Entries this day: One_big_Barcelona_entry hello_from_Barcelona!

One big Barcelona entry

7:59am CEST Monday 27 June 2005

Walked around Barcelona with Niveen yesterday. Near the port, there are some cool stacked chrome arches that look sorta like soap bubbles and would be really cool to climb. At the port end of La Rambla, the famous kiosk/shopping/tourist street in Barcelona, there is a rather large statue with rather large lions that are definitely climbable.

After getting photos on the lions, Niveen and I walked down La Rambla, where these wildly costumed performers did their shows for money. We saw a mean devil, a nice butterfly, two soldiers, Arc du Triomf, Picasso Museum, bus to Sagrada Familia, climbed 340+ steps (I wanted to race), got lost trying to go to Park Gruell via bus; ended up taking the train, I walked up those steps but didn't count them, then headed back on the train. Found Allison and Dave in La Rambla and chatted with them, gave a postcard to Lawrence (easy for me to remember his name cause he looks like Lawrence Fishburn (glasses and bald head)) from the 47th cruise who came to meet up with rock star repeaters, because I need it to get to Norway before we do: I'm sending it to Niveen. Back on the boat with 5 minutes to spare.

- - - -

This graffitti really cracked me up!

Here are pictures from Sagrada Familia.

Notable things in Barcelona:

1. They allow bicycles in the train station! Whoooo!!

2. There is a KFC right across the street from Sagrada Familia, which is interesting only because I heard there was a KFC across from the pyramids in Giza. I didn't see a KFC there, but I see one here.

3. We saw a guy running with a bag and a slightly overweight security guard chasing him. I think I could have caught him, but I chose not to get involved with local issues.

   I would only want to get the bag back, but not punish the thief.

This is the Rob Update that I had on my USB but couldn't send at the internet cafe:

Hello from Barcelona, Spain!

I actually haven't been off the boat yet, but I'm saving a bit of time
by writing before I get to the internet cafe (hoping I can find one
on this Sunday *and* national holiday).

Been super busy over the past couple of days getting my curriculum
prepared for classes; it's due at noon tomorrow.  I'm a good 1/2 way
finished, especially if the computer didn't eat my document last
night when it locked up.

Last night I talked at length with Niveen, a woman from Palestine.  I
asked her questions to get my bearings straight in the situation with
Israeli occupation of her country.  I had never really understood it
more than some people fighting over the rights to an area.

She spent at least an hour telling me some of the history of the
nightmare situation that she lives in every day.  Consistent
checkpoints and flying checkpoints (randomly set up) with Israeli
soldiers require her to wait for 45 minutes or an hour in lines (on
foot or in car) and stop and answer questions.

Her version of the story is basically the Israelis (Jews displaced
during the German Holocaust) have (with American support) invaded her
country and taken her rights with the intent of ultimately erasing the
Palestinian identity.  Palestinians are forced to live in camps
separated from each other around Jerusalem.

She is nearly forced to disown her Palestinian identity because, for
example, she can hardly travel in Egypt if she says she's from
Palestine.  (( The more detailed story: she was born in Jordan so she
has a Jordanian passport, but isn't allowed to get a Palestinian
passport and doesn't want an Israeli passport.  When she presented her
Jordanian passport in Egypt but said she was Palestinian, they nearly
took her passport from her. ))

She wants to be Palestinian.  I imagine they want consistency in
passports' written and passport holders' spoken identities.

She said I really should come to see for myself what it's like.

In any case, it sounds like a nightmare.

So now I'm wondering about living in Palestine after PB.

hello from Barcelona!

hello from Barcelona!

Hey Guys!

I´m in Barcelona, where the / is a - and the ' is a ´, and the USB thing doesn´t
work so I have to write from scratch.

Thanks to everyone for emails;  I read them all but don´t have time to reply... 
but keep saying HI!

In Italy I couldn´t find an internet cafe at all, but went to Taormina (in Scicily)
where we climbed maybe 300 meters to the top of a hill with lovely view of the
crystal clear blue water and hundreds of shops from which we could buy ice cream!!!
And postcards and clothes and food, but most importantly that delicious Italian ice
cream which they call gelati...  So smooth and lovely and delicioso!

I´ve been hanging out with Niveen from Palestine, and she told me the nightmare
story of living in an occupied area.   That´s what I wrote about on my USB
keychain...  My version of her story is the Israeli´s came in with US support and
just seized land and houses and now she must go through checkpoints every day just
to go to work or school or anywhere interesting.   I´m wondering about living there
and getting my own perspective and seeing what I can learn/do/help etc.

Today we have been walking down La Rambla, a famous shop filled boulevard, like a
quaint version of Champs Elysees in France.  Will be looking for stamps to send
postcards next.

On the boat, we´ve been busy preparing our curriculums for the second term; they
are due tomorrow at noon!  I am about 1/2 done with mine.   Most nights I get about
4 hours of sleep (approximately 1 sleep cycle, so it´s short but not too
disruptive) due to staying up late chattering with various people slash dancing
slash working on teaching materials.

Haven´t seen any exotic aquatic wildlife.  No whales, dolphins, jellyfish, giant
squid... but we have eaten fish for dinner on many nights.

Was supposed to meet Caesar today in Barcelona, but didn´t hear from him.  I hope
you´re well, mate!  Don´t sweat it; we´ll have big fun in this lovely city!

Slavena and Kremena, the cute near-twin Bulgarian women got off the boat in Greece.
I didn´t get to say bye to them, but I imagine they´re enjoying some well deserved
time off.

Speaking of time off, I gotta get off the computer.

    Be well!
    Love Love
     - Rob!