Good Weekend To Be Here...
Started off the day today at Cafe Zurich. Placa de Catalunya to one side. La Rambla to the other. I decided to scavenger hunt for the festivities associate with La Laia, a festival which happens to be taking place this weekend. Found a flyer for it which completely enticed me, and after asking several local folks who also could not tell me what it was about (since it was written in Catalan) I was even more enticed. Parades in the streets. Paper mache heaven. Circuses. Performances in the plazas. And fireworks. What I was able to gather from it was that it was a celebration to ward off evil spirits. But I am sure there is much more to it. Will keep you posted if I find out any more.
Made my way to Centric Bar, what I consider one of my little nooks, for patatas bravas and a bit of rugby. I finished off my afternoon goodies at La Boqueria with a papaya coconut juice and walked over to the Picasso Museum. It made me fall even more in heart with him. There were pieces from his earlier years in Barcelona which have been dismissed by many though I do not concur. I found them lovely. There were many works from his blue period. His rose period. And his "Woman in a Mantilla". Delightful.
One of the sweetest parts of the day was coming upon La Placa de Saint Jaume on my way back, to a plaza full of people dancing in circles holding hands...Swoon.
I wandered off some more and realized that today i've been quite homesick. I have been seeing all of these amazing things, day after day, and I feel immeasurably lucky. But i've also felt this empty spot where I miss the people I so dearly heart... Two phone calls later I feel a bit better and am ready for some chin up time...
