Maybe I’m just feeling a little tired… Got up at 5:00, left my Seville hotel at 6:00 and walked to the bus station, was the only one on the bus to the airport because I wanted to get there early enough to get my boarding pass and I didn’t know what to expect, waited two hours for my flight which was very crowded, we got bussed in jampacked trolleys from the middle of the tarmac after landing in Barcelona – and then I beat most of my flight to the taxi post because I took stairs instead of the escalator! Then a half hour to my new hotel and another two hours waiting for my room. And I have had many a busy day in a row now… I determined during my room wait that though the hotel is touted as being in the historic district, just a couple blocks from The Cathedral, I am really in the middle of Tourist Central! There are so many clothing shops and twice as many shoe shops, everyone I have spoken to speaks English, and the people begging on the corners are young as opposed to the wizened old women I saw in the other towns. The tapas are overpriced and are starting to all look the same to me – very carbohydrate driven with usually a bread and potato component and often breaded and/or deep-fried. I do like the shrimp and white fish (when not breaded and/or deep fried) but mostly the proteins are greasy meat (Jamón Ibérico ham) which everyone but me seems to love – and believe me, I’ve given it a pretty fair shot trying multiple kinds and times) and warm cheeses. Honestly, I think Seattle does a better job on tapas than Spain does!

I know I sound spoiled and whiny and I am pretty sure that none of you feel sorry for me!! After I unpacked (such as that is) I booked on over to the huge open air market that I have read about and WHAH, it was closed!! Found out it’s not open on Suday…

I ended up eating a delicious vegetarian stir fry – which is better than the Taco Time I Almost ate yesterday… Oh, plus I can’t find the “to do and see” list that my loving hubby spent a week putting together for me…

Time to breath and regroup. I did reserve another flamenco gig though and that makes me happy!!

After recharging I headed towards the wayerfront on Las Rambles. It was way crowded with tourists, many smoking – (yuk!) but I ended up feeling my spirits lift. There was a whole block devoted to flowers & seeds! At the end of the “Rambles Ramble” was a HUGE monument to Columbus. The harbor was a buzz of activity and I resisted the urge to buy a hotdog – but really enjoyed my popcorn purchase!! I stopped on the boulevard on the way back for a cava sangria (as recommended by my hotel guy) and I loved it – just not the $11 euro price tag! I guess I’m just another tourist sucker…