Jessica's First Visit!

Note: Be prepared to read this post in two or three sittings; it will be quite long!

As most of you know, Jessica visited me this past week to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary!  I will spare everyone paragraphs worth of sappy, emotional words describing my feelings of her time here, but it was definitely the best five days I've had and made me realize how fortunate I am to have the life I do, both here and more importantly, when I return to North Carolina.  We had a great time, took countless pictures (more of which I'll include in this post), and were able to enjoy the celebration of our first year together as a married couple.

One logistical note... I am officially 1/3 complete with my assignment here in Spain.  The time has both flown and crawled by at different times, but I am enjoying the experience of living and working in a country so different from the United States.  My Spanish is continuing to improve (I can now write some basic emails and try to ask questions occasionally) and I just finished my first 10 km run yesterday, still training for the Raleigh half-marathon.  I will be returning to Clayton for 10 days starting June 29th, and I cannot wait to see Jessica, Berkley, my family who will visit for the 4th of July, and all of my friends.

Jessica arrived early on Saturday morning, and I was able to meet her at the airport arrival area.  Barcelona has a very modern airport and a nice area where you can wait for people to emerge from the arrival gates.  It was such a great feeling to see Jessica walk-through the glass door, it made all the time waiting for her well worth it!

Being the trooper that she is, Jessica didn't require any naps to catch up on sleep so we headed back to my hotel and then into Barcelona.  Our first item on the tour list was La Casa Batllo (in the background of the picture above), a Gaudi house in the heart of the city.  Honestly, we could have been walking through a shack and I would have loved the experience, but this was even better with Jessica, seeing the amazingly creative architecture with so many curved surfaces and very few straight lines.  It's honestly incredible how someone came up with the design, although it's entirely possible and likely that drugs played a part!

Duck breast at Citrus

After this tour, we had lunch at Citrus on Passeig de Gracia (one of the main shopping and restaurant streets in Barcelona).  Our seats during lunch overlooked the busy street, making for great people-watching.  I think Jessica liked seeing the various "fashion" choices people made... the clothing here is so different from America and varied from person to person!  The meal was excellent as Jessica had her first chance to sample jamon croquettes (ham, cheese, and potato balls deep-fried) and pan y tomate (grilled bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil).  Both are Spanish staples and were delicious at Citrus.  Jessica had tuna for her main course, and I had duck breast covered in pistachios with a fruit sauce.  Everything was so fresh and beautifully plated; this was certainly a good omen for our food for the week!

Following lunch, we hopped on the Barcelona City Tour bus to see more of the city, accompanied with an audio guide.  After a lot of back-and-forth whether to use this service, I was glad we did as it proved a perfect way to see a large part of the city rather quickly, with interesting information given during the ride.  While on the bus, we saw the Born district, the beach, the modern city, the Olympic villages from 1992, and Sagrada Familia (which we would tour the next day).  A time or two, I caught Jessica catching some "rest" with her eyes, but overall, the tour was quite entertaining and certainly worthwhile for anyone seeing Barcelona for the first time.  After departing from the bus, we headed to the Born district for a more thorough inspection and found great architecture, many, many people, and cool little streets and alley that would make getting lost QUITE easy!  We found our way back to the train station eventually, headed back to Granollers after a long day of touring, and got rest for day 2.

One of the things Jessica liked most about the city was the number of bakeries and pastry shops everywhere.  Sunday for breakfast, we took advantage by finding one in Barcelona to pass the time while the rain came and went.  Jessica had a delicious chocolate croissant with tea and couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the day!  This was a perfect lead-in to Sagrada Familia, which was our main target for the day.  This is the most impressive, and most known, attraction in Barcelona, and for good reason.  It is cliche to say, but words and pictures cannot properly convey the impressiveness of this church.

