7 Vacation Reminders

Finally a true-blue, no-work vacation after 7 years. And it seems I've forgotten a few things about how to do a vacation. So I thought I would jot down some reminders for myself so that next time it doesn't take a few days before I really start enjoying my vacation.

1. Going off the grid is possible and is a lot like exercise: I will argue with myself for a while, but when I finally do it, it feels GREAT and I don't want to stop.
2. Napping is necessary. Napping makes me nice.
3. I don't have to be doing something all day. Doing nothing is something. It's called relaxing.
4. I will get hungry, tired and irritable. And probably all at the same time. More than once. Just get over it!
5. Taking a hot, steaming bath in a gorgeous hotel bathroom is NOT a waste of time. Don't hurry.
6. Hotels are part of the experience. Drinking and people-watching in the lobby is an activity.
7. Sometimes when I order blindly off a foreign menu I get ... surprised with fatty duck liver. There's always dessert.

Of Pigeons, Parrots and Parks

I was out for a walk in our neighborhood in Barcelona when I heard the trademark screeching. And who should I discover competing with the pigeons for some freshly strewn bread? Green parrots! Well, technically they are Monk Parakeets.

This one snatched himself quite a treat. He and a few other parrots sat in the branches chipping away at their meals. We have green parrots in Florida too. My Grandpa was visiting us and we were driving in the car when he spotted a flock of them roosting on the telephone wires. Since then I spot them frequently. They make a loud, horrible screech that sounds like a flock of witches having a fight!

I found myself out at Park Guell (pronounced "gway") on a lovely noon. This is the park designed by Barcelona's famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. It is a large park with steep stairways through all kinds of wonderful plantings. It would have been peaceful except that it was crawling with people. It took a while before I could take the picture without someone in it!

The park was an entity - it had an economy and culture of its own. Buskers played guitar or violin or some other instrument and there were a couple of people dressed as statues. And there were people selling all kinds of trinkets - sunglasses, fans, magnets, scarves - you name it! They were always alert and restless. At a moment's notice they would roll-up their wares and dart off, just before a policeman or police car would go by. Park maintenance happened amid the mayhem. Caves were carved into the stone to accommodate snack bars that fed the masses on the terrace.

I sat and soaked up the park while enjoying the musical ramblings of a guitar player. Breathed deeply to catch all the different scents in the air. Watched people taking photographs, arguing with each other, laughing, kids running and crying. And when I was finished being entertained I got up and put a euro into the guitar case.

And, of course, there were the parrots! I couldn't figure out what people were looking up at. And then I heard and saw them. The green parrots had built extensive nests into the palm trees. They would pop out of the holes and screech at us tourists. Maybe we were too noisy?

Whimsy in Barcelona

We were walking around the Eixample neighborhood and then we stopped walking.

And we stopped walking again and started gawking. Quite the colorful store!

The Mighty Montserrat

We set off early Saturday morning to visit Montserrat. We caught the first train from the station near our apartment. At 9am it was mayhem at the ticket booths! There were staff there to assist and yet still so much confusion. We bought a ticket for the 1-hour train ride, the scenic train up the mountain and the funicular up to the top of the mountain. Whew!

The excitement on the train was electric! So much laughing. People carried bulging backpacks and heavy sacks filled with picnics. They wore winter coats and layers of clothes. Uh-oh. We were dressed for temperature in the 60's. Well, no matter. We were on our way. Remind me not to sit next to the bathroom door, though. 

Once we made it to the fortification with the Basilica we headed straight for the funicular. Can you see how steep the rails are? It was so steep it seemed like it was not possible. It was like a rollercoaster, only the car moved very slowly the whole time.

Rich was the determined instigator for this day trip and I am still impressed that he wanted to go hiking. Well, he may not have ventured quite so far without a bit of encouragement, but here we are. Headed up towards the tippy-top of the mountain! And with the exertion and the sunshine, there was no need for a heavy coat.

 Rich is always quick to offer to take people's picture. He can spot a couple desperately trying to take a selfie from a mile away! We saw this one couple each taking the other's photo and he offered to take a picture of them both. They declined. We trekked on and then sat to rest. They caught up with us and asked if we would take the photo, which we did. Then she offered to take ours. And here we are, tiny against the big rocks of Montserrat! That was when we were fresh, and on an easy walking path...

