Parc de la Ciutadella with the family: Boat rides, parrots, a fountain and a fabulous picnic

When I showed my 10-year old daughter, Soraya, the picture of the fountain in Parc de la Ciutadella, she exclaimed: “I want to go there!” Thus we set out on Thursday afternoon for the Park to see the amazing fountain.

Parc de la Ciutadella Fountain

We took the RENFE train straight from Sitges to Estaçao de França, which is less than a block away from the entrance to the Parc de la Ciutadella. On the train ride, of course, the girls wanted to hear a story. I have been reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin, as it was free to download onto my Kindle. So, I told them the story of how and why Eliza, George, and Harry escaped from slavery and made their way to Ohio on the Underground Railroad. Remarkably, they found the story fascinating and had all sorts of questions to ask.

I finished the story just as our 45-minute train ride was coming to an end. We got off the train and walked into the park. When we walked through the grand entrance, the girls immediately noticed that the leafy trees were full of small green parrots. We walked along a tree-lined path and looked to see what other birds we could find before we got to our picnic spot.

We had come prepared, and had a delicious picnic. We brought baguettes, longaniza, arugula, and goat cheese for sandwiches. We also had my favorite kind of potato chips – olive oil chips, and flan and chocolate cake for dessert. Nando and I drank red wine and we had water and juice for the girls. Now, that’s what I call a picnic!

After stuffing our faces, the girls ran around the small playground while Nando and I relaxed and finished off the wine.

We then walked around a bit more and the girls saw a lake with paddle boats. They begged to get on the boats, and promised to be good for the rest of the day if we would pay the 10 euros for 30 minutes on a boat. We relented and Nando and the girls got on a paddle boat while I wandered off to explore the rest of the park on my own.

Tatiana, Raymi, Nando and Soraya on the rowboat

Walking around, I found the Catalonian Parliament and the famous fountain Gaudi designed. The entrance to the Parliament was blocked off, and there were protestors gathering together to express their disapproval of the current government. Once the 30 minute boat ride was over, I took the girls to see the fountain. Tatiana, Raymi, and I walked up the stairs to the top of the fountain, while Nando and Soraya stayed at the bottom and relaxed at the park café.

Parliament Building, Parc de la Ciutadella

We left the park through the Arc de Triomphe exit. From the Arc de Triomphe, it is about a 15-minute walk over to Plaza Catalunya. Of course, the girls wanted to go back there to feed the pigeons, as that is their favorite thing to do in Barcelona. So, we made our way past buildings, cafes, and shops to Plaza Catalunya, where we stayed until dusk.

Staying until dusk meant that we got back to Sitges too late to take the bus up the hill to our house. So, we had to walk up the hill home. To make the walk a bit more bearable, I bought the girls a snack and a bottle of water at a store on the way. And, I told them a bit more of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This time, I told them the story of how Tom got sold into slavery at St. Clare’s plantation and how his and his wife’s opinion of how slaves should be treated differed. I made the story stretch out just long enough for us to get home without too many protestations from the kids.

Once home, we were thoroughly tired and went straight to sleep.

Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya with Three Kids: The endless joy of feeding pigeons

On Monday, our family got on the train and went to check out the famous Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas.

As usual, my ten-year-old twins insisted they did not want to leave our apartment in Sitges and go into Barcelona. I reminded them that they often tell me they don’t want to do things, but end up having fun anyway. Finally, we were able to drag them out of the house and down the hill to the train station.

Our new tradition has become that, if the girls have to walk somewhere, they don’t mind so long as I tell them a story. In order to be able to tell the girls stories, I have to make sure I am reading books. I recently read Jodi Picoult’s Handle with Care, as it was lying around our rented apartment. So, I recounted to the girls the story of how a severely disabled girl’s mother had to make a decision as to whether or not she should sue her best friend, an obstetrician, for wrongful birth. Not exactly a children’s story, but they seemed to like it anyway.

I continued the story as we rode the train into Barcelona. We got off at Sants and transferred trains to take the train directly to Plaza Catalunya. When we finally got to the plaza, the girls were more than pleased to see that the Plaza is full of pigeons. Now, I know pigeons are dirty little creatures, but my kids absolutely love feeding them, and especially, feeding them from their hands if they can. So, I let them do it, but insist they wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.