La Sagrada Familia

Located just a subway stop away from the main streets in downtown Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia is Gaudi's most ambitious and largest building.  The immense church fills an entire city block and is surrounded by a small park, apartments, and countless tourist-specific shops selling FC Barcelona jerseys and the like.  There are also two American fast food establishments here, McDonalds and KFC, which are brutally out of place against the backdrop of this architectural marvel.  Again, I could try and try to find words to describe what I saw, but they would never be enough.  Here are a few things I found interesting though:

- The outside looks fairly old but has EXTREMELY detailed sculpture work.  The intricacies depicting various religious scenes are truly incredible.
- While the outside looks very "European" in age and design, the inside is quite modern.  There is a lot of glass used, and the finishes look extremely new and clean.
- There is space inside for a choir of 1000 people. 
- Below the main floor, there is a complete second church which you can look into through glass windows.  We saw mass while we toured the upstairs.

After our visit here, we ventured up to Montjuic, where the Olympic Stadium for the 1992 Olympics resides.  From this "hill", you can look down over Barcelona, seeing both the city and beach which is quite fascinating.  We spent time walking around and eventually down from the top of the area to Placa Espanya where we found lunch (European lunch time of 3:30 PM) and Jessica was able to get paella and sangria here in Spain for the first time!  While the paella wasn't quite "typical" compared with some others I've had here, it was quite good (arguably better than most versions I've had) and the sangria was delicious.  Coupled with a plate of grilled Spanish sausages, we were very happy with our selection.  The rest of our day was spent walking through the city, relaxing, and eventually eating Italian (don't tell anyone but the pizza and pasta were excellent) for dinner.

Mas Albereda

For our anniversary day, we ventured to a northern village outside of Vic to celebrate in a more relaxed, calm environment.  We stayed at a farmhouse that has been converted into a modern hotel and restaurant called Mas Albereda (http://www.masalbereda.com/).  Even though it was rainy, we thoroughly enjoyed the grounds, the peacefulness, and the accommodations at the hotel.  Jessica was able to get a massage while I watched a Spanish game show (the details of which I neither understand nor can explain) before dinner. 

We had a drink at their bar, which was a running joke for Jessica and me.  Here in Spain, it is very common for everyone to say, "Let's take a beer" instead of "Let's have a beer" like many would say in America.  I really like this different way of saying it, so I asked every ten minutes whether we could "take" a drink before she finally conceded.  I am going to try to get this phrase to stick when I come back to Clayton for sure.

Dinner at Mas Albereda was magnificent... this could really be its own post but for the sake of time and attention span, I'll summarize as best I can.  We shared a bottle of local red wine that, to a novice like me, was great.  The meal started with a HUGE fresh garden salad for Jessica and cod fritters for me that were so incredibly light, I honestly thought they could float in the air.  If you take a standard hush puppy and cut the density 100 times, you're probably close to what these were.  The flavor was just strong enough to remind you it was cod but not overpowering.  Honestly, it was one of the most impressive fried food executions I've ever had.

Shrimp ravioli

As strong as the meal started, the main course was another level up.  Jessica had a whole veal tenderloin (seriously, it was probably 18 ounces!) coupled with a mushroom and potato hash.  Cleverly, the chef included a scorching hot ceramic tile on the plate allowing the diner to further "cook" their meat if they desired.  In this case, they served the tenderloin medium rare so Jessica could just touch it off to get to medium while I could enjoy as is.  My meal, called on the menu as "Pig trotter and black sausage shrimp ravioli", was my first real taste of molecular gastronomy.  Instead of using pasta, the shrimp were the ravioli, pounded thin and then "glued" together somehow to hold the filling.  I have seen on shows before the use of protein glue to get this type of effect, so maybe that is what was used.  Regardless, the shrimp were amazingly sweet on their own and then just perfect when matched with the meaty pork products inside.  Visually, I was stunned (in a good way!) when the plate came and somehow the taste even exceeded the presentation.  Dessert was a rich chocolate brownie with strawberries and ice cream... delicious but not as good as the first two courses for me!

Jessica eats tapas!

As Jessica's visit came to an end, there was still one outstanding thing she wanted... TAPAS!  As you may remember from an earlier post, I tried a tapas bar called Cerveceria Catalana that was incredible so I took Jessica there for the experience.  We had several different items (all served on bread), including croquettes, ham, patates braves (fried potatoes with a spicy mayo sauce), grilled shrimps with the heads on (I passed on the heads this time sadly), skewers of shrimp and beef, goat cheese with something (only Jessica had this one), and maybe a few others.  Everything was good and I really liked the way that we could just keep pointing to items and having them served immediately at the bar!  We also "took a beer", which made us both happy.  I think, with this meal, Jessica was finally able to cross all of the "things I need to do in Spain" off her list, so it was a fitting end to her trip here.  We spent the rest of the day walking again through the city and finding small gifts for her family.

