Barcelona May 20-25

2006-06-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

Jan, Becks cousin, and his wife Jaime, have been living in Barcelona for almost a year, wworking as developers for a software company and have invited us to stay with them. Jaime makes lunch while Jan, Beck and I go shopping at the local market which is like the deli section of Queen Victoria markets in Melbourne. We exlore the city, very much like Sydney in how developed it is. Beck and I make a seafood dinner, we watch Friends DVDs til 1 and sleep.

On the 21st we sleep til 11. Its great waking up next to Beck again. We spend the day walking Barcelona, seeing La Ramblas living statues - http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=la+rambla+barcelona+statues&btnG=Search . We visit Santa Maria del Mar, a huge gothic churchand have tapas for lunch. That evening Jan and Jaime take us to Andys who they workk with for a housewarming BBQ which is a great way to see parts of the city tourists dont see and see how people who may not be locals (Andys from the USA) live locally. Its a great night with great people, especially Jans friend Miki who was in Switzerland for work and is also staying with them. She is as wonderful as they are. The 22nd is a bit of a slow day after the party the night before. I read the Barcelona guide until Beck gets up at 11. By the time everyone has showers and is ready to go it is 3pm.We visit Park Guell - http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=park+guell - the Sagrada Familia - http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=sagrada+familia - and meet Jaime for dinner at a restaurant where everything is made so it can be served on a toothpick, very strange and very tasty.

We wake at 11 again the next morning. All these sleep ins just show that constant travel for 6 months has taken its toll on both of us, and the first chance we get in a home environment, where there are friendly people we know, a lounge room, kitchen and no pressure to do anything, our bodies take advantage of it. Beck is much better than she has been for weeks with her energy. I go for a walk on my own to look at the Gaudi architecture - http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=gaudi+architecture+barcelona - then we go out together to look at more buildings and give Jan and Miki some time together. Becvk cooks an amazing salmon dinner and more Friends til 1; The 24th is our last full day in Barcelona. Beck, Miki and I catch the train to Figueres where Dali lived and go to his museum which is as spectacular as you would imagine - http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=dali+figueres+theatre - and have lunch in a lovely plaza in the small town, and then that night have a HUGE paella feast with the people Jan and Jaime work with - another "highlight" day.

The next morning Beck goes to visit an osteopath as her back has been hurting for a while. Miki and I meet her in a cafe famous for its hot chocolate so thick that the spoon stands up in it, and its traditional Spanish donuts - churros. Miki heads back to the apartment as she has to go to the airport and we say fond farewells, knowing we will see each other in Sydney. Beck and I go to meet Christina, a friend of Jan and Jaime who we met at Andys BBQ and who has recently visited the south american countries we will be visiting soon. She has lots of stories and photos and as a result we change our plans a little - less time in Peru so we can make time for Bolivia. We stop for our last tapas on the way to Jan and Jaimes work to say goodbye, we have been very fortunate to have their energy around us while we have been travelling and to open their home and their hearts to us. We go back to the apartment, finish packing and catch the metro and at 8pm, our bus to Paris, which like most long bus trips, doesnt allow much sleep, but its great travelling with Beck again. I am aware its only 13 days we have left together before she heads off to Hawaii and we dont meet up again for 3 months. I am treasuring every moment. Having this time together at a home environment has been good for both of us.

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