My First Saturday In Barcelona Was A Great Day
May 6 — Today is a shopping day. I’m laser focused on what I need. Tan flats. I found the shoe store I wanted to go to online and headed out this morning. This is a new part of the city for me. The directions are taking me down side streets so I’m taking in things I haven’t yet.
Side streets here aren’t scary. In fact, they are more magical. You feel like you are discovering something. Well, you, and every other tourist in town. Which is a good thing because I went to every shoe store I could find, visited both malls, and and never found exactly what I was looking for. If I had done the same in a mall back home I would have been completely frustrated. Even with the streets flooded with tourists it can’t take anything away from the beauty. I wonder how long it will take for me to get tired of taking pictures of balconies.
One of the great things about getting lost is finding yourself in the same area later once you’ve got your bearings. All of a sudden your perspective becomes very different. After coming out of a mall empty handed I realized where I was from the other night. I decided to walk down the busy streets where things were clearly getting more expensive.
If you love to shop Barcelona is the place for you. Not only that, you don’t even have to cross the street here if you don’t want to. The same store is on both sides. It’s extraordinary. I’ve seen this tactic with McDonald’s never with Rolex. You’re never too far from the store you want to be in.
I may not have found the shoes I was looking for, mostly due to the current style. The platform wedge shoe craze that swept all over Buenos Aires is here too. Sadly it is the style. Not my style which means I’m out of luck. What I did find is good information for my business. Of all the shops I went into Burberry was my favorite. Their service was impeccable.
Prior to this I’ve never been in a Burberry store. At the time I couldn’t place the familiar feeling. Now I can. It’s like you’re shopping in your own closet. People are waiting to serve you without being pushy and when you are ready, you sit on couches and are offered beverages while you wait. This is a place I will be researching. More accurately, I’ll have a virtual assistant research for me.
I found some really cute flats and they didn’t fit right. Somewhere along the way my feet have become irregular. This is the second time with a high end brand the arch didn’t hit right. It’s been the same with other brands too, but you never know if the shoe is poorly made or not. At this point buying cheap shoes is totally an option, it’s the styles that aren’t. I have a big lunch coming up next week and was hoping to wear my new garden dress. The shoes I have don’t really go with the outfit. Oh well, maybe I’ll see something between now and then.
I’ve walked a lot today and will walk more to make my way home. There’s a flower shop around the corner from the dorms and most days my hands are full when I walk by. Not the case today so it’s time to buy flowers. The dorm is white, with white linens, a lime green colored focal wall and an orange chair. Some of my favorite flowers like lilies and tulips didn’t seem quite the right match. Then I found these cute, sweet daisies.
As a little girl I used to pick daisies and make bracelets or headbands out of them. Daisies were the flower on my special hats and purses. Even though considered common, they have a quality to make you smile.
Daisies are also the friendliest flower, at least according to Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail. Friendly flowers in my dorm seem fitting. I still need a pot to put them in though. We search and the woman shows me a white pot. Quickly, I shook my head and we kept looking. She found a bright orange pot that is perfect. It compliments the daisies and my dorm room.
Walking in the store to settle up I stopped in my tracks because it smelled so good. All the flowers together made the perfect fragrance and I smiled. The woman asked if I needed a card or wrapping. I said I didn’t. She told me it was included if this was a gift. I explained to her this was a gift for me.
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Me and my old roommate went out to dinner tonight. I didn’t know where we would eat. Only the general location. Running along the beach in the morning it’s mostly quiet. I knew that couldn’t possibly be the case in the day or evening. It seemed like it would be a great place to visit. I was right.
The wide sidewalks and paths are filled with people. Every restaurant is packed and the beach is still busy even with the sun going down cooler temperatures. We casually search for restaurants as we walk along and take in the sights. With so much commotion we decide to eat at the end of the beach. There is still outdoor seating and a view but much quieter and less crowded.
She and I shared nice conversation and we are the same but different. We are still getting to know each other so there are a lots of “me too” and “I get it” in the conversation. We also shared food and Cava. It’s nice to get out and laugh and enjoy company too. I’ve become so accustomed to do things alone I forget how nice this is too. I can tell it will be challenging for me here to do things with others because I don’t feel alone here.
As we’re leaving I see something I’ve never seen before. The city workers have begun smoothing out the sand. It’s almost like a cleaning or smoothing of the ice. You can’t tell anyone has walked on the beach all day even though it was packed. I’ve heard Dubai is so clean it is abnormal and unnatural. Here it’s not. Here it makes you feel cared for.
My end of day gratitude:
- Walking down beautiful side streets.
- Enjoying the friendly daisies I bought.
- Dinner with a friend.
