Barcelona is so close I can taste the chocolate dipped churros. And other things. That I may be forced to eat.
(And suddenly I’m panicking that I’m going to be in the kinds of restaurants where I’ll have have to smile while eating the rabbit intestines dipped in sea urchin. Worse – I may find out I like it, and then what will I have to complain about in life?)
Here are a few things I will miss about New York while I’m gone:
Strange and arbitrary items lying in the street. Sometimes in sets.
Guy traveling on the 2 train at 11 pm with his R2D2. He swears he just finished a taping of Whitest Kids You Know but I’m not buying it. I’m thinking fetish.
But then, I won’t miss This f*cking thing which Nate insisted on getting for the cats, and sounds like a hobo peeing in our living room all night.Pssst…while I’m gone, keep the NOBAD links coming. I love the growing list of bloggers who inspire you. Maybe I might even have time to read them all one day.
And if you want to follow my trip on twitter? I’m thinking a hashtag like #WHOOSPAIN! will work. Mostly it will be me freaking out about the food.
You only think I’m kidding. I have issues.
31 shards of brilliance… read them below or add one
Have fun! I am so excited that I get to live vicariously through you, no pressure though.
I wouldn't eat rabbit intestines either.
Yeah, I am worried about you and the food. At least you know you can dump whatever the hell is on your plate onto Nate's, and he'll eat it!
And, that cat dish? I'd pee myself just walking by it.
(have a blast!)
I think you should ask that guy if you can borrow his R2D2 and bring it to Spain. You know, introduce them to some American culture.
Have a phenomenal time! WHOOSPAIN indeed! -Christine
Make sure you try the tortilla de patata–plain and with chorizo! SO good! It's not gourmet but is practically one of the national dishes of Spain.
Ole' !
Hi Liz!
I am an expat (originally from California) living in Barcelona. Ilina @ Dirt & Noise gave me the FYI on your trip and I just sent you an email with lots of tips and restaurant recommendations – even an Italian just in case! I included my mobile #, please call if you need help with anything while visiting. Buen viaje!
Hi Liz!
I am an expat (originally from California) living in Barcelona. Ilina @ Dirt & Noise gave me the FYI on your trip and I just sent you an email with lots of tips and restaurant recommendations – even an Italian just in case! I included my mobile #, please call if you need help with anything while visiting. Buen viaje!
I think I may be posting this twice – it keeps asking me to retype ID. Sorry if it reposts…
You're going to Spain? That's fabulous! make sure you try the paella – the real stuff is gooooood! And sangria. And marmitako (fish & potato stew/casserole). Have lots of fun! And wear sunscreen babe, they have the same weather as Sardinia so it's still warm there this time of year.
And next time you are on “my” side of the pond… can you come a bit closer to the Swiss mountains?
I've been to Barcelona and I don't think you need to worry about the food…have fun!
oooh, have fun!
also, we have that water bowl and I hate the noise too, the only thing worse is the noise it makes when mostly empty!
You have food issues? Isn't Nate working on that? Have fun. You'll find something wonderful to eat.
If it makes you feel any better, the cat water fountain will probably break before you return from Spain. It is the one and only thing I've ever bought off of an infomercial, and since our old apartment's bedroom was right off the kitchen, I had to listen to that infernal thing all night. It had me getting up to pee more than pregnancy! I did not mourn its passing.
Enjoy your trip, we'll enjoy the tweets!
i commented this before but i will say it again. i LOVE barthelona. have some black (squid ink) paella for me.
Just remember these simple phrases:
Yo quisiera mas sangria, por favor.
Una taza de su vino mejor – pues, no. Una botella!
Me gustaría una hamburguesa y papas fritas.
(Oh, and “Donde está el baño,” but you knew that already, right?)
Did you see the show with Mario Batali and Gwyneth driving around Spain and eating? Gwyneth is pretty picky, and she did fine! I can't wait to hear about your trip!
I can vouch for the adorableness of those kids; pictures can't capture how cute they are (especially what they say!). As for the cat bowl, I just pretended it was one of those feng shui fountains, and it put me right to sleep.
Have a wonderful time!
Um, not to knock Jaelithe (or nit-pick, Spanish is different from city to city, let alone country to country) for giving you some key Spanish phrases to use, but here are a few things I picked up on quickly whilst living in Spain:
1) You can certainly order una hamburguesa but in Spain? They're actually made of ham. Unless you go to McDonald's.
2) If you order papas fritas the Spanish might look at you like estás loca because potatoes are called patatas in Spain, and papas? Well, they're popes and I'm not sure how they'd feel about serving up fried pontiffs.
3) Unless, you're actually looking for a bath, asking where el baño is located will result in some confusion when you end up at your destination. The Spanish call restrooms los servicios.
4) It's all well and good to be super polite when letting someone know how much you'd really like a bottle of their best wine, but saying quisiera will peg you immediately as a tourist. The local says, dame (give me!) una botella de tinto, por favor. Also, wine is typically ordered by color, so instead of vino request blanco or tinto.
I agree with the previous poster… you can't go wrong with tortilla de patata. It even comes in a para llevar (to go) version as un bocadillo (a sandwich). They're one of the things I miss most about my Spanish diet.
And if you can't find fresh sangria, a tinto cón limón (red wine + lemon fanta) is a very yummy substitute–and without all that pesky fruit there's much more room for wine.
Also:
morcilla = blood sausage
ternera = veal
manchego = yummy deliciousness
I still speak Spanish decently, and in the Andalucian “dialect” (for lack of a better term), so if you're heading there and need any other phrases, shoot me an e-mail.
Have fun, you gotta try everything at least once. !
BM
Okay, so she can totally use my guide in Mexico.
(For the record, I was joking about Liz's fear of weird food, not actually trying to deliver a language lesson
)
Have fun! Barcelona is magical. I would LOVE a trip to Spain.
Chocolate covered churros? They make chocolate covered churros? I must find some.
Enjoy Spain. I hope you guys have a great time.
Have a great trip!
And now I think I need to visit New York. I hope you know I will be HIGHLY disappointed if I don't see R2D2 on the train.
bon voyage jetsetter mom
Jaelithe- Definitely g2g for Mexico.
I envisioned her ordering a hamburger in Spain (and sometimes a hamburger is just what you need and I want) and foresaw some serious food issue reinforcement when said burger was actually a hamburger. *shudder* Not to mention if it came with a side of fried John Paul IIs.
O great have fun I hope you will get everything for your lunch and dinner..we will wait for your next post ..thanks for sharing..
Have fun !!! Enjoy your trip..and come back soon with new articles ..
Don't worry. You'll be eating so late you can just pretend to be asleep when the smoked ferret arrives.
a) I was wondering where my eyelashes went. And
b) OMIGOD – had a cat fountain for one day. Thoroughly freaked the cat out, tho, and then when he attacked it and knocked it over we knew it had to go. Good point about the peeing hobo…
LIttle steps take you a long way! Keep it up – read the whole blog last week – inspiring
You read my whole blog?
Wow I don't even think I've read my whole blog.