Unfortunately during that backtrack Brazil managed to blow it for their worst finish since I have been watching. Too bad.

Paris has been nice, though hellishly hot. Our digs are in a very cozy little room on a top floor which gets even hotter. But we have been getting some good seeing in… the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysees from Etoile to Concorde last night, the Pompidou, Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, Louvre (outside), Tuileries, and Sacre Coeur today so far, and perhaps a boat tour and the Catacombs in the future.

Crepes are still good. Oh, my, are they ever good. Having a hard time finding citron though.

Alana is getting some of her preconceptions about Paris challenged by a populace which seems to be in an unseasonably good mood on this visit, the free (when did this happen) technotoilets on the streets, and by a National Police officer or two’s stunning charms at Etoile. Also, the tap water is fabulous (or Barcelona’s was bad enough that it seems that way).

Tomorrow begins our odyssey through Dublin and it would not be surprising if I do not make it on the Net before home. Thanks for following along.

We have been shifted from a decently-located hostel kind of near the center of the city (Barcelona, that is) to a couple beds in a nice flat near the Sagrada Familia (and therefore not close to much of anything else, if you have ever been here). We are getting the most out of our transport 10-packs and shoe leather.

The unexpected wonder of the apartment is that it has a grocery across the street and a washing machine within. This is good news, and I am now mercifully ketchup-free. I forgot to try washing the pair of pants that got chocolate on it in Brussels, but there is always tonight.

Barcelona is fantastic, as always. I finally made it to Park Guell and got my obligatory lizard picture. We have done all the typical stuff (Ramblas etc.) but today we wandered around Montjuïc and stumbled into the 1992 Olympic campus, which was pretty neat. The stadium was open, making it about 5000x cooler than Berlin’s.

My travelmate has gotten to the beach a couple times which she has enjoyed, although this last visit left me in a mood similar to hers after an art museum… for various reasons I am a bit of an anti-beach character. Hopefully nothing was taken too personally and we will get over it over dinner (and a Brazilian victory over France would be nice too).

It would also make me incurably smug in Paris tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait.

I think that should tell you all you need to know.

After about 15 hours of sleep last night, A. decided that she did not want to pay the 8 euro for the Mezquita in Córdoba. Personally I think it’s worth it once, so it works out for me since I have seen it. She is missing out though. As a result we took a bus straight from Sevilla to Granada.

So here we are in Granada, ready to queue for hot hours at the crack of dawn tomorrow to try to get into the Alhambra–by the time I thought of trying to reserve it online it was too late, but they save some tickets for the day of entry. We went up to the Mirador de San Nicolás in the Albaicín (old Arab quarter) for a stunning view of the Alhambra (with Sierra Nevada backdrop) and then somehow came down in a very different direction. We seem to be alive somehow.

That trip marks our last significant bus travel (except for the hike out to BVA near Paris) and the last travel that had not been pre-booked.

Food is cheap here and so is the Net–both good things.

We checked out, went to the post office, and then day-tripped off to Toledo and rode the cheesy but effective zocotren. Food prices off the beaten path were fabulous. The cathedral was expensive but cathedralrific.

After a little downtime in a park (with working water fountain!) we trekked back down to the bus station and got back to Madrid. Went to the Reina Sofía for a bit, had some Doner Kebap, and now we are internetting for a bit before our 23h night bus to Sevilla. That should be a pack of fun, with 5h arrival. Hopefully we will be up to enjoying the city on arrival.

Weather is classic Spanish. Warm but bearably dry and incredible in the evenings.

Hasta pronto.

Things have hit a new low as far as the not getting deathly sick of being around each other 24/7 but there may be improvement after a park conversation… I sure hope so. Got some lazing to do then hopefully some plaza will still be lazy and nice on a Sunday evening for some unwinding.

Looks like we will daytrip (yeah, I know, ugh) to Toledo tomorrow since A. seems to like the really old buildings and such (which Madrid is rather short on). We booked the bus tickets to Sevilla and the later train tickets to Barcelona so I think all our remaining travel en route is booked, and that is something of a relief.

The weather is a little warm but absolutely gorgeous.

Cat’s hostel is very high tech but a bit partied out for my taste… at 17.30 someone was still sleeping in the room. Do not get to see much of Madrid that way.

The painting I had been wondering about for the last two years in the Prado is called Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, by Goya. I’m putting it here so I won’t forget it again.

OK, big line and I have been on for around my 20 mins. Until we meet again.