Sunday, August 06, 2006

"barcelona - it was the first time we met"

"barcelona - how can i forget.....”
“... and if God willing we will meet again someday"
so… tomorrow morning begins my days, yes, days, of traveling home.  i’m sad to leave this place, and i’m definitely not looking forward to the 3-day trip, but oh how nice it will be to be home!  but omg, the trip home will be horrendous!!! i leave my house at 6am (9pm on sunday PST) and i go from barcelona to reus in bus, then in reus i catch a flight to liverpool, which was the only feasible flight i could take.  i’ll get there around noon on monday, and then have to take the train to manchester at some point in the day so that i can be near the airport.  i have to be at manchester airport on tuesday morning at 8am, and from there i’m supposed to fly home.  except the lady at delta sold me a ticket that has me waiting at JFKfor a 7-hour layover!  yeah… i didn’t notice till after i bought the ticket, since i was so wowed by the low price (i paid $1000 less than i expected to...).  anyways, i arrive at LAX 11:57pm PST.  from there, my parents pick me up, and i go to their house in LA.  and then on wednesday i’m gonna hang out with my parents, give them their pasalubong (souvenir gifts), see my aunts, give them their pasalubong, then have dinner with susan and kat, and give them their pasalubong!  then i can get my car and drive home… i will finally arrive there on wednesday night, probably -after- 9pm, soooo… yeah… that’s 3 full days on the road. ack!

anyways, i got sidetracked complaining about my long (but incredibly inexpensive - how chinese am i?!!?!) trip home.

what i actually set out to write about was not my trip home, but the fact that it means i have to leave barcelona.  i wandered around town today, swam for (what hopefully will -not- be) the last time in the mediterranean sea, went up to a look out point, took tons of pictures, and had dinner on alberto’s balcony.  maria had prepared a dinner for me and surprised me by bringing me to her brother’s house, where it was all prepared nicely.  it was so nice of them - they’re such good people and they’ve been so nice to me. i wish i got more time to hang out with her… on the way home i realized how much i knew the city because i pulled her towards the end of the metro station, saying that if we waited there, we’d get on the back of the train, and that would leave us closer to the exit that we wanted to take.  she marvelled at how much i knew the city and told me that i definitely know more parts of the city than some of the locals who live there.  yeah, i think it’s been my city ever since i started calling it “home”

well, while i was up there on top of parc guell, overlooking the city as the sun was setting off in the distance, the refrain from queen’s ‘barcelona’ was going off in my head. 

Barcelona - Such a beautiful horizon
Barcelona - Like a jewel in the sun
Por ti seré gaviota de tu bella mar
Barcelona - Suenan las campanas
Barcelona - Abre tus puertas al mundo
If God is willing
-If God is willing
If God is willing
Friends until the end
Viva - Barcelona
Posted by kgrp on 08/06 at 03:46 PM
europe • photo • Permalink
Page 1 of 1 pages