Barcelona At Last

This month was a whirlwind of preparation for the Touring and Tasting Mediterranean wine cruise. I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, busy getting my work done in advance so this can be a real vacation. Now, four plane rides, two delays and 36 hours later, we are finally in Barcelona. At first glance, it is not at all what I expected. Viewed from above in the airplane and from to the taxi to the hotel, it really looks like many other cities world wide--same highways, apartment buildings, gleaming glass and steel airport. However, this evening we'll stroll along the Passeig de Gracia, home to many architectural masterpieces by Gaudí, Cadafalch and others--I'll have the opposite opinion later, I'm sure!

However, it is undeniable that the world has shrunk in my lifetime. As a child traveling with my parents to Mexico and Japan, leaving the US was like going to the moon. Everything was different. There were no tacos or enchiladas in the US, no hamburgers in Mexico or Japan. With the spread of multinational corporations and the human population growing astronomically and traveling to all corners of the world, stores and products become ubiquitous. We looked for a quick bite to eat near our hotel in what the locals call a bar (a deli--no alcohol served) and the menu mostly would not been out of place at home: hamburgers, ham sandwiches, pasta. I had a Tortilla de Patatas--a potato omelette and asked  our server for lemonade. "Fanta or Schweppe's?" she asked.

Note for others visiting Barcelona--buy a T10 Metro pass at any of the stations to get around town, but be prepared to do a lot of walking! There is a lot to see--and not always near a station. We bought Barcelona cards at the tourist center right outside the exit of the airport for free transportation inside the city and discounts on admission to museums. But, beware! Each day of the card is for a specific date, not for a full 24 hours from when you start using it. For instance, if you arrive at noon and activate it by taking the bus or train, that day will expire at the end of the day, not at noon the following day.  Also, transportation plus the discount on admission may be less than the price of the card--we paid 55 euros for two people/two days. Here's a link to good info on the T10 card.