La llegada

Trip Start Jun 30, 2009
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Trip End Jul 08, 2009


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Where I stayed
Hotel Soho
(Barcelona hotels)

Flag of Spain and Canary Islands  , Catalonia,
Wednesday, July 1, 2009

I did not sleep at all on the flight - in speaking with my friend Tim it sounds like the Air France coffee was a big mistake.  I even took an over the counter sleeping pill and still felt wide awake!  Overall I was impressed with the level of service on Air France in economy.  I sat on the upper deck in premium economy and had very attentive service, free champagne and wine, and pretty decent food.  The differences between US carriers' economy international service and Air France's are stark.

After arriving at CDG, I had to get to Terminal 2F, which was not nearly as difficult as all the documentation provided by the check-in agent at SFO would have made it seem - the signage was clear, and it really just was a big of a schlep.  The worst part was the heat - the ventilation in 2F seemed to be broken and the glass structure only accentuates the temperature.  The flight to BCN went without incident, and I retrieved my luggage from the remarkably unremarkable El Prat airport within a reasonable amount of time, ready to find the Renfe train.  The signage is not good and I had to ask someone where to go, but I found the train station (also quite hot!) and made it to Passeig de Gracía and walked to the hotel.  I spoke to the hotel desk agent entirely in Spanish (score!!) and checked in to my lovely room.  My only complaints are the lack of tissues and the fact that water doesn't seem to recede from the bath tub quickly.

I met up with Tim and Wil at their hotel and hung out by their roof top pool for a drink.  Then I took a quick nap and got ready for dinner at Mosquito - I was expecting traditional Spanish tapas but instead it was Japanese and quite enjoyable.  We had a bottle of Cava along with our tasty chicken, beef, and egg tortilla dishes.

We took a cab back to Tim and Wil's gay hotel for their night time rooftop cocktail party.  The eye candy was undeniable, but after a cocktail it really was time for me to call it a night, having not had sleep in a few days.  Tomorrow exploration begins.
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