 

But the trail began an incline and a decision had to be made. There were signs posted with approximate times for each direction. Rich opted to sit it out while I followed the sign for 5 minutes to the top. It pointed to a set of rock stairs leading steeply upward. I love stairs. But maybe not so many and so steep. This picture is the looking down on just one set of stairs I had taken up to the top. Holy rock formation Batman!

When I finally reached the top - it must have taken me at least 15 minutes - I waved to this fine rocky fellow across a valley. It was such a friendly mountain. It is a very popular rock-climbing park and there were men, women and children climbing rocks at every turn! I stopped long enough to catch my breath and in Rich-like fashion, take a photo of three friends who were also triumphantly admiring the view, before I slowly and carefully headed back down again. My thighs may never forgive me...

A Piece of ... Art

It was a beautiful day for a walk so we took ourselves to the art museum just a few minutes from our apartment. Museu nacional d'Art de Catalunya had multiple sets of long, steep stairs up to the front of the museum punctuated by fountains and waterfalls. Thankfully, there were also escalators tucked along the sides because at this point our legs have done more walking than we probably do in a YEAR!

And what's up with creating contemporary statues of naked people with no arms? Really? I fail to comprehend. It's not as though the statue was so delicate and old that the arms broke off. Is it some kind of statement?

This journey actually started a day or two earlier. I had worked all day in my little room in the apartment and Rich had been out all day checking out the markets and wearing his legs out. At the end of the day I was itching to go outside and he was ready to relax. So I took a quick jaunt through the neighborhood on my own. When I saw this pretty tower in the evening sun I was enchanted enough to snap a photo. Then a little further across a large street I sighted the grand entrance to an art museum.

I reported back to Rich and we scheduled to explore. Doesn't the statue above look like she's just overwhelmed by the interest of so many visitors? The museum was a popular place! It was set atop a hill that provided panoramic views of the city below.

Crazy about Culture!

Merriam Webster says it's the beliefs, customs, and ways of life of a particular society. Culture, that is. I can tell you that discovery of the culture here in Barcelona has wreaked havoc with my sleeping!!

For the first few nights I had serious trouble sleeping. I wasn't sure what was happening. Jet lag? New bed? None of that! It was the light from the city. You can see we have these glorious sliding glass doors out to a lovely balcony. That lets in a LOT of light all night long. I woke up one night when the bright sliver of moon became a piercing light exposed by passing cloud cover.

Notice the sheer curtain I've highlighted in the far right box? Who hangs only sheer curtains over big windows? Really?!! But alas, I can now hang my sleeping mask on the rope pulley that controls the heavy shutter that comes down and blocks almost all of the light. Whew!

Turns out that these kinds of shutters are quite common in Europe. I discovered it out of desperation when I was trying to figure out if I could hang the bedspread over the curtain rod!

And that's not the only thing curious about our experiences here...

We've been walking all over the city at various times and often find the stores shuttered, very similar to what you might see in any American city. Sometimes the graffiti is belligerent and sometimes it is obviously a "can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach. But there don't appear to be regular store hours. Maybe they practice siesta? I don't know. It feels random and confusing!

We did read that dinner isn't usually until nine or ten at night (past my bedtime!) so we have avoided that altogether and opted for late lunches, which fits nicely with my work schedule. Most of the restaurants in our neighborhood have pre fixe menus for lunch, so we choose our first and second course and have dessert. Then we have no appetite for dinner so it's a bit of fruit and bread in the evening.

The best bit? They sell small bottles of wine. I have rediscovered the joys of wine paired with cheese, bread, or a sweet treat.

Another thing. Not so many people speak English. Even in the most touristy part of town. So we have to get far out of our comfort zone. Order food blindly. Use hand gestures. Smile and nod. A lot.

It's a good thing Rich knows how to de-bone a fish!

Making friends at Cafe Sabor

The joy is truly in the people! As we left the Picasso Museum we stopped for a coffee at Cafe Sabor. There were three English women sipping their coffees and us. We ordered and then Rich noticed the oversized champagne flute filled with wine corks. The Cork Trick Master came alive!

Our proprietor came to the table and Rich demonstrated the trick. Our host spoke no English, but no matter. Who needs language with the cork trick? The man tried so very hard to do it. He was willing, lively and fun and we were all laughing - including the three ladies who now wanted to know the trick too.

Finally the man mastered the trick with a slight alteration (apparently he suffers from arthritis and used his pinky instead of the middle finger to catch the cork). Triumphant he returned behind the counter. But when the three ladies struggled with the trick, he came out and assisted them!

