Barcelona for 3 Days
I am in Barcelona again, staying with the chef I met over the summer. Quite a bit has changed since I was here last, but overall, it's the same place I remembered. I went to some of my favorite places, including the café that serves espresso in a crucible-like cup. Jacqueline changed jobs and now works from 8:00am until 4:00pm at a restaurant in this suburb. Quite a drastic change from her two jobs in Barcelona, requiring a 14 or 16 hour day, plus an hour commute each direction. I must say, she looks far better. She's had time to take care of her son and the house, and she now has a boyfriend (whom I actually met this summer before he was her boyfriend). She seems better-rested and much happier. What a wonderful change to see!
Of course, I had to do my shopping here. I did all of it at Zara and got everything I was looking for except shoes (need some black shoes to replace mine, which are falling apart). I got a nice brown blazer, a white shirt with pink stripes, a brown going-out shirt, and two belts – all for 60€. There are some Kenneth Cole shoes that I really like, but I think I'll have to wait until Thailand to get those, since the stores here don't seem to carry KC.
I think my time here is just perfect. Back to Paris tomorrow evening. I leave for the airport around 2:00pm tomorrow, which gave me an afternoon, a full day, and a morning here in Barcelona. It was really great to get back and see Jacqueline changed for the better and the city pretty much unchanged. I could see myself living here (maybe not in Barcelona, but in Europe in general). The weather is great, since I love the cold, the people are fun to be around, and there's so much to do.
So I'll be back in Asia shortly. I'm looking forward to it. These trips give me a greater sense of what I'm doing there, and now I'm there for a long haul (no trips planned…probably until April). Time to crack down, learn the language, and get these hospital volunteers in order.
