Warming up My Mojo

Coming to you from Barcelona, Spain... I am here and arrived smoothly and safely. It's 4 a.m. and after many hours without sleep, I sacked out at 9:30 pm last night.  Now I am wide awake and all is quiet... I don't see a problem...

 The flight here was flawless and was rewarded for splurging the extra $100 on Economy Comfort, by being gifted an entire row on the plane to myself!  Seat back tv screens, movies, tv and games... it's a wonder I was never actually able to fall asleep.  I tried all the gimmicks: eye mask, neck pillow, seat back, ear plugs... to no avail.  I guess I am creature of habit and need my own bed and the warmth of my snuggly pup to be able to get a good night's rest.

Once I arrived to the Barcelona Airport, collecting my luggage was easy (oh yes, my plan for carrying on my bag was foiled by bulky outer pockets and an excessive need for 3 oz. bottles of liquids).  I easily found the Aerobus into the city and after I asked my first citizen, "Habla usted Ingles?", paid my fare and was gleefully greeted by a comfy bus overwhelming with AC (the humidity here is profound for this California girl).  Once on the bus, I anxiously awaited my exit, all the while praying the AC wouldn't go away!  Alas, it did, and I hoped off the bus, spent 5 or so minutes getting my bearings and then set out to find my host's house.  I had to ask for help 3 times, and only one of those kind citizens spoke English.  Pointing and pulling out key vocabulary helped out and thankfully I was able to navigate through a 15 minute walk, to the home of Carlos, arriving drenched in sweat to a kiss on both cheeks.  

The apartment is small, but full of character and since I arrived earlier than planned, I waitied in the dining area, and talked excitedly with the 2 Pakistani men, (in the 20's) who were leaving Carlos' house to return to Belgium where they attend college.  They were sweet and offered suggestions for places to visit, though many were locations I knew I would never go: the aquarium, the soccer stadium and the speedboat ride along the coast.  Here are some photos of the apartment:

The living room and small balcony

The tiny shoe box room I am staying in the with a wardrobe closet behind the door and an outlet and fan on the left.  All I really need...

This is a view from the small balcony.

The small but efficient kitchen...

Check out the details in the ceiling!  There are molding like this all over the apartment.

So... after a failed attempt at a nap, a shower, another nap attempt, Carlos left for work and I decided to set out on my first exploration of Barcelona.  Mojo, don't fail me now!

The neighborhood I am staying in is called El Ravel.  It is very close to the famous Las Ramblas, a tree-lined street that serves as a walkway for tourists and their suspecting pickpockets.  For those familiar with Venice Beach or Santa Monica Promenade, this place was similar to that including silver and gold men frozen as statues, tour operators flagging you down, and souvenir shops at all angles.  I had no idea where I was heading when I set out, since the maps here haven't been so helpful.  Turns out that the fonts are getting smaller at the same time my arms are getting longer...  I can't read a map here to save my life, and I don't even use reading glasses (perhaps I should be).  Here are some photos from my walk:

Las Ramblas (The Street of Many Tourists)

Happily, in my exploring, I found Mercat de la Bouqueria, the "farmer's market" of Barcelona.  Here there were also many tourists, but also I noticed some foods for sale (wink...)

One of the main attactions of this market is the Iberico Ham, crazy expensive... The story is that these pigs are black pigs, raised in a free range enviorment, and eat only grasses and acorns.  Once they get close to slaughter time, they only eat acorns and this apparently has an impact on the taste of the meat.  Once slaughtered (poor piggy... but yeah bacon!), the meat is cured for up to 48 months.  These fine gentlemen in the photo, shave off tiny thin slices of the ham and sell it for over a hundred euros a kilogram (no one gets a kg... I saw someone get 6 slices and it was about 10 euros, I think).  

I did NOT try some of the ham at this point... my mojo is just getting warmed up, but all who know me know that I rarely turn down a pork product.  There will be Iberico jamon in my near future.  I did however buy a strawberry pineapple juice and a meat empanda.  It's all I had the courage to rifle through my euros for.

I then left Las Ramblas for a quieter exploration...

And finally sat down in an outdoor cafe at around 6pm to taste my first tapas.  My waiter spoke not a single word of English, nor did he know how to use the credit card machine (so I paid in cash).  I ordered Salteado Garbonzos con camerones y sausage (garbanzos with shrimp and sausage) and some fried calamari, which tasted so incredibly different from any other calamari I have ever had.  I don't tend to love the chewiness of squid, but this wasn't at all chewy... tender and delicious.

