Your lipstick is thick but Paris is gone

August 19, 2010

Stupidly, the timing of my 11:20 a.m. train to Barcelona allowed me to feel overconfident in my ability to wake up, pack, and get out of the apartment on time. Worst of all, after descending the stairs to leave the building (Julien had left a few hours earlier for Brittany), I discovered that I no longer remembered how to open the door from the inside. It took me a few minutes fumbling around until I noticed the button on the wall that would automatically open the door.

And then, despite having stayed in the neighborhood for days, I could hardly remember how to navigate my way to the metro stop. And then I discovered that the stop where I had to change lines was shut down. So I had to get out of the metro and run full speed with two heavy bags to make it to Gare De Lyon. BUT...I did make it, and completely sweaty got on the train to Barcelona.

Through Montpelier, the train ride was excellent, read, listened to music, sent blackberry messages, oh such good times. At Montpelier, got off the train and went to a Mcdonalds (I know, I know, not good, but I wanted something quick). I mention this because it was at this Mcdonalds that I had my very first Royale With Cheese.

The Spanish train was not so nice, less clean, less pleasant crowd, bumpier, but it worked.

Felt slightly jarred to be back in Barcelona after just 15 or so months, and to be visiting for a third time, but got used to it quickly. The weather went from pleasant to rainy very quickly, but for once, I had an umbrella (as I bought one in Paris). A´s flight had not yet arrived, so I sat in a cafe for about half an hour and rested, before meeting up at the Starbucks near the Universitat metro station. From here, walked in the rain to A´s (the birthday celebrant) and E´s apartment, not so far away. Meeting them for the first time, and very pleasant at that, as they were two extremely kind, warm and fun Finnish people. We walked to dinner (don´t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was remarkably good, AND well priced). For something like 125 Euro everybody had an appetizer, dinner and dessert, as well as two shared bottles of wine. I had monk fish in a parsley sauce and calamari.

This was followed by a martini bar nearby called Dry Martini Bar. The martini I had was described as "muy seco" y "muy fuerte" by the waiter, which indeed it was. On the wall was an electronic counter listing how many martinis had been sold. I think at the time it had recently surpassed one million.

A.C. Newman -- Better Than Most