Spicy

I have a lot to say about Dubai, but for now, I'll leave it at this:

- Saffron
- Vanilla pods
- Dried lemons
- Red peppercorns
- Arabian masala curry
- Dates

I can't wait to get home and cook!

Goodbye paneer, hello tapas!

I'm leaving for Spain in 15 hours. After all this waiting and anticipation, it turns out it's a little bittersweet. It's going to be tough leaving the man who's been my rock throughout this whole stressful ordeal... but I'll see him again in about a month, so I guess that's ok.

It's funny how important food has become for me over the past few weeks. Growing up in a cosmopolitan society, I've always taken it for granted that I can get any kind of food I want, any time I want it. It's a lot tougher to do that here in India. I find my mouth watering at the thought of the middle eastern food I hope to get on the plane, the tapas I'll find in Madrid, and the ploughman's sandwich I can't wait to sink my teeth into as soon as I get back to London.

Speaking of which... no need to worry, family members. I won't be stranded indefinitely in Madrid. Getting on a train proved impossible, but I did manage to get a flight to Paris and then one to London. I'll be home Monday evening, at long last.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really looking forward to getting back to work.

I needed that

I had two missions yesterday: pancakes and dancing. Both were accomplished with brilliant success.

Pancakes were found at Milk Bar in the Gothic Quarter. Milk is a delightful little lounge with tasteful, vintage decor and (I couldn't believe it) trad jazz streaming over the speakers. They even served me real Canadian maple syrup! It's one of the most popular spots in Barcelona so we were lucky that it was Boxing Day, when Catalonians don't seem to leave their homes, and we didn't have to wait to get in.

Dancing was found at Sala Apolo. The Barcelona Jazz Orchestra was playing a Christmas concert and the event was described as "having room for dancing." I had pictured a smallish bar with an even smaller dance floor, with perhaps a handful of dancers in attendance (knowing my luck, they would all be follows). Boy was I ever in for a surprise! The place was huge, with two levels and a dance floor that could rival most ballrooms'... and it was absolutely packed. I could barely squeeze through to the other side of it, much less dance on it. It was hot and sweaty and I stepped on people every 32 seconds, but it felt absolutely incredible to dance again (after not lindy hopping for close to a month) and the band was on fire.

Anyhow, off I go to enjoy one of our two non-rainy days here. Sagrada Familia and maybe some shopping? This holiday is all about rest and relaxation, and I like that a lot.

Lazy Barcelona

We arrived in Barcelona Tuesday afternoon and so far have done little aside from indulging in incredible coffee, food, and the free wifi in our cozy hotel room. This is the life!

After our crazy London transport adventure the night before, we decided to play it safe and hire a car to drive us to Heathrow (thank you, dad!) a full two hours earlier than strictly necessary. It meant we arrived two hours earlier than strictly necessary, but I'm still really glad we did. I'm also really glad that we were booked on the 11:25 flight, rather than the cancelled 9 am (or any time the night before, which would have meant being two of hundreds sleeping on pathetic-looking mats in the airport corridor). It was all smooth sailing for us!

We quickly discovered a delightful little café across the street from our hotel, where we have taken to eating our breakfasts. The server is friendly and speaks perfect English (apparently, he lived in Memphis, Tennessee for 13 years). He also smokes behind the counter. We're obviously not in Kansas anymore.

Another clue that we're no longer in Kansas? Nude window displays and nude art in restaurants. It's all really beautiful and tasteful but takes you aback if you're not used to seeing that sort of thing.

I have succeeded in acquiring my very own caganer and caga tio, have seen a quick glimpse of the Gothic Quarter, and have been in to visit the geese in the Cathedral garden... but the constant rain has been reinforcing our tendency toward laziness. We're waiting for the promised sun to appear tomorrow so we can spend Christmas Day by the seaside.

In the meantime, we've stocked up on all the important stuff: bread, cheese, fruit, tomatoes, olives, chocolate, juice, wine, and apple liqueur with tonic. Yesterday, we had a picnic lunch that we enjoyed so much, we decided to continue the tradition while all the restaurants are closed or fully booked over the next couple days. Our only concern will be finding coffee. The quality of the coffee here is so vastly superior to London's, I'm determined to drink as much as humanly possible while we're here.

That's about it for now. Pictures to come, but potentially not until I'm back in London, as I am lacking a suitable card reader. Bones festes, as they say!