Barcelona Spain, May 2002

Barcelona Spain, May 2003

Other trips/events with Paris friends:

Skiing in Les Deux Alpes, 03-2003

Skiing in Samoens, 02-2003

Halloween 2002 in Paris

Munich & Oktoberfest, 10-2002

Loire Valley Chateaux, 06-2002

Skiing in Chamonix, 03-2002

Sailing in Cherbourg, 03-2002

Skiing in Megeve, 01-2002

Oh how Gaudi!

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Other Spain links:

Barcelona was the largest group trip yet for the Paris gang – Doug, Mike, Amy, Rich & Jane, Cecilia & I, and Maria. Maria is from Valencia Spain, a few hours further southwest down the coast from Barcelona. Maria had threatened several time during the spring of 2003 to organize a group to Barcelona, and the French May national holidays provided a great excuse for us to finally make the trip happen. We rented a three-bedroom apartment for a reasonable price near the city center – walking distance to all of the major sites, and also to the beach. We arrived on a Wednesday night from Paris Orly, and

spent five nights in the city. The weekend activities consisted of Gaudi sightseeing, tanning at the beach, eating tapas, playing hacky-sac in the park, walking through the old city, and partying at night. Doug, Cecilia, and I even managed a few good runs around the city, even up the hill that contains the olympic park from the 1992 Olympic Games. A few highlight anecdotes from the trip:

Mike's ultra-light, ultra-cheap, and ultra-portable three-legged stool. We originally chastised Mike for bringing too many things from Paris, even a chair! But, after the first long day of walking in the early-summer heat, we were all envious of Mike as he easily toted and opened the aluminum-canvas stool during our countless stops around the city.
My kicking Doug's hacky-sac onto an upper balcony of a Gaudi building and museum. The museum had just closed, and the security guard would not allow me to re-enter in search of the hacky sac. The hacky-sac had landed on a balcony of a private apartment situated above the museum floors, so it was probably a hopeless cause anyway. Doug had owned the hacky-sac since college, so I felt pretty bad.
Rich finding a random shop on a tiny side-street that had a basket of hacky-sacs for sale, at 3 euros each. What a discovery!
Sweaty dancing at a nightclub in the old city.
Jenga! A game of balance and patience. It takes a very steady hand....
A chocolate replica of a Gaudi spire for sale in the museum gift shop. In my opinion, there was no mistaking the spire for a penis, and the whole concept of buying a chocolate penis in a reputable museum gift shop was astonishing.
Doug's repeated inability to communicate our location by cell phone to other members of the group.
My enragement upon having my specially-ordered, off-the-menu dessert consumed by the group before I could reach it or do anything about it. My reaction (giving everyone at the table the middle finger in sequential and individual order) was mocked for weeks after the moment.
Paella on the beach.
Frisbee in as many places as possible.

Thanks to Maria for organizing the apartment, and for providing us with our first taste of Catalunya. It will hopefully not be our last. Top images from the trip:

Mike's hole-chair on the beach	Paella on the beach
Frisbee in a Gaudi Park	Maria, our hostess with the mostess
Jenga!	Jane and a Gaudi lizard
At the club	Near the Barcelona zoo, Mike on infamous chair
The girls in front of a wedding dress shop	Rich, Maria, the same height?

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