The Start of a Series

Each of my past solo adventures changed me. This trip to Spain also has.

This was my first trip to Europe, not counting stopovers to change planes on the way to somewhere else. I'm glad I focused on just one country. I'm glad I didn't join package tours that spent only one day in each country. I'm glad I took my time; I wish I had more.

I crossed the line between virtuality and physical reality again. That's four SL lovers I have met in person now. Whom I thought they were and how I feel about them is the same in RL as in SL.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Hopefully, next year. Which country? I don't know yet. :)

Till the next adventure, hasta luego. :)

Retracing My Path Northward

Hasta luego, Ecija!

I checked out a little later than I planned. I was hoping to see my friend again to say goodbye in person, but he hadn't responded to my email. So I checked out and paid my bill, then crossed the street to see if he arrived at work but hadn't read email yet.

After reaching the other side of the street, I noticed a man walking out of the parking lot, focused on reading something on his phone. He was crossing the street toward the hotel.

I called out my friend's name and he looked up from his phone and walked toward me. I tried to be cheerful. He wasn't his usual bubbly self. I regretted that I didn't have more time. We crossed the street together and stopped in front of the hotel restaurant where he was going to get breakfast. We said our goodbyes. Then he turned toward the restaurant and I turned toward the bus station, which was still empty when I arrived. Then I cried.

I was there for three nights, but I only saw him for a couple of hours, maybe less. It felt like a wasted chance.

Miguel and Teresa in Madrid

Miguel was one of my classmates in my MBA program. Teresa was with him during the program but I didn't get much chance to get to know her. But I did this time.

They got stuck in futbol traffic on the way to the train station, so the conversation started with the soccer teams. Apparently, there are 3 teams just in Madrid.

We parked somewhere under the Royal Palace and walked through some plazas and small streets and the big marketplace with so many tempting yummies. We stopped at a couple of places for drinks and tapas and a third place for tea.

I found out a lot of things about them -- how they met (horseback riding lessons when she was 11 and he was 12), how she would have lived as a missionary in Africa if it weren't for him, how he proposed (at a McDonalds parking lot), how he mistakenly reserved an expensive nonrefundable room in Duluth, Georgia instead of Duluth, Minnesota for their honeymoon. I saw a picture of their twin boys on the first day of school and a video of their little girl in the potty saying hello to her dad while he was away.

I don't know how the conversation about Second Life started, but it became the main conversation thread. I admitted that the other people I met on this trip were people I met in SL. In the end, they were reading from my book on my tablet and looking at my Dim Sum pictures. Teresa was intrigued, and Miguel is worried about the potential dangers.

Then they dropped me off at my hotel with promises to keep in touch.

Flight back to Barcelona

The hotel room looked nice, but it smelled like urine and the smell was worse in the morning.

I decided to go to the airport to see if I could take an earlier flight. I seriously considered going to see the Museo Del Prado, as Miguel suggested, but I worried that I would lose track of time and miss my flight.

The hotel clerk told me how to take the 101 bus from the nearby plaza and then the free shuttle to Terminal 4. Finding where the buses stopped was the most complicated thing but I had lots of time.

Unfortunately, all the earlier flights to Barcelona were fully booked. So I checked in for my original flight and decided to just wait. The x-ray guy checked both my bags. He seemed to be checking a lot of bags. When he was done with my suitcase, one of my underwear was loose on top. When I packed it, it was rolled up like the rest of my clothes and tucked in. I should have just given it to him as a souvenir.

I had brunch inside at a restaurant called Paul. The bocatillo Iberia was así-así. But the macarones pistachio was heavenly! I should have bought a second one!

I spent the time catching up on my blog and Wolfgang logged in for a short cuddle until it was time for me to board the plane. The plane was almost full but there was an empty seat next to me. I feel asleep soon after the doors closed.

The cab fare to the Barcelona hotel was 28€. I would have been better off staying downtown. It's almost the same fare. I saw the sign to Castelfels but he didn't take it. He said that was going to the playa. I think he took advantage of me. Then I saw an exit sign with the name of my hotel and an arrow turning right. He ignored that too and took the long way around. Next time I take a cab, I'm bringing up Google Maps.

The Mezquita in Cordoba

Even Cordoba has a hop-on-hop-off touristic bus. In fact, they have a big bus and a mini bus for the narrow streets. The tourism counter was at the top of the escalators near the entrance of the train station, so I knew where to go. The saleslady motioned the bus driver to wait for me.

She also sold me a tour of the Mesquita with the entrance fee included, to save 10€. She said to look for the guide with a red umbrella.

Cordoba bus tour

More Cordoba bus tour pictures in Smugmug.

The double decker bus somehow managed to squeeze into some pretty narrow streets. I got off at Stop 1 to catch the mini bus. Stop 1 was across the river from the Mesquita and the Alcazar of Cordoba and there was a very nice view of a tower and the bridges and the river.

Even the mini bus had an audio guide that you could listen to in many languages. You simply changed the channel to your language. But the mini bus driver went over and beyond that. He pointed out a lot more sights that the audio guide didn't mention. Ruins on the right, a hidden church on the left, another plaza with a monument, a beautiful patio with a garden. There was so much to see in the little alleys.

I was sitting in the front across from him, and when he saw that I was talking pictures of some ruins on the right, he reached out and tapped me to get my attention to look at a church on the left.

