October 22-24, 2025 - Travel and Barcelona

It is currently 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 24. I think. Yes, it is. I had to check a calendar. Jetlag induced confusion aside, I had an easy, albeit long, trip and am happily checked in to a lovely hotel in a fabulous location. 

I left Orlando at 11:00 p.m. on October 22. After a stop in Paris, I flew on to Barcelona. I have Global Entry, so for me, going through immigration in the US is usually fast and easy. Photo, scan the passport, answer a few questions and I'm in. After landing in Paris, as a non-resident, I walked through a line after getting off the plane, had my photo taken, scanned my passport and entered France. It took about a minute. I didn't even realize it was immigration - I thought it was just an Air France security thing. 

Because France and Spain are both part of the EU, there was no immigration in Barcelona. And, going through customs just meant collecting my bag in Barcelona and walking out the door labeled "Nothing to Declare". 

Speaking of luggage, as we were flying over the ocean I realized that I'd left the clothes I'd washed to bring in the dryer at home. Better than in the washer, lol. 

If you've flown in Europe you know that many flights involve taking a bus then walking up stairs to get on the plane. That was the case in Paris. They loaded all us Business Class folks on a separate bus. We drove for about 5 minutes then sat for another 10 because noone had opened the stairway. The stairs were part of a fixed structure and we had to climb two stories to a jetway, where we then walked down into the plane. I am very grateful to the charming gentleman who grabbed my carryon as we got off the bus and carried it up the stairs. I could have done it but after an 8 1/2 hour flight and 2 hour layover, it would have been a struggle. 

After exiting baggage claim and asking several people for directions, I found the area where Uber picks up passengers. I would have found it sooner if I'd noticed the two HUGE signs that said "UBER", just in front of the terminal. Hey, I was exhausted! I used the same Uber app that I use at home to order a car and my driver arrived in 8 minutes. 

 While many people in Barcelona speak fluent English, this gentleman spoke English the way I speak Spanish (like a clever 2 year old) so we got along fine with Spanglish. Which was handy since we ran into a couple of snags on the freeway and he was able to explain what was happening. The first issue was a fender bender but we made it past quickly. Then, the police were closing the freeway because a tree had fallen because of the strong winds. That only held us up about five minutes. I was glad I chose the fixed-rate Uber instead of a taxi. As we neared my hotel, my driver commented on what a great location it is and I agree. 

 I checked in to the Hotel Medinacelli about 7:30 p.m. Hotel staff were friendly and spoke fluent English.  As I checked in the desk clerk asked the bellman to bring me a glass of water, which was greatly appreciated. My only complaint about Air France is that they are very stingy with the water. On the long-haul flight I was given 1 small bottle of water. Each time I asked after that, I received an annoyed sigh followed by a juice glass half full of water. Is there a shortage? To balance that complaint, I'll note a positive - the movie selections on the flight. I watched The Accountant II (excellent) and a terrific Dutch romcom with subtitles. 

Once in my room, I enjoyed the really impressive shower. Not long after, I was snoring. Sadly, that only lasted for a couple of hours. I was awake from the middle of the night until almost 5 a.m. and then really slept - until 10:30 a.m. 

I felt jetlagged and a bit puny so decided on a bit of a walk and a visit to the nearby grocery store. It is lovely today - 70 and sunny with just a light breeze. And Barcelona is a very walkable city where I am - in the Gothic district, 1/2 block from the port and a block to La Rambla - the main tourist road in the city. 

If you're American and never traveled internationally, a few things to know about foreign hotels. One is that the rooms tend to be small. My hotel is typical. Recently refreshed, it is very nice and extremely comfortable but a small room. My cabin on the ship will be comparable or likely, a bit bigger. 

To access electricity in the room you have to remember to insert your room key card into the slot near the door. It's a clever way to save on electricity since guests can't leave lights/tv on while they're out. I tried to leave a few items in the safe in my room. First, you tap your room key, which then lets you set the code. But my room key is in the slot by the door. Usually, after removing the card from the slot, you have a few minutes of electricity. So I grabbed the card and used it on the safe. As I was swiping, the power went off. I went back to insert it in the power. I considered trying again, being quicker, then decided I wasn't in the mood and just left my crap in the safe, closed but unlocked. It was still there when I returned. 

