Spanish Flew

Very tickled by my cleverness with this title. I plan on overusing it all week on Instagram. It’s a nod to flying to Spain with a mask during an insane global pandemic, which is compared historically to the Spanish Flu.
I can definitely cop to having covid travel anxiety, in addition to standard travel anxiety. I am rusty at travel right now! Spain is currently not on the list of international red zones, covid wise. I have never been nor have my girls, so we are all psyched to go to a new place. Anything tech related out the gate makes me low grade nervous, so the task of having to fill out various forms online, get codes blah blah blah floods my nerves. Covid travel paperwork is nuts. Can anyone tell me the difference between uploading and downloading?? I’m genuinely curious. Our Air BNB looks fabulous, located right off La Rambla. I have had experiences with Air BNB where the place looks just like the photos, as well as times where the pics were def misleading. I really do prefer to travel this way regardless, since it forces me out of some hotel lobby and into a supermarket (I love grocery shopping on vacay), and to create a trip that feels much more authentic and interesting. I love putting together an itinerary that gives us a feel for where we actually are. I have had great experiences with Air BNB local activities. This gets us around to various spots while meeting locals who offer less commercial ideas at good prices. I learned years ago that any kind of sterile trip is not for me. I like to get gritty, dirty, and see things off the beaten path. Sometimes tourist stuff is naturally included. However, without a concierge holding my hand (a good thing since it puts me in Big Girl mode), I can sometimes feel overwhelmed as the only adult present. This is all a good practice in presence, breathing, gratitude, and adaptability. I am beyond grateful at being able to take this trip with my two college age daughters and their amazing friend. It’s such a gift to experience these kinds of things with my kids. There’s no one I’d rather explore the world with. Going anywhere in the midst of this pandemic, again on the rise, is such a blessing. Jeez, walking out our front door was a blessing during covid!

Here are some of the activities I’ve planned. It’s a good mix of some more expected sights and fun, local stuff. Spain has a very rich Jewish history so we will be touring the Jewish quarter. The Gothic quarter and some famous Gaudi architecture as well. I found a terrific tour guide, Yan, off the website for the Barcelona Chabad. I found my driver, Moshe, from there too. For those unfamiliar with Chabad, it’s a wonderful sect of Judaism that sends emissaries all over the world. It’s a very special part of Jewish culture; you can travel all over the world and find a synagogue, kosher meals, resources, and friendly faces in almost any city. What a comfort. We plan on praying there on Friday night for Shabbat services. I love going to synagogues in other places, and I hope to meet the rabbi and his family. We wanted to join them for Shabbat dinner but the center is closed for meals in August due to covid. There is a built in trust factor with finding Jewish resources from any Chabad worldwide. I’ve thankfully found some hand holding in that regard. I love water activities, so I’m excited for kayaking and snorkeling in Costa Brava. I’m looking forward to going out of the city, especially for the drive there. One evening we have a sunset boat ride which lets us dive right into the sea off the boat. We are painting a mural with a graffiti artist in downtown Barcelona. We are only there a week, so I’d like for the rest of the time to be for enjoying walking around this amazing city, going to local markets, wandering side streets, and eating fabulous meals. I usually like to arrange for a local cooking class, but we are kosher and all the culinary offerings were for paella.

Once we arrive and get our bearings I’ll be more at ease, which is always the case with going anywhere completely new. Please let me know if you have any great Barcelona ideas! As the world looks as if it may be closing down again for a third covid wave, I’m really glad to be squeezing in this special time with my girls. Wish me luck!