Or why I’m on a plane instead of easing into my return home ……..

A whole day and a lesson I hope not to need to use in future about how not to fall into the airlines preferred way of accommodating your rebooking.

Involved two hours on the plane while they tried to repair an engine that wouldn’t start (and I’m on the repaired plane now). Flight cancelled and for a while felt some things went pretty well – like they opened an EES checkpoint just for us. After baggage claim the experience lengthened into an endless series of waiting lines.

This, in retrospect I think, was where we went wrong. We should’ve dealt directly with Delta agents instead of doing what Delta told us by text and representatives waving us along.

We’d arrived at 10am for a 1:30pm flight and left the airport finally at 6:40pm in a taxi offered instead of a bus when I began questioning things. Like I had to ask for a photo off the subcontractors phone to know where they were sending us when they said an hour away. They did not intend to give us even a piece of paper with the hotel name on it or shuttle transport provider. The one hour turned into one and a half with some traffic challenge.

So, 9:15pm to get to this

Dinner service in late night eating Spain was closed. We had okay pizza in the bar (and more drinks) rather than use the only food compensation provided for the night – 35€ Uber Eats!!!!!!!

The hotel was nice enough and breakfast was good, but I’ll be making my feelings known to Delta about failing to provide lodging within reasonable distance. We were waaaay up the coastline. The absence of choices was discouraging.

Even the flight they rebooked (ie they just held the crew and plane for repairs) was delayed. I’m not on the same flight for the last leg of the trip as Beth and Mary and will get home in the wee hours after a 11:45pm PDX arrival.

I’ll be glad to get home to Nyx, my bed and Sonicare toothbrush. I’m always ready to get back to my life. This time that involves a significant condo refresh.

Beth handled the delay as an extra adventure. Me, I had a moment or maybe two. Mary just seemed tired and determined. Beth said I needed to eat, get some rest and settle. She was, as often, right about me. After check in I did better, but really! We enjoyed the bar again and that helped. I’ll get my perspective back after I provide my feedback……. And I guess the good news side of this part of my tale is that I’ve traveled this many years without more than a couple hours of delayed flights. Law of averages and all that! And next time it happens, I’ll go rogue on my own and submit “reasonable expenses”. I still have a life filled with good friends and many things others don’t have. Like a trip to Spain and a walk on the Catalan coast.

And I’ll live to travel again!!!

Today was a gift to unwrap. No rain!!!!! And a blue sky emerged as we relaxed our way through the city.

A nice walk through the park like plaza to the Picasso Museum in the El Born district.

PICASSO MUSEO

The museum has a large and interesting collection of Picasso’s work that follows him through childhood and art training, into the evolution of his style which is represented by larger holdings in other museums.

Artists are often trained using Diego Velazquez’s famous piece, Las Meninas. Back then and still a technical study used in art education. I discovered this with Jesse on her graduation trip. So Picasso’s impressions and style applied to the master work fascinate me.

I am lucky enough to have a beautiful rendering by Jesse of a portion of Las Meninas focused on one of the main figures, La Princessa. I treasure it!

BARRI GOTIC

Walking through the oldest part of the city is fascinating for its winding streets filled with absolutely any and everything. Including bakeries and other confections! We found Torrens, established 1922, with candies and gelato! There are a couple pieces in my suitcase:) and an another gelato memory! You’d think I’m in Italy or something:)

But I opted for a Palmier that uses puff pastry. Delish.

We took Beth to walk the obligatory La Ramblas and see the Boqueria Market – both of which were more appealing in the past. La Ramblas is currently under much needed construction and barely recognizable as the pedestrian walk I recall. What’s left currently are tabacs and evidence of “red light” enterprises among a throng of folks walking to/from the cruise liners. I understand (Rick Steves) it became a tacky, tourist attraction. We viewed the harbor from the Christopher Columbus monument. Hope the efforts result in a better Ramblas if I return.

Headed by the Palau de Catalan Musica on our way back to our digs.

We got ourselves sorted for the trip home and had a lovely tapas dinner and drinks in our Eixample neighborhood at Faire. We’ve eaten our way through Barcelona!!

Bona Nit!

Sagrada Família

We got into the grounds and interior of the Sagrada before it rained much. Had an excellent tour, but the rain that was predicted arrived and the towers were closed. That meant not being near the newest tower opened in February 2026, the Jesus Tower, the highest of them all. Only the towers symbolizing the disciples were completed when I was last here. The Mary tower, just shorter than the Jesus Tower was completed in 2021.

These gorgeous stained glass windows and the columns symbolic of trees were not completed until 2010. Seeing the interior was really striking! This church is more appealing to me than others I’ve visited because of the natural elements integrated in its design. The light and colors are stunning and somehow spiritual.