We left the three women - who were visiting the one woman's son at university - to their day of shopping and we decided to explore. We had many interactions with people today - at the bakery, at a Tapas Bar, in the lobby of our building - and I can't imagine remembering Barcelona without them!

It's Origami! It's a Museum! It's Superman!

So excited on our first day exploring the old city in Barcelona that we headed out early... say 9am or so. Who knew that the city sleeps until 11am? Las Ramblas was full of people, but not so many and the street vendors were just beginning to set up their wares. A man was painting his face and his wings were waiting patiently to join his back.

Do you notice how the pavement appears to be undulated? It is an illusion! It is actually quite flat and easy to walk on.

When it's early morning what is there to do but have coffee? We found ourselves down a tiny dead-end alley with a crowd of people waiting. The museum had yet to open. But look at the beautiful origami in the window and then, wait!, is that Superman atop the museum? I wanted to share with you my discovery as I saw it. In the window. Just as he is about to take off!

Look who carried the cat in!

Today in Barcelona we tackled the Picasso Museum first thing and then we rambled. The old city is full of winding streets that are completely paved - like alleyways. Thankfully there are drainage grates and little, roaming, mobile street washing machines. To clean up after trickling streams and other items that dogs (and humans no doubt as well) leave behind. Peeewww!

And then we happened upon... Rambla del Raval (a paved walkway with an open market); and noon; and a really big, round cat; and tapas; and beer; and kisses!

I amsterdam!

So on our way over to Barcelona from Florida we took a day layover in Amsterdam. We were instructed by our flight attendant, Miriam, that gin was a specialty of the Netherlands and she gave us each a small bottle of gin in a ceramic souvenir house. We must chill the gin first, as it is best when cold!

After dropping our luggage at the hotel we took the shuttle back to the airport and attempted to buy a train ticket at the kiosk and then at the desk. But our credit cards were not welcome there! One must have a chip in the card and have a PIN. Being Americans, we had no such thing. Well, we had a chip, but the only PIN was for a cash withdrawal at ridiculous rates. It became a cash trip.

We eventually navigated into town and made our way to the Rijks Museum. First we made a stop for a cup of coffee amid the bustle. Amsterdam = bikes, right? It was more than that. Bikes people and cars in a cacophony of overdrive activity! There wasn't much in the way of traffic signs and signals and yet everything and everyone moved around mostly gracefully.

There are dedicated bike lanes and pedestrians must beware. I found the entire thing a bit overwhelming at first. The jet lag probably didn't help much. The demarcations between sidewalk, bike lane and street didn't feel terribly distinct. But it was very entertaining from behind a cup of tea!

The Rijks Museum was fully open in all its glory! On our last visit it had been under construction with limited viewing. And geez was it big. By the time we walked there we were about ready to fall over. So we took our time. At one point we sat in front of paintings of a ship and I managed to nod off on the bench for a few minutes...

When we left the museum we decided to do nothing else for the afternoon but people-watch. There was a park across from the museum and it had an "I amsterdam" sculpture. What mad mayhem!

Oh the fashion! Oh the clustering around the cell phone charging station! Oh the posing for cameras!

But it was quite cool and the breeze picked up so we decided to move on. We purchased two sodas from the hot dog stand for a caffeine kick and sought out our next refuge.

I did manage to saunter around the museum gift shop before leaving. It represented both the Rijks and Van Gogh museums.

As we passed by it struck me as remarkable that we had purchased Coca-colas from an "American" hot dog stand with our flag painted boldly on the back.

What else could we do but pose for a selfie in the reflection? Swirled in the jet-lagged confusion of a Van Gogh masterpiece.

The rest of that day is a bit of blur. A terrible meal at a restaurant with incredibly slow service (or was that just the perception of tired travelers?).

A ride on the bus with a crowd of school kids and a conversation with their teacher.

Waiting and waiting for the hotel shuttle.

Tumbling into bed wondering how to wake up on time the next morning.

And then it happened. Morning arrived. Rested. Showered. Packed. On our way!

We were so excited! We walked out of our way so I could climb up on the "I amsterdam" sculpture at the airport. All to myself! Then we checked-in.

Except that they couldn't find us. Turns out we were supposed to fly out .... yesterday! The layover that never was! Our sleepy, jet-lagged motions in Amsterdam a sham!

Use the cell phone to log into the internet in the airport. Dial the airline via Skype. Breathe. Pray the connection doesn't drop. Pay extra. Board the plane. Hooray!