I took Jessica to the airport the following morning and her visit, sadly, was over.  We had a wonderful time together and it was good to know that we'd made it through the longest continuous time apart (seven weeks) that we will encounter for my time in Spain.  While it was hard to see her leave, it was great to know that I'd be home in five short weeks and that for her short time here, everything was perfect and just the way we left it when I departed from Clayton in early April.  I cannot wait to be home at the end of June to see Jessica (and Berkley!), my family, and all of our friends.  Jessica and I are already planning for her next trip here in August, when we will explore more of Europe.  If anyone has any good suggestions of where to go or what to see, please let us know!

Blog Update

For my loyal readers, all three or four of you, I plan to publish a mega-blog this weekend about Jessica's visit this past week.  We were able to celebrate our anniversary in a restored farmhouse hotel, tour the city of Barcelona for three days, and eat plenty of Spanish food throughout!  Pictures are already posted on Instagram for your enjoyment...

Learning Barcelona

After spending my first month in Spain living in Granollers, a small city ~ 25 kilometers from downtown Barcelona, I moved into the city for a few days this past week / weekend as my hotel had a prior booking.  My boss helped get me a room in the center of the city and I was able to experience so many great things that Barcelona has to offer and, most importantly, learn more about the city so that when Jessica arrives in SIX DAYS I can show her the best time!!!

The first night in Barcelona, I tried Cerveceria Catalana, a true tapas bar in downtown, with my boss and another co-worker.  We went during what would be happy hour here (people eat dinner around 9:30 PM or so and we went at 7:45 PM) and the place was PACKED.  It had many tables in the back of the restaurant, but the front basically had two sushi-type bars, one on each wall.  In the "display" glass, there were countless different tapas, all of which looked great.  The tapas "bar tenders" would then take orders, either by name or by people pointing and shouting, and it created quite a unique, awesome, and chaotic experience in the restaurant!  With people jam packed inside, I'm not quite sure how the server figured out who ordered and ate what, but they did and everything was fantastic.

All of the items were served on top of a small piece of bread... I believe this style of tapas has a specific name that escapes me though.  We tried the following: ham, salmon crudo (which was AMAZING), sliders, veal, grilled shrimp, and croquettes.  My favorite were the grilled shrimp; they were cooked so perfectly that they remained tender and juicy without seeming to be undercooked.  After trying these shrimp, I feel like I've never had another effort that wasn't slightly overcooked!  Even the burger, which I wasn't too sure would be good, was excellent.  They topped it with very sweet caramelized onions and cheese and in one bite, I was in heaven.

Of note the next two days...
- My hotel had an inexplicable open bar on Thursday night, offering free beer, wine, and gin and tonics.  This led to a rougher Friday morning than I had planned but all for good!
- I completed my first 60 minute run ever I think.  I continue to "train" for a half marathon in November in Raleigh with Jessica and the 60 minute run (I cannot gauge distances here but I used this for my 6 miler) wasn't too bad (except for ruining my legs the rest of the day).

On Saturday morning, after my run, I toured Camp Nou, the soccer stadium here in Barcelona that houses the world power.  The stadium is located on the outskirts of Barcelona proper and seems similar to my image of Lambeau Field in Green Bay; a HUGE stadium in the middle of a neighborhood.  On one block, I saw nothing, and on the next, I saw a building larger than most used in the NFL!  Pictures are on my Instagram (DKMiller327).

The tour was excellent... I was able to see their museum (amazing history and a ridiculous list of former players, awards, and league trophies) as well as their superstore (which sold EVERYTHING you could imagine... more than any Steelers store I've ever see) before entering the stadium. 
The tour went through the visitor's locker room (modest), down the tunnel to the pitch (with sounds like you were entering the field to play which gave me goosebumps), and onto the edge of the field to see the 98,000+ seats surrounding you.  It was my first time ever in a soccer stadium and I was beyond impressed.  For any soccer fans, I'd highly recommend this tour (or any that may be available across Europe for the big clubs). 