Leaving the cathedral we were rained upon with a vengeance. Enough so that I hurried us along …… but in the wrong direction. Meant probably another 8 blocks or so in the rain. Beth sorted us out! Glad of my goretex shoe choice for the day and other rain resistant gear, but we were wet and steamy!!! Required some downtime in our inn.

Barcelona Guitar Trio at the Palau de La Musica

We found a taxi quickly and whisked back to our beds! The music drove the disappointment of the rain away!

Which means “under the rain”!!!! And the next two days were full of it. That may be an understatement, though it was minus the thunder and lightning of last night.

We had tickets to Parc Guell – which we struggle to pronounce correctly. I have to think hard before I say it to avoid the pronunciation I must’ve made up on previous trips here so that I may say “Gway”. The parc is pretty much the same though it and the world look different from beneath a hood. Some photos follow (all without the blue skies every visitor wishes to see behind the Gaudi parc fantasy.

We taxied about town today and next stop was the restaurant, El Xalet de Montjuic near the Museu Nacional d’Art de CatalunyaMuseo. We walked in the park that I remember listening to music in with Jesse on our visit after her high school graduation. The views of Barcelona were rainy, but the meal (restaurant recommended by a friend of Beth’s) was great! There was excellent service, beautiful food (we enjoyed a meal without squid:) and lovely background music. I did walk through their lovely terrace spaces with longing though.

As it was still dry, we pushed our luck and went to Casa Milà or La Pedrera. It’s quintessentially Gaudi! And a memory I love from my first visit. If you’ve been in my home you’ve seen the ceramic “roof guardian” I lugged home – it would never pass my criteria now for what I’ll put in a bag to carry home 😉.

A nice way to end the day. We didn’t wish to eat again and got back to our neighborhood just before it rained on us!

A footnote of kindness. A young man offered to help us figure out why we were having trouble buying our first metro tickets to travel down Montjuic on the funicular. He demonstrated purchase of three tickets and swiped his card before we could say anything. Thanks were not enough, though profusely extended and he slipped into the metro without anything more than a smiling nod. He was another traveler, gauging from his English. The kind of interaction and generosity that make you feel humanity has a chance. Traveling makes my world both larger and small in the best of ways.

We arrived to Barcelona through some fog that disappeared and gave us unexpected sun and warmth. A gift.

Our driver into the city was very courteous and warm – easy to spend the hour plus in his Tesla (seems to be the auto of choice for private drivers -Uber too). He was born in Pakistan, lived some years in London and loves living in Barcelona.

And then, with Beth’s most excellent choice to upgrade her reservation for simpler access, we gained digital entry to our home for the next few days. The new hybrid lodging format leaves me underwhelmed, not the helpful innkeepers I’ve traveled with for years. But it turned out fine.

Off we headed to enjoy the dry weather while we could. Our local La Concepcio Market for a walking lunch and watched a parade of civil marriage ceremonies and then a traditional bride and groom exited the Church of the Holy Conception across the street to get to their Rolls. We got oriented enough to get to Placa Catalunya (after a gelato – it keeps finding us!), marveled at the Block of Discord architecture, enjoyed an outdoor sangria cava (cervesa for Mary and Beth) before we headed back to dress for dinner. A good intro.

The evening was dominated by a thunderstorm with lighting that closed the restaurant at Barcelonetta quickly. In retrospect, would’ve been wiser to have skipped the outing. The area was near deserted, the restaurant vacillated between taking our early dinner order (by Spanish standards) and closing, ……… the large raindrops caught us for a while before we could get a taxi.

This was the walk we saw in our travel dreams. ……..

And we did, as we’d promised ourselves, walked northerly on the Cami today. We walked as far as Platija de Sa Conco and back with the castle and Senya Blanca (“First House” which is a euphemistically simple descriptor for the gorgeous estate) above us. The castle and grounds celebrated 100 years in 2024. 5miles by Fitbit reckoning. We even took a break from the gps navigation system – no need. It was a relaxing stroll. I’ve more photos than I can share! May add more later just for me.

See, there isn’t enough space to share the beauty and the wonder of building a castle on the rocks!

We followed this walk up with a memorable lunch at the historic La Taverna Del Mar which is still operated by the Ensesa family. It really was a special setting and meal.

Leisurely let the day slip away. A walk and toe dip on the S’Agaro pebbly beach. Dinner at a lovely place called Godard (nearly all ours, a fun waiter who said they have “fish, whole fish, local fish and fish of any type” and then laughed with us. He upsold us one more dish to share than we intended – it was a rich meal, with a good local wine.

On to Barcelona!!!!

You may remember I said I wasn’t above bending or breaking the tour route – I’m calling them “guidelines” for a reason:). As we planned the trip I’d proposed altering the final leg and avoiding a full 10.5 mile walk. My idea won out ………. Get to S’Agaro and walk north again as far as we wished. We did!

Met a delightful woman cab driver who greeted us and said “20 minutes with me, but you tell everyone it’s about a six hour walk” with a broad smile. She was fun. And her conversation led me to believe we were not the first to cut the last leg short. I’m even betting (to assuage my sense of self as an active woman) many don’t double back as we intend 😉😂😉.

