Tuesday's Thoughts Told

Marc had the longest birthday of his life today traveling from Europe to America. It started at midnight Paris time (3pm California time), continued when he woke up at 7am Paris time (10pm California time), and is still going (current time: 11pm, PST). When was the last time your birthday lasted over a day? 33 hours for 31 years! Happy birthday, Marc!

Cuatro en Colorado is about to start in two days. Jenn (+ Kevin & Blake), Amanda, and Tanya are all making the jaunt out to my in-laws house for a much-needed reunion. Marc and I get to play the quasi-host helpers to Marc's parents, and we all get to laugh together in person again.

It's important to laugh together. In person.

If you want to write about nature, move to Colorado Springs. Last night I watched lightning storms fight across the sky, I've seen two shooting stars, and today I could smell the distant rain in the wind. Colorado weather is too unpredictable and crazy for me, personally, but for someone looking to pen poems or western novels...stop living wherever you're living and come here.

Lindsay and Justin had an iPhone 4 lying around, they graciously gave it to me, and now I'm mostly reconnected. I can FaceTime and iMessage again. Looking for another texting alternative, as I disliked the Pinger app, and Whatsapp will not work with my wifi only setup (I do not have a phone number). The iOS7 system is very impressive, and has been quite the jump from my limited iPod Touch 4, and after taking a two month break from a smart device. I still reserve the right to reply within a week, not an hour.

Have now gone through 4 of my 5 storage locations. Be wary of accumulating. We have too much stuff, and we have less than most people. The propaganda of the American Dream is to own and consume everything. This is not a dream; it's a nightmare. Let's not be defined by what we have, but by who we are. Want less, so we can be more.

My bedroom at the Vilas' faces the east. I've left the curtains wide open (because when Marc gets here, he'll need them closed, so I'm enjoying it while I can) and have watched the sunrise every morning since arriving on Saturday. I fall in and out of sleep as the sun warms the room and smiles brightly with the promise of another new day. Amen for sunrises.

The Redding Christian volleyball camp was very small this year, but it was exactly what I needed, and I loved every minute of it. I literally liked every camper (that NEVER happens, there's always at least one kid who is hard to work with!), and their attention, effort, and improvement were SO GREAT and AMAZING to experience after such a horrible year of non-coaching.

That lack of focus at the end of the US/Portugal soccer game was really annoying. Hope they can salvage that mistake tomorrow, but we'll see.

Started my summer fitness program. Great being 7,000+ feet above sea level for a couple of weeks for altitude training cardio! Not doing a lot of running yet, but the second phase starts in July. It's a good feeling to be highly motivated again going into next season. 

I've been back for 3 weeks, and it's been a marathon of catching up over meals (if I haven't seen you yet, hopefully we can work something out!), packing and unpacking, cars and trains and planes, and the same feeling persists through it all.

I'm a visitor here.

I wish I felt as "at home" in America as I do in Europe...but I don't. I think when we find the places where we are meant to be (either forever or for the present time), God really connects us to the surrounding people, neighborhoods, sights, scents, and stride.

We are not on vacation in France, it's our home; we're on vacation in America.

This was Tuesday, and these were my thoughts.

I hope your summer 2014 is like one giant and incredible sunrise.

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Barc-alone-a: Why Are Solo Adventures Important?

Your independence in the world must be practiced and sought after. A lot of the world is more than safe enough to handle you by yourself. The question does not lie in the issue of safety, but in the measure of your bravery.

The courage to be yourself is one thing; the courage to GO OUT ON YOUR OWN is entirely another. Most people do not have this strength. Keep in mind it is a practiced confidence, not a quest for invincibility. 

The foundation of my choices goes way beyond the labels of being single or married, man or woman, young or old. I hope you will value the art of solo travel after pondering these misconceptions, disclaimers, and results.

THE MISCONCEPTIONS

1) Women traveling alone are in constant danger.

If this were true, I'd already be dead.
Learn: to not be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

2) Solo travel is boring.

It's only boring if you are a boring person. Sorry.
Learn: to read, write, dream, watch, listen, talk, or sleep, in that order.

3) You'll get lost and never find your way back.

If anyone would do this, it would be me, and clearly, I keep finding the way back.
Learn: to memorize and understand maps, and ask that random person on the street where the heck you are.

