Tuesday, August 16

How loud can they belt that thing?

I'm sitting in the "coffee bar" on board ship. Really it's just a side area near the main lobby. There is the world's most mediocre jazz band lounging it up about 20 feet below me, though of course it feels like they're playing from inside my brain.

All that aside, it's been an awesome trip so far. I was up for 24 straight hours from Sunday morning until my head finally hit the pillow in Barcelona Monday night. In between I went from eating Weber's burgers in the airport to $100/kilo aged ham in a Barcelona tavern. They do not mess around with the leg of the pig here. Barcelona has two main things; insanely detailed physical surroundings, and that Ham.

It's really more like prosciutto, or at least the best prosciutto ever made in any case. I had three meals in Barcelona, Dinner, Breakfast and Lunch. The ham was consumed at all three.

We conked out after dinner on Monday (I was so tired that I have no actual memory of putting Max to bed) and then I managed a basically uninterrupted night of catch up sleep that left me mostly refreshed and ready to go for today. After a really nice hotel buffet breakfast (our hotel was classically euro, very small but so elegantly appointed and with the most brilliant use of materials throughout) we were picked up for a guided tour of Barcelona. This turned out to be a typical "from the bus" tour, with a far too quick look at the city, a quick stop at La Segreda Familia (it really is quite unbelievable) and then we were deposited at our ship.

We checked in, got everything where it was supposed to be, and ran back for a last look at Barcelona. This time we did it the right way, on foot. started at the foot of the Ramblas, walked along until a sidewalk tapas joint called out to us, had a lunch of tapas and limonata, and then proceeded along to explore the street performers, the impromptu pet shop kiosks, and most of all the market. A market to put St. Lawrence to shame, and this even when over half of it was closed because most shopkeepers take holidays in August. Just a brilliant, brilliant day, and the first time we really felt like it was "our kind of trip".

I'd love to post some pictures (I will eventually) but internet on board ship is kind of ridiculous. I'll try to blog it up a few more times, and I'm going to try to find an internet cafe in Rome on Thursday.

I've got to go now, they're starting to play "Misty" and I'm a sucker for horn and banjo arrangements.


:)

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