Barcelona

Day 2-4 aug 26 to 28^th

Barcelona

The last 3 days have for the most part been filled with drinking in Barcelona. The city looks a lot better when you are wearing clean pants. I achieved clean pants status at around 7 pm on the 26^th. The day preceding that was mostly filled with wandering around la rambla and the gothic area of the city. It was really beautiful. The buildings are for the most part stone. They have some interesting iron work and some decorative balcony’s and windows. They tend to all be close together and this creates a problem with being able to tell which streets are for walking and which ones are for driving.

Eventually we figured out… they are all for both, you just have to pay attention.

We managed to have sangria for 2 meals today I have no complaints. This stuff is fantastic. For dinner we went to a nice little restaurant where we had tapas and paella. Both were fantastic, Erin had a bit of a problem however when the paella  got there.  It had shrimp in it that still had all the shell attached. So before she would eat them I had to remove the eyes, antenna, legs and heads. Otherwise it was wonderful. However you do spend a lot of time picking out bones and shell bits. I think this makes it a more interactive eating experience…. Or something. Regardless it was tasty.

The following day we rented some bikes and took a trip down to the beach. It was about a half hour bike ride to get to the quiet beach recommended to us by the hostel staff. On the way down to the beach we stopped at a market to pick up some fruit a sandwich, some chorizo sausage and some sangria… yeah they even sell that stuff at the farmers market.  So the beach was a nude beach, , , needless to say there was a lot of wang all over the place it was almost enough to scare a girl gay…. Except there was a lot of saggy boob and naked vag around also… so for the most part I read my book and kept my eyes on the ocean.  Really I felt over dressed… it is an odd experience to feel over dressed in a swimsuit.

The water was amazing however, more or less the perfect temperature to cool you down from the sun with lots of fun waves to play in. we had a good day and got rather sunburnt. After dinner we went on an ice-cream adventure up la rambla we found the jackpot in a small shop called Amarino. Not only was the gelato absolutely fantastic.

They gave it to us shaped like roses.  No seriously roses. Somehow the wizard behind the counter managed to shape salted caramel, raspberry and chocolate gelato into a beautiful flower. Caramel in the middle with raspberry and chocolate petals.  Basically the best food ever.

The last day in Barcelona was spent riding around on bikes once more. We traversed the city trying to find the train station so we would be sure to get to Valencia on time and then sight seeing. The destinations were parc guil and the church that has been under construction for a hundred years. No I am not joking they have been building this for a hundred years and it is still not done.  The park was beautiful and covered in mosaic tiles with benches and buildings, even the occasional performer, Playing classical violin and base in what was designed as a market space. The church was interesting and looked like religion basically threw up all over it. It was a bit much but truly remarkable all the same.

After our bike adventure we went back to the hostel to do laundry and pack our bags. Then off to dinner once more. This night it was more sangria and paella however this night we added an assortment of snacks to the menu. The snacks turned out to be basically stuff on bread. Fried pork, cheese, tomato, anchovies, croquets and hot peppers. The snacks were very nice. The paella was much more tomato filled then previously and had a wider variety of fish in it, though still with shrimp that had all limbs attached. Overall it was a very good meal.

Once again after dinner we ventured to amarinos to get ice cream shaped like roses. Once more we were not disappointed.  We walked down the street watching street performers dressed up like devils, angles, fairies and the occasional headless man. As well there were people break dancing and even a very skilled man with contact balls and a small silver hoop.

Overall Barcelona has treated us well. Off to Valencia next to another beach and new adventures in tomato warfare.

Airport adventure

Day1 |A

Well we have been on our adventure for about 10 hours now and boy has it been exciting. We got all the joy of waiting around in an airport for something to happen. The flight in toronto was delayed by some 2 hours because of a huge thunder and lightning storm. It was very cool and brought to mind the thought of where exactly do you go in an airport when there is a tornado? Yeah I have no idea either.

There  is an interesting phenomenon I observed where people will sit around and wait and complain that they have nothing to do while waiting for a plane. It is interesting because being on a plane is really just sitting around waiting for something to happen in a less comfortable location. Yes I suppose you are making progress at reaching your final destination however when there is so much lightning outside you could read a book by it with the lights off.  you are probably better off in the airport anyhow.

Well eventually we go on the airplane. It was old and cramped but we managed to get the 2 seats on the side of the plane so we got an isle and window seat. Go team! After a really fuzzy safety video and some chattering in pourtchagese we were off.    We got a nap and some food… then something interesting happened some 5 hours after we took off… we landed again. Our 8 hour continuous flight to Lisbon was apparently not what we were expecting. Apparently everybody but us was aware that the flight was landing in purto delgada…. It took us 20 minutes after we got off the, plane asking 2 people and an internet connection to determine this information. Apparently it is a small volcanic island off the coast of Portugal.

Day 1B because all this crap jsut cant fit in one day 

After about an hour of waiting on the tiny island we are off into the air again and have a relatively uneventful flight to Lisbon…  say relatively uneventful because on landing something happened and the pilot I guess missed? Really I have no idea all I know is we touched down bounced once and then took off again… was really strange and kind of unsettling. 

So finally we land and get off the plane in Lisbon finally we are 3 hours late and the best advice offered to us by the flight attendants is to go to the transfer desk. They do not give us any real idea of where that is or what we should do once we get there but direct us this way anyhow.

The mission to re-book our flight begins. Flight to Barcelona was supposed to depart at 14:30 we arrive at 15:30 soo yeah… missed that one.  First step, we talk to the woman at the first transfer desk we see. She says no she can not help us and sends us through passport control into the main terminal. From here we get lost as there are a lot of lines painted on the floor going in a lot of directions. We decide to ask somebody. The surly security woman points us through the baggage security check and upstairs to where she says there will be a transfer desk. So off we go, only to get snarked at by the woman with the scanner that … by the way did you know your flight is already gone… yea, we had noticed.

Onwards through security and to transfer desk number 2. After waiting in line we discover that they cant help us ither, instead we are sent back downstairs past the baggage security and down the stairs by the surly security guard that pointed us the wrong way to begin with.  We are being sent to find the sata airline checkin desk. Down stairs and up stairs and out of the building and then just to the right of the cafe called “Spoon”(it was hot pink).  After some 20 min of walking around we can not find the sata check-in counter. So we ask somebody who tells us that no no we need to talk to a different airline at the customer service desk… so around the corner we go.  After talking to the woman here she gives us the first good directions we have had all day and we find the sata customer service desk… well victory we think here is the desk there are about 8 people in front of us in about  5 groups. This should take no time at all….

…

WRONG.

1.5 hours later we get to talk to the woman behind the counter.  She finally fixes our problem and we are on the next flight to Barcelona… at 20:00. Oh well

20:30 comes and goes and we finally get on the flight. We settle in joking about how we have had enough adventure for at least the rest of the day and there will be some high 5 action once we get off the plane in the right city with all our bags…

At the time of writing this we still haven’t managed our high 5… somehow my bag was left in Lisbon, Erin’s bag made it and we made it and the hostel was easy to find and everything we want of it but somehow my bag has not founds its way to me yet… they promise soon…. Im sceptical.

Off We Go

Well the bags are packed, the visa’s are sorted and the plans have been made. Erin and I  are chomping at the bit and ready to go. Just a few days left and we are off on an adventure. This is going to be a way for you to follow along if you want updates over the next 6 months . The game plan is updated on plane food, updates on delicious or strange food, picture updates of makeup looks from around the world and various stories of shenanigans.

Hope you enjoy the ride with us.