After the mini bus loop was done, I stayed for two more stops to the Mezquita.

Waiting for the guided tour

Entering the gates, there's a huge courtyard with floors of pebbles cemented like some kind of mosaic. There were orange trees everywhere, irrigated by little canals. Near the ceilings hung old wood panels, which the tour guide later explained to be beams from the old roof. Near the ticket sales, a square pool was fed by four fountains at each corner. At one of its corners was a very old olive tree. A newly wed couple were sitting at the edge of the pool while a photographer pointed his long lenses at them.

The guard at the door wouldn't let me in because I was too early. And he pointed me in the direction of the ticket sales counter on the other side of the courtyard. I understood that I was supposed to wait there. I took some pictures then decided to go back outside.

Freshest Fish in Spain

The restaurant across the little alley looked expensive but was actually reasonable. I opted to sit in the inner patio. There was a nice little fountain among the tables covered with white linen, and there were decorated tiles among the ivy covering the walls.

The left page of the menu was in Spanish and the right side was in English. The waitress must have seen me reading the right side because she spoke to me in English immediately. I ordered half a raccion of paella and half a raccion of fried cod. That was very surprisingly one of the freshest fish I've tasted! And the half a raccion was just a bit smaller than a normal serving. Both dishes were delicious!

With the price, the ambience, and the friendliness of the staff, it was easily the best meal I've had in Spain!

The restaurant is called Bandolero.

La Mezquita

More Mezquita pictures in Smugmug.

Near the appointed hour, I went back near the ticket sales counter and waited. Suddenly, I turned around, and there was the guy with a strange lopsided red umbrella. A couple from Melbourne, Australia had found him before I did and I chatted with them and with our guide Fernando while we waited for other people. Four more joined us, then we were off.

As soon as we entered and I saw the arches, my jaw dropped. Literally.

Similar to the Plaza Reial and La Rambla, the SL version of the Mesquita (which was already awe-inspiring) pales in comparison to the real thing.

Fernando took us around to the different sections and he explained who added it and when. Then we ended near the exit but we didn't go all the way out so that we could stay longer if we wanted. I stayed another hour or so, retracing our steps and taking more pictures.

The place was not as solemn as I thought it would be, because there were so many people as in the cathedrals of Barcelona. I wondered what it would be like at the end of the day when all the crowds have gone. Or even better, before the cathedral was built in the middle.


Somehow, in this trip to Andalusia, I am more attracted to the architecture and the culture of the Moors.

The Alcazar in Seville

I missed the 10:15 bus to Cordoba and the next one was at 16:30, so I decided to go to Seville first.

The bus made several stops but I figured Seville would have a bigger station, not just a bus stop. It was easy to tell when we were close anyway because there were so many people on the street, probably mostly groups of tourists following their guide.

I followed along as they headed toward some park and found a sidewalk vendor selling tickets for the hop-on-hop-off bus! I thought that Seville was too small for something like that!

Anyway, I got a ticket and walked over to the bus stop and another guy tried to sell me a dinner with flamenco entertainment. Unfortunately, I had a late start so I said I'll think about it.

He pointed me to the Alcazar when I decided to take the bus later. The buses would run until 22:00 anyway. He said there was a garden on the other side of the university, which was kitty corner from the bus stop. I could enter through the gardens.

Closed garden

But I guess he didn't know about the filming of Game of Thrones. The entire garden was closed. Thinking the Alcazar was also closed, I figured I'd just go to the cathedral. A narrow street next to the garden was open and I followed some tourists in. There was a guarded gate on the left leading into the garden and a group of groupies hanging out just outside. The guards wore black Game of Thrones t-shirts.

After a few shots of the garden through the bars, I kept walking. The alleys were narrow but full of life. People outside cafes drinking and talking, little stores selling souvenirs and flamenco-inspired clothes, and more tourists taking pictures as they walked along. I did too. Pictures of Seville's alleys and plazas in Smugmug.

Sevilla Cathedral

More Sevilla Cathedral pictures in Smugmug.

I had to ask a shop clerk where the Cathedral was because the alleys went off at angles and I was very lost. She told me what direction it was at and have me two options to get there.

I found the cathedral from behind. There was a monument fountain at the center of the plaza. And lots and lots of calesas. I skirted the side, looking for the entrance and taking pictures. The short street led to another plaza and I took more pictures.

The Alcazar

More Alcazar pictures in Smugmug.

I was only a few yards from the entrance when I noticed a long line of people waiting to get through a medieval gate on the other side of the plaza. I got in line although I wasn't sure what it was for. I figured it was the entrance to the Alcazar, because I read that you can exit the cathedral and the Alcazar would be right there. Luckily, I figured right.

There are parts of the Alcazar that were romantic and beautiful. There were delightful nooks and crannies to sit in, fountains, tiles, sculptures, flowers. There was a large pool where water feel into from a pipe from the roof. On one side was an intricately decorated façade that looked almost like a cathedral and ran down the length of the garden. This was the garden that was closed because of the filming. More guards with the black t-shirts guarding the entrance.

