2004-06-14 - 11:40 a.m.

Oh HOLY COW.

I am in Barcelona, and I am just about keeled over with joy.

On my first day here (Jim had already been here a day, and was doing an audit when I arrived at the hotel) I napped like a tranquilized horse and then popped awake in time for a shower and a little tapas. We had dinner with Jimīs client and his wife, a lovely place at the Olympic Port, where I had paella. It was quite good. We sampled some little very lightly battered smelt, I think it was, and they were also incredible...very nicely cooked, with a meaty dense texture that is not very common in fried fish.

Previous to that, though, we fed my airline-starved body with a few tapas dishes...an assortment of hams and cheeses that really had me missing the food on the continent. Everything here is so well done. Jim had some of the beer. I fed my dehydrated self a lot of bottled water.

We walked around on the street a little bit and enjoyed the life before heading off to a real dinner.

The next day was probably the most emotional day Iīve had in quite awhile. I know itīs strange to say that about tourism, but you had to see what I saw. I hope to have a link to pictures up soon so you can see what Iīve seen.

We first visited the Casa Mila, which was conceived by Antoni Gaudi. We spent quite awhile in there, admiring it, but of course the best part of the whole building is the terrace, which quite literally took my breath away.

I actually stood there, not able to breathe, and I even shed a few tears at the sheer beauty, force, and unconventionality of the thing. It was stunning.

From there we took our tour bus over to the Sagrada Familia, which was equally amazing. The really breath taking part of it, though, was when my acrophobia reared up during both the ascent (330 steps, over 150 meters up) and the descent and had me shaking and sweating for quite some time. Yikes.

The thing is an absolute work of beauty.

Barcelona is incredible. I would love to be able to spend more time here, and could really get used to the lifestyle. We breakfast leisurely, of course, eat lunch at two, have dinner at nine...wonderful.

Of course I know this isnīt exactly reality. Of course I know there are working people here. But even the working people seem calmer, less hurried, more apt to enjoy life and its brevity, or maybe because of its brevity.

But today, as I type and wait for Jim to finish working so that we can explore the Rambla, Barcelonaīs walking district, and I am struck and reminded by Eliza Doolittleīs most fervent wish: "I want to be a shopgirl, in a flowershop."

Simplicity has so many virtues that are overlooked.

 

 

previous - next - archives - contact me