That was the advice given to us by our cab driver this morning, in Spanish of course. He told me Barcelona is no more dangerous than NYC, so if I keep the same level of alertness as I do at home I’ll be fine. The trouble is, my level of alertness at home is, well, pretty piss poor. I am so busy taking photos of cute dogs or texting on my phone that I often don’t see what’s going on around me. Terrible, I know, but true nevertheless. So if I act like I’m in NYC while I’m abroad, I’m seriously screwed.
That said, I’ve been trying to be more aware of myself and my valuables. So far, so good. But with four days left, I have to keep my attention span set to DEFCON 1. For those not in the know, that’s the Defense Readiness Condition to designate a level of alertness which is used by the U.S. Armed Forces. I actually learned about it while watching the movie “War Games” with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy as a kid. (Great, nostalgic film FYI.) Oh, those Brat Packers! In any case, I have to keep an eye not only on myself but my mom, who has been wandering aimlessly into the street whether the “green man” for “go” is displayed or not. I’ve had to pull her back onto the sidewalk on several occasions over the last day. If mom wants to go, apparently she just GOES. And in her defense, the bike lane is kind of confusing. It looks like a pedestrian lane, and then out of nowhere, someone on a bicycle nearly mows you down! The bottom line is acting like we’re in New York just ain’t gonna cut it for either of us. In fact, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Despite all that, we had a wonderful day touring around Barcelona on our hop on/hop off bus. I always laugh at those busses when I see them in NYC, but when the shoe is on the other foot it just seems like a practical way to get around. So feel free to judge me. (I’m kind of judging myself too.) The bus allowed us to cover a lot of ground and see some really beautiful places. The architecture is so incredible. Check out my video and take a look at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Cataluyna which is breathtaking. Who needs to go inside when you can see their cool light show set to music 5 nights a week? Barcelona has multiple outdoor markets that put New York City’s to shame. Fruit smoothies for 2 Euro? Yes please. The highlight of our day was meeting two of our friends from the cruise, Cindy and Steve, for lunch. Like us, they are staying in Barcelona for a few days. They’re from Canada and oh how I love every time they say, “Ey.” (As in “day”.)
Best part of lunch besides spending time with Cindy and Steve? The BOWL of sangria they brought me for 3 euro. Yes, I mean a bowl. They call it a “copa” for cup, but unless Andre the Giant is consuming the sangria they brought me, there is NO WAY you can call the vessel that held my delicious drink a cup. Steve, for the record, has been trying to get my mom drunk, but so far, no dice. (Good luck, Steve. I’ve been trying to achieve that for years.) Cindy and Steve told us they are cruising—yes, that’s not a term solely reserved for motorcyclists—100 days in 2019. They will be spending almost a third of the year at sea. Hmmmm.. maybe if “at sea” meant aboard my yacht with a live-in personal chef and masseuse, then perhaps I could be down with that. As much as I love the water, I think I also like my feet to be on solid ground too.
Speaking of which, I have transitioned from my big a** balcony at sea to my big a** rooftop in Barcelona quite nicely. Okay, the outdoor pool they advertised online is more the size of a fish tank, but if I can cool off in it, then it will suit me just fine. So on that note… “Last one in is a rotten egg!”
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