12/09/04

We have officially been here for a month...only a month? It feels like we have been here since before time began, but alas it is only a month. Still in Barcelona. We made a quick breakfast, having slept in longer than we anticipated, and got to seeing the city again. We first went to a travel agent to get tickets to Ibiza. We got some fair priced airline tickets to the island from Barcelona for Saturday. It will only be an hour flight! We have gotten smart and have already found out what airport we must go to and how to get there! We are so smart..SMRT (sing like Homer Simpson) So having firmed those plans we walked about Barcelona. On the way to our first destination we met this quite drunk, but extremely friendly and likeable Irish guy named Allan Brennan. He just stopped us on the sidewalk and asked us if we were Americans. He had lived in New York for 7 years in the 1980s and just loves Americans. (Something we haven´t encountered since being here in Europe so far.) He had some really funny stories. Quite like a character from a movie. He came to Barcelona 3 months ago for a 2 week vacation. However like us, he had some seriously bad luck getting his money and passport stolen within the first week. So he has been drinking himself into oblivion ever since and is trying to find a way back home to Dublin. We got his address and telephone number so when we go to Ireland hopefully he will have made his way home and we can have a proper Irish beer in a proper Irish pub with our new Celtic friend. We saw the Arc of Triumph (very different from those in Rome and Paris for that matter), another Gaudi building, The National Theatre of Catalunya house, the Zoo and the park there within, many huge markets filled with fresh food of every kind. The smell of fish, no matter how fresh, can really overwhelm a person at these markets. We saw this building, very newly built according to Alessandra, that literally looks like a giant grey, blue and red penis sticking straight outta the ground. You can see it from anywhere in Barcelona. I actually like because it is so unlike any other building I have ever seen. Totally modern and very cool. We are beginning to see why so many people from other countries come to visit and stay to live in Barcelona. The people are so warm and respectful. The vibe here is quite welcoming. Tonight I made italian food for Caleb and I. Then we watched a pirated version of Amelie of Montmarte. Such an inspiring and sweet film. I highly recommend it. Very different in style from any other movie I have seen. Very funny.