Barcelona
It's
early in the morning at this very quiet and calm Barcelona Airport;
just had a Croissant Paris and a Cafe Con Leche, the best breakfast
I've had in weeks. It's not that the food at the hotels or on board
the boat were not good; on the contrary, the sumptuous buffets were
filled with everything you could imagine. It's just that the perfect
breakfast for me is strong European coffee with hot milk and a warm
flaky pastry...which is why I do well living in Italy. Except for,
perhaps, eating dinner a bit later than I would normally, the eating
style of the Italians meshes well with mine.
My
last day in Barcelona yesterday could not have been better. Beginning
with a walk through the market place, possibly the best I've ever
seen. Whether produce, meat, poultry, fish, breads and pastries, or
snacks, the food was clean, fresh, and displayed with “military
precision.” It must take hours just for the set-up and I hope that
my pictures rightfully captured some of it.
Leaving
the market, I wandered through the “Gothic Area” of Barcelona;
this oldest part of the city with its narrow streets and alleyways
hearkens back to a time long ago when fast cars and processed foods
could not have been imagined. Yes, I did see Starbucks, McDonald's,
and KFC on the wide tree-lined boulevards of the city, but I just
turned the other way.
Time
for lunch and I found myself at the same tapas bar I had eaten at the
day before. Yesterday's meal was a slice of prosciutto on a crunchy
roll and a small bottle of Cava (Spanish sparkling white wine.)
Enjoying my meal, who should I meet but Steve and Marcia from
Portland who, along with a couple of friends, had just gotten off the
Holland America and were in town for three days. I told them about
some of the things I had done, although they had been here before and
probably knew the city better than I did. This is one of the reasons
why I love to travel; you never know where you'll be when you find
yourself in a conversation with someone you never would have met
otherwise.
After
lunch I walked some more and then just had to have a coffee ice cream
cone at Farggi; creamy and rich, it was an ice cream lover's taste of
paradise. Decided to try the metro which was an easy way to get back
to the neighborhood near the hotel and then it was time to finish
packing, try out the hotel swimming pool, and get ready for the
group's farewell dinner. The food and wine were lovely (crème brulee
for dessert) and then it was a lot of good-byes and wishing my travel
companions a safe trip home.
As
for me....tonight I'll be sleeping in my “own” bed in Assisi in
the charming apartment I rent when I'm there. I can fully unpack, and
then tomorrow, I'll do a couple of loads of laundry and go to the
mercato. Life is good...
TAPAS
& BEER
Gran
Via Corts Catalanes, 640
08007
Barcelona
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