A la Playa

After three awe inspiring days in Barcelona, I am happy for a change of pace.  On my fourth day here, I was invited by my friend and former colleague, Gloria Hewitt, to visit her and her family in Sitges, a small beach town about 30 minutes outside of Barcelona.

Sitges is on the coast, just below Barcelona.

Sitges, (pronounced "SEET-jes), is a city known for it's film festival in October, Carnival in February and for being one the world's most gay-friendly towns.  It also, according to Wikipedia, is thought of as the "Saint Tropez of Spain".  I was excited for an adventure to travel to see Gloria, who currently lives in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and whose parents live in Sitges.  She was spending the month there with her children and family.  

Thanks to Carlos, I planned my day to take a Renfe train to Sitges via the main station in Barcelona.  Getting there was interesting because I attempted my first ride on the very complicated subway system.

After a lot of wandering around, asking questions,  and attempts to read subway maps, I finally found my way to the Sants Estacion and onto my train to Sitges.

I'm waiting with a crowd of people, all hopefully going to the same place that I am.  Multiple trains come to each platform.  I was nervous...

All the trains coming... and I don't see one with Sitges on it.  ???

I finally get on the right train, and find that I have some travel companions.  Getting these big fluffy girls to jump up on from the platform to the train was scary, but they made it.  I was surprised to see many dogs at the train station.  All well-behaved and likely getting on a train.  No rules against it!  Winnie would LOVE a train ride... as long as she could stick her head out the window!

Also on the train ride to Barcelona??  A musician, playing a trumpet along with a digital musical accompaniment.  His song of choice: "When the Saints Go Marching In"!  I had a flashback to my first ride on a train in Paris, back in 2008 (I'm pretty sure I wrote about this), when I was on my way to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time, and there were musicians on the train, playing the SAME song!  Very coincidental???  Or is that the basic playlist for train musicians throughout the world?  Additional songs on this train included, "Jack the Knife" and "Summertime".  I really enjoyed the entertainment and was glad to contribute some money to his music career.  

In a short 30 minutes, I arrived at the Sitges train station and was excited to see Gloria and her daughter Leila waiting for me out front!  It was a great welcome and I admit I was glad to see a familiar face, even though it had been nearly 10 years since Gloria and I had last seen each other in person.  We started walking around town, making our way down to beach where she obliged my only agenda: to eat paella! 

One of the cute narrow streets heading toward the beach.

We searched the ocean front restaurants for an air conditioned restaurant (there were none, and it was HOT!!), and settled on Hotel la Santa Maria.  

Me and the lovely Leila.

Gloria and I (we met at Coldwater Canyon School when she was as a first year teacher, 15 years ago).

For the love of paella...

Paella is usually served for a minimum of 2 people and is cooked to order.  The wait was about 30 minutes but it was more than worth it.  After lunch, a few bottles of water, and reminiscing about the past, we got on our way to explore the town.

Winnie wouldn't have been happy about this... 

We walked for a few hours, and explored the beautiful town.  Had it been cooler. we might have gone down to the water, but it was so hot and so after a cab ride to the edge of the town, we ended up at her parent's house (which had air conditioning).  Her parents we lovely and welcoming and I got a chance to meet Gloria's son, Maximo (nearly 2 years old).  It was nice to relax and spend time with her family, but as the day went on, I realized that I had to catch a train to make my way back to Barcelona.  

After we said our goodbyes, Gloria walked me to the local bus, and she made sure to tell the bus driver to take me to the bus station (turns out everyone on the bus was going there too!).  The ride back was a bit more hairy... crowded and I had to stand, but navigating the subway to the Placa de Catayuna seemed much easier on the way back.  Once I got back to the apartment, I realized that I was too tired to go out to get dinner, and so I skipped eating and decided on an early night to bed.  I had to shower and pack to get ready to leave Barcelona, which I was doing the next day... and headed to San Sebastian.  A new adventure awaits me...!!!

Admitting You're a Tourist

(I'm home... but my trip was so satisfying and exhausting that I had trouble keeping up with blogging.  Now, with a fresh perspective and 750 photos... I continue to recount my amazing trip!  Also, you can click on any of the pictures in this blog and a larger size will open.  I highly suggest this, because the small versions here don't do some of the photos justice.)

My third day in Barcelona started out a shaky one. It has been extremely hot and humid here and I was pretty dehydrated from the day before and despite drinking loads of water, my body was telling me to take it easy. So I got a late start on what I planned to be my "Gaudi day". I had bought tickets to see one of Barcelona's main attractions, Segrada Familia, online the day before so as to avoid standing in lines. I had a late afternoon appointment and so after I got out and started it was almost noon already.