I walked for a bit but knew I needed to hydrate and eat something, so I headed to the small grocery store near the hotel. I'm now feeling much better after a LOT of water and cheese and excellent ham. And cookies. I'd planned today as a recovery day, with no plans. Tomorrow will be a bit more exciting with some touring around and I have a 1:30 p.m. lunch reservation at Caelis, which is Michelin rated. Soon I'm going to go out to walk a bit, followed by a light, early dinner and bed at a reasonable hour. Fingers crossed I sleep through the night. All in all, it has been an excellent start to my trip! 

Now, some photos!

My seat had a small cabinet with a mirror.  Scared the crap out of myself in the wee hours.  Seriously - who wants to see how they look mid-way through a red-eye?

Oooh, fancy!  Instead of the standard pull-down shades, you press a button for shades that are between the inside/outside glass.

My side of the plane had blue lighting.  The other side had red.  I assume it has something to do with helping sleep rhythms or something? Or, they ran out of blue light bulbs?

Somewhere over the Atlantic.

I love looking at the map while snuggled in my seat.  I'm on vacation!

Paris was 50 degrees (with a feels-like temp of 32, according to the internet), had a wind advisory and was raining.  

This nun sat near me in Paris and next to me in Barcelona as we waited about 45 minutes for our bags. Is God trying to send me a message?  Seriously, I thought Orlando had the slowest luggage service.  

Those are my knees, pressed into the seat in front of me on the flight from Paris to Barcelona.  I paid extra for all that room!

I could see the Eiffel Tower but couldn't get a shot of it.  But...Paris.

They served this on the 1 1/2 hour flight from Paris to Barcelona.  I love having good cheese with every meal and the smoked trout and Paris Brest (the dessert with is crispy pastry layered with a lush filling and topped with nuts).

Barcelona!

There is a large, beautiful cemetery on a steep hill along the freeway, which borders the sea.  Heck of a view for eternity.

My single room with no view.   But, two large windows overlooking an inner space so I can see the sky and have natural light.  Just no view.

The room was recently refreshed and is small but has everything I need and more.

I miss my tall toilet but LOVE this shower.  Two fabulous shower heads and lots of water pressure.  One of my great joys is a hot shower when I'm feeling dirty.

The TV has several apps for streaming (you have to have your own log-in).  I'm enjoying the British channels.  Their shows and ads are hilarious.

The room comes with the typical, expensive snacks and drinks.

The chocolate covered macadamias were tempting but not at close to $15usd.

This lady has a current talk show in Britain.  I've no idea who she is but that outfit explains some of the clothes I saw in the Paris airport.

Some ham, edam, cookies and water.  I already drank one of the bottles.  Total cost, less than $10 usd.  Tap water is drinkable in Barcelona, BTW.

A shelf in a small urban grocery store in Barcelona.  The Spanish seem to like pickled veggies.

More goodies that you'd be hard-pressed to find in a 7/11 in the USA.

Bimbo is a popular brand in South America.  Does this mean it started in Spain?

These local ladies were arm-in-arm and chatting up a storm as they walked.  It is a different lifestyle here.  

All you need is a credit card to rent this scooter.  Hmm.  I have a credit card.  And, I learned to ride a scooter in Myanmar.  Then again, I had a broken leg in Barcelona before, so perhaps discretion is in order.

The weather is mild and lovely.  

If you hated all my photos of wooden doors in Cartagena.  This is the home of the giant cool doors that I'm obsessed with.

This is outside my hotel, which faces a small park.  Straight ahead is the port of Barcelona.  If we walked down to the corner and turned right, we'd be at La Rambla in a block.

The elegant view from my room.  I'm grateful for the elevator.

Those are my windows.  I know no one cares but years from now, when I look back at this blog I'll remember the moment I took that photo and the trip I'm currently on.