After a while, I meandered back to the apartment, to find that Carlos hadn't yet returned.  I read for a while, trying to stay awake as long as possible, but when my head and neck could no longer remain upright, I retired to my bed closet (wink) at about 9:30 pm (it was still light out, as it doesn't get dark till 10pm here during the summer.

Slept in my clothes (not sure why... perhaps I thought I'd get up again when Carlos got home... didn't though).  Woke up at 4 am, and now it is 6am.  I have no clue what I am doing today.  I do know that I have to buy my train ticket to San Sebastián for Saturday, purchase a plane ticket from Bilbao to Barcelona for my last day, prepurchase tickets to Sagrada Familia for Thursday, oh and learn the very intricate subway system so that I can get around this town.  That's all for now.  

Don't forget to leave a comment!

Back in the Saddle Again

Hello and welcome back to my blog!  It's been a full six years since my last post, and sadly my last solo travel adventure.  That's not to say that over those past 6 years I haven't had any adventures: I've traveled regularly to New Orleans to see my new niece, Rowan (and Ben and Sarah too!), I've braved my first cruise and seen Alaska, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I've explored Oregon with my roadtrippin' pal, Jill.

But... in 24 hours, I embark on the kind of adventure that used to make my heart pound, my stomach rumble, and my blood flow.  I'm not gonna lie... I'm pretty out of practice.  Those who have spoken to me recently know that I fear that I have lost my "travel mojo"... Does it go away, or just hibernate?  I am optimistic for the latter, and am depending on the fact that once I step off the plane on Tuesday in Barcelona, Spain, all will return:  the joy and thrill of traveling on my own (or "with myself" as the great and powerful Oprah taught me)!

Because I tend to keep to my thoughts to myself during the day while exploring new cities, I write this blog to share my experience... not only for others but also for myself.  There are so many benefits to traveling solo... (see: 22 Unique Joys of Traveling Alone or 11 Reasons Why You Should Travel Alone) but even I will admit, that not having a companion to point out that scary looking food, or unbelievable architecture to, can be lonely.  My blog is like taking all of my friends and family with me and allows me to reflect and thoroughly enjoy each and every moment of my travels.  Your comments and frequent check in mean the world to me and I hope you will take the time to leave a note after you read a post.  

Next post from Barcelona Spain...

Today I'm packing, running last errands and spending a full day of quality Winnie-time, with my best pal (who has an idea that something fishy is going on,  and subsequently threw up yesterday... like mother like child).   Adios!!!

Back in the USA... quel dommage!

I'm in the Atlanta airport now... passing the 3 hour layover from Paris to Los Angeles. The flight was LONG... 9 1/2 hours! But luckily it was uneventful, and I watched 3 movies (don't you just love when they give you your own personal tv screen in the back of the headrest?)!

After I exchanged my euros for dollars at the airport here, it hit me that it was really over!

But... getting back to to my last day in Paris... After Pete and Penny and I had a wonderful lunch, we made our way back to the Bastille neighborhood where I was staying and took a long walk in a neighborhood populated with furniture and design stores. Unfortunately, nothing was open since it was Sunday (and Easter, which apparently is celebrated on Monday instead). The last thing we did at the end of our walk was to get a fresh crepe from the stand near my place. Last time I got a savory one, but this time I went sweet: nutella and banana!!! Absolutely decadent and DELICIOUS!!! (it wouldn't be a blog of mine if there wasn't mention and/or picture of food).

Later, after I watched the movie Amelie in the apartment, I walked through some light rain to meet Penny and Pete at their apartment in the Marais. We had a yummy farewell dinner at a middle eastern restaurant and then they were nice enough to walk me back to the subway and help me getting a Metro ticket for the morning ride to the airport. After hugs and kisses goodbye, they sent me on my way. After packing for awhile I was wired and didn't fall asleep until after midnight (thus making my 4 a.m. wake up alarm very unpleasant).

So, this morning I said goodbye to Paris and hopped on my last Metro ride of this trip. I ended up having an interesting ride to the airport, after meeting an Indian gentleman in the Metro station. He was very interested to talk to me in English and immediately offered any help to me that he could (like wheeling my luggage through the train station). I was very cautious and tried not to let him help me but my initial impression was that he was harmless (even though I stayed on guard the whole trip). He ended up helping me get from the train station to the airport and then onto a shuttle to the correct terminal, which I didn't know I had to do. He said goodbye to me when I got to the Delta check-in and offered to wait, but I shook his hand and thanked him for going out of his way to help me (he wasn't planning to go to the airport but said that he could take a quick bus to his home nearby. It probably sounds pretty shifty and shady, but trust me, my alertness was heightened, and I never gave him any information, and we were always in public places. He was sweet and actually very helpful... he gave me his phone number in Paris if I ever return (even tried to convince me to visit India... hmmmm I'll put that on my list....). An interesting end to an interesting trip!!!!