I find transportation to be daunting here in Barcelona. Most Spaniards would probably think that the public transportation options here to be plentiful and useful. I, on the other hand find them overwhelming and confusing. There is an extensive subway system here and there are also buses, trams and trains... even funiculars and cable cars. Alas, what mode of transportation do I decide to take on my 3rd day here in Barcelona? The Autobus Tourista! You've seen them, the big red, doubledecker buses that follow a pathway throughout the streets of most major cities in the world. The last time I took one was in London with my mom, and it was fun and absolutely served its purpose, but... as a citizen of Hollywood, I am constantly inundated with tour buses and vans, and the hoards of tourists that come to Los Angeles to see our city. The thing is, these buses are such a great deal if you want to see the city, and hop on and off throughout the day. I had to make the humbling decision and realization that I too, am a tourist... No sense navigating the public transportation like a local. I had to be efficient in my transportation since there was so much to see and so little time. Plus... I wasn't feeling well and it was so hot outside. So there I was... sucking it up, buying the 27 euro ticket and climbing up the stairs to the top of the bus (oh and free wifi too, a hot commodity for one without 3G service).

View from atop the Autobus Tourista

My first stop was the Casa Batllo, the former home of Antoni Gaudi, Spanish modernism architect extrordinaire. Here is some info on him and the site: Casa Batllo

Using my 3 euro discount coupon given to me when I purchased the bus ticket, I opted to get the audio/visual tour, with a small iPad like device with headphones. This gave the visitor the option to hold up the camera on the device at various locations throughout the multistory house, and see a virtual reality of what the house looked like at the time it was furnished. Listening to the explanations of Gaudi's reasoning for all the choices he made and then seeing them applied in the house was fascinating.

 
Some of his main ideas included using all curved lines throughout the house, taking ideas of the ocean and bringing them into his design, and the colorful mosaics using small pieces of tile to accommodate all the curved lines. Here are some pictures from the house:

After leaving the house, I grabbed some more water and hopped right back up on the big red bus for my appointment at Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi church started by Gaudi in 1883 . 

Upon first glance of this massive church and standout feature of the neighborhood, aside for the masses of "other tourists", I realized the scaffolding and construction going on at the church. My first instinct was to think, "Awww man, seriously? I'm here now and I have to see all this construction... bad timing!!" Then I recalled in my reading about this church that it still hasn't been finished, nearly 85 years after Guadi's death. Alright then... I'll put up with it.

There was a minor time glitch with my appointment into the church. I had apparently been running 1 hour ahead since I arrived in Barcelona on my watch... which is weird to think about all that I had done prior to that day and thought it was one time when it was another. Oh well, time only matters on vacation when you have an appointment or train ticket... no harm done. Though I am still convinced that someone changed my watch when I was sleeping... Ha!

I grabbed the audio tour again, and started on the outside. Blah, blah, "resurrection", blah blah, "statues"... Then I was instructed to enter the church... oh my! What can I say about this place??? Took my breath away... truly. An architectural masterpiece like I have never seen before! The audio tour instructed me to "take a moment to reflect and be mindful of the environment, regardless of religion or beliefs." So I sat down in the church and listened to the organs playing and took it all in. Please enjoy...

I met a nice man from China who was visiting Barcelona for a conference. We went up to the church's towers at the same time in another prior booked appointment. We took pictures of each other at the top and he was interested to learn about the American education system when I told him I was a teacher. Don't get me started...

After the grandeur of Sagrada Familia, I was too tired to move on to my third Gaudi destination (it was 6pm already), so I hopped on the red bus and decided to take the rest of the tour, through the Eixample neighborhood. I took advantage once again of the free wifi (btw... it's prounounced "wee-fee" here thanks to the "long e" of the letter i), and texted some friends back home who have iPhones and iMessage). Then, when realized that I didn't really have any other plans for the evening at that point, I hopped off the bus at a change spot, and got onto the Red Route (previously on the Blue Route). This bus route was included in the price and so... when in Rome... (or Barcelona) and a tourist, LIKE ME, take the ride!! Here are some pics of the 2 hour ride I took around the Montjuic (translates to: Jew Mountain, where the Jews had to go live during the Inquisition) area, the Seafront, and a few other neighborhoods I hadn't yet seen.

This is the stadium where the Spanish soccer (football)  team plays.  This city is crazy over their Barça team!

A sculpture by well known Spanish artist, Joan Miro.

The stadium where the 1992 Summer Olympics were played.

A beautiful building along the route.

Barcelona's harbor

After  long day, at 8:30pm it was still light out (it stays light out till 10:00pm during the summer), and I was exhausted.  I made my way back to the El Raval neighborhood where I was staying, and stopped for dinner at a restaurant in the neighborhood that was suggested by my host, Carlos.  He said this place was a favorite for locals and he guaranteed I would love my meal... which I did! 

