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Hell is the Barcelona Airport

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Maybe I’m just too old and cranky to travel internationally (by air) anymore.  I was ready to mow down people, Rambo-style, after walking back and forth and up and down stairs (the escalators weren’t working) for hours. Our driver picked us up at 8:00 for a noon flight, the latest they would schedule. Since Easter Monday is a major holiday, there was very little traffic, and we were dropped off about 8:15.  Of course, the check-in desk for our luggage was in the exact opposite corner of a cavernous building. No one was there, so we checked online and learned that the counter only opens two hours before the flight boards, so 9:45.  So imagine having to spend 90 minutes in the outermost part of the Houston airport, with no food or coffee available. At least we found some seats. We stood in line at the counter for a long time before it finally opened. The Fast Track security line was 270 degrees from the Aegean Air counter, but we finally fought our way back through the crow...
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Easter in Barcelona

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Happy Easter!  The beautiful weather continues here in Barcelona.  Charlie captured this image of all the jet trails from our balcony yesterday afternoon. Since I’ve mentioned the lovely hotel breakfast several times, here are some photos of the buffet this morning. In addition, we can order cooked-to-order food, like omelets or pancakes or crepes.The first photo shows the grated tomato for pan con tomate (which we have daily), along with a toaster and sandwich press.  To the right of the lemons are ham and cheese filled quesadillas. On the other side of the bread table is a sliced tortilla and various meats and cheeses. On the other side of the room are the coffee machines, fruit, and fresh pastries. Note the chocolate warmer on the right for the churros (which disappear quickly). We spent time packing our suitcases this morning, then walked back to Le Romane for a  2:00 lunch. We sat outside, enjoying the flowering redbud trees and people-watching.  We ordered...
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Relaxing and Shopping in Barcelona

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The weather is perfect today—69 degrees and sunny. Everyone is out walking and shopping, including the very old, who are creeping along, but still shopping while impeccably dressed.  We had another leisurely morning and lovely breakfast in the hotel, then headed out a bit before noon.  We walked a long way along Las Ramblas, stopping to browse or shop.  Again, the architecture doesn’t disappoint. Beautiful doors Amazing facade Here’s a view of Las Ramblas, which has a wide pedestrian area between two streets.  Many restaurants have enclosed seating areas in the middle. We couldn’t resist browsing in at least three chocolate shops, to admire the Easter confections. Snow White theme (I think) Frozen theme Chocolate animals and eggs  I also enjoyed shopping for my grandgirls!  They have Mango, Mango Teen, and Mango Kids! Something for everyone! For lunch, we tried a new place, Mar i Terra.  We sat in their outdoor area, so the servers had to run across th...
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Walking and Relaxing in Barcelona

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After yesterday’s epic food tour, we indeed had nothing else to eat the rest the day.  We enjoyed a leisurely morning and breakfast in the hotel before heading out to stretch our legs and people-watch.  It was cool enough for my denim jacket, but we saw people wearing everything from tank tops and shorts to heavy coats and scarves. A big department store we remembered from our 2024 trip had closed, and a couple of other stores we wanted to browse in were closed for Good Friday.  We restocked some provisions before returning to the hotel. We saw these cute doughnut versions of monas de Pascua in a bakery near the hotel. For lunch, we walked several blocks to Le Romane, an Italian place we enjoyed on our last visit. Along the way we admired the architecture. Here’s the bar area in Le Romane. We enjoyed a good salad that included red beans and black olives, then a huge pizza featuring four different toppings. We brought half of it back to the hotel and will probably have it ...
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Barcelona Food Tour

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This morning we took a taxi from the hotel to meet our tour guide.  A family of four from London plus the son’s girlfriend from Germany were also in the group.  Everyone was very congenial, thank goodness!  The tour, sponsored by Culinary Backstreet, was led by Pam (in the red coat below), originally from Italy.   First, we went to La Pubilla for a hearty traditional breakfast.  We enjoyed the tortilla (potato and egg casserole), traditional white beans, pork, pan con tomate, and a fried egg mixed with sausage. Coffee with milk was enjoyed after the meal. From there, we walked across the street to a huge market located in the same location for hundreds of years.  The displays were beautiful! We got to sample three kinds of cheese and two types of sausage there. Next, we visited a granary, which has been in the same location since 1885. Originally it focused more on providing seeds for the farmers, but also flours, nuts, and all kinds of dried beans.  T...
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