Not a highlight, but interesting to note she showed us where the July wildfires we’d been watching encroached upon the Costa Brava. She mentioned on the news at the time it seemed all of Europe was on fire.

We got settled in our “not very special” hotel – Mary coined the phrase. No WiFi and an elevator that made you look for the stairs. Also our first blah reception staff – really quite blah.

S’Agaro has a history of being a place of Hollywood stars and filming location. It’s a gorgeous setting. But the amenities in the off season are limited – makes for a quiet place to be in the sun and listen to the waves though.

We walked along the beach to explore some to the south further. We saw lovely homes and coves. One could’ve been an example of the storied smugglers coves many years ago.

Beth had gelato before noon and we really just enjoyed knocking around – for me not having my hiking poles was good for the day.

Early to bed tonight, even by our standards secondary to the quiet coast life here, no wifi – Beth couldn’t even watch the news. We’re pretty sure there’s a lesson in this regarding our “smart device attachments”, but I’d just as soon learn it when I’m not vacationing!

Bona nit.

It wasn’t pretty ……. but we’ve got bragging rights for trail completion despite seriously asking ourselves about a taxi midway……. At least I did. Billed by the tour operator as “Easy to Moderate”, this is another case of “advertising license” that pushed the limit of believability.

Distance wasn’t an issue, but elevation and descent tested my fitness and my sense of safety on downhill stretches. Needed those hiking poles!!Again, terrain influenced by rain erosion (they didn’t notify us until we were enroute (SeaTac) that there was landslide risk on the Cami de Ronda trails, with one change in route to accommodate). I was exhausted at midpoint. And very glad as the trail evened out and we hit the coast line.

La Fosca is a lovely smaller bay and community. We settled outside and gobbled up Beth’s chips, Biscoff chocolates and celebrated with drinks. We shared the hotel with a large party of French hikers who made the dining room alive with chatter and laughter later in the evening.

We visited with the couple from Atlanta that Beth chatted up at La Franc. They’d noticed us beginning in Begur and we shared walking stories and tales of travel. This evening they shared they were watching for our arrival today. Should we have been too late they said they’d have contacted the tour operator! Glad we didn’t require that!

Navigation worked well today, but damn the terrain. Here’s a sampling.

It was another long day. Hotel Ancora was nothing special but we were oh so happy to arrive! We crashed after dinner, big time!

La Fosca

This fun (and very helpful) interaction with Hotel Sant Roc’s hospitality team began with what I think is my weirdest ever travel travail!

Happily headed up to my room to refresh after the trail and oops, my TSA lock didn’t respond to its code of many years. No evidence it’d been damaged really – but it did not work! I spent at least a half hour trying and became exasperated when I checked online and it reassured me there were only 1000 possibilities. Lord knows what happened, but I started by heading downstairs with a photo of the lock and a smiling “could you help me”. The reception team leapt into action and I brought the offending suitcase down. They tried online solutions, pulled an Allen wrench and awl out of their desk ……. And tried to no avail to reset or otherwise jimmy the lick. It was clear nothing short of a bolt cutter was going to work and as that wasn’t at hand I asked them to break the zipper! Surprisingly easy to break into a suitcase I must say. Just jam the awl, pen or pencil into any portion of the plastic zipper and you’re in! Which solves one problem and creates another – that suitcase wasn’t going anywhere with me! Really the only issue was that replacing it was going to steal time from our day of relaxation in Callela de Parafugell:(

Next day we took a taxi into Paraflugell (kinda the real city behind the tourist seafront), and ultimately found the best luggage shop in town! The kindest businessman showed me I think every suitcase in his store! Model and color, functions and interior design, wheel quality and all! He was careful about pricing, meticulously explaining in limited English with Beth listening for words she could pick up to help me understand. He set the new lock and off we went to celebrate in Plaza Nuovo with coffee drinks ☕️. Travel crisis averted!!!

Back to the hotel…….. I arrived triumphantly with my new suitcase. Showed it off for the hospitality folks. I asked the man who most stuck with the suitcase challenge his name, thinking to extend special appreciation. He told me he was “Jaime“ and thinking I would not recognize the name said “Bond, Jaime Bond” to lots of laughter! “Stirred, not shaken” etc. – we had a lot of fun. Enough we had a photo – meet Jaime!

Our walk into Callela brought us to our hotel terrace overlooking the Mediterranean where tapas and self congratulatory drinks awaited!! It felt both satisfying and a little glamorous. Absolutely stunning views at the end of today’s walk!!!!!!!

We enjoyed our walk today sooooooo much more than Sa Tuna (the deceptively advertised “easy” walk). This stretch wasn’t plagued by trail erosion and “anything but easy” spots of terrain. We loved it! The views ….. can’t say it enough!