THE DISCLAIMERS

1) I'm a married woman and I go on trips by myself.

My he-might-be-a-feminist-husband doesn't "let" or "not let" me do things, and I don't "let" or "not let" him go to Harry Potter movies. We just do the things we like to do because we are still ourselves, and this is what attracted us to each other in the first place. Remember, it was his idea to keep my maiden name. "Swags is who you are," he told me, "and I want to be married to Swags, not Vilas."

2) If you disagree, that's fine, but don't try to "bring me back from the dark side;" I've already seen the light.

I know it's not traditional for a woman, let alone a married woman, to travel alone. Guess what: I wasn't traditional before I got married, and the most traditional thing about our marriage is that we trust each other as best friends and partners. Come to think of it, that could be considered nontraditional these days as well. So never mind, we are totally nontraditional, and I travel solo all over the place.

3) I've traveled with and without all kinds of people to all kinds of places with all kinds of transportation.

I continue to find that my favorite adventures have been: solo. I go solo for the same reason you like traveling with certain people more than others. It's not that I don't like you, I just happen to really enjoy being by myself!

THE RESULTS

1) I see.

I actually do not observe things when I am with other people. I am so intent on listening and talking and paying attention to whomever I'm with that I just don't look around me. So while I'm having great investment and return in a conversation, I'm missing everything I came to see and think about. (This is one of the reasons I've been able to enjoy having friends visit Paris; I've already had my moments with the places and am now ready to share them as the background to a dialogue.) When I'm alone, my senses are open to observing beauty, strangeness, history, rhythm, and reality. I need these observations to understand my surroundings.

2) I decide.

I am most decisive in two settings: when I'm in charge or when I'm alone. I can plan, I can change, I can add, and I can subtract all throughout the day and entire trip, with no one to blame but myself. I can decide to sleep all day on the beach, or march all day up and down hills. I can eat snacks all day, or just two huge meals and be totally fine. My decisions don't ruin anyone's life, and the solo adventure skips along a pure and unaffected path. Everyone's happy.

3) I learn.

Even though I'm mostly alone, I still do enjoy talking to people. I always meet the most interesting people (usually other solo travelers, of course) when my attention is not preoccupied by travel partners. "Alone" equals "open" in the world of travel. In 3 short days in Barcelona, I learned: it snows in New Zealand, Irish accents are a lot easier to understand than Scottish ones, Marseille feels safe to a Canadian who works in Tanzania, Southern Hemisphere English speakers can tell the difference between their accents (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, etc.), Australians don't say "shrimp on the barbie," India is an exceptional place to visit if you accept it for what it is (instead of hoping it will be like America, for instance), and people in Barcelona speak Catalan (not Catalonian!). Art, architecture, culture, food, streets, language...it's all there if you are free to focus your attention on it.


I really encourage you to be open to trying out solo adventuring. It may not be as extreme as hitchhiking to another country, but it can be just as rewarding to go to the local museum, take a road trip to a national park, or going anywhere alone that most people consider it "normal" to go with another person (movie theater, dinner, wedding, etc.). Just have the courage to go out on your own!


If you're hungry for more inspiration, the following reads definitely helped bring me to this point. Stand alone, they are great books, but for the aspiring adventurer, they are gold.

Royal Road to Romance (Richard Halliburton bums his way through Europe & Asia in the early 1900s.)
The Walking Drum (Fictional Kerbouchard sojourns throughout the European and Muslim world of the 12th century.)
Fahrenheit 451 (Fictional future where books and ideas are illegal, and why free thinking is fundamental to a progressive society.)


The rest of the Barcelona series:
Barcelona: The Basics
Barcelona: Gimme Some Gaudí & Jazz
Barcelona: Plaças i Passeigs

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The French Village People

Once we could speak enough French, anything became possible.

Now that "anything" has taken on the form of a completely new experience.

We're moving to the countryside!

Our new village of La Fère (link to pdf of photos) boasts a population of 3,000, a park, a cathedral, a small castle, and gardens galore.

We will be about 2 hours north of Paris in the Aisne department of the Picardie region. [MAP]

Yes, we are self-proclaimed city people, and we're moving to a village.

Why?

Volleyball. It's always volleyball.

