12/21/2011 - Day of Gaudi

After waking up at 2:00am- and finally sleeping around 5:30am, I jumped out of bed in panic when I saw the clock showing 9:02am. I was planning to be at Sagrada Familia by that time.  I took a hurried shower (which does not have enough hot water for girlie-shower but has a great water pressure to substitute as massages on my neck and shoulder), woke everybody up.  We did manage to leave the hotel around 10:00am, heading to Mercator de Saint Josep aka Boqueria - Destination=Pinortxo Bar. We sat at the bar - had the best octopus with white beans, seamed clams, chorizo, croquettes, shrimps, and potato dish, all tapas!  We saw people drinking wine and beer for breakfast- if you eat those chorizos and meat stew looking thing they were cooking, you certainly deserve a glass or two.  Chris and Karina are determined to come back here tomorrow again.....

After having the best breakfast ever (in my life, pretty much...), we walked around the market.  

I follwed the wet pavement- I guessed wet pavement=washing blood=yummy dead animals or fish).  Besides the huge hanging jamons- we found cute piglets....which did not get to become 'sheep dogs' - here is "before"....

And "after" the extreme make-over.

We finally arrived at Sangrada Familia around 12:15 noon.  The line to get in from Passion Facade side was about 5 min and probably saw 5 or so "tamed" gypsies working.  "Tamed" because there are police/security officers all around the Church.  I even took my Rick Steve's guidebook out of my bag, and put my Canon "big" camera with 300mm zoom lense on my neck - cannot-be-more-tourist-than-this look?

We went around the church (still under construction) , went to the Nativity side (=the only side Gaudi actually got to complete while he was alive before being run-over by a street car in front of (yet-another-Modernista architecture) hospital).  

We had our Passion side tower lift tickets for 1:00pm.  The lift itself was fine.  The view from 215' high was great.  But I am acrophobic and Chris and Karina are not.  Going down tihis very narrow spiral stairs where you can see 200+ feet below you is NOT something I would enjoy.  I literary held the handrail with both hands, facing the wall, descending side way so that my back is to the hallow spiral chute.  Chris and Karina did all they could imagine to scare me for their enjoyment....and that was not fun.....

As I designated today as Gaudi day, we walked to Casa Mila.  We walked along some major roads - with most of the stores/offices closed for lunch break.  We saw people eating lunch at bars/ cafes, etc.  Karina was  asking for re-fueling break- oh well, I wasn't hungry and it's my payback time from being tortured at Sangrada Familia--- so they followed.  Karina was ready to throw her white towel in by this time.

By the time we were done at Casa Mila (when my camera battery died.....) Chris was ready to quit the Day of Gaudi, saying "it is too much" and my response was, "not quite yet".

We walked to Casa Batillo (by  Gaudi, of course).  My Day of Gaudi itinerary was becoming like Monet's Water Lilys...."another!!??!!" was all they could mutter......

Tomorrow will be yet-another OCD-like action packed day!!!!!!

First Night in Barcelona

We arrived on-time into Barcelona- or so I've been told.  I was pretty much unconscious throughout the flight - in spite of yet another screaming baby on board.

The cab ride from the airport to middle of Barcelona took about 30 min or so at around 30 Euro.  Chris-san was carrying on some conversation with the cab driver in Spanish - which I guess pleased the driver. He was explaining us about this cliff-side cemetery, about Barcelona port- how Barcelona has wonderful mild weather in winter- and it only snowed once in his (40-ish) life time.

Our tiny hotel is at Placa del Pi in Barri Gotic - with cafes, bars, and a church surrounding the Square.  It is very lively but by 10:30pm, all you hear is garbage trucks. The room is  simple - almost clinical.  Everything you need is there with no frills.  The best part is the room has 3 twin beds.. 2 balconies (it is a corner "suite") and 1 window- great to have fresh air flowing all the time.  Normally the room is 105 euro (which in itself is a bargain) a but since I booked the reservation 10 months ago, the price went down to 85 euro.  I get to spend 60 extra Euro on shopping!

The reality of Barcelona hit us, when we check-in at the hotel-- first "chat" with the staff after filling out paperwork was..."please be careful of pick-pockets on the street and Metros".  I think this is the first time I was "officially" forewarned about almost inevitable crime!  I already had my passport stolen from my purse in Paris (at Louvre..in front of Mona Lisa....oh so tourist...). GI Chris never likes to be in the crowd- but he is even more alert since my last incident.... Whenever we watch, say a street performer, Karina and I are watching...when Chris is being our CIA agent, watching everybody around us, whispering, "remember Louvre".

