Saturday, April 6, 2013

The guys were up late last night with the TV on loud and even with my headphones on I could still hear them. I did not get a lot of sleep and at 7 am I heard Rickard get up and leave. I got up a bit later, got some coffee, and cleaned out the refrigerator. I took some things down to the recycling bins.With the guys, everything ends up in the trash, so I try to rescue some of the bigger things for the bins. When I came back, Alvaro was up (out on the balcony having a smoke) and when he came in, he asked me if I knew where John was. A strange question I thought but apparently John stayed out all night. Alvaro went back in his room and I left things like laundry soap and giant bottles of shampoo for them--wrote a goodbye note and left.

As I got to the elevator at the metro stop, a woman was looking at a map and I was actually able to help her with directions (in Spanish). Then I went down to the metro and ran into a couple of young people from the states (one from New Orleans and one from Pittsburgh). They had just arrived from Madrid and were on their way to the same stop I was. We got on together and chatted about what they would want to see during their two days in Barcelona. By this time I felt like such an experienced city dweller! I soon arrived at my new home for the next six days, La Residencia de Investigadores. I was too early to check in as I had expected, but the receptionist held my luggage for me. Relieved of a lot of dead weight, I walked off to the Hotel Indigo to return the keys to the "piso." I stopped for coffee and a croissant and hung around the Placa de Catalunya until I could return to the Residencia and check in. The Placa was packed as usual but the area felt very familiar to me.

Back at the Residencia, I checked in and dragged all my stuff to my third floor room. My room is at the very end of the hall, so I think it will be fairly quiet unless I get a lot of noise from outside. I am in the livelier part of town now. My current room is much bigger than my room at the apartment so I have space to set up my computer and I can keep my stuff in the bathroom. It feels more like home! I must say, I am relieved to have my own bathroom again, but at the same time, I am glad I had the experience of meeting the three guys. I unpacked everything and then went out to explore the neighborhood. I found a church for tomorrow and found the route to the cathedral. I want to go to the cathedral tomorrow because that is where  people can be seen dancing the Sardana, the Catalan national dance. It is also the first Sunday of the month and some of the museums are free to enter. I want to go to the Picasso Museum ( my afternoon teacher, Alberto, said it has nothing). You have to go Figueres to see the best of Picasso. If Alberto is right, I don't want to spend a lot of money to see it and I don't have time to go to Figueres.

I got back to the Residencia and have spent the last of the day writing a report for the first part of my sabbatical. I have to turn it in within two weeks and I won't get the grant money for it until the report is turned in--I am motivated! I am also working up files of the libraries I will be visiting. I am just realizing that I am bushed--lack of sleep and 18,749 steps on the pedometer. (supposed to equal more than 9 miles) That's it for me today.