When we first began this European journey in Belgium, I was okay with playing whatever level could give me enough free time to travel and enjoy Europe. Then the nine month seasons wore us down: not just any volleyball was good enough anymore. Marc was cringing through my slow matches, and I was bored and restless.

Of my four tryouts this spring, two were through a Paris volleyball friend, one I had contacted via Volley-Zone, and the La Fère coach had contacted me through the same website. I had a potential fifth tryout with a club I tried out with last year, but it was too late for our timetable and I had already committed to La Fère.

Yes, we're giving up my fabulous English tutoring job, Marc's basketball club in Levallois, and the transportation network of a metropolis. But we're also happily saying goodbye to babysitting, Parisian volleyball politics, crowded train rides, and pollution.

Like most decisions in life, it's a trade-off.

At this point in our expat adventure, it's a change we are willing, able, and excited to make. It's a better team and better coach with a better contract. It's an opportunity to experience France without the tourists. God opened all of the doors to La Fère; we've paid attention, and we're walking through them.

We'll let you know if visits are even possible once we are introduced to our new apartment in August. Flights will still be through Paris CDG, with trains going north from Paris Gare du Nord. It won't be the buzz, pop, and flash of Paris anymore; instead it will be an escape from the city, a place where you can come to take a break and relax.

The blog is going to take us to the north of France now. I hope you're ready for the trip!

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Barcelona: Plaças i Passeigs

My final day in Barcelona (this time) was devoted to visiting the main squares, hitting some good eats, and lounging on the beach again.

I had to find thick hot chocolate and churros. Google led me to La Pallaresa, just off La Rambla. It is no Angelina's, but the churros are cool because they are looped at the ends to be better for dipping. I recommend getting the drink without the whipped cream; the cream kind of overwhelms the chocolate, and not in a good way. Ask for the cream on the side.

Plaça de Catalunya has two large fountains, tons of cars chugging about, and some interesting looking buildings to admire. Show up, look around, move on. Yawn.

Plaça d'Espanya, on the other hand, wins my award for the most beautifully impressive square in Barcelona. The roundabout itself is okay, but go through the two tall brick towers and come face to face with a gorgeous museum palace of Catalonian art that rises gracefully above a chorus of fountains. La Font Màgica claims the sound stage and can mesmerize you for the better part of an hour. Make sure you go to see the fountains during the scheduled "show times" for the most complete experience. Here I felt like I was wrapped up in an entire world of a true European Balboa Park.

Plaça de les Drassanes at the end of the Passeig de Colom (Columbus) has an enormous statue of Christopher Columbus. The irony is that the freshly united kingdom of Spain (King Ferdinand of Aragon and Catalonia married Queen Isabella of Castile) that commissioned Columbus was based in Madrid, not in Barcelona, and this was the beginning of the independence problems. The real value in wandering to this square is in the incredible towers and domes you are teased with over the rooftops. It makes a perfect vantage point for starting your journey of architectural discovery (like Columbus).

But my favorite plaça of the trip was stumbled upon on my ways to and from the beach. Plaça de la Barceloneta is easy to find from the main walkway to the beach, but it is never crowded and always peaceful. There are two small cafes on either side of a the small church of Sant Miquel del Port. The center is a large lamppost with four water spouts, perfect for filling up your water bottle before and after the beach. I chose to eat at Can Ganussa and had good food at a good price. The waiter pretended he didn't speak English (I heard it later!), so I pretended that yo hablo español, and it was muy bueno.

After all of these squares and my beach time were over, I braved the Barrí Gotic one last time to find the bakery that Alex and Marc recommended to me from their trip last spring. Sweet Dreams made all of my chocolate cupcake/vanilla ice cream/caramel/chocolate/cinnamon dreams come true, and it can do the same for you. DO NOT MISS this bakery if you like dessert. Or do miss it, and regret every day of your life. Your choice.

The last place I went to was the La Boqueria market off La Rambla. The atmosphere was okay (too claustrophobic for my taste), but the avocado I got there was like butter! For a better market feel, I recommend the Campo di Fiori in Rome, but La Boqueria is great for putting together a cheap and fresh meal. I grabbed a salad and the luscious avocado for 4 euros, added my leftover fish and meat tapas, and olé! Dinner!

