I’ve been in Barcelona for two days now and have been laying low. I
needed a break from sight seeing, and took a couple of days to get
ready for the next part of my trip to South Africa. Doing laundry,
getting some warmer clothes (it’s winter there), doing some trip
research for later on etc. I think it’s finally sunk in that I’m not
on vacation anymore. Normal “life” things still need to be done,
errands run etc. That and the novelty of being surrounded by a
language I don’t speak has worn off. Don’t get me wrong – I’m
grateful to be in this place, surrounded by people I don’t understand.
It’s just starting to become “real life”…. complete with a few
minor challenges.

Random things I’ve noticed along the way and not mentioned:

– The street signs are on the walls of buildings, not sign posts.
– They have bins to collect compostable trash on the streets (in
Seville and Tarifa anyway. Haven’t seen it in Barcelona yet).
– The trains and buses I’ve been on have assigned seating. For a
generally laid back country they are very particular about seating.
– Spanish people like to sit and have their coffee. There really
aren’t many places to buy “take-away” coffee, and you don’t really see
people with portable mugs either.
– It is acceptable to put lemon fanta in red wine, and call it a tinto
verano. But completely UNacceptable to do the same to white wine.
– Beer and soda cost the same, and are sold in most of the same places.

The one notable thing that has happened in the last couple of days is
a demonstration going by my hotel. I am staying one street off Placa
Catalunya (basically the city center) and the meeting point must have
been on our corner because protestors converged from 3 streets there
to march. It was a very peaceful demonstration and the police stayed
in the background. Cities across Spain were protesting today against
the latest austerity cuts, and I happened to catch the Barcelona
portion. The highlites – austerity measures including wage cuts for
civil servants and an increase in sales tax, in order to secure 100
billion euro in financial assistance from eurozone banks. With
unemployment edging towards 25%, and being in the middle of a second
recession in 3 years they have it pretty bad. Painful time to be belt
tightening. Pasting some pics at the bottom.

I will be in Barcelona until Sunday. My friend Joyce is coming
tomorrow night to spend the weekend – very excited!!