I've been thinking about my "Things I learned in Paris List" like I always try to do when I return home from a trip. I'll work on it on the plane and add it when I get home.

Going to the terminal now.... bye!

Au revoir Paris...

It's 4:47 a.m in Paris now. I am sitting in the apartment ready to go back home. Waking up this morning after only 4 hours-ish of sleep was tres horrible! And now, look at me, early enough to have a moment to add an entry here. If I don't type fast enough, I worry I may fall asleep...

My plane leaves at 8 a.m. and so I have to get on the Metro and then catch a train. I don't think the Metro opens until 5:00 a.m. and so I wait...

Yesterday I spent my last day in Paris with Penny and Pete. The day started beautifully, with a clear sky, lots of sun (which we haven't seen much of) and a brisk 43 degrees. I first went to the market around the corner that I went to last Thursday. It's a 2 day a week market, but once I arrived I knew that the Sunday one was much bigger and was bussling with people. I could tell that THIS was the real Paris. I took a whole bunch of photos and bought a few more items, including my last baguette and brie. Ahhhhh Paris.....

After a coffee to go, I met Pete and Penny at my place and we set off on our day. Pete had been dying to see this massive flea market, way out of town, so with a chance to avoid the crowds (no such luck) we set out on the Metro. Turns out it wasn't so great, but still was a fun experience and we had lunch at a restaurant that was recommended to them. The lunch allowed me the opportunity to reciprocate and buy lunch for the. They have been paying for me everywhere we go together, and refuse to let me open my wallet. But this time they relented.

.... to be continued... I 've got to catch a metro and train for my ride to Charles de Gaulle. ...

They're Heeeerrreeee! and What is Art?

Good lord! The crowds have hit Paris! It was a mob scene today... they were everywhere... Buses of them by the millions being brought into the city and dropped off here. Following ladies with tall sticks with scarves or feathers on the ends of them... It's madness! It was so difficult walking down the street today that I found myself cursing in my head. I know what you're thinking... technically, I am one of them. Yes, I know... however my presence just is so much more diminutive than theirs. Just one little ole' me and a whole mess of them. Well, thanks to the intermittent rain today and the hoards of mainly Europeans on the streets, I opted for what I thought would be a more laid back day. I think it was impossible to avoid the crowds, but I chose to forgo the Montmartre neighborhood today because everything I heard about it included tourists so I figured it would be worse today... so on the next trip to Paris, it will be the top of my list.

I started out late today, (a reoccurring theme for me there in Paris) and had brunch at one of the cafe's around the corner. My plan was to go to the Pompidou museum today, since the last time I went it was closed (BUT I did run into Penny and Pete there that day, so not a total waste). My screaming feet told me to take the subway to the museum even though it was only 2 stops away... so I did. Now I was thankful at this point to have that Museum Pass because the lines where SOOOOOO long for this museum, inside and out, and I just walked up and in. That's it! Still, the place was unbearably crowded and so after I dropped off my coat and scarf, I whizzed around like a motorcycle in traffic on the 405 freeway. Now, when I planned to go to this museum, I knew ahead of time that I was going to see some crap... crap that somehow or another fooled the art world into being accepted into a world class museum (that's my take on some of the modern art, in case you don't know this about me). I had no idea it could be as comical as it was. Here are a couple of my favorites:

white canvases???!!!!! -------->

Seriously??? This is just unbelievable! Some of it was so off the charts-weird (purely my own untrained opinion) that I had to laugh out loud. Everyone else (all 3 gazillion of them at the museum) seemed to be enjoying it, but not nearly as much as I was. **** Candace, if you're reading this, I searched and searched for George Hearms' work, but didn't see any. Seems like he would have work here... How odd?

A rhinoceros?????? Blow up furniture????

There was some good stuff by some familiar artists like Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Kandinsky, Mondrian, and even that kook Jackson Pollack.
When the time came (about 2 hours too late) I was ready to go. What I got out of this experience at the Pompidou museum: What really is art anyway? And who says what is art? Not me... that's for sure. I would like to have a word with the museum curators though. Sheeesh!
I'm just sayin'..........................