I found another door around the side that most people missed. It led to a large room with very large rugs hanging from the walls. It probably served as a ballroom or a place where the royalty have an audience to whoever visited them. Smaller sitting rooms had large windows that overlooked the forbidden garden. At the far end, there was a chapel. Then another large hall. I was taking more pictures of that second hall when a guard of the castle strode toward me with his forearms gesturing. He said, "Cerrado, cerrado." It was already 17:30.

As they smilingly directed me toward the exit, I realized I was the last one out.

The tour bus

More Sevilla bus tour pictures in Smugmug.

I walked back to the bus stop and did the full tour of the city. Then back to the bus station to head back to Ecija. Since I had time, I had a couple of tapas at the cafeteria at the station -- pork with tomato sauce (which reminded me of a Filipino dish) and spinach with garbanzos (which reminded me of an East Indian dish). And the ubiquitous basket of bread and, of course, Nestea.

Heading South

The Awesome Taxi Driver

The taxi driver who took me to the Puerta Atocha train station was very friendly and spoke animatedly. He was learning English and apologized for not being good at it. I apologized for my Spanish.

When he couldn't translate something, he'd pull out his tablet and use Google Translate. He said he's learning English and his teacher is named Mary. I forget what US state she's from.

Anyway, when we arrived at the station, he shook my hand and called me guapa. (Remember what I said in an earlier post about flirty Spanish men? If this keeps up, my head might be too big to fit in the plane on my way home.)

Puerta Atocha and the Train

The train station was like an airport. They had a security check but they only x-rayed bags. I didn't have to go through a metal detector. They had TV monitors that displayed departures and scheduled times and gate numbers. Unfortunately, they don't display the gate until about 15 minutes before departure, so most people were milling in front of the TV monitors, then they rush to the gate as soon as it is posted.

I grabbed a chocolate pastry and ate it while watching the monitor. I don't care what Europeans think of Americans eating on the go; I would faint if I didn't eat.

It was a fairly big crowd going to the train. I asked a conductor for Coche 3 and it was right there. A gentleman (maybe my age) helped me push my luggage into the overhead rack without skipping a beat in his conversation with his friend. I thanked him but he kept talking to his friend as though helping strange women with their luggage was just something he does routinely, like brushing his teeth absentmindedly. A very young lady with a sweet smile sat next to me; I had to control myself from stopping her from biting her nails. She seemed nervous, the poor thing.

Train to Bus at Cordoba

At Cordoba, I simply followed the way out and crossed the line of taxis and I was in front of the bus station.

After confirming that I didn't need more than the printout I had, I ordered calamares. I thought I was getting tapas, but I ended up with bocadillo (sandwich). Deep fried battered calamari in a French bread roll. Dry. Without mayo or ketchup or olive oil. Well, I was hungry.

The bus driver carefully examined my printout. I don't think he had seen tickets printed from the website before. Another friendly young woman with a warm smile sat next to me.

Ecija Familiarity Thanks to Google

More Ecija pictures in Smugmug.

I knew when we arrived at Ecija because I had seen the street on Google Maps. And I saw a familiar sign on top of a tall building. I was the only one who got off. It looked like the rest of the bus (mostly teenagers) were heading to Seville.

The bus station was only a block from my hotel. I got some looks that turned away when I look back. I guess they're not used to seeing tourists here. And they're not particularly welcoming to tourists. Even when I smile and nod, they would just keep staring. Maybe a smile and a nod is an offensive gesture, who knows.

After a short rest in the air-conditioned room, I got an email from my Ecijano friend so I went to meet him and he showed me the office and what he does day-to-day. He had found English lessons on YouTube but he thinks they're silly. I mentioned I wanted to see Seville and he mentioned the Alcazar (castle), and he showed me some web pages talking about a filming going on. Apparently, the Game of Thrones TV show is filming there until Oct 21.

Harassment at Casa Emilio

Around 20:30, he suggested "Casa Miyo" for dinner and gave me directions to get there. When I arrived at Plaza España (I'm guessing that every Spanish town has a Plaza España, because I seem to remember that Barcelona and Madrid each have their own), I had to go around to look for a Casa Miyo. After almost giving up, I found the sign saying Mesón Casa Emilio. Of course!

The waiter started out friendly. I ordered revueltos and Nestea. I found that Nestea, pronounced in English, is more easily recognized than té frio, so it has been my drink of choice, besides water, this entire trip.

While waiting for my order, a disabled man in a wheelchair started bothering me. I didn't understand anything he said. I kept saying, "No comprendo, lo siento," but he just kept talking and wouldn't leave me alone. He showed me some coins in his hand, so I gave him the only coin I found in my purse and I said, "No tengo mas." Still he wouldn't leave. He said "guapa" and I said "gracias", but somehow it made me feel dirty. When he said the same thing, I thanked him again. But when he said something else, I tell him I don't understand.

He kept harassing me even after my food arrived. The odd thing is that the waiter, who was friendly earlier, was suddenly cold. Another man in an apron, whom I assumed to be the owner, looked me straight in the eye like I committed some cardinal sin. And neither of them even bothered to shoo this guy away.

To add insult to injury, the food was maybe just one egg with some bitter greens and a little ham, all thinly spread over a small portion of a big plate. Just that plate cost 11€ according to the menu. With two Nestea servings, it came to almost 15€. Seriously. It's a local tavern, not a fancy restaurant. I had more food than that plus drinks in many other places for about 5€. Maybe it was the egg of a dodo, that's why it's expensive.

