Every one seems to have done their report for what last weekend held. I'm a week late, but I'm feeling pressured to tell how it went. ha.
We took a vacation day to make it a 4-day. Drove to Tarragona where we went to language school, about 5 hours away. Stayed with future co-workers, who are in language school, in a high rise apartment building over looking a half moon, crystal clear pool.
Saturday - went to Arrabassada beach. Beautiful breeze, cool mediterranean waters, and only a couple topless people. Drove over to La Mora beach where we used to live and ate beachside for under 10 a person. I had bifstec, fries and a salad. It's a real cheap cut of steak that is sometimes tender, like this time. Cleaned up went into Tarragona downtown, ran into a little festival on the rambla (main walking/shopping street). Marhsal arts performers, drum band, stilt walkers and only a handful of observers. Walked the old city and went home late.
Sunday - we got a very slow and late start. Decided to drive into Barcelona, one hour or so. Parked the car, hopped the metro. Shopped in a big bookstore with English books and magazines. Ate lunch at Hard Rock Cafe, oh yeah, American eats and large beverages - with refills! Took a tourist bus tour, which we'd never done, and it was everyone else's first and perhaps only trip into Barcelona. Worked out nicely, you see a lot but are not exhaused at the end of it. We did the rambla thing - walking and watching street performers. Then by popular demand Starbucks, are we a bunch of American's or what?! Got home at the very Spanish hour of 1:30am.
Monday - grocery run at the very crowded equivalent of Super Walmart to prepare for a BBQ. A couple hours at that beautiful swimming pool. Cook side dishes and head to a BBQ at the language school complex. Visit with friends we haven't seen in six months. Ate lots of good food. The Tarragona fireworks festival happened to start this night. We were late getting away so we were driving like mad to get to the beach and glimpsing fireworks through the trees. We still saw about 10 minutes worth when we got to the beach. It's a competition each night so they try to out-do one another. A good show. 30 minutes worth of traffic afterwards.
Tuesday - alas vacation is drawing to an end. We did 2 hours at the beach, then cleaned up and headed out. Arrived home in time for Dar to watch the world cup match that was on television.
It was nice to be away. You relax differently when you're away from home.
Sounds like a lot of fun. It is nice to get away to relax.
ReplyDeleteSo you get the fourth off? I have been curious how that works since you are in Spain with Americans.
ReplyDeleteI think I would find the American shops too if I were in Barcelona. Don't let forrest hear that.
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ReplyDeleteDust, if you don't want me to hear that then why did you post it? Why don't you want me to hear that anyway? I must be misunderstood or something - can someone enlighten me on what my views on American shops are?
ReplyDeleteRoamer,
I know what you mean about finding American sized food with free refills. At the end of our first trip, we celebrated our anniversary at a Hard Rock Cafe in Rome. I had so much coke along with my BBQ sandwhich and fries. Starbucks is always a treat.
You said you had to take a day off. How does all of that work? - vacation and sick time?
Sounds like a nice vacation. I guess one can take free refills for granted. : )
ReplyDeleteThat was my attempt to sound T'd off. Did it work? Did I scare anyone?
ReplyDeleteForrest, sorry, didn't work on me. Perhaps someone else reading through this thought that, though, so it wasn't a total waste. :)
ReplyDeletedog gonnit!
ReplyDeleteThat's is why I can never get into a verbal fight with someone. Cuss words just sound unnatural coming out of my mouth.
Anyway, I bet you feel sorry for your comment now - don't ya. The fact that we ate at a Hard Rock in Rome. So take that.
We get vacation days and I guess at the beginning of the year or the end, there is a meeting in which we all decide which holidays we are taking off (Some Spanish and some American). There's never a bridge as the SPanish say where they give us the extra day for a 4 day weekend. We have to take a vacation day for that. We have a specific number, but we are also told we must take a certain number for Christmas, so it's not all whatever we choose to take, but it's a pretty good deal over all.
ReplyDelete