Feliz Ano

So much for updates on location.

After what can truly be called a whirlwind tour of Barcelona, there simply wasn't any time to hit the blogspot. It didn't help that our little internet cafe in the Ribera was closed on New Year's Eve. Folks down there take their vacation time seriously.

If ever you should go, here are a few observations and recommendations, in no particular order:

Germans are everywhere. Hiking through national parks in the states isn't their only pastime. They love Barcelona, and staying up all night, like our neighbors in our hotel. Thin walls = impromptu German lesson.

Gaudi invented architecture. Without him, we'd all be living in mud huts. Or at least that's the impression you'd get from the audio tours of his many buildings. Amazing creations, all of them, especially the fantasy land of Park Guell, but the breathless commentary ("You are about to enter the most amazing laundry room you've ever seen") gets a little old.

Barcelonans(?) are incredibly friendly and willing to muddle through a conversation or financial transaction with you in your broken Spanish.

GPS: get yours today. Although the clean, efficient grid of the Eixample(the modern extension of the city) was easy to navigate, the maze of the barri gotic had us ducking into stores and cafes more than once to find ourselves on the map.

Great views of the city: La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Monjuic.

La Flauta Magica: The best vegetarian-friendly restaurant in the entire city. Pablo, the owner, was incredibly friendly and helpful, the food was fantastic, the atmosphere was distinct and the Bob Dylan album playing in the background was a nice touch.

Other places to eat: Origen 99.9 had a nice little selection of vegetarian Catalan dishes. Not a lot to choose from, but thoroughly enjoyable. The desserts were excellent, and the nifty little menus walk you through in four languages. Sabor Cafe in La Ribera had some of the best coffee I have ever had in my life, and the Spanish Omelets made every morning perfect. Kendra enjoyed their thick hot chocolate. The owner apparently though she was from Portugal after looking at her ID, but the language barrier means we'll never know why. Maybe her surname is well-known there.

If you like cheap, good beer, reach for the star: Estrella Damm. As ubiquitous in Barcelona as Natty Boh is in Baltimore, but many times better. Ask for una cerveza in most bars or cafes in Barcelona, and you'll probably end up with a glass of this. As the waiter in Tomate said: "Es barata, pero buena."

Tomate: I hate to say it, since the waiter was so nice, but I wouldn't recommend this place. We got a great Asheville vibe when the waiter took the menu board inside for us to look at after we sat down, and everything seemed fine until I heard the microwave running shortly after we placed our order. Kendra confirmed with a quick glance behind the partition that the kitchen, as such, consisted of a microwave. To be honest, the food wasn't bad for something nuked. Certainly much better than the airplane food, but, I mean.

Cacao Sampaka: The best hot chocolate I ever expect to have for the rest of my life. I could say more, but why?

A word of advice: If you see something you think you'd like to buy, especially in the Barri Gotic, just go ahead and buy it. Chances are, you'll never find the store again, or it will be closed by the time you do. A lot of neat little souvenirs will never make it to our walls and shelves because of this.

Conspicuous Consumption: I always thought Americans loved shopping and consuming mass quantities. That was before stepping into El Corte Ingles, the biggest department store and monument to consumption I have ever seen. Macy's in Herald Square the Saturday before Christmas is empty compared to this overcrowded monstrosity. On the other hand, folks in Barcelona know how to dress, so at least we didn't see a lot of bellies hanging out under NASCAR T-shirts.

The fashion gap: American children, beware! Europe has advanced far beyond us in terms of baby and children's wear. No plastic bibs or goofy T-shirts with cute animals on these tikes. We must begin an immediate Fashion Upgrade across America!

And, that's it for now. This post is already way too long.