I flew into Barcelona after doing my due diligence with Google Maps and used an Uber type of app. After 3 months of working on my Italian and failing completely to use it, i got into a long, halting but enjoyable conversation in Spanish using my 3 semesters of Spanish from the early 1990’s. I really wish my Italian was better!
My Air BNB was back off Pla de Palau near Bubo bakery. The alley was chockablock full of fruit flies which had me worried but the apartment was clean and cool. And it had an espresso machine so i was golden. The down side was that i was in a moderate amount of pain, though mostly just in the morning. Something was wrong with my jaws on the right side so i will blame my near criminal lack of curiosity on discomfort.
But i zipped on out of there and hit the first tapas bar that rated over 4.5 on Google maps and promptly ordered a LOT of potatos. I like Potatoes Brava so i got them and an Iberian ham served over… more potatoes. LOL!
They were both good not great.
Then it was off to the Aquarium which was a bit dated but fun. And jammed full of people!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/p5Wun5fNfyfwha988
I was worn out so i went home at 7 and fell out, slept hard until 6am and woke up with an increasingly painful jaw. But i was in Barcelona so i did the Hop On, Hop Off bus to get a feel for the city. I got the top left seat on the second level which gave me a good view as we drove around Barcelona. I am a big guy, i take up more than half of a bus seat, but i was blessed by having a HUGE Russian dude deciding to share a seat w me so he could talk, loudly, to his wife in the seat across from us. It wasn’t bad when the bus turned left because he leaned away from me but when the bus turned right it got a bit fraught. I went by the Palau Nacional and instead of getting out, i moved downstairs on the bus and steamed. And missed out on a great opportunity to see more of Barcelona.
I really want to go back and take my time both w the building and the art work.
When the bus got within a mile of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral i finally got out but i was trailing a dark storm cloud over my head and i again missed the boat on a place that could have been very impressive. The cathedral is an incredible work of art but it is impossible for me to figure out how to describe it. The architect’s name is Gaudi, which seemed singularly appropriate. Again, in my case, fate cast pearls before swine.
But it is funny now. LOL!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TJfTFZYcL6a9xUvV7
I was in Barcelona for three days and for the life of me i can not remember what i did for most of that time. Eating was getting difficult but i was still hoping to get back to one of my dentists in the States. Poor planning, that. Though it worked out in the end. But after 3 days i got an Uber clone and off to the airport i went. Which is where i had a rather good Iberian ham and red wine. Barcelona’s airport is one of those circuitous ones where they have you go left the right, repeat ad nauseum, to funnel you past a bunch of overpriced food, clothing and drink. And it worked on me. 
i got the Pulpo and then a half order of the ham! The only photo i have of the ham is the menu, though. Poor planning!
And off to Lisbon i go!
Two things I will note here.
My real name truly is Mark as the videos indicate. I think the videos are worth revealing my real name. 
And I hope to be a better video camera man in the future. My photos are fairly good, but my videos are a bit shambolic.
I am more positive in Lisbon, I swear! 
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