Travel Pig

So excited for my next adventure. It takes some planning for two weeks away , not only at my office getting everything done, teeth wise, but at home too. Getting friends to check on the cat, thank you Willie and Becky. Plants watered by my housekeeper, trash cans brought in by my neighbor. Parties planned when I return etc. Two more days of work and this is when the “Crazies” call. Those people that haven’t been in to see me for years but have an emergency right before I leave. It’s just fate, but it happens. We allow time in the schedule for it! I am ready. Almost packed. Taking my new back pack from my dear friend of 45 years! Dear Julie! Who is just getting back from Italy. Time to sleep…

Can’t wait to eat this Balloon bread next week.

I just spent the weekend in San Antonio for a dental conference. Just a tiny bit of free time. I am getting excited for my next adventure! I booked a round trip ticket to Istanbul in October. So far, I will spend one night there and then fly to Cyprus. This island nation has incredible history and I look forward to learning about it. Apparently it is divided by the Greeks and Turks. I booked an Airbnb for two nights in Larnaca on the water. My original plan was to stay in Cyprus for a week, then travel to Tunisia and Algeria and Morocco, but now possibly Malta. I will decide when I get there except for Algeria. I would need a visa. Maybe next February.

At the Munich airport. Going home soon. It will be a long flight! Just saying hello to my German friends.

Ready for my 12 hour flight!! So long until the next trip!!! Thanks for reading!!!

Sagrada Familia. This church was started in the late 1800’s by Antoni Gaudi. It is still being built and it is expe to be finished 100 years after Gaudis death in 1926. He was hit by. A street car. It’s incredible inside and out. The last time I was here the line was hours long so I bought a ticket on line. Here are some photos.

I navigated the metro again and ended up back at the market. I sat next to the server station. I learned more Spanish sitting here listening. Had a Spritz and some food and then they gave me some Sangria. It was left over or a mistake, so I was a little hesitant to drink it, especially after they asked how I liked it.

Traveling on the fly and with everything so automated now, brings extra challenges. I used to have everything printed before I left on my trip. Mostly because you never know about Internet availability. I remember the days of going to the filthy Internet cafes and even long ago the AAA trip tic. Now with so many travel apps, I forget where things are and which company I have booked through. This trip I added flights and activities to my calendar with where I booked them through. It has helped.

The airports are so different now too, I had booked my flight today for 4:30 pm but realized that leaving earlier on a Friday would be better so booked another flight at 10:30. It costs so little and time is more important. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time but getting a kiosk to work takes some time. This one I had to check in to get my boarding pass and then take a photo of the QR code to pay on my phone for my luggage. Do you think I can remember my six digit code twice? Then the time is up to use the kiosk, basically telling me I am too slow. Then you scan your own bag and put it on the conveyor belt. Both of these processes take place in the same area so it’s crazy.

Now I am at the Madrid airport looking for Lufthansa because I can’t check in online. Thanks Capital One! Free ticket but no confirmation code on the confirmation for the trip home. Some stupid glitch or possibly operator error. I took the bus to Terminal 2, I was at Terminal 4. Took forever. I found the Lufthansa check in and explained my situation. She checked me in. I asked for window seats but she said, you get what you get. After I had the boarding tickets, I checked the website, yup checked in and there were plenty of seats, so now I am in window seats. When I am flying economy, I chose to sit way in the back with hopes of a whole row to stretch out in. Not so important for this trip since I get in on Sat afternoon.

Was thinking of Ubering but it looked complicated so I grabbed a taxi to my hotel. Upgraded!! Unpacked and packed. It will be an early wake up tomorrow.

Yup I was tired. It was 11:45 AM when I looked at my watch. Plan for the day Picasso museum and La Sacrada Familia. It was a 30 min walk per gps. No line so I went in. Picasso is someone I need to learn more about. So confusing. In my own nutshell, it seems he studied the masters, liked nudes and still life’s and then went crazy, maybe a disease of the eyes and saw prisms.

Lunch was good now off to find Sacrada Familia. I tried to see this years ago but the line was hours. I have a ticket today!

My flight goof up only cost me two hours and $100 bucks. My sweet son reminded me of another flight that I made for the wrong day in Malawi. It all works out. Taxi to the hotel. It was so hard to chose where to stay. Barcelona is very anti Airbnb so I wanted a hotel on or close to the Ramblas Street. It’s a busy street that has so many tourists, outdoor cafes, bars etc. It is very lively to use my friend Megan’s word. My room was ready. It was very clean and very tiny and very small and the bleach smell was over powering. There was a little coffee area was kind of stupid. And no coffee.

I dropped my stuff and walked across the street to the famous Boqueria Market. As expected it was crowded. Locals get their produce, fish and meat here. Tourist gawk and eat at the little cafes inside. I couldn’t find a spot I like so I sat just outside the market looking into it. I picked a spot because of the accordion man. The food here was really bad. Had a little wine and it was nap time.

Quick two hour nap then time to explore. I was vaguely looking for a boot shop. But stopped off at the bar at my hotel. Wolf Lounge.

I love churches. This was not super beautiful but this vending machine was funny. You could buy matches, candles , mugs, water bottles and water. Is this what the world is coming to?!?

I just meandered along, window shopping, looking for the boot store, hurrying when it seemed like a shady area. Sometimes I ended up going in a circle. This plaza was so pretty

Time to eat something. I decide on a vegan place. Ordered eggplant and burrata. It was so yummy

Back at the hotel, the bar was full. There was a great singer, but I was so tired. It was close to midnight so I went to bed.

The beach and coastline were beautiful. I can’t imagine what it would be like in season. I bought a few items than chose a beachfront restaurant for a Aperol and a snack and more reading. The locals were out and seemed a desperate crowd. I didn’t like the feel of it. I did dip a toe in the Balearic Sea. It was freezing. I was hungry for pizza so I looked up best Pizza near me. Top choice was Pizza Hut. No thank you. But I did see an interesting group of restaurants near by that looked interesting, including a craft cocktail place. Just a few blocks away. So I walked over. It was about 7:30. No one was there and it was loud. It looked like they were expecting a crowd but I left. Stopped in a few stores and bought some long pants. I only brought one pair of white pants. I didn’t feel like going to a bar so I bought a bottle of cheap sparking wine at the quick market and read outside on my balcony watching the sun set. The upstairs pool design was smart, it had chairs facing East and West. It gets chilly without the sun.

I am reading some great books. This is one of them

So for the mistake…. Woke up about two hours before my alarm. No big deal, just did some reading. Made sure that I could get a taxi by calling the front desk. No Uber here. Fast trip to the airport. Easily found my check in area, checked my bag and headed to security. I needed some coffee. They don’t have coffee machines in the rooms in Spain, or at least not the ones I am staying in. As I got to security, my ticket code did not work. A man looked at my ticket and said, “Tomorrow.” Shit. Went back to the checkin area. No I can’t buy a new ticket. She made me follow her. I had to wait for them to find my luggage and I bought a ticket the earliest that I could for today. My original flight was at 8 am. Now it was 1:30pm. Ugg. How would I spend that time? I looked around, Julie and I bought tickets in Vietnam at the airport, why not here. It was 6:30am and nothing was open. I tried one place but they didn’t sell tickets, but luckily the next one did. $100 later I was on a flight at 10:15. Not sure how I chose the wrong day, but the original flight was $25. Need to check the rest of my notes and flights for correct times. Off to Barcelona!

Another place I have wanted to visit. Back to the airport, after a Buffet breakfast. Short 55 min fight. Sometimes you are charged extra for luggage, sometimes not. It seems better to gamble on not paying upfront for it. Long taxi to the next hotel. It’s very modern and just finished. It is two five story buildings bridged together by an infinity pool and deck on the fifth floor, over looking the beautiful sea. Quite stunning. I went up to get in the sun and grab a bite. I chose some sling chairs. As I sat down, the chair was a bit rickety and then it broke! Embarrassed, I got up, put it to the side and grabbed a different one. The bartender actually came over to see if I was ok. Ugg. Had a Mai Tai and some perfectly cooked shrimp in a ginger garlic sauce.

Time to check out the beach. This is turning into the ultimate one and done trip. Tomorrow to Barcelona!!

The hotel was on the water near a famous beach. If it was high season, it would have been busy. I took a taxi to the old part of town, near the marina. The building were mostly white and very old. I did some shopping and tried to find a not so touristy place to eat, read and have drink. They all seem to serve the same things. I decided on one with a Marina view. Had some scallops and wine. Surprisingly good.

Took a taxi back to the hotel. Went next door to a lively place with cute gay bartenders, called Mitch’s. Amazing veggies, cooked perfectly.