Out I leapt into the streets of Paris amidst the mobs of tourists... I spent the rest of the day, walking around the Les Halles and Marais neighborhoods. There were times that I could barely move on a street, but pushed through in search of an alternate route. My alternate routes always turned out to be charming neighborhoods with adorable shops and cafes AND hoards of tourists, polluting the space. All in all, I made a few purchases, ate a Parisian hamantashen from a Jewish bakery in the Marais and ultimately put another 5 miles on my pedometer and worn-out feet. Back at the apartment, I took a rest, watched a dvd on my computer, and then ran out for a chicken panini for dinner, which I got to go. Now, I'm just relaxing and plan to hit the sack early. Just about the only creature comfort from home I miss is my bed, as I haven't been sleeping as well here as I do at home. I will need some catching up when I get back.

Bonsoir!

A Dream Realized

Last night, after I posted, I went out to the most wonderful meal with Penny and Pete for dinner. They informed me from the start that they were insisting to buy my dinner, so to feel free to order whatever I wanted, and no argument about the bill. It was a kind gesture and after I insisted on the opportunity to reciprocate in some way, we walked to about 20 minutes to Il de St. Louis, to a tiny restaurant called L'Ilot Vache (the "something" cow... doesn't translate on google translate). We got the Prix Fix meal and truthfully, everything was very good, until I got to the dessert which was GREAT! They served Berthillon ice cream, a Parisian treat, and pure yummy goodness! I was stuffed, and this definitely was NOT Weight Watcher friendly, but once again... worth it. We drank 2 bottles of wine (white of course) and laughed, told stories and reminisced about the past when her son and I were such good friends. I spent lots of time at their house and we had a lot of memories their family. It was great fun and such a treat to be able to share this time with them in Paris!!

We got back around 11:30 pm (my latest night out in Paris), and I was wide awake till nearly 2:00 am, only to be abruptly awoken at 8am by a package being delivered here to the apartment. I thought speaking French while awake is difficult... try half asleep over an intercom. Yikes! I never quite got back to sleep so I lounged around awhile and got myself going by 11:00am. Today's agenda: unknown!

I ended up hopping on the subway in the direction of Galleries Lafayette to shop (why? I hate shopping!). It was drizzly and windy today and to say my feet are sore would be an understatement. No blisters or anything, just "over-used" rubbed spots on some out of shape feet. Not good...

After the overwhelming mass of shoppers in the 6 floored department store, I hopped back on the subway and went over to the Champs E'lysee. Another overcrowded shopping mess but now it was raining harder and blowing so hard that using an umbrella was impossible. Uncomfortable for sure... but still... uncomfortable in Paris= not too shabby. I ate a quick panini lunch and made my way to L'Arc de Triomphe which I only snapped a quick photo and dashed back down into the subway to escape the blustery, rainy ickiness.

Next stop, Place du Concorde (????), the Truillere Garden and the Musee L'Orangerie to see the Monet Waterlillies. Fast forward an hour, I realized I left my "waste of money" Museum pass back at the apartment and I wasn't going to wait in the long line, so I opted for a seat in a chair in front of a pond in the gardern (it was now sunny and delightful). I'm getting a little bit better at asking people to take photos of me. Today I asked 3 people... not too hard. Now I have a total of 5 photos of me in Paris!

After my feet couldn't take a bit more walking, I once again hopped on a subway (I'm getting pretty good at it now). Thankful to be back and able to take off my formerly comfortable shoes, I rested for a bit on the couch. Then... I opted to do some reading from my book (Eat Pray Love... which I am SOOO LOVING right now!) but chose to go down to Le Bastille Cafe outside my apartment. It was while I was sitting at a table, outside, under a heater, drinking my cafe creme and eating pomme frites (NOT WW friendly), that I realized it... THIS is the dream I had that brought me here to Paris!!! This is exactly what I saw in my previous dreams; sitting in a cafe, watching people rush by, drinking expresso... all of it! I couldn't believe it! Again, I got tears in my eyes, a lump in my throat, and a smile on my face. This is why I came here... (cue the Les Miz music in the background).

