12/23/2017
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| Avenue Diagonal |
We are considering reserving an apartment for the month of January 2018. We think it is the top floor in the building Stephen Lee stayed in last year. It has a sunny terrace and a better kitchen. Wonder if we will get tired of it and regret? Would a month be too long? But this has been the retirement plan for years. I heard Terry Gross interview correspondent Robert Siegel, who has a pending retirement. He complained how people always ask “What are you going to do?” It was so refreshing to hear him say, “I don’t know.” He thinks he has a plan, but who knows when confronted with the reality?
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| El Vedródomo |
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| C. Aribau |
For now we manage our free time well. Kitty stays in with her jigsaw and I go out to roam the immediate neighborhood and take photos for a couple of hours. It’s still quiet at 10:00. Every corner building–and many in the middle–seem to boast a worthwhile photogenic feature. And the Oriel terraces! No two are the same. I had noted a bar/restaurant “El Vedródromo” a couple of blocks away, and make that a goal. This is one of my favorite ways to spend time here: looking around at the architecture and taking photos. When we checked in the agent asked what is was that drew us repeatedly to the city, and Kitty said “Lorena loves photography.” This is true, and there is always something challenging and of interest to see. Of course there is more than that, but I find this place special for photography. Interesting to hear Kitty say it so clearly.
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| Gràcia |
I am planning for the two days that everything shuts down: Christmas day and the day after. I can’t read the signs in the grocery store window about exactly when they will close. Normally they are not open on Sunday, but I think they will be open on this Sunday till a certain hour, then closed on Monday and Tuesday. I had Lorena take a picture so I can translate, even though she assures me they will be open on Sunday. I want to make sure we have the food we need to cook the meals I want to do. The irony is that they have these stores on every block called “Supermercats.” I love saying the word “Supermercat!” It is beyond a 7-11 type store, almost a mini grocery store. They seem to be open 24/7. The locals see them as expensive, but when you can buy a bottle of wine there that you would pay double for at home, it all seems relative.
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| Casa Vicens |
We eat lunch in, sandwiches from leftovers on the balcony, and hang out clothes to dry. Then we headed up towards Gràcia and the Mercat de Lliberat. We make a point of buying vinegar at a Von Fass store owned by two friendly gay men. I think they recognized us, but couldn’t quite place us. One guy thought I was French. I seem to lapse into French when my Spanish vocabulary fails me, which is often. The shop was swamped (Kitty reminds me it’s the Saturday before Christmas), and they wrap each purchase with ribbon. We then head up towards Casa Vicens, a newly opened Gaudí house that is only a couple of blocks north of the market. We confirm with them that they are open on Boxing Day (St. Stephen’s Day), and decide to return then.
I take an hour nap (this is a vacation, after all), and then in the evening we head back to the Bar El Velodrómo for supper. We get all the potatoes we’ve been craving: Bravas, una Bomba, and peppers for something green. They have home-made Vermut, and we have the perfect seat in the back to watch the restaurant fill.
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| Bar Velodrómo |
We stop at “Cup and Cake” on the way home just as they are closing down. Two cupcakes for desert. Even the domestic days have enough discovery to maintain that traveling feel!
K & L's Travel Blog 
Temptress…
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… if we leave tomorrow we could be in K&L’s kitchen/dining room/balcony for New Year’s Eve! -Steven Lee
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Hi Eric and Richard,It's fun to know you are following as we think of you at every turn. It is all right here when you come back. Will go to Casa Vicens tomorrow if plans hold. This is such a lovely place to be. Love,K & L
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Richard was just reading today about the newly opened Casa Vicens! What a thrill to be there. I think that a month in Barcelona would still leave me wanting more. I love reading about your adventures.
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