Saturday night, I met with a co-worker and his wife for dinner.  Beforehand, we went to a little local beer pub and had some excellent beers in a place that felt like part of a secret club.  This obviously helped start up our appetites and my co-worker knew of a GREAT fondue place (La Carabba) to try.  Anytime I am given a plate of raw meat that I can cook to my own taste, I am thrilled, and this place more than provided.  It was a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the old part of the city and our dinner consisted of a salad (actually good) and then a plate full of beef, pork, sausage, and chicken.  The fondue cooking liquid was very hot oil and then there were dipping sauces surrounding to add after cooking (herbs, mushroom, soy, whiskey, etc.).  I've been to other fondue places but this was a few steps above in meat quality and sauce flavor, as well as not costing much more.  I could NEVER find this place again, but it is very much worth finding and trying.

After dinner, we watched the second half of the last Barcelona game this season (they scored in extra time to tie 2-2) before going to another "hidden" gem in the city... a whiskey bar!  My co-worker is Catalan but spent time in Scotland so he is a bit of an aficionado.  I had a very good whiskey from somewhere (who knows, things got hazy FAST!) but we called it a night after one, which was a good thing for me.  It was very cool to experience the city with residents; they definitely knew the right places to go and the right times to go for the best crowds.

To finish the weekend, I went mountain biking with some co-workers today.  It is amazing how close the beach and mountains are here near Barcelona, so the terrain was quite tough (at least for me).  My friend promised a beginner trail but I hope, both for my pride and my general sense of physical effort, that this was tougher than that because I STRUGGLED.  It was fun though, and had many great views during the ride.  The best part, though, was the after-ride barbecue.  My friend grilled chicken, chorizo, butifarra (Catalan sausage), small bites of lamb shoulder (very good, especially the fat), and pork ribs that were delicious.  It reminded me very much of a typical American cookout... while some of the meats changed, it was basically the same and brought back some good memories of summer in the United States!

This is the biggest week of my time here in Spain... Jessica and I have finally reached her first visit!!!  She will arrive on Saturday morning and I have the weekend and week planned before she has to depart on Wednesday.  Our anniversary is Monday so hopefully I have one or two surprises for her, but regardless, I am so looking forward to this time to see her, to know that we've made it through our longest stretch apart, and to celebrate our first year as a married couple!

Comparing Spain and America (short version)

In addition to the obvious language difference here in Spain (which I continue to work through), many other staples of day-to-day living differ a great deal from the United States.  While I work to adjust each day, I have found the following things (in list form as I feel lazy today on Spain's Labor Day holiday) quite noticeable:

Eating / Food

Maybe the most apparent, the types of foods and even more the TIMES that people eat are far different than in North Carolina.  Residents here have told me they prefer fresh, whole foods rather than processed "foodstuffs" from origins unknown.  This is clear from the fish markets, where most seafood is sold with little or no butchering (and the smell can be quite unique), and even with their meats, as things like chorizo show clearly the fat and meat parts rather than having a singular consistency.  I have appreciated this fresh approach with their cheeses, meats, and breads, as all make lunch time very enjoyable! 

As for the times of meals, lunch starts around 1 PM (at my work, we normally go to the cafeteria between 1-1:30 PM as it only opens at 12:45 PM) and dinner around 9 PM.  For most in my office, this then requires a snack around 10:30-11 AM, which I support fully.  At night, I have more than once been the only person dining at 8:30 PM though, which is an adjustment to anywhere except maybe New York and Los Angeles (even people in Las Vegas eat by 8:30 PM!).  Even at 10:30-11 PM, the restaurants are welcoming customers.  I believe most dinner-time establishments are open from 8 PM until midnight for food, but there is some variety.

Sports

As you would guess, soccer rules the sports landscape here.  I think the Barcelona - Real Madrid rivalry compares similarly with the Steelers - Ravens, Yankees - Red Sox, and any other bigger rivalry in America, whether it be local or national.  As part of this, people at work will rationalize every win by their rival club while blaming luck or the refs for any loss of their team... very similar to America!  Club soccer, in my opinion, is far more popular here, but that is probably because the Euro Championships are not in progress.  After