Plaza Catalunya

After an hour or so of feeding pigeons, we made our way down Las Ramblas. The kids did not want to leave the pigeons, but I promised them there would be human statues on Las Ramblas, so they consented. On Las Ramblas, there were several human statues, as well as little stands that sell pets. That should have been more than enough entertainment for the kids, but they really wanted to go back and see the pigeons. After eating gofres (waffles), ice cream and granizado (frozen lemonade), we decided that my husband, Nando, would take the kids back to the pigeons, while I explored a bit of Las Ramblas myself.



Quatre Gats: Placa Reial



They made their way back, and I went down Las Ramblas, stopping off at Placa Reial to have a look at one of Gaudi’s creations: the Quatre Gats, and then making my way down to the old port. As I walked around by myself, I was taken back to my early twenties, when I used to travel around alone and explore European cities. I strolled along the streets of Barri Gotic, and it was just like old times, except for that I took note of where all the playgrounds were, with the intention of bringing the kids back to them later.



When I got back to the Plaza Catalunya, the girls continued to be fully entertained by the pigeons. Nando had found some musician friends, and they were playing songs together on one of the benches. I stood by Nando to listen to the music, while keeping an eye on the girls. Listening to Nando and his newfound friends play “Moliendo Café” took me back to all the times we have hung out in Latin America and gotten together to play music. I don’t play any instruments myself, but love those moments of spontaneous music and dance.



Old Port



While we were singing and dancing, there was something else going on in Plaza Catalunya. This happens to be the place where the youth protestors have taken over. At 7pm, the protestors announced that they would get together in small groups and come up with proposals. I sat near a group that was discussing the external debt. The conversation was in Catalan, but I understood enough to learn that there was an argument going on between the majority who thought Spain should default on the debt and take care of its people, and one older person who insisted that was an unrealistic proposal.



The youth protestors have really set themselves up in the Plaza Catalunya, with a variety of stands focusing on different issues, a kitchen, and an information booth. I found most impressive the way they have laid boards on trees to sleep in. They also have strung a huge net between trees where several people can sleep.



In addition to the protestors, the musicians, and the vendors, there are also homeless people who live in the Plaza. I wondered to myself how the takeover of the Plaza by the youth has affected the homeless people who used to stake out the Plaza as their own. To me, it seemed as if the homeless people and the protestors seemed to keep apart. There didn’t seem to be much interaction between them. The sociologist in me became very curious about what happens to people when they find themselves in the streets all day every day, and what new social relations and divisions occur. I didn’t stay long enough to figure it all out, just long enough to realize that it would be interesting to explore.



Eventually, we all got hungry and I wanted to try one of the small restaurants with a terrace in Barri Gotic. We found one that looked reasonable. Nando and I ordered a fideau with seafood and got a pizza for the kids. The food was decent, but unremarkable. I did enjoy my glass of cava and Nando his glass of red wine. Now, we were fully tired and it was time to take the train back home to Sitges.



It was a long ride, made longer by the fact that we took the metro instead of the train back to Sants, missed the fast train, and got back too late to take a bus up the hill. We made it up the hill back to our house with a story. I had told the children all the stories I had read, so had to make up a story to get us back up the hill. I had no idea what I would say, but got to talking and was able to weave a tale that kept them from complaining about walking 2 kilometers up a hill at 11pm.



Once home, we all easily fell asleep until the next morning.

Raymi and the Pigeons



Rain, Long Walks, Immigrants, and Expatriates: Another Day in Sitges

Tuesday was a rainy day in Sitges. That put a damper on my plans to spend the afternoon walking along the beach. I like to take long walks along the beach, as these walks allow me to process all that is going through my mind. I find long strolls to be therapeutic. When I can put one foot in front of the other and not have to think about where I am going or what time I have to be there, my thoughts flow freely. If I am having trouble making a decision or figuring out a problem, a long walk usually does the trick.

On Tuesday, the rain came in stops and starts, which at least permitted me to take the 15-minute walk down the hill from Vallpineda, where we are staying, to the historic center of Sitges.