With the warning still fresh in my mind- we strolled along Las Ramblas and actually did see some "shady" street card-game going on.  I know they were shady because they did not want us taking pictures!- and later Agent Chris saw them quickly wrapping up their stuff and disappeared...just like fake Chanel bag vendors on Canal Street!  Other than that, we saw a lot of X'mas lights, similar to the ones we saw in Rome (and did not see in Paris).

We had dinner reservation at Rias de Galicia near Place de Espanya.  Lobster tartar and Iberian jamon were to die for.  Their "glass" of wine is half of American "glass".  So I only had a glass of wine.  This is the only time I miss our Super-size culture!  Even though I was determined to dine in Spanish way...Karina and Chris were too tired... Karina almost fell asleep during dinner hence we only stayed there for about 1 1/2 hrs.

As I write this at 11:06pm- wide awake... Chris and Karina are sound asleep.

On board BA #48 and at LHR T5

On board BA premium economy - three crying babies/toddlers around us....my Bose come very handy.  Boarding on Premium is with general passengers- not with First/Business.  But once seated, with extra legroom, leg and foot rest, more reclining and extra rooM between my seat and window, it is far more comfortable.  Currently watching The Hangover 2!!

Overall impression of Premium class.... Definately more leg room.  Meals are the same 'tin-foiled' economy food.  It is best to get window seat.  If you are 6' you still will feel a bit squeezed.  If you are on window seat or middle of the mid-section, you will need to climb over your neighbor.  

Arriving at LHR- it took only 40min from landing to clear security check at T5. British Airway's T5 has 3 separate buildings ( e.g. gates A, B, C).  Within Europe international flights are mostly leaving from A gates. When you first arrive at T5 B gates or C gates, it's not 100% clear where you should be going as all you see on the flight board is B gates and C gates info.  You just follow the sign that says "All Connecting Flights" - even though that involves taking a short train ride.

 You will soon be met by BA agents checking your passport and connecting flight boarding pass.  They even randomly check your bag etc - but this is just a "casual" inspection.

Real Security Check point will come after this one.  The process is very much same as US but you are asked to take only boots and heels - no flsts, sandals, sneakers or Uggs. iPads, nook, kindles, etc are consider as laptop and need to be out of the bag.

Since Spain/Italy BA flights are now using T5, flights to Vienna, Prague, and Budapest are moved to T3/T1.

BCN minus 0

Now sitting at Gate S10, looking at out aircraft B747-400 with bigger business class pulling in.  At this point, there is nothing I can do...be it dirty house, laundry, or forgotten moisturizer. I am very happy that instead of sitting in the "roach" class, all three of have been upgraded to Premium class....bigger seats, foot-rests, AC Power source!  Sure it is not flat-bed, but since I got up at 3:00am this morning, I will have no problem sleeping.  But then, I want to enjoy every Premium moment, as I don't know when I get to travel Premium again....even though we have a crying toddler behind us.....

Off to LHR/BCN!,

BCN minus 3

Three days to go and this is when I start to wonder why I even bother to go anywhere.... I have to clean and scrubb the house, finish all laundry, finish all work, and clean more....just so that I feel a bit ok to go on vacation.  It is my own-doing...but still, when I get ready to travel, I get ready as if I would be traveling to The Underworld.  I even get my "death box" out so that people will know who to call to collect some insurance $!

Right now, I am still testing out my blog tool on iPad, as I patiently wait for the Spanish map to be downloaded to my Garmin.  Yes, Spanish map- because we are off to Spain - Barcelona, Granada, South Coast, Ronda and Sevilla to be exact.  

I think I read just about everything - even made my guidebook custom spiral-bound for ease.

I haven't started anything else yet....but my family, knowing me very well, is staying out of my way.

Tomorrow BCN minus 2 = facial, chiropractor, cleaning, laundry, work  ... and somehow squeeze Sherlock Holmes movie somewhere.....

Can't wait for hydrating myself with endless Rioja....

Can't sleep again~so testing

Testing how to use Blogsy.  iPhoto pictures need to be uploaded to Picasa etc first before you can drag/paste to the blog draft.

Videos can be easily drag/pasted from YouTube video library - so videos need to be uploaded there first. 

Uploading videos from iPad photo library to YouTube is pretty easy (from Photo function option). 

Testing post and photo upload

Testing the blog posting . How may photos can I post???

I cannot post photos in beween the paragraph - all photos go to the same area -