Volume 18 - Day 317/48, 2026 - Friday

This is my last day in Barcelona. Tomorrow, early, I will head to the airport and fly to Malaga. My high school prophecy was 'To become a marketing teacher and live in Malaga.' I was a real estate instructor for a little while, so maybe I made good on part of the prophecy, but I have never been to Malaga. Fifty seven years after high school, I will visit for a few days, and maybe that will give me a chance to see what I missed. Honestly though, I have had a really great life, and I would not change any of it. Who knows, there may be more Malaga in my future. Today was a free day, so I spent the day doing a lot of nothing. Wandered the streets a couple times, bought some souvenirs, sat on a bench in front of the hotel and did something I really like doing; watching the people and the day go by. I could become a professional person watcher given the opportunity. Barcelona is a really big city, lots of things to explore, and it cannot be done in a few days. I'm at about the half-way point of this adventure, so there is still lots to do and lots to see. I wonder how much of it I will remember? 

Volume 18 - Day 316/49, 2026 - Thursday

The day started off with breakfast in the hotel...scrambled eggs, bacon and something with corn in it, not sure what it was. I was elected to show other guests how to use the coffee machine, and that was kind of dangerous. And then I was off to see if where I thought I was supposed to meet the tour was actually the place I was supposed to meet the tour. And...it wasn't. But I was only off by about a half block, so it could have been worse. AND, I was the only person on the tour. I was going to take my jacket, but it was 68 degrees and sunny, so I left it in the room. What I was not expecting ws the wind, and it got kind of chilly, but I survived. The tour was interesting, we covered a lot of ground in Barcelona, and a lot about the architect Gaudi, whose church (rumor has it) was completed last year, after 140 years. I think I have that right. Well, I am sorry to tell you this, but the church is not finished (in my opinion) and it may take another 140 to finish it. PLUS, it took so long to build that they built residential and commercial buildings all around it, and they plan to tear those down to make the plazas around the church that were in the original plan. Gaudi also did commercial and residential buildings, and they are very interesting buildings. We went 'up the mountain' to get views of the city and the harbor, and overall, Barcelona is a busy place, with a population of about 1.7 million in the city, and about 5.48 million in the metropolitan area. I think it is the second largest city in Spain. I also think, if you refer to Barcelona, it is kind of synonymous with Catalonia. Interesting... I plan to spend most of the day tomorrow just wandering around. I have one goal, and that is to buy one t-shirt. Oh, and the photo of the church with this entry is actually the BACK SIDE of the church...

Volume 18 - Day 315/50, 2026 - Wednesday

Today has indeed been a day, not that there is anything wrong with that. I left the B&B in Paris about 6:30 this morning, and headed to the train station. I was there in plenty of time for my 7:42 departure to Barcelona. The train ride (about 700 miles in about 7 hours) was remarkably unremarkable, in the same way train rides are in the states. We passed by nothing, we passed by small villages, hamlets, hills and valleys. Just exactly what I was expecting. The Pyrenees were disappointing because; A. I did not see the Pyrenees, B. I was expecting snow capped peaks (nope), and C. Maybe we went THROUGH the Pyrenees and not around them or next to them. There were definitely long tunnels (several) at points that I thought I should have been seeing snow capped mountain peaks. Whatever. I am getting to where I dislike cab drivers in Europe, because I am relatively sure they see me as a target. fifty Euros from the train station to the hotel. Sounds like a lot to me. After I checked in to the hotel, I decided to go find the place that I am to meet up with my tour tomorrow. I walked and walked, asked several people for directions, got several different sets of directions, but I finally found it and I know where I will need to be at 9:55AM. Thanks goodness. The photo accompanying this journal entry is of some anonymous woman who was fortunate enough to have a statue of herself erected in the middle of one of the main streets in Barcelona. About a half block from the hotel. If you know who she is, let me know. Oh, and just in case you need to know this, I cannot figure out how to flush the toilet in this room. It kind of gives new meaning to 'OH CRAP!'

