sat right next to us, maybe in their late 50’s, enjoying a cappuccino. TOPLESS. It was weird.

When we walked the beach, Steve took a couple pics of me (clothed). Then he had me pose and PRETENDED to take a picture of me, but when I looked at the viewer, I saw he’d zoomed past me to the topless BABES.

Back to the hotel to pack, and our final meal was at a restaurant right next to the hotel…we ate tapas and drank beer “al fresco” until a rainstorm chased everyone inside. I’m sure the food was good, but to us it was so different, the ham was very fatty (it was the kind we’d seen in the market, where they shave it right off the pig’s leg). We also had pate, mushrooms, and more, but everything was different than we were used to, and we didn’t care for it. The restaurant, Canas Y Tapas, was a chain. They gave us an English menu that said “Franchise Opportunities.” (maybe it wasn’t that good).

That’s it! The next morning we got up at 3:00 am for the long trip home…we were both EXTREMELY excited to see Kelly. Even though we’d had a great time, we’d missed her a ton (our dogs, too). After flying from Barcelona to Heathrow to JFK to Seattle, it’s GREAT to be home.

If you made it this far, congratulations…and thanks for reading my travel journal!