I complained to my friend afterwards, but I had to use Google Translate and he said he didn't understand it well. He explained that the man in the wheelchair was a homeless man. Then he asked me if the restaurant was expensive. Well, I told him exactly what I thought.

Guernica in Madrid

(Guernica image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The trip to Madrid wasn't pleasant. Too many rude people in suits. I mean, seriously, we'll all get to the destination at the same time, and nobody is going to steal your seat.

Anyway, the flight was uneventful. It was difficult for me to stay awake and I wished it was longer.

The cab ride cost 30€ flat rate. But i didn't have much choice. The Aerocity website said that 4pm was past their time and I would have to call them. Yeah, right.

The taxi driver looked nervous when we arrived near my hostal. I thought I was lucky to find a hostal room with a private bathroom, but I later found out that a hostal is not the same as a youth hostel. I also later found that the area where the hostal was is Madrid's Red Light District (no wonder the cabbie was nervous). But the room was very nice, much better than most US hotels at that price.

I went to a bar/restaurant a half a block away and the waiter was very welcoming. I ordered paella con pollo. Then he called me guapa when he brought it to my table. I swear Spanish men are such big flirts.

So I had my paella while watching futbol with the locals. It was pretty good and a decent size. I was very full even though the waiter assured me it's for one person, not two.

I ordered my ticket for the Madrid City Tour bus online and thankfully the hostal had a business center with computers and printers, because I had to print the voucher to exchange for a ticket on the bus. It took me maybe an hour to figure out how to print it from a website on my tablet, then I realized I could use AirDroid.

More Museo de Reina Sofia pictures in Smugmug.

The next day, I took the tour bus to the Museo Reina Sofia to see Guernica. I spent 4-5 hours on the second floor only. There was more on the first floor and the fourth floor but I was starting to feel woozy and it was getting late.

I decided on a Lizarran restaurant (it seems to be a chain of tapas restaurants) about a block away. I ordered a racion de arroz con something y longaniza. The waiter was very friendly and always smiling but he kept talking fast and I didn't understand a word he said. But I got the right order.

The serving size was maybe half a plate. The rice was the same as the paella rice the night before, but they included a half a lemon, so I tried squeezing that over the rice and it turned out to be very good!

So from now on, paella with lemon. :)

Like the previous night, not much meat in it. And Spanish longaniza is not the same as Filipino longanisa.

More Madrid bus tour pictures in Smugmug.

I wanted to see the Palacio Reial but it was already late, so I just took the Ruta 2 in its entirety and then the rest of Ruta 1 until the stop near my hotel.

It was a tad chilly and windy. I was wearing only a light cardigan with a tank top, while everyone else was wearing winter jackets. (!!!) But I braved the upper deck of the bus to be able to take pictures.

For dinner, a sandwich from Pan & Company and poptots, which are cake-like doughnut holes covered with chocolate. Mmmmm. Para llevar.

Columbus and the Marina

My last full day in Barcelona was intentionally very relaxed. I decided to stay near the water which was also close to my pension.

Washing Clothes with a Musician

First, I had to do laundry. I found a LavaXpres near my pension the previous day. Apparently, the laundromats are a relatively new concept, because they're advertising their franchise.

The signs indicated discounts if I bought the card. At 4€ for a load to wash and another 4€ for a load to dry, I figured it might be worth it.

It turns out that the minimum for a card was 20€. OK. So I put in two 10€, checked that it registered, and selected the option for the card. Nothing. It just went back to the original screen. The balance was back to 0€ and under it was "Out of cards." What the @#%%&!?! It ate my 20€! I tried to call the number on the wall but it would not connect. I had to email the company later in the evening. (Update: I never got a response back.)

Anyway, I had to do it without a card. The same payment machine is also where you buy detergent and liquid softener, and where you pay for the load (you select the machine number).

I was about 10 minutes into the wash cycle when a young man walked in with a small paper bag. He looked like he just woke up but he seemed friendly. He acknowledged me with that eyebrow-raising greeting. He had a charming smile that kinda made him look like that cute but annoying British actor (Hugh Grant).

"I guess I have to buy a card," he said. He sounded American. I told him about the money I lost, and I briefly explained that he'd have to pay in the machine.


Anyway, I discovered that this young man was originally from Baltimore but now calls Berlin home. He's a musician who plays a double bass for jazz bands, and he was in Barcelona for a couple of gigs, and he was heading to Verona, Italy that day for another gig. He told me how to search for his recordings.

Update: I found his website and his album on Amazon.

I told him about the music scene in Second Life, and the conversation went to how paying gigs for musicians were becoming fewer because there are so many musicians giving away their work for free. (Sounds familiar with graphic artists in SL.) Even services like Spotify pay them so little in royalties.

Anyway, after laundry was done, we said goodbye, and I took my clothes back to the pension.

Sim and Liceu

More Liceu pictures in Smugmug.

Then I had to buy a sim card for my tablet. They didn't have a data-only card. First, they tell me about one that costs 10€, then they sold me 20€ and they tried to assure me that I won't need to refill. Sure, but would I use that up in one week? I think I'll just give it away when I'm done. (Update: I used maybe 20% of the data allowance even with logging into SL several times.)

