Well, since BJ is trying to show off with his ability to post a new blog, I suppose I'll have to retaliate by writing about the travels on the west side of Europe. Sadly, there are no pictures for now, but they will probably be up...sometime soon.
Anyways, as BJ pointed out, we are all peeling away from one another for a few weeks in search of new adventures and experiences. Tim and I will be splitting off from each other in a few days in Rome, where he will stay, and I will head out to Istanbul for the week. But who cares about that...right now, we are in Barcelona! And man, was it good to see (and feel!) that sun. Barcelona in November is like a mild summer day in Seattle.
So we got ourselves a cozy little hotel off of the big main street, Las Ramblas, which is full of curbside vendors selling cheap souvenirs, living statues trying to earn a buck, not-too-impressive magicians and musicians, and little shops selling birds, reptiles, fish, and small rodents to passing tourists and residents alike. I had forgotten how much I want an adorable itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, soft, fluffy bunny rabbit until I saw them. Tim had to physically pull me away from the stand, thus saving me the complications and heartache of leaving my bunny at the Athens airport when they inevitably tell me I can't take it back to the States with me. I'm sorry, bunnies....someone, somewhere will love you and treat you right....
Ahem. Anyways, after that tragic episode, we wandered to the end of the Ramblas only to find ourselves at...the sea! You don't really remember how much you miss the sea until it's right there in front of you, and you can just reach out and touch the waves, and make footprints in the sand, and just sit and stare into the endless horizon...it's pretty amazing.
Well, to stop myself from getting too poetic about rabbits and oceans, I'll mention the strike. Tim and I are sort of trapped in Spain, since all the French trains are on strike as of yesterday. How dumb is that? So in the spirit of going with the flow, we are heading down to Granada to see if we can't find even warmer weather and colorful culture, and then flying out from there to Rome. So please....stay tuned.
