Did We Already Peak?

Let’s be realistic.  As much as we would like to, we’ll never live overseas.  It’s not because we are afraid to, or that we would be homesick.  I’d be fine without American sports – there are so many highlight packages on Twitter and a few good websites that I could casually keep up with baseball, football and, gulp, college basketball.  

The reason we would never live overseas is simple – we would miss our daughters too much.  (The noise you just heard was the shocked expressions from our daughters as they read this).

So, as an alternative, Carol and I have talked for years about taking a month to live in a city.  Our trips are awesome, but we do hopscotch from city to mountains to villages, rarely spending more than three nights in the same place.  

We talked about London or Paris.  Our friends Neil and Mary had spent a month in Paris, and that told us we could successfully do that sort of plan.  However, when we were hiking the Camino in fall of 2017, I was inspired.  “We love Spain so much, why not do a month in Barcelona,” I asked Carol towards the end of our trip.  She realized (once again) that I had yet another genius idea.  (Editor’s Note: Hope you don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back!  Blogger: Perhaps I am overstating my propensity to have genius ideas.).

So this trip has been two years in the making, although the first year was just dreaming about it and doing some modest research.  It did move into high gear, however, when I actually rented this apartment for the month.  (It’s been better than expected). 

This trip has been amazing.  We are so happy we came to Barcelona.  The city is incredible and our location is perfect.  There are so many walkable options, and here, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.  Well, okay, it is also the destination.  

Before coming, I had made lists of things to do/see in each neighborhood/area of Barcelona.  Also made a list of recommended restaurants.  Those recommendations have come from friends, from a Facebook string on Barcelona restaurants, from a few food critics, and from the fine fellow we rented the apartment from.  

It’s a long list, and I’ve been checking things off as we’ve done them or eaten at a restaurant.  We won’t do everything, and we’re doing things not on the lists – especially restaurants.  And, we’ve been to restaurants not on the list.  However, have the lists makes it easier to decide what to do each day.

And, we’re doing activities – such as a tour of Priorat wine country, Monserrat, the great fun of the Traveling Spoon market/cooking/lunch, and the upcoming Barcelona-Sevilla football match at famed Camp Nou.  

We’re also not slaves to the lists.   

So this plan has worked.  Every day has been a joy of exploration, admiring the works of Gaudi, in awe of the old city, the Cathedral, the views, great food and wine, fun activities.

The concern about peaking is that I’m not sure we could go to another city with this much variety and simplicity of getting around.  There are so many things to do here, that we won’t get them all done.  Yes, London and Paris are much bigger, and probably we could find as much to do there, but the Spanish culture is superior to British and French culture (sorry, love them both, but Spain is a moveable feast for life!).

Well, it’s a challenge we will have to see if we are up to.  Don’t hesitate, dear readers, to suggest other places.  Sydney, Australia is also a possibility.  Anyhow, it’s a good problem to have.