Since I was near the Liceu, I decided to go in for an express tour, which took 20 minutes. We were allowed to take pictures except the stage, because the set is copyrighted.

Columbus's point of view

More city pictures from the top of the Columbus monument in Smugmug.

Then I walked down La Rambla again. At the Columbus monument, I went down the steps for the ride up to the top. Entrance is free with the Barcelona Card. The elevator was very small, as are most elevators in a lot of buildings. At the top, the viewing platform was very narrow and wrapped around the elevator shaft tightly. Two people have to squeeze sideways to pass each other. But the view was gorgeous!

It was also a windy day and it felt like you're on a boat or in the middle of a mild earthquake. I didn't stay too long because they couldn't let too many people in at the same time.

Marina

More marina pictures in Smugmug.

Then I headed back to the cruises. There was a 1.5 hr wait for the next 1.5 hr cruise so I decided to explore the marina and the nearby mall. I had a late lunch at a restaurant by the water. Then I just sat on a bench on the pier facing the docked boats and enjoying the breeze for hours.

It felt so nice sitting by the water that I missed the last cruise.

I wanted to take the hanging cable cars. These are more like the ski elevators, but they call them "cable cars", but I learned that I would have to take a bus to get to the entrance and it was already late.

Musketeers

More musketeer exhibit pictures in Smugmug.

On the way back to the pension, I decided to check out an official-looking building with a guy in costume standing in front. I had no idea what the building was. But the exhibits looked like old flags and uniforms of musketeers and other military stuff.


For dinner, I had ice cream from a stall near the street and grapes that I bought at a little produce store on the way back to the pension.

Revisiting the Gothic Area

Breakfast was at a corner restaurant. Delicious scrambled eggs with bacon and sliced French bread and fresh-squeezed orange juice at a reasonable price.

Tried to retrace the route I took with the Captain and found most of the places more or less. The ambience is, of course, different in the daytime. (Pictures of the old alleys and plazas and ancient Roman ruins of Barcelona in Smugmug.)

I found the La Estrella restaurant again but it had the metal slide-down doors covering the doors and windows with graffiti. I felt like Cinderella after midnight.

Cathedral de Santa Maria Del Mar

More Cathedral de Santa Maria del Mar pictures in Smugmug.

I found the Cathedral de Santa Maria Del Mar easily. The Captain said that he often went there for peace, but there was no peace for me. Maybe because there were so many tourists. So I walked around and took pictures quietly. Then, as an offering for the new significance of the site, I bought a red candle and decided to leave it in front of a statue near one of the side doors, just as an usher was herding everyone out because it was already 14:00.

As I was taking a picture of my candle and the statue, a man in his late 20s or early 30s started asking me questions excitedly about my camera. He must have looked over my shoulder and saw the display on my tablet. He was very excited about the technology, which he didn't know existed. I told him the brand and showed him the model number in the back and I demonstrated how it worked. He figured that it required an app. Then he thanked me and went back to join his friends, excitedly telling them what he learned.

Museo de Picasso

I started looking for Calle Petritxol to look for the chocolate place that the Captain recommended, but turned into an alley and saw the Museo de Picasso so I decided to go in since I was already there. I was a bit disappointed that there was a very long line to enter but every place was crowded anyway, since it was a Sunday. While I was in line, I overheard that the entrance was free on the first Sunday of the month after 15:00; that was why there was a long line. What synchronicity!

The audio guide costs 5€ and was actually very helpful in giving context to the works. Otherwise, you'd just think that the works were just random. To be honest, after seeing these works, I think Picasso had gone mad as he got older. I wonder if going mad is necessary to be a great artist.

Barcelona Cathedral

More Barcelona Cathedral pictures in Smugmug.

The Barcelona Cathedral is beautifully ornate with a little garden with a fountain and large white geese. But again lots and lots of people, who were too noisy while Mass was going on. Some areas were restricted but I didn't mind since it was getting late anyway.

It took at least three people to guide me to Calle Petritxol: a saleslady in a women's clothing store, a street cleaner, a policeman in front of one of the government buildings. Each of them said that it was complicated, and, after giving me the complicated version then seeing my confusion, they repeated the first few directions and advised me to ask someone when I get there. There were probably one or two more who helped me and there were a lot who didn't even know where it is.

I discovered it when I crossed a plaza after passing the Cathedral de Santa Maria Del Pi. Pictures of Cathedral de Santa Maria Del Pi in Smugmug.

Petritxol Xocoa

More Calle Petritxol pictures in Smugmug.

The servers weren't so welcoming but helpful anyway. I felt like I accidentally invaded a teenagers-only place where they resented adults showing up and ruining their fun, but I saw a pair of older women there. It can't be that they don't welcome tourists because they're only a block or two from La Rambla. So it must be some other reason for discrimination. Being me (with so many things to discriminate about), I'll never know.

Anyway, the one who took my order explained what they did there. I opted for the hot xocoa with xurros. She said you dip the xurros in the chocolate. (I guess the 'x' is pronounced like "ch".)

OK. I thought it would be like dunking doughnuts in your coffee. Nope. The hot chocolate has the consistency of thick chocolate fondue, but with lots more milk. But after that snack, I bought something that looked like a dark chocolate-covered macaroon that's the size of my palm. My server explained that it had almonds and caramel. It turned out to be delicious.