Just as I made it down the hill to the center of town, the rain began to come down again. Just three blocks from the beach, I had to seek refuge under an umbrella at L’Aixeta Café. When I sat down, I watched people hurry along under umbrellas. Others stood under awnings, waiting for the rain to pass. Still others braved the downpour, with or without rain jackets or ponchos.

Unable to walk without getting soaked, I decided to use another strategy to process the myriad thoughts running through my mind. I pulled out a pen and began to write down my thoughts. As the rain cleared and my thoughts flowed onto paper, I felt a sense of relief. Perhaps I would be able to walk along the beach. If not, I could write and reflect on life and write about it.

As I paused to take in the scene, I noticed how many foreigners, and how many languages, there are in Sitges. There were four Chinese men chatting and smoking in the entrance to the café. Two women walked by talking in Quechua. A variety of German, French, and British tourists strolled by. The couple at the table next to me conversed in Catalan, and two older women hurried by chatting in Spanish.

Sitges is in Catalunya, meaning that many people’s native language is Catalan. People from other parts of Spain also reside here, and speak Spain. Sitges, like the rest of Barcelona, is also home to many Latin American immigrants, who come here primarily to work in low-wage jobs. Some of these immigrants speak Spanish, and others are indigenous and have Quechua as their native tongue. Sitges is also home to a large number of expatriates – Europeans and Americans who have made their homes here.

Wait, why are Latin Americans in Sitges called immigrants, and Europeans expatriates? Technically, an immigrant is a person who intends to settle in a country other than his or her birth, whereas an expatriate is simply someone who lives in another country. However, many Latin American immigrants fully intend to return to their countries of birth, and many European expatriates marry locals and purchase retirement homes in their adopted countries. The connotations of the terms certainly are distinct. At any rate, this could be a topic worth exploring further!

Monday Afternoon in Parc Guell

On Monday, we ventured out from Sitges to Barcelona to visit Parc Guell – home to many of Gaudi’s fabulous sculptures and beautiful gardens.

On the 45-minute train ride there, my daughters wanted to hear a story again. I just finished reading The Coldest Winter Ever, by Sister Souljah, so I recounted Winter’s story to them. At the end, Tatiana asked why my stories don’t have happy endings. Good point. Perhaps I need to populate my reading list with some happier stories. There are some books in the apartment we are renting, so I will have a look at those.

Getting to Parc Guell was pretty easy. We took the train to Passeig de Gracia. I wanted to see just a bit of this famous street, renowned for its expensive shops. In the two blocks that we walked from the train station to the bus stop, we passed a Gucci shop, a Chanel shop and a Bulgari store. Clearly, the street lived up to its reputation. I also thought to myself that Winter Santiaga, the main character in The Coldest Winter Ever would have liked that street. I wanted to walk a bit more, but the girls had begun to complain, so we hopped on the #24 bus, which takes you all the way to Parc Guell.

You can also get to Parc Guell via the metro, but the bus has two advantages: 1) You can see all sorts of cool things outside the windows and 2) The bus takes you to the top of the park, and you walk down to see everything, whereas the metro takes you to the bottom of the hill and you have to walk up.

Parc Guell is a large green expanse, with amazing architectural and design highlights. I enjoyed admiring the mosaics and gardens. It was a bit crowded, however, which took away some of the charm. If I go again, I would arrive earlier in the morning, when, presumably, there are fewer people.

These are a few of my favorite things (to eat and drink) in Sitges

I have to say that I love going food shopping in Spain. The cheese, wine, olives, chocolates and cavas are my favorites thus far. Of course, you can get most of these items in the United States. In Spain, however, they are ubiquitous and a bargain!

My favorite cheese so far is the goat cheese, not the chevre like the French eat, but an aged goat cheese that is firm, flavorful, and creamy. In Spanish it’s called queso de cabra semi-curado. I got 120 grams for 2 euros and enjoyed every bit of it.

