K & L's Travel Blog

We had good luck on our return trip: made all our connections, breezed through customs and even arrived a few minutes early in Asheville. Still, the long day with three connections and the normal stresses of travel were enough to wear us out.

I think that all Lorena’s planning really paid off.  We had enough structured activities balanced with free days.  The day trips and our weekend away were timed perfectly to keep our energy and excitement going.

I really enjoy the domestic side of Barcelona apartment life.  I revel in planning meals, shopping at the markets, realizing recipes and I don’t even mind the cleaning.  Some things I want to implement here at home: a rhumba vacuum cleaner, a clothesline and glass storage containers.  I will not be getting an induction stove top any time soon. 

Staying a whole month was a treat.  We were able to really relax and feel at home.  The concierge, Oscar, picked up our trash and the neighbors were starting to talk to us.  We found good restaurants, bakeries and stores close to our apartment and there was a beautiful park across the street full of parakeets. 

We walked ourselves silly.  My fit bit registered well over 10,000 steps every day.  We did both get colds but they only knocked us out for a day or two and frankly, the rest was really needed. 

Lorena took thousands of pictures, enough to keep her busy all year with editing and organizing. We enjoyed writing this blog.  The process asks us to reflect on our experiences and it’s like taking along all our friends and family. 

The weather was colder than usual (50s rather than 60s) but we had the clothes for it and the sun was always shining.  One difficult thing was the air pollution.  It was typically in the red “unhealthy” category, which meant Lorena had to keep up with her inhalers. It feels nice to be back in the fresh mountain air!

Overall, we had a hugely successful trip.  We just love Barcelona and are already planning for next year!