Afterwards, I walked down La Rambla again but faster this time.

Fiona in Tibidabo

More pictures in Smugmug.

Fiona (that's her Second Life name) and I follow each other in Flickr, where I met her. We've never really hung out in SL and we conversed by leaving comments in each other's pictures in Flickr.

She later added me in LinkedIn and I gently rebuffed her (because I don't accept random invites in LinkedIn) until she told me her SL name. So I definitely had to accept!

As I was planning this trip, I asked if she wanted to meet and she agreed. She suggested Mount Tibidabo.

We meet at Cafe Zurich at Plaza Catalunya. I arrived earlier and got a seat inside, but I went outside again after noon, which was when we agreed to meet.

I had sent her a selfie earlier and I told her what I was wearing that day. I saw her crossing the flow of the crowd as I walked in front of the Metro entrance.

We went back in for a little snack, then off we went to catch the train. We got off at Ave Tibidabo and found the old wooden cable car (tram). Gaudi was run over by one of those. Hopefully, not the one we were on.

We mostly went uphill then stopped at a plateau where we bought tickets for the funicular train, which went even further up.

Tibidabo is actually a recreation park with children's rides. We got some tickets and rode the ferris wheel, then another ride (I don't know what it's called) that went much higher than the ferris wheel. Then we went inside the automata museum, which brought back memories to Fi, because she had gone there as a child but she hadn't for years.

We had a nice lunch at the cafeteria and we sat on a picnic table under the shade. And we talked and talked and talked.

Fi was very considerate about my achy legs, so we mostly sat and talked. We went down the mountain the same way, but we stopped by a cafe for ice tea after the tram. The ice tea lasted for 2-3 hrs while we talked more.

We took another train together, then we hugged and said our goodbyes when we arrived at the Plaza Catalunya station. She had to catch another train and I had to switch to the Metro.

I stopped by a falafel place on my way back to the pension. It was close to the tapas place I went to. The young lady, who looked like Cameron Diaz, didn't speak English much, but the young man did. Both were very friendly. The veggies were a bit stale, probably because it's already late in the day, but the falafel itself was very fresh and crunchy.

The Houses That Gaudi Built

As achy as my legs were, I had to go out anyway to use my Bus Turistic ticket for the second day.

I walked over to the Columbus monument to catch the bus there, but I decided to first take a cruise, which was free with the Barcelona Card. The cruise was only for 40 minutes, but ended up to about 2 hours with the long wait before and after boarding.

More port and cruise pictures in Smugmug.

Then I took the red line to Casa Batllo (pronounced bat-YO). The place was crowded and many of the people were very inconsiderate. They would look at my camera but they would stand right in front of me anyway. In most cases, it was unavoidable, because there was something to photograph whichever way you turned. In the end, it was a very nice tour. As I overheard a woman tell her companion as I made my way to the roof, "It gets better and better!"

More Casa Batllo pictures in Smugmug.

Afterwards, I crossed the street again and stopped by good ole McD for a pineapple and mango smoothie and a bottle of water, because I was very thirsty and my legs were ready to collapse.

After a little rest, I hobbled back to take pictures of the facade of Casa Batllo's neighbor, which is also a modernistic building.

More neighbor pictures in Smugmug.

Then, back on the Bus Turistic for the next stop: La Pedrera. I had already taken pictures of the side facade (the front facade was covered up for repairs) the previous day when I walked about 12 blocks back because I wasn't looking at the map and I couldn't decide where to get off, so I missed the last connecting bus stop from the blue line to the red line.

Unlike Casa Battllo, the La Pedrera tour starts with an elevator ride to the roof, then down to the most beautiful attic I've ever seen, then down again to an apartment, which is really an entire floor. Then I took the elevator back down.

More La Pedrera pictures in Smugmug.

There was some sort of small fair on the little street outside and I bought a couple of empanadas for a snack while I rested. It drizzled a little and it was getting dark. Then I got on the Bus Turistic and stayed on it. I'm glad I did, because I got to see the wonderfully vibrant Friday night views.

More Barcelona at night pictures in Smugmug.

I got off at Columbus's feet and yielded to the temptation of a big plate of tapas for 15€ in a restaurant on my way to the pension. The food wasn't worth it, but the conversation with the waiter was. He was in Miami for some years and he talked about eating alligator meat cooked Cajun-style.

He Who Loves His City

THE birthday started with a visit to the Sagrada Familia. My appointment (I bought my ticket online so I can skip the lines) was at 9:15 and a visit to the towers at 10:15. I left the pension at 8:30 with instructions from the clerk how to take the Metro to get there. I made it just in time.

Sagrada Familia

More Sagrada Familia photos in Smugmug.

I joined the throngs of people who arched their necks and backs as they pointed their cameras toward the sky. Then I went in.

Large cathedrals always inspire a certain awe anyway, but this one took my breath away. Most cathedrals have a heavy feel to them. Maybe I just had too many fears about the wrath of God as a child. Or at least the wrath of a nun with a ruler in her hand. But this one feels light. It felt like walking into heaven.

They've also created a certain ambience by playing soft New Age music and posting signs asking people to maintain silence. I'm glad I went early because later there were too many tourists who don't read signs.

The stained glass windows had abstract designs unlike traditional cathedrals. The main wall to the north had cool colors and the main walk to the south had warm colors.