So, when the fries ran out, the coffee was gone and the Les Miz music in my head went away, I walked over to the marche (market) for some soap and a look-see and what they had there. I bought some French cookies for the kids, and the soap I was looking for, and went back to the crash pad. It wasn't more than 2 hours when I got a hankering for some sushi, and wouldn't you know, there was a cool place around the corner I found called "Planet Sushi". I read about it in my book; it's one of those revolving sushi places but so cute and funky, that I sucked it up and went and sat at the sushi bar, ON MY OWN. I had some Parisian sushi, which coincidentally tastes stunningly just like Westside sushi. Hmmmm...???....!!!! I drank wine and ate a bunch of plates from the conveyor belt, bubble covered plates that were going around and around. After I was sufficiently sick of sitting by myself the owner came and spoke to me in French and I just stared back at him blankly. I don't know why I couldn't remember how to say "je ne parle francais", so I just smiled and nodded. Turns out he was asking me to move over one seat so a couple could fit in. Nice! Thank goodness a woman took pity on me and told him that clearly I didn't speak French. In embarrassment, I told him I was ready for the bill, and got the heck out of there. I guess raw fish makes you forgot barely-known foreign languages... or maybe it was the wine???? Perhaps...

Now I'm here in the apartment, about to watch a dvd on my laptop. I think tonight will be the appropriately titled: Paris, Je T'aime. Bonsoir!

A chance meeting...

Today has been another amazing day, but I thought I would share the best part of my day first... I was reading a sign at the Pompidou Museum, telling that the museum was closed for the day (ZUT!) when I turned around and saw a familiar face!!! Our mouths both hung open and I couldn't believe I was seeing someone I knew, in Paris!!! It was Penny Baker, and her husband Pete, old, old friends (not them, but the time period) who are the parents of my old elementary and high school friend, Mitch Kamin. I grew up since 4th grade knowing their family and though I haven't been in contact with Mitch for many years, I have run into Penny at our local Trader Joes recently. They live just about a mile away from me in Beverlywood. Holy crap, is that unbelievable??? We were both speechless and after the initial shock, and exchanges of stories of what we were doing in France, we hugged and laughed and couldn't stop talking about the small world we live in. They had just said goodbye to some friends of theirs and now were off to another museum which they invited me to join them on. It was such a relief to have some human interaction, plus the years of catching up we had to do since it really had been more than 15 years since we had sat down together and talked. It was about 1 or 2 pm when I ran into them and we ended up trekking around together all the rest of the day and they invited me to join them for dinner tonight, my first dinner out (that's sad). They'll be picking me up in an hour. It was great!!!

Now to the early part of my day: I slept in again till 9 am and remembered that today was the day of the Market around the corner. So I pulled on some clothes and went downstairs and wandered through the market (just like one of our Farmer's Markets, but with yummier cheese, breads, fresh fish, meats, and the most beautiful produce I think I have ever seen in my life). I bought myself a baguette, some brie, and so fresh strawberries (all by speaking French, since none of the merchants spoke English). Here a picture of the most delicious breakfast I think I have ever had:

I ate at least half of the baguette and probably 2/3 of the brie (didn't feel at all guilty since I hadn't eaten dinner the night before). The brie was incredible and I don't think I've ever had such perfect strawberries in my whole life. How do the French do it???

Later on, after my yummy breakfast and a shower, I headed out for my daily excursion. My plan was to go to The Marais, the neighborhood, near my apartment, most know for chic shops, the jewish quarter, and the rising gay culture... what more could a single girl want??? I first wandered around and visited Victor Hugo's house (yawn). Since I love the musical Les Miserables, I thought it would be interesting... not so much. Then I walked a mile or so and found the Picasso museum, which was interesting and pretty crazy to see so many paintings by such a famous artist. Apparently, this collection was a part of a government seizure of Mr. and Mrs. Picasso's back taxes at some point. None of the hugely famous pieces are there, but to see such a wide variety of Picasso's work, was nonetheless amazing. Although, as per usual, my short attention span brought me in and out of that museum in less than 30 minutes.

After window shopping around the Marais for awhile is when I ended up at the Pompidou, the modern art museum. Apparently there was some kind of demonstration that was going to be happening (I don't know why), so they closed the museum... my bad luck... however my good luck when I ran into Pete and Penny there. We then went together to the Branly Museum which is one that displays the art of many cultures. A beautiful museum (the architecture) and it had some nice cultural artifacts, but thankfully, Pete and Penny have a short museum attention span too, so we were in and out pretty quickly. This museum was all the way over by the Eiffel Tower, so we had a bit of subway hopping to do, which Pete is great at navigating. It was loads of fun to be with them!!

Now I'm resting before dinner. It's pretty cold here (in the 40's) and there's talk of the possibility of snow this weekend. Does it have to snow on every single one of my vacations (minus the summer ones)?????

My pedometer reads: 13,477 steps so far (5.31 miles) Tomorrow, I'm not sure what I'll be doing. I'll decide tomorrow. Hope everyone is well and keep in touch.
Holly