Barcelona, Spain

This last travel entry is being posted from the comfort of a friend's apartment in Manhattan. A few days in Madrid plus a week in Barcelona were not as relaxing as I had hoped. I entertained myself with flamenco along with delicious tapas, washed down with plentiful sangria. It was a bit too cold for the beaches but the sunshine was pleasant for walking around town marveling at the creative genius of architect Gaudí. To me, his buildings, parks, and little touches to the city will always be the highlight of Barcelona.

I also expended a lot of energy with the police and US embassy going after Eduardo the professional con artist. Long story short, I discovered that he also stole my credit card numbers and -- to my great frustration -- ended up being set free on a technicality after being caught by Spanish immigration. Perhaps now I am more sensitive to thievery, but Barcelona (especially the ultra-tourist La Rambla zone) is rife with pickpockets/bag snatchers and much seedier than I remembered. Suffice it to say that I am ecstatic to be home.