I had seen the virtual tour of the cathedral on the website and and the exterior of the towers reminded me of Las Vegas especially with the colorful berry cluster's at the tops of the towers and the letters sticking out of the sides.

But somehow, it made the inside of the tower more lighthearted. Better than gargoyles! The numerous windows also helped.

Visitors were taken up by elevator but you had to take the very narrow steps down and you could switch between the two towers on the way down. Towards the end, the spiral became narrower, there were no more windows, and it felt like an endless staircase. Around the last 10 steps, I could already feel my legs aching, especially my shins and the front of my thighs.

I walked out the opposite side at the Passion facade, took more pictures, sat down to rest and decided to find a place to eat.

I turned left after exiting and crossed the streets to go kitty corner, where there's a Subway, and I turned right there. Another block, then a left and there's a small place immediately around the corner called Shang Tung. The bartender/waiter looked Asian. I just pointed at a picture on the menu and, even though he didn't understand English, he was very friendly and helpful. I gave him a good tip on top of the bill.

Bus Turistic

More Barcelona bus tour photos in Smugmug.

I saw the Bus Turistic stop across the street from the Sagrada Familia, so I went back and bought a ticket for 2 days. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon riding on the top deck of these buses, shooting pictures randomly.

I got off at Plaza Catalunya and walked the entire La Rambla back to my hotel. I was so exhausted.

A 2-hr nap wasn't enough, but I had to prepare for my evening meeting.

Dinner in "the star" with "the captain"

I hadn't finished dressing when I heard a knock on my door. The Captain had arrived. After hurriedly pulling on my top, I opened the door and there he was with a big warm grin, and I gave him a big warm hug.

He asked if I was comfortable in the room. I said I was and I also showed him the little patio. Then I put on my shoes and off we went towards the water.

We turned into a small alley that seemed empty except for a small place with a blue neon sign towards the end of the block. For some reason, the emptiness of the surrounding area and the blue light in contrast to the street lights made it feel like I'm in a scene from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and I forgot my towel!).

But when we got close enough to see the facade and the inside, it actually looked like a nice little very classy restaurant.

The Captain had made reservations and we were seated at a corner by the window. He asked the maitre d' to speak in English because I am "Americana". (His thoughtfulness and gentlemanliness always surprised me.)

The maitre d' didn't speak English, but the menu had an English translation. Then he described the day's special, and the Captain translated it into English for me. The entire process was an adventure in itself, but quite fun.

For appetizers, we had some kind of mussels that were caught fresh that day. For the main course, the Captain had a plate with several slices of meat with some sides. I wasn't paying attention to his dish because I was anxious to dive into my plate of two tennis-ball sized rolls. Each roll was a moist paper-thin slice of bacon wrapped around a white fish filet wrapped around scallops. It was heavenly!

For dessert, the maitre d' remembered that I avoided cheese, so I had two options. I choose the homemade lime ice cream (that was heavenly too), and the Captain had cherries with a kind of soft cheese.

The name of the restaurant was appropriately heavenly: La Estrella.

The "original" Barcelona

More Roman ruin photos in Smugmug.

The Captain was the one who, years ago, stirred a wish in me to see Barcelona some day. He told me about the city, its people, the culture, its artists, their customs, their history, and their fight for independence. At the time, I thought it wasn't likely that I would visit. But I listened to him intently and with fascination anyway because he made it come alive.

As we walked around the oldest part of the city (the original Ancient Rome encampment), he talked about the history again as he pointed out the original Roman walls and gates, museums, government buildings, and the cathedrals of Santa Maria Del Mar and Del Pi, and the Barcelona Cathedral. Santa Maria Del Mar was the largest cathedral in Europe until the Notre Dame was built. We walked through plazas and old streets where many people were strolling quietly or relaxing in outdoor chairs around tables with their drinks while chatting animatedly.

The man loved his city, and he could make you fall in love with it too.

Finally, he showed me the little shop with the best chocolate in town. It's located in the little alley called Petritxol.

A little while later we ended up at La Rambla. He pointed out the boqueria marketplace and the place where I should never go at night. Then we turned into another alley which ended at a plaza surrounded by restaurants and bars whose numerous outdoor tables and chairs were fully occupied.

But the significance of this plaza is personal. It was loosely recreated in Second Life years ago (along with La Rambla and Columbus's monument) in a sim called Barcelona Del Oeste, where I spent a lot of time with friends and lovers.

Finally, we navigated more alleys and soon we were in front of my pension. I didn't want it to end, but my legs and feet were killing me and I worried that I was keeping him up too late.

I gave him a big hug. He gives wonderful hugs back. He wished me good night. I gave him another hug and he laughed softly.

Back in my room, I cried. The evening was very emotionally fulfilling for many reasons, and I was overwhelmed.

This is exactly how 50th birthdays should be.

Birthday eve

(Pardon the inadvertent misspellings in my posts for this trip. To lighten my load, I only brought my tablet with me, so I'm using Swype, which often selects the wrong word.)

My adventure started at 4 am Pacific Time, when Super Shuttle picked me up.

I had breakfast at the airport. And that's, of course, expensive. I think SuperShuttle should offer to go through a drive-thru on the way to the airport.