Volume 18 - Day 314/51, 2026 - Tuesday

This is the third time I have been to Paris, and it is the first time I have been here when it is not 'summery.' It is definitely 'wintery,' and I find I prefer 'summery' weather in Paris. Everything is wet, cold and cloudy, but I have not seen it actually rain. I might have heard rain a few hours ago, but I did not get up to look out the window to see for sure. I had a nine o'clock driver reserved this morning to take me to Versailles and anywhere else that looked interesting. We made a few stops on the way back to Paris, but in many places, there was a large police presence, in anticipation of protests planned later in the day. I assume the protests proceeded, but I have not seen any news since I have been here. It is about 10 past eight here right now, and I just looked out the window, and it is raining! After I got back to my hotel this afternoon, I took a nap, and then walked up to the square that I am familiar with, and just walked around a bit. I stopped at a market, bought three bananas and a diet coke, so I am set. Early tomorrow morning, I will board a train and go to Barcelona. It is a seven hour train ride, and I am looking forward to that. A quick note from my ride to Lesigny yesterday: While we were traveling, I noticed a Burger King, and I remarked about it to the driver, Zain. He said 'Yes, we gave you the Statue of Liberty, and we got Burger King!' I thought that was perfect! I also learned a few things today about editing photos; The photo accompanying this entry was not only cropped by me, but I also learned how to 'Clean Up' and 'Extend.' Yowzer! Louis XIV is very happy about that.

Volume 18 - Day 313/52, 2026 - Monday

Okay, well, the plane left Dallas just right on time yesterday, and the nine hour flight got me to Paris this morning at about 9:30AM, Paris time. There is a seven hour time difference, so figure that out. The cab driver from the airport was a maniac with a really bad sinus condition, but we got to the hotel at about 11 o'clock with all pieces intact. I had reserved a car and driver for 1PM, so I got to close my eyes for a few minutes, and the driver arrived promptly. I am a big fan of Castle Impossible on HGTV, and the plan was to go to Lesigny (pronounced lay-zeen-yee) just to see if I could run up on them, but I would get to see the Chateau if nothing else. A few days ago, I was reading up about the Chateau, and found out they were closed on Monday, but, whatever. SO, I got there, tresspassed a few yards past the gate, and there was Ian, doing a little work on one of the buildings. He was very kind and we talked for a few minutes, and I could not have been happier. I didn't push my luck to mention I would like to see inside the Chateau, but it was really fun, and it made the effort worthwhile. Tomorrow, Versailles.

Volume 18 - Day 312/53, 2026 - Sunday

Howdy, y'all. It is a rainy day in central Texas, not that there is anything wrong with that. Val, Paulina and I left the Curious House at a little after 11 this morning. I am beginning this blog entry in the airport in Austin, and I will finish it in the airport in Dallas. That is because I am too cheap, and likely too illiterate, to figure out the complexities of paying for WiFi in the plane. Plus, I am not expecting anything exciting to happen after I leave Dallas. So, that is it for now, more in a couple hours. Okay, the plane was late leaving Austin, but the pilot hauled ass and I am on my connecting flight. We were side-by-side with another plane almost the whole way here, and that was interesting. I have to pee, but there is no time for that right now, I will wait until we are in the air, but at least I have an aisle seat, so that will be convenient. Time for PM pills, then time for some sleep. There will be more tomorrow. Lexie was not really happy this morning, but I am sure that Paulina and Val will spoil both the girls rotten while I am gone. 

Volume 18 - Day 311/54, 2026 - Saturday

After our walk this morning, I headed to the Amenity Center in our neighborhood, and we turned it into a Blood Bank. When I left this morning, we had sixteen donors scheduled. As the day progressed, we had two no-shows, four walk-ins, and counting the platelets that Marian, Paulina and I donated yesterday, our count for the day is a total of twenty donors. That is the goal that the Blood Bank was hoping for, but I was trying to get twenty five. Twenty is twenty more that they had yesterday, so all is good. We were done by about 1:30, so I headed to two estate sales that were open until three, and again, I bought nothing. I got back to the Curious House, did a few chores, and sat with the girls in the big chair dozed off for a couple minutes. I have turned the sprinklers off, because all the prognosticators are prognosticating rain over night, maybe heavy rain, and tomorrow is supposed to be a wet day. Fingers crossed. Otherwise, that is all the news that is fit to blog, and I am almost ready for bed!