Spanish red wines are fully of flavor and body. I personally like the Grenache. It is a bit spicy, full of fruit flavors and full-bodied. My husband prefers the Rioja, which is smoother and has more tannin. One Grenache I like quite a bit is the Etim. For Rioja, the Paulus is a good bargain wine. Marqués de Cáceres is another good one if you want to spend a bit more. I will have to continue to try more wines and see if I can find my favorite!

As for olives, the best thing to do is to buy a jar of the plain green olives with pits and season them yourself. I bought a large jar of very large green olives for 2 euros. Then, I broke open a few garlic cloves and put them in a large bowl. I covered the olives with olive oil and sprinkled basil in the bowl. I put in a couple of dried cayenne peppers for a bit of a kick. I muddled the garlic and peppers a bit before putting in the olives. Then, I mixed them up and let them marinate for a while. Yum!

I have to say that I love chocolate! And, here in Barcelona, delicious Swiss chocolate is widely available and fairly inexpensive. Yesterday, I stocked up on Toblerone, Lindt, and Milka, so that I can enjoy a square or so when I crave some chocolate.

Cava is Spanish sparkling wine. When chilled, it is delicious. I have tried a couple so far, and they both have been crisp and dry. Like the wines, I will have to continue to try different kinds until I find my favorite. Not a bad job, I’d say!

I foresee many an evening here in Sitges where I will snack on cheese and olives and red wine instead of eating dinner. Life is good.

Ups and Downs of Life in Sitges, Barcelona: Beautiful City, Bad Food, and a Lost Wallet

Yesterday started out just lovely. After getting my morning writing tasks done and having a delicious lunch, I headed down to Sitges with my daughter, Soraya.

We are living in Urbanizacion Vallpineda, a residential area about 2 kilometers from Sitges, and an easy walk downhill. Soraya was the only one who wanted to walk with me today, so my husband stayed at home with Raymi and Tatiana. My daughters are very pleased that our apartment complex has a swimming pool and several children who also live here. Although yesterday was Friday, the neighbor kids did not have school for some reason or another. So, Tatiana and Raymi stayed to play with them while Soraya and I headed out around 4pm towards Sitges.

Sitges has a large pedestrian-only area of the city full of shops, cafes, restaurants, and vendors. Soraya and I walked around looking at the shops and admiring the old stone streets and architecture. This maze of streets leads straight to the beach, and we walked along the beach right to the end. I was impressed with how long Soraya walked with me without complaining.

The beach at Sitges is quite nice, with a mild current and decent sand. It’s not the Caribbean with powder white sand and clear waters, but certainly nice enough. The beach does have stone jetties and you can see a large Cathedral at one end of the beach. Soraya and I had fun walking out onto the jetties and feeling the cool breeze.

After our long walk, Soraya and I headed back through the old city, looking for a place with good tapas. You’d be surprised, but our search for delicious tapas in Sitges has thus far been quite a disaster. I suppose it is time to pull out the guidebook. Yesterday, we tried a place that had a wide variety of small open-face sandwiches, each less impressive than the last. We also tried their fried calamari, which was mediocre. The one decent thing there was the wine at 1 euro 35 cents a glass, a decent Rioja called Paulus. The people at the next table had a plate of shrimp that looked good, but our food was okay at best.

Today, we bypassed a couple of places in the center because they were completely full. I thought it might be a good idea to try a place near the train station, thinking the food might be cheaper as it was not in the center. The food was quite unremarkable. Well, the patatas bravas were decent, but the bacalao en salsa was not. I actually can’t remember the name of either of these places. At any rate, I will be sure to check online reviews before venturing out again, as there must be plenty of good places to eat in Sitges. Our random selection of convenient restaurants does not seem to be the best way to find them. Based on TripAdvisor, La Salseta and El Fresco look promising.

As Soraya and I were eating, I saw the bus pull up. The bus only comes every 30 minutes, so I paid the bill and asked for a take away box. We rushed out of the restaurant and onto the bus. Somehow, between paying for the bus and getting off the bus, I lost my wallet. I am not sure how it happened. Soraya and I sat down in the front seats. I had a plastic bag with chocolates in my purse and took it out for us to try the Toblerone. I imagine that when I did that, my wallet fell out of my bag and onto the seat or the floor. All I know is that when I got home, I looked into my bag and my wallet wasn’t there. It is actually a small clutch which contained my iPhone and my wallet with my driver’s license, both debit cards and a credit card. I freaked out when I realized it was gone. I told my husband, and then ran out of the house back to the bus stop. Of course the bus was long gone.

