Off Exploring! I love that web name because that is just what I am doing. Off Exploring a new place thousands of miles away form home. Over 12 days I will go from Houston to the Newark airport (see how exotic it is already) to Barcelona to Marrakech (or Marrakesh - a bit of an identity crisis there) to Mardid to London to Houston. A whirlwind tour that I can't really believe is really happening.. but it should be an interesting journey. And really what more can you ask for from an adventure.

IN BARCELONA AT NOON AND LISTENING TO OPERA ON THE BEACH BY MIDNIGHT

I left Houston on a 1:00pm flight to the most fabulous place -Newark. The only adventure came when we were landing, early I might add! and the plane suddenly lurched faster and up.. and faster and up.. thanks to the onboard video with mapping on it we knew exactly how high.. from 698 to 1906.. it was like a roller coaster. Turns out there was a plane on the runway that were just about to land on. So a high mile tour around Jersey and we landed safe and sound.

I caught my flight to Barcelona with about 45 minutes to spare. Then we sat in the plane for another hour because someone had parked a plane behind us. It was also raining so I would guess it was a tough day to work at the Newark airport. Had lovely aisle seats on both flights so it was not too bad. I love the TV shows on planes.. and the movies.. it is kind of like hanging out on the sofa except for being trapped to a chair.

I got into Bacelona airport at about 9:15 - I have no idea HOW we were on time when we left an hour late but we were. A pretty bumpy ride at the end, But we landed and I got my passport stamped.. so it is official. Two countries within 6 months has to make me a world traveller right?

Believe it or not, for my 12 day trip I only had a carry on and messenger bag. Thanks to a crazy Ryanair decision traveling light is a must.. but I have a feeling there will be WAY more on that when we get there. I converted some money at a not bad rate but still stinky - $1 for 1.49euros... after Ireland I learned it is best to have foreign currency from the moment you hit the ground but I never figured out how to do it back int eh states.

For now it was interesting to try to decifer the train schedule when all of the words are in a foreign language. Even I can follow pictures, so finding the train wasn't hard but the tickets weer a bit of a challenge.. I would feel stupid a few days later when I realize there is a button with a cute british flag that turns the screens to english. I used the nice ticket lady and caught the train.

It was so flat on the ride in.. and tons of grafitti. I mean tons. elaborate. colorful. everywhere.

I changed trains at a central station and thanks to amazing directions from Kiku at the Barcelona B & B I got right off at the right stop.. saw the gas stion he talked about and easily found his place.. Bonnie was still at here ritzy digs in the center of town.. so I laid down for a bit. the room is really nice. It has the feel of stying in someone's house and since Kiku and John both live here, I guess in a way it is. Kiku was not here but Nivas the maid was. Speaks no Enlgish... but still gave me the tour in Spanish, showing me everything where I understood about every 3 word. I would repeat it back to make sure i understood but since she doesn't know English it was like some sort of special ed video. I felt so proud when I got that breakfast was from 9am to 11...

I took a little nap waiting on bonnie.. the air conditioning is subtle... but once you get in it cools down. Kiku showed up, he is sooo spanish. in the nicest way.. just what you imagine.. he was super nice.

Bonnie showed up and we went out. Iwas hungry so Kikusuggested this little place around the corner that has a fixed price menu. Bonnie speaks pretty good spanish so we get there and it is a cute little place.. but we can't understand a thign he says. I am pretty game to try whatever.. so I tell him I want the 8.50e menu.. he keeps talking but I have no idea what he wants from me.. and neither does bonnie. she orders asparagus salad and after he throws words at me i just keep agreeing... well take a look at the pictures and you will see what we eneded up with.. it was REALLY good but I never get used to fish with their eyes still in looking at you. In all the words flying around some how Bonnie ended up getting it all... too. It was a good meal.

We went back to the room for a shower and then went out to find this tram that Samatha Brown on the Travel Channel took to a little village in Montjuic... We had to go to the beach stop on the train to get to it... the beach at Barconleneta was so fun.. it kind of had a Venice beach feel to it. Lots of INTERESTING people wander around. It really had a local feel to it... while we were working our way to the tram we saw a whole bunch of chair set up and a big stage with a screen.. turns out they were simulcasting the opera -Turnadot- that night. And when I say we were on the beach.. i mean the sand was right next to the gates where the chairs were. The tram was broken but we decided to come back and catch the opera.

I took a nap to try to beat the jetlag.. and we went back out to the beach. By night time the restaurants were packed.. actually ti was all crowded. We sat on the sand and listen to the opera. It was so cool. I looked up the plot on the iphone... gotta get the most out of the international data plan.. and it was all pretty sureal to hear the mediterranean sea.

Stopped for a drink at a bar on the beach and grabbed what I would call a slice of pizza.. sort of . Proscuitto on a type of foccia bread.

Back at the B&B we met a couple from Rochester - Bumped into Kiku and then called it a night at 2;35am.