From SFO to BCN: Stanley's embarrassment

On the flight to Philadelphia, I had an aisle seat and I was hoping no one would sit in the middle. One silver haired man arrived later and took the window seat. But no one in the middle seat.

After all the passengers boarded, one of the flight attendants came by and talked to the man. She said, "Stanley, there's room near the front now so you can sit with your wife." But Stanley was quiet for a long time, and people nearby started laughing and teasing him because he hesitated.

And he still took a long time to decide. Finally, he decided to go. So I had three seats all to myself. :)

On the flight to Barcelona, they had switched to a bigger plane, so there was a little commotion with several families trying to sit together as they had planned with the old plane. I was in one of the worst seats, in the middle of the 4-seat middle column. When we took off (after a delay with software that required a reboot and a long takeoff line), a lady joined me in my row, but she later moved to be with her family in the row behind me, so I had all 4 seats to myself.

We arrived on time (08:45) at Barcelona anyway, but I got delayed. I found the place to get my Barcelona Card (almost inadvertently) and the young woman pointed me to the ATM, but I tried twice and also another ATM, but I kept getting "Unauthorized Transaction". (Later, after getting to the hotel and calling US Bank via Skype, they told me that, even though I already warned them on Monday that I'd be in Spain, they still flag and block my account for potential fraud. So what's the point of calling ahead?!?)

The nice young man at the information booth helped me look for my AeroCity ride. Apparently, they're supposed to wait for me with a placard near the exit. But I wasn't looking because I thought they'd have the same process as SuperShuttle. Then he said, if I don't find the driver, I could go downstairs and see if their counter was open. If not, I should take the bus shuttle to Terminal 2 because their counter is almost always open there. I ended up doing everything he told me.

Then I had to walk the entire span of Terminal 2 because the sign was small and it was in the farther aisle. The kid at the counter was either distracted or disorganized. It took him a while to check me in. Several more people arrived. It was already 11:00 when the driver arrived and even he seemed impatient with how slow the kid was moving.

Some people were already in the shuttle and I sat next to a very friendly lady with a southern accent. She said that she and her friend met up at JFK in NY, and they both got sick from something on the plane.

At one point, while we were stuck in traffic, the driver turned toward us and simply said "Gaudi" and I realized that one of Gaudi's buildings was immediately to our left.

It turned out that our driver was actually nice and sweet and a little shy. I was the last one he dropped off and he pointed out some sights on the way, including the Cathedral, which is different from the Sagrada Familia. Then I mentioned that I want to see the one in Cordoba, and he mentioned that he was married there. The whole conversation was in Spanish. Well, broken on my part. ;)

Pension Segre

The front door was locked at Pension Segre. There was a panel where the residents were listed and you rang the bell for that apartment, just like in the US. An older woman in all white called out to me from a balcony where a "PENSION" sign hung. I couldn't understand what she was saying. I shouted up, "Tengo reservaciones." Then she said something else and later she called out again from the balcony saying something about "la puerta", so I pushed the door and it opened. I heard the buzz when I entered; you couldn't hear it from the outside.

The woman from the balcony turned out to be the cleaning lady. She said the clerk was at lunch and would be back at 14:00 or 14:30. She was very nice and tried to get me comfortable while I waited. I joined her at the balcony while she smoked and I took pictures meanwhile. We talked about the restaurant downstairs across the alley. (We were at the intersection of two one-land alleys.) She said they had good food but expensive. She motioned toward the cross street and said there were more restaurants along that way.

Pension Segre looks like it occupies two of the floors. And, although the bathrooms are shared, there were more than I expected. I had my private sink in my room too, which is nice.

It looks like business is slow, maybe because it's past the busy tourist season. I didn't see other guests, but I later saw light under the door of my neighboring room and I heard noises from the other neighbor.

The building is old, but clean. The water tank for the toilet is near the ceiling and you had to pull a string. There's only one power outlet in my room and it's halfway up the wall, so it looks like it was added on after the building was built, which was probably while the Philippines was still under Spanish rule.

Scouting the neighborhood: La Rambla

More pictures in Smugmug.

After a rest and the call to US Bank, I dropped off my key and headed in the direction that the cleaning lady pointed to. The clerk had said that there were several banks on La Rambla, and I thought it would be a long walk, but it was only a few blocks away.

I saw a very tall monument similar to the one that was at the Barcelona de Oeste sim in Second Life. I don't know which plaza it was. I turned right on La Rambla.

I found several ATM machines and choose one that was off to a corner, so nobody was nearby to look over my shoulder.

Then I started walking at the center (pedestrian only) lane. Because I was starving, I made the mistake of agreeing to sit at one of the outdoor makeshift restaurants under tents. The calamari was good and probably reasonable, if a bit expensive, at more than 10€, but the large glass of iced tea at more than 9€ was highway robbery.

I turned around near a church and took pictures on the return walk. Did some groceries at one of the supermercat, that are actually smaller than a typical 7-11. All the shops are small compared to the ones in the US. It looks like it's a city of mom-and-pop businesses, which is awesome. Maybe it's just this part of Barcelona. I'll know more after six days. :)

Showered and went to bed around 1900 because my body refused to move anymore. Woke up a little after midnight, ate some of the grapes and pastries I got from the supermercat, and started uploading pictures and writing this blog.

Going back to sleep for a few more hours.