Lazy Sunday is Barcelona - is there anything better?

Yesterday was a successful day in Barcelona! My host had asked me if I wanted to join him for a 2 hour yoga class and I was all over it. . .until I realized that it was a €20 class conducted entirely in Spanish. That dollar amount translates to about $30 (for comparison purposes, my regular class in Bmore is $8). I decided not to go because it was a lot to spend for a class that I may not have even understood. I went to the internet cafè for that time instead.

When Mat got back, we decided to go to the waterfront for lunch. He took his rollerblades and I took one of the free bikes. Bikes are free for residents - you pick them up at one spot and drop them off again at the same spot or any other place once you´re finished riding. The weather was beautiful yesterday, 27C, and a lot of people were out enjoying the weather. (For my SPOT contacts, message #1 yesterday was sent from here.) We rode around and explored Barceloneta, another neighborhood, and just had a nice Sunday. Then we stopped for lunch at what Mat insists is the best pizzeria in Barcelona. It was very good, but I was embarrassed when I asked for a box to take the rest home with me and Mat told me that that´s not really something that Barcelonins do. Oh well, I wasn´t gonna waste good food and good money! I have a picture of the bike with the ´za strapped to it! :-)

Then I was off to the Museo Picasso because it´s free on the first Sunday of the month. I was a bit worried, though, because after being SO lost the day before, I wasn´t really relishing being lost again. High five for me because I didn´t get lost going there or coming back! Woo! (SPOT message #2 sent from here.) The museum was crowded, but not overly so. Most of the works shown were from Picasso´s earlier years, so a lot of it wasn´t familiar. There were a few that I really liked: La Copa Azul (the blue cup) from his blue period; Autorretrado con perro (self-portrait with dog) was a line drawing; and photos of Picasso and his wife on a balcony in 1957. I guess I just didn´t remember that Picasso was alive that recently. Also, I had no idea that he was really into ceramics for awhile there in his later years, too.

Like I said, I made it back to the apartment without getting lost. I just chilled out for awhile, read and played cards. Then Mat and I decided to go to "the best place ever" to get a mojito. He didn´t let me down this time, either. It was a good mojito! And a good way to end a Sunday.

Today is off to a good start. Mat messaged me that I can stay an extra night, so that´s awesome. On my way to the internet cafè I saw a guy rolling a tire down the street and another guy pulling this hand-cart thing loaded with fresh baguettes. Both made me smile. And today on my agenda is the Museu Xocolata and exploring the La Ribera neighborhood. The one bummer is that my camera batteries died as I was about to upload pics and I still don´t quite have it worked out how to upload multiple pictures at once. More pictures are coming, I swear. You´ll probably get more than you wanted, actually. :-)