Counting down

Okay so I have two weeks left before I leave for my Spain trip. This will be my second solo trip and so the butterflies of anxiety about going alone are not as bad as the first trip, but they are still there. Normally I plan and plan my trips about a year in advance but there were some unexpected circumstances that came along this summer which caused me to deviate from my "game plan". Originally I was going to try to learn the language and get just a basic understanding of commonly used words in the local language three months prior to my trip. What I didn't plan on was getting a promotion at work in May and spending most of my summer and part of the fall training for my new position, or as soon as I got trained in that new position that I would end up training someone else who may replace my old spot. So much time and effort went into work and the situations arising from the changes this summer that the only thing I could plan for my trip besides the plane ticket was booking my hotels in Barcelona and Valencia. Fortunately I have worked with a fantastic travel agent for a few years and she was able to assist me. At least I have a place to stay and the main two transportation's taken care of (I will be flying from Barcelona to Valencia and back, so this means another plane ticket besides just the cross country/Atlantic one).

So what do I have planned so far you may ask? Well I have my plane tickets going to Barcelona from San Francisco, my hotel in Barcelona and Valencia reserved and my plane tickets going to and from Barcelona to Valencia. I know where to go to get my Barcelona Card (this wonderful card that will help me maneuver the transportation system which includes bus and metro fare) and how to best utilize my two days in Barcelona so that I can get an overview of the city (using the Bus Turistic) before leaving for Valencia and the most important thing (for me as a foodie anyways=) where I will eat dinner my first night there and where the nearest chocolate cafe is. I found out that this one restaurant I went to in Paris, Le Relaise Entrecote, has a branch in Barcelona not too far from my hotel (not too far being about 3 miles away which is about 45-60 min. walk for me, typical when I travel to Europe I find) and about two blocks away is a popluar Chocolate cafe. As for the languange thing, well I bougth the Rick Steve's Spanish Phrase book which fits nicely into a small purse or a jacket pocket and a small journal to draw pictures in if necessary.

I found this video on youtube which gives a picture highlight of Barcelona along with some Spanish music.