Barc-alone-a: Why Are Solo Adventures Important?

Your independence in the world must be practiced and sought after. A lot of the world is more than safe enough to handle you by yourself. The question does not lie in the issue of safety, but in the measure of your bravery.

The courage to be yourself is one thing; the courage to GO OUT ON YOUR OWN is entirely another. Most people do not have this strength. Keep in mind it is a practiced confidence, not a quest for invincibility. 

The foundation of my choices goes way beyond the labels of being single or married, man or woman, young or old. I hope you will value the art of solo travel after pondering these misconceptions, disclaimers, and results.

Barcelona: Plaças i Passeigs

My final day in Barcelona (this time) was devoted to visiting the main squares, hitting some good eats, and lounging on the beach again.

I had to find thick hot chocolate and churros. Google led me to La Pallaresa, just off La Rambla. It is no Angelina's, but the churros are cool because they are looped at the ends to be better for dipping. I recommend getting the drink without the whipped cream; the cream kind of overwhelms the chocolate, and not in a good way. Ask for the cream on the side.

Plaça de Catalunya has two large fountains, tons of cars chugging about, and some interesting looking buildings to admire. Show up, look around, move on. Yawn.

Plaça d'Espanya, on the other hand, wins my award for the most beautifully impressive square in Barcelona. The roundabout itself is okay, but go through the two tall brick towers and come face to face with a gorgeous museum palace of Catalonian art that rises gracefully above a chorus of fountains. La Font Màgica claims the sound stage and can mesmerize you for the better part of an hour. Make sure you go to see the fountains during the scheduled "show times" for the most complete experience. Here I felt like I was wrapped up in an entire world of a true European Balboa Park.

Barcelona: Gimme Some Gaudí & Jazz

Originally my plan had been to go the furthest to Parc Güell, then work my way back down into town to the Sagrada Família. But while on the metro, my plans jumped, and I flipped the order.

Practically, this was a great move. Dramatically, it was not.

I had to sit down as soon as I saw SagFam. It was overwhelming, massive, incredible, and still amidst its active construction. Parc Güell didn't have the same effect, but that's maybe because it is more spread out and more fun for hikers and outdoor lovers.

I'm still deciding if Gaudí was a madman or a genius, but the answer is probably a lot of both.

Barcelona: The Basics

I took a nicely priced train from Paris to Barcelona. I receive the coupon updates from SNCF (France's national train system), and was able to buy when the price was low. Train took: 6 1/2 hours.

Barcelona is not...a part of Spain. Welcome to [the country of] Catalonia, people.

Tapas are...frustrating. I want MORE FOOD!

The architecture is...like sometime after Venice, but earlier than Paris.

Ham and pork are rumored to be the staple meat because...it was part of the Inquisition's effort to squeeze out the remaining Jews and Muslims...the kingdom made it the most (only?) available source of protein.

Sangria is...the same flavor as vin chaud (hot wine)...but iced.

The metro stations have...all downward steps, all upward escalators. Not fun for luggage.

The plaças in front of churches used to be...cemeteries. 

The king decided...to abdicate the throne to his son. [Today.]

Catalonians went...wild with independence fever. 

Ready, Set, VAMOS!

It's been a lot of packing. Good thing it's one of my hobbies!

All of my clothes are jammed into vacuum packed bags and ready to be transported later this month by Marc to our new village in France.

So not only was I packing for these three days, but also to move. BEST.

In less than 9 hours, I will board my southbound train toward the sunshine of Spain.

Lucky for all of us, my tacky new mp3 player does take low-resolution photos, so all will not be lost to my eyes only.

Check back for the updates, starting tomorrow!

Hasta luego, mis amigos!

IBIN2014: The Quest Begins

This year has been full of ups and downs. But when it all comes together in the end, I can honestly say there were more ups, and they just keep coming.

Barcelona.

I had to put off Iberian Insanity this year. In its purest form, it will probably never totally exist how I originally envisioned it. Again, this is okay. I have had to accept many things this year, and accepting the fact that now I will "have to go" to Spain and Portugal more than once is just fine by me.

My witty hashtag of #ibin2014 is probably going to end up looking more like #ibin2014-2016, which I don't even think will work with the hyphen jammed in there. I'll just keep it as #ibin2014 and deal with the political incorrectness of it on my own.

Barcelona.