Day 2 in Barcelona, Night 1 in Granada. We managed to wake up on time this morning, after unsuccessfully trying for the 2nd night in a row to go out and be cool like every other person in Barcelona, except us.
Took a nice three mile run through the city with only one near car collision which is an easy mistake when trying to navigate the weird honeycomb street blocks with cross streets that make no sense and cars that enjoy playing a game where they get as close as they possibly can to you without hitting you, except it’s like not that big of a deal if they do hit you and then they just drive on and roll over you and go on to the next block for another human Frogger challenge. Besides that cool game, I also was lucky enough to run by some senior citizens all playing bacci ball together in a random, shop-flanked bacci ball court and it was just wonderful and adorable.
It seemed like a great idea to split up with Rebecca and “meet there” at the entrance to the Parc Guell until we both got there with no text message function and limited data plans, and alas there were 187 entrances. This will be forever marked as “the first time Liz has a meltdown on the trip.” Shocking to most, I know, but I freaked the eff out and had a meltdown (I mean I somewhat contained it so it wasn’t that visible to other tourists or locals except for the one guy who was right behind me and he was way too damn close anyway so it’s his fault) because it took half an hour to meet up and we’d miss our time slot to see the park- but it ended up being totally fine because we didn’t even buy tickets to the park! They were just for this awesome house that Gaudi lived in that I am joking it was not awesome and I got yelled at by a security guard.
Leaving the park lent to the most exciting moment of the day when I selfishly ran across the street to beat oncoming death traffic and left Rebecca stranded in the middle of the street next to a narrow pole and instead of being worried or trying to help her, I just laughed and pointed and took a bunch of photos of her, including today’s Photo Highlight! Don’t be sorry, she’s doing just fine. Things got much better after discovering a cool store that sold reversible skirts with remove able fanny pack pockets (get ready on June 2nd, Denver!) and a store that sold jewelry that all looked like Willy Wonka candy. We got lunch at the best-smelling cafe in Barcelona and met we’re not sure yet which one of our future husbands (death match results to be posted soon… Or not posted if I lose…By Day 14) who waited on us and we had the best cup of coffee and scone in Barcelona, in my opinion, and having spent two days in Barcelona I am an expert and should be 100% trusted on all barcelonan affairs. Flight to Granada was uneventful except for when I got impatient (I know, super unusual) with a guy taking forever in one line, Navy Seal rolled under the stanchions to get in a much shorter line, and then got stuck behind the most airport-illiterate family in the world and then the line I left previously checked in like 12 people before I finally got my ticket. Enraged. And I suppose karmically pwned.
Granada is beautiful, we are staying in the most amazing apartment ever, and Rebecca stood on our balcony singing “Little town, it’s a quiet village” from Beauty and the Beast while I was showering but now I unfortunately know about it. Is anyone interested in travelling for the next 12 days with me?
Finished up the night at Bar a Diamanté which has most likely the best fried seafood I’ll ever eat in my life, and the angriest waiter in the world who still somehow really likes us and keeps giving us free tapas and drinks, and then scowling at us again.
Overall, Barcelona has revealed itself as loud, bright, musical in every sense of the world and truly buzzing with the energy of people and the sounds of their voices. Granada by contrast seems on first impression to be a magical little fairy land that is lazy and murmuring and full of colorful locals who do nice things like tell you where to eat where the tourists aren’t and offer to drive you back on the bus even though it’s your break because you are an idiot who missed their bus stop.
On to El Alhambra tomorrow – more soon! xoxo, Chica de Gossip (and the weird girl who sings Beauty and the Beast songs while overlooking our balcony.) — with Rebecca Jones.