Plaça de Catalunya

We arrived in Barcelona after a five-hour departure delay from NYC due to an electrical failure in our first plane. This was fortuitous ultimately as the flight lined up better with adjusting sleep schedules.

We navigated airport customs and health checks without a problem and Jim C figured out the metro system to get us to our hotel.

After a nap, we wanted to see about getting clothes laundered at a nearby "tintorería". Initially I made an inquiry in English about getting clothes laundered. The proprietor clearly didn't know English, and I decided it was time to try out my stumbling Spanish. Her face lit up when she saw me make the effort and between us, we navigated what we needed.

We love the tree-lined streets and the cafes peppered through the neighborhood. We learned that crosswalks give a very short warning before cars, scooters and motorbikes come your way.

We're touring La Sagrada Familia tomorrow, but we wanted to take a stroll that way and to get more familiar with the metro and bus systems. We wandered through the neighborhoods and had our first dinner.

Our biggest takeaway from Day 1 in Europe is that we're going to embrace the luxury of getting to learn culture and the people, dare to make an effort and risk making mistakes. We don't need to fill the days with bucket list scheduling. The treasure of this experience is to just be and get a sense that we're one.Read more