Returning to Barcelona is going to be fun and easy, and I'm excited to add in day trips next time! These three days were a perfect introduction, and I know I will only fall more in love with this version of "Venice+Paris on the beach" every time I come back.

Day 1, The Basics
Day 2, Gimme Some Gaudí & Jazz
Barc-alone-a: Why Are Solo Adventures Important?

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Barcelona: Gimme Some Gaudí & Jazz

Originally my plan had been to go the furthest to Parc Güell, then work my way back down into town to the Sagrada Família. But while on the metro, my plans jumped, and I flipped the order.

Practically, this was a great move. Dramatically, it was not.

I had to sit down as soon as I saw SagFam. It was overwhelming, massive, incredible, and still amidst its active construction. Parc Güell didn't have the same effect, but that's maybe because it is more spread out and more fun for hikers and outdoor lovers.

I'm still deciding if Gaudí was a madman or a genius, but the answer is probably a lot of both.

The most accurate way I can describe SagFam? It's the Alice and Wonderland of cathedrals. Don't try to think too much into it, just appreciate it for all its enormous strangeness.

Gaudí is set to be canonized next year, the only technicality being that he never "performed a miracle." But the fact that he basically broke most of the rules of traditional cathedral architecture to make SagFam the most interesting church building ever? Hello, miracle!

There are many more Gaudí projects and museums throughout the city, but I'm saving those for another day.

I spent the early afternoon lazing on the beach and took a dip in the sea. When I got hungry, I wandered over to one of the beach bars where I watched the sailboats drift by while I sipped my sangria and munched on tapas.

I got a little bit lost trying to find the bus back to the apartment, but I ended up finding a lot of cool buildings and great statues along the marina and inside the Barrí Gotic.

With no sense of direction, every destination becomes an adventure.

My remaining plans for the evening were to eat dinner and go to the Harlem Jazz Club. I picked a random restaurant close to the club, and ended up at Sensi Bistro with a sensational menu. The best tapa I had was the zucchini wrapped rolls of goat cheese, pine nuts, and honey. I don't even like goat cheese, and these were AMAZING.

I had 45 minutes to kill before the blues jam session started, and I was drawn back into the weaving alleys of the Barrí Gotic. I went this way and that, all the while leaving mental bread crumbs for myself to remember how to return to the jazz club on time.

As I passed through another alley, the old cathedral's bell tower caught my eye, and I changed my direction again. I was contemplating my next move when I heard him. I few more steps toward the voice, and his song became their song.

I rounded the corner, wide-eyed in wonder to see two totally normal looking men my age belting Italian opera at the top of their lungs to the bystanders. It didn't take me long to stop standing and go find my seat in this small stone medieval square of an opera house. With La Catedral as their backdrop, these men sang their stories back and forth with such unassuming grace and captivating poise. If only it had never ended...

But it was no longer time for magnificent opera, and I shifted gears to some hilarious jazz.

The irony of going to a "Harlem Jazz Club" in Spain with a ton of white people made it even better. For practical purposes, the concerts "starting at 22h00," actually start after 22h30. It wasn't crowded at all until after 23h00, and lasted until 1h30. Your ticket for the concert includes a small drink. The bar is by the entrance and the stage is in the back, which makes for a happy divide if you're not there to drink! I sat in full view of the band the whole night; no crazy drunk people, no raucous street crowd, just full appreciation for the music.

What of the music? I've only ever been to one other jazz club in my life, and it was in Pasadena. Amanda's mom took us, and we were the only white people in there. It was something akin to an African-American church, with the audience jumping in constantly with whoops and hollers. This Barcelona experience was a far cry from that, so I don't even want to know how distant it would be from a real jazz club in Harlem proper.

The lead singer was clearly a guitarist first, and a singer second. He sang the lyrics in key, but it wasn't the highlight. The bass player was incredible and he was doing tricks and craziness all night. Drums guy did his job, but had a boring personality. Because it was a "jam session," other musicians actually got up throughout the evening to add their twist to the music. By the end of the night, we'd heard another drummer, guitarist, and singer, along with instrument additions of saxophone, piano, and even a bugle! The lead guy's musicality was impressive as he literally called out chords and ideas to the fresh musicians as they were in the middle of playing the songs (he was playing his guitar, singing, and drinking beer the entire time as well).

