In Spain

Madrid airport is very organized and clean. I reached Barcelona Airport at 10 and my hotel at 11:50. Lots of construction work going on in this city, I spotted numerous buildings coming up, cranes everywhere, and roads being widened The tourist office at Barcelona Sants proved very helpful in locating my hotel on the Barcelona city map..

Spain is a relaxed and fun country to be in. People-watching is fun here: the expressions of the people tell it all - their relaxed lifestyle, the “I am enjoying life” attitude -.

I walked around the streets in Barri Gotic where the Barcelona Cathedral is. I will explore the cathedral tomorrow. Barcelona is famous for this diverse architecture.

The next stop: Museum Picasso. Picasso, one of the famous painters of the twentieth century, is renowned for his depiction of nature and human figures and expressions. His work has a lot of realism, depictions of mountains, trees, flowers, humans appear extremely realistic. This museum is excellent: a must see for anyone visiting Barcelona.

I then headed to the Parc de la CiutaDella. The evening market and crowd near the Arc de Triomph was refreshing. With local students performing the Catalinan dance, the atmosphere was very vibrant. Here is a picture of me at the Parc de la CiutaDella. I wrapped up the day with a sample of tapas and house wine at a restaurant near Museum Picasso. There I watched the soccer match between Chelsea and Liverpool.

I find it amazing how quickly I grow familiar and comfortable with a new city. Barely 7 hours ago I was a stranger here. Looking all lost. And now I have a hang of the city, how to commute, what to eat. I miss the lifestyle of a big city, I grew up in one, and I always find the narrow lanes, the busy streets, the hustling people, a familiar and comfortable cite.