The next bus that came along was the last bus. I told the driver what happened, and he suggested we ride back downtown to the end of the line to find the other bus. It seems there are only two buses on this line. We made it downtown and the other bus and driver were there. He let me look on the bus, but, no wallet. I guess some lucky passenger found it and chose not to turn it in.

I walked back up the hill home and began the very long process of finding all of the international numbers to call and cancel my cards. It took three hours! But, at the end of it, Citibank and Bank of America agreed to send me new debit cards. Thus, if we are lucky and the people who work at the bank are able to understand the address, which is in Catalan, we will have new cards next week! Capital One said they don’t send credit cards overseas. That is unfortunate, because they are the only credit card company that does not charge a 3 percent surcharge on international purchases.

I am really kicking myself right now for going outside with both of my debit cards when I needed neither of them. I usually am good about leaving those at home! I did need both of them on Wednesday when I had to take lots of euros out of the bank to pay for the apartment. But, I really should have put them away.

I am also disappointed because I lost my driver’s license. My husband seems to have forgotten his at home, so that puts a big damper on our plans to rent a car.

I have sent several Skype messages to my iPhone in the hopes that the person who found it will connect to the Internet and see them. Aside from the unlikely event that tactic will work, I am trying to let bygones be bygones and forget about it. It is bad enough to have lost 80 euros in cash, my iPhone, my cards, and my driver’s license. I don’t have to also lose out on the joy of life! So, I am trying really hard to forget about it and keep moving forward.

Adelante!

P.S.: Sorry this post has no photos. I took some cool pictures with my iPhone before I lost it….

We finally made it to Sitges … and are celebrating with Cava!

On Wednesday morning, Nando, our three daughters, and I took a train from Sant Adria de Besos to Sitges. Actually, two trains. Fortunately, Junior and I had taken our two large suitcases the previous day to Sitges, meaning that, with a little help from the girls, we did not have very much to carry. Still, Tatiana, Soraya and Raymi made sure to complain at least a few times during the six-block walk from the center of Sant Adria de Besos until the train station.

Once we got to the train station, and everyone calmed down, I began to tell the girls a story, which they love for me to do. I recently read the novel, The Help, and decided I would recount the story from that novel where a maid put her feces into her employer’s mother’s chocolate pie. I thought the girls would get a kick out of the gross factor there. They did. And, once we got on the train, I recounted them every other bit of the story I could remember. By the time we got to the Sants station, where we needed to transfer, I had told them most of the memorable parts of the book.

At Sants, we transferred to another train that would take us straight to Sitges. On the way there, they forced a few more pieces of the story out of me, and I told them the part about where Celia Foote went to the Society Benefit in her hoochie-mama dress. One more reason to read more novels: It gives me material to recount to my daughters during long train rides.


When we finally arrived at our apartment, the girls couldn’t have been happier with it. It really is a nice place, with hardwood floors, and is tastefully decorated. It also has a lovely wooden porch that looks out onto the garden and swimming pool. I am sitting there now, with a baguette, some cava, and Spanish cheese, as I write this blog entry.

I was pleased the girls were so happy with the apartment, as that should make everything easier. It is not exactly in Sitges, but in a sort of suburb on the outskirts of the city. It is a 2km walk downhill to Sitges, and definitely a 2km bus ride back up the steep hill. Luckily, there is a bus that takes us straight into town. Also, just in case, there is a small store a few minutes walk away where I was able to get my cava, cheese and baguette.

One thing I love about Spain so far is that Spanish products that are practically considered gourmet are so cheap here! Obvious, I know, but still! I got a nice bottle of high quality olive oil for about $3.50, a great bottle of cava for $7.00, and some decent olives for $1.00. And, that was at the corner store. Can’t wait until I go to the real store!

And, of course, I can’t wait until I get to explore Sitges tomorrow. Today, I decided to stay in and get everything packed away and set up.