I ordered tapas: chorizo, spicy potatoes, and mixed vegetables.  All delicious!

Finally home at 10pm... utterly exhausted but very satisfied after another amazing day in Barcelona.  Tomorrow, an adventure:  a train trip to the coastal town of Sitges to see an old friend!

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Exploring the "Heartbeat of Ancient Barcelona"

Hola!!  It's been a busy couple of days and now I find that I have two days of writing to do!  Everything is wonderful here and I am enjoying my stay tremendously.  Most prominently is the generosity of my host Carlos, and his willingness to not only suggest places that I should go, but to spend time, painstakingly explaining to me how to get there.  He's a saint, and while fairly comfortable speaking in English, there are times when he cannot find the words for me and needs to refer to his Spanish/English dictionary.  I haven't been able to get a photo of him yet, but will try to remember to do that before I leave.  In case you were wondering... I found this lodging on a nifty website called AirBnB, where private citizens all over the world, offer their house, or space in their house/apt. to strangers from god knows everywhere.  Sound enticing?  Luckily, they are verified by the company and also visitors write reviews about their hosts and their stays and so when I was looking for a place, Iwas overwhelmingly encouraged about my choice when I read what others had to say about Carlos. And, only $42 a night!!   I too will be leaving a glowing review about him when I leave.

I started my day on Wednesday, late as usual... but what's late when you're on vacation??? I left the house about 11:30 a.m. and set out for the Barri Gotic (the Gothic Quarter).  This suggestion came from Carlos and he was absolutely right on!   It was about 15-20 minutes walking to get there and once inside, it was exactly as one might imagine it:  tiny cobblestone streets, lined with little shops and bars and tapas restaurants.  Also there was a grand Spanish church, many large plazas (or placas, pronounced- "platha), and no shortage of charm and oh yeah... tourists!  Here are some shots I took while I meandered through the Gothic Quarter (with no map, I might add... just getting lost and finding my way out).  Perfecto!!

You get the picture?  So charming and quaint and just the way I envisioned old Spain... but better.  Some of the highlights were:

Ordering a "cone" of Jamon Iberico (finally).

Ordering a beer in a Cervecarea (sp?) and not realizing that I ordered "alcohol free" beer.  Nevertheless, was probably a good thing since alcohol makes me break out into a sweat, and with the temps they way that they are here, I didn't need anything more contributing to the constant "glow" that I have had since I arrived.

Visiting the Barcelona History Museum... (what??  Me, a museum???).  This one was different.  You had to take an elevator down below ground, with a digital timer that started on the year 2014, lowered to -100 while we were going down.  This museum was built around the archeological remains of the original city of Barcelona, and there was an audio tour included that explained how intricate the city was and all of the "technology" that the Romans... ummm early inhabitants... (I should have paid closer attention to the audio tour), used in the city, including laundry, wine making, fishing and spa/thermal baths.  It was really fascinating (said the teacher who can't demonstrate my understanding with evidence... Teachers wil get that.).

I was treated to a beautiful performance by a musician on a stringed instrument, like a harp, but it was laying down (she didn't make it in this pic).

This is the main cathedral in the Gothic Quarter:

This is me standing in front of it: (evidence)

And... lastly,the salami sandwhich I ate so that I could get free wifi:

Well worth the price and calories!

When I arrived back at the apartment, Carlos wasn't home yet.  I cleaned up and later on he came home and we began a long, long, convoluted conversation about EVERYTHING Spanish and American.  Dictionaires, gesturing, pointing at the large map on his wall, and googling pictures of things to explain them, all occured during this conversation, while we waited for some other AirBnB'ers to arrive.  Also, during this grand conversation, Carlos invited me to join him in his dinner, which consisted of a Spanish omelet (totally different from American... not folded), with ham (he had to run across the street for more), asparagus, and onions.  He also made toast, with olive oil and tomato smeared on top.  This was very kind of him and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!  (Travelers note: it should be ackowledged that Carlos is a married man, with a 4 year old son.  His wife and child spend the summer in Ireland, so that their son can attend a Montessori English only school.  He's going to visit them on Sunday.  Just sayin'...).

Finally, after being 3 hours late, the new guest arrived, Patricia and Jakob, a young Polish couple that live on Cork Island in Ireland.  At 1:30 am, no less!!!  Luckily, by that time, Carlos and I had polished off a bottle of Cava and so our lively conversation continued on after their arrival, till about 2 in the morning.  It was good times, and even though I didn't get to sleep till about 3am, I managed to sleep till 10:45 this morning!!!  A good 8 hours!!  

The next day... Gaudi Day.  Stay tuned!!   

Thanks for reading and for letting me know you're reading, whether of FB or on the blog itself!

Buenos noches!