Barcelona: Another Day

Isabelle with her friend, Natalie near Montserrat.


Isabelle on the Mediterranean.


Natalie on the train down from Montserrat - Lee reflected.

After one week and two full days with Isabelle, she has packed up and headed back to Madrid. I am totally exhausted. She is relentless in her teasing and the rolling of the eyes. But we did laugh a lot. Yesterday we did a little shopping and she found the one thing on her wish list - a leather jacket. She has wanted one since she arrived; they really are kind of the perfect weight for this climate. We found her one for 90 euro - that is $135.00. Really. Hey, it's Spain and there is a lot of leather.

I guess there is a lot of leather because they eat a lot of meat - much of it raw. There is Carpaccio on every menu. Last night I just about knocked over my margarita at Hotel Omm when Lee ordered Steak Tartare. I know the guy likes meat - I just didn't know he liked it raw. I ordered a hamburger because I was so hungry for something familiar, and it was delicious, but I could only eat around it because the interior was as raw as I have every been served. I'm not quite there yet.

Two more days with Lee, which is quite nice. We are both ready to go home, but will do some writing here instead. I am in desperate need of a spa - my skin has been really awful - there is some kind of bug biting me in the night leaving red spots on my face that makes it look like I am going through a delayed adolescence. Covering them with makeup only makes them turn purple. It is not attractive. I also seem to have errant hairs - on my neck, over my lip - the sun shines so starkly on the bathroom mirror, I see things I never would see normally. I just need a full body wax and a good facial. Shopping with Isabelle did not help matters. I tried a few things on, but I have so outgrown the stage when I can wear poorly cut clothes (and almost all clothes are poorly cut now - especially the inexpensive ones.) I just look like an aging hooker or someone who lives in a trailer in these things - like I would wear slippers even to the grocery and leave my Christmas decorations up all year.

I need really beautifully tailored jackets - that is the one thing I look good in - and they are so hard to find at affordable prices. There is an Armani across the street with the most beautiful clothes, but we are not going in. It is just too seductive when I feel like a pimple-faced slug. Besides, Izzy reminded me that tuition is due. You can always count on children to bring you back to earth, no?

Here's a few images in honor of Izzy - and her friend Natalie - who are both so filled with the vitality, fearlessness, and hopefulness of youth. Kudos to them. I'm going to nap.