I have learned that I want to go to jazz clubs in every city I visit.

And it took a back alley in Barcelona to teach me that I love opera.

Day 1, The Basics
Day 3, Plaças i Passeigs
Barc-alone-a: Why Are Solo Adventures Important?

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Barcelona: The Basics

I took a nicely priced train from Paris to Barcelona. I receive the coupon updates from SNCF (France's national train system), and was able to buy when the price was low. Train took: 6 1/2 hours.

Barcelona is not...a part of Spain. Welcome to [the country of] Catalonia, people.

Tapas are...frustrating. I want MORE FOOD!

The architecture is...like sometime after Venice, but earlier than Paris.

Ham and pork are rumored to be the staple meat because...it was part of the Inquisition's effort to squeeze out the remaining Jews and Muslims...the kingdom made it the most (only?) available source of protein.

Sangria is...the same flavor as vin chaud (hot wine)...but iced.

The metro stations have...all downward steps, all upward escalators. Not fun for luggage.

The plaças in front of churches used to be...cemeteries. 

The king decided...to abdicate the throne to his son. [Today.]

Catalonians went...wild with independence fever. 


Transportation
Barcelona is well-connected with a metro and bus system. The T-10 ticket for just over 10 euros (10 trips) is affordable and simple. There are also Barcelona day cards for up to 5 days, and these provide museum discounts and unlimited public transport. I opted for the T-10 as I wasn't doing any museums and I wanted to spend most of my time walking around, not underground. 

My train arrived in the Barcelona Sants station, and I took the metro to where I was staying. For the airport, just pay the 6 euros and use the extremely convenient Aerobus system. It's every five minutes, and has stops all over the city; it will at least get you to a connecting metro station.
 
Accommodation 
I highly recommend AirBnb for your Barcelona stay. All the people I met staying in hostels (around 10 people in their twenties) were having wacky experiences. The other guy using AirBnb was loving his apartment just as much as I was, so that's enough for me! I stayed with a cool Catalonian lady, Núria, in her rad Barcelona apartment. My room was about the same size as my twin bed, but I had plenty of privacy, and I didn't have to share a bathroom with 10 other people. She also gave me kitchen/refrigerator, dining room, tv, and balcony access. Her apartment is on the 2nd floor with an elevator, and my room was nowhere near the street so it was always quiet. The wifi was excellent as well!

The location is what made the place even better; a supermarket, bakery, and metro were all literally 2 minutes from the front door. I could walk to La Rambla in 10 minutes, and all over the Barrí Gotic within 15 to 20 minutes. The bus stop outside the front door goes straight to the beach in 10 minutes. When I go back to Barcelona, I'm staying with Núria, and you should, too.  

Tours
Runner Bean Tours: Old City (Free Tour; guides work for tips, recommended to give between 5-10 euros)
-Highlights: Jewish quarter history (shoved out of Barcelona starting in late 1300s, finished the job with the Inquisition), churches that inspired and were attended by Gaudí, story of Saint Eulalia, the cloister at La Catedral, and how Barcelona has preserved architecture by rotating façades. Lasted: 2 1/2 hours. 

Sandeman's Barcelona Tapas Experience (16 euros; you'll pay about 5 more euros than that as well)
-Highlights: pretending like I brought friends with me, potato tapas, bread tapas, fish tapas, garlic tapas, having entire tapas bars reserved for our group of 40, and talking to British/Irish/Canadian/Australian travelers. Lasted: 5 hours.

These tours gave me as much social time as I needed to have here, and boosted my historical and cultural intelligence immediately. I recommend any of the tours either of these companies provide.

Other Things To Know
-Every street sign is marked. You cannot actually get lost if you have a map and can read.
-Everything is exceptionally clean, including the beach and all bathrooms. Yes, this is a Mediterranean port city. I still can't believe it myself.
-Bring your own bottle. Restaurants will serve you expensive bottled water, not water from the tap. However, there are beautiful and unique drinking fountains all over the city. I drank the water for 3 days and didn't get sick at all.
-Barcelona is incredibly walkable. The hills have escalators, the pathways are even and broad, and most of what you will come to see is flat anyway.


Day 2, Gimme Some Gaudí & Jazz
Day 3, Plaças i Passeigs
Barc-alone-a: Why Are Solo Adventures Important?

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