Dwindling Days in Spain

October 31, 2013

Ahhh!  It is hard not to love Barcelona.  We played tourist for part of the day because who could visit this city without rambling up and down La Rambla?  Then, there is the port with all of its wonderful sites.  Gaudi’s work is spectacular throughout the city and there are always opportunities to stop and try a tapa here and there.  We began early with fresh fruit from the market.  And what a market it was!  The meat here is a bit too fresh for me.  There were animals and birds, still with the fur and feathers attached, hanging in the meat market.  Later, for just a minute, we thought we’d found waffles and omelets.  Sadly, the waffles were cold and hard and served like a roll.  The omelets are precooked and served like a slice of pizza.  We found Corte Ingles and it was not what we were looking for.  We had to devise a Plan B really quickly.  We finally found a store that sold things like toothpaste.  That was a relief.  We bought a few things there and then, after passing a Halloween Spook House, found a small store where we purchased a purple suitcase.  I should be able to find it easily at the cruise dock and in the airports if it lasts that long!  Finding George a pair of slacks was a challenge.  Jeans are EVERYWHERE.  We must have entered 15 stores that sold nothing but jeans.

We board the Carnival SUNSHINE tomorrow.  It was formerly the Carnival Destiny.  After 16 days, we will arrive in New Orleans.  We are just a little worried about our cruise line choice but are hopeful it will be as great as our RC crossing a few years ago.  It just happened to be going where we needed to go at the time we wanted to travel.  All you retirees and future retirees, you should start getting excited about re-positioning cruises.  They are the deal of a lifetime.  Just don’t be like the poor couple we met a few years ago that didn’t understand that they wouldn’t be returning to the departure port.  Seriously, they ended up in Panama but had left their car in Miami.  These cruises aren’t called re-positioning for nothing.

A few departing thoughts and observations about Spain:

• Get into the Spanish mindset to really enjoy your visit.  Breakfast at 9:00, lunch at 2:00 or 3:00 and dinner at 9:00 pm.  Plan on an afternoon siesta every day. Don’t go shopping between 2:00 – 5:00 pm.
• Learn a few words of Spanish and the people will treat you with respect for trying to speak their language.
• Keep toilet paper in your pocket.  Don’t expect to find any in the bathrooms.
• There aren’t any paper towels either so plan accordingly.
• Speaking of that, I don’t think wash cloths exist in Spain.
• Consider learning how to use a bidet- if you don’t already know.
• Hotel rooms are clean but, if you stay in a non-American hotel, which I think is the only way to experience the real Spain, expect a small tv at best, no clock, and probably no  central ac/heat.  Not always.
• Expect smoking!  Everyone does it.  If Spain doesn’t have more lung cancer issues than the US, then I will begin to question the statistics about smoking and lung cancer.
• Conservation is BIG! Solar panels and windmills are evident each time we traveled. Lights remain on for only 30 seconds.  Be fast!
• Littering is BIG, too.  Sadly.  Wish we could change that.
• Gas is expensive.  It is $1.40/liter or over $7.00/gallon.  Cars are small.
• Wear jeans if you want to be ‘in’.  Everyone does—even with jackets and ties, guys.
• Don’t depend on Wal Mart.  Wish we could go back to those days in the US.  Buy your aspirin at the farmacia, your meat at the meat market and your veggies from the produce market, and your jeans from the clothing store.  On the other hand, get your vino, liquor and cigarettes from any hole-in-the-wall place.  Much easier than buying say shampoo or deodorant.
• Watch out for the cats.
• If driving, learn to master the round-abouts.
• Enjoy people-watching—especially the children.  Kids are kids no matter what language they speak.
• And, then, on to the all important food for thought:
  • Bread, water, and olives are part of every meal.  Only one is free.  OLIVES.  Bread is brought to the table whether you want it or not and then there is a charge on the bill.  Once it was $1.50/each.  Apparently bottled water is required.  Once, I said, “Dos vasos de aqua, por favor”.  The server repeated, “two glasses, no bottle?”.  “Si”, we replied.  She reappeared with a bottle of water.
  • Plan on bread for breakfast.
  • Mr. Coffee’s don’t exist.  All coffee comes from an expresso machine individually made.  An “Americano” coffee adds hot water and it is still strong!
  • The only salad dressing, as is true in most countries, is oil and vinegar.  Beware of the tuna on most salads.
  • No crackers to be found but lots of chips.  No peanut butter either, of course.
  • Expect salt! Not that it is needed because everything is cooked with it.  Too much, in my opinion.  Don’t expect pepper.
  • Expect fries with every meal but ketchup is hard to come by.
  • Enjoy the tapas.  I’d suggest tapa-hopping.  A tapa here, then wander a bit, and have another tapa, there.  You’ll be sure to find some new favorites.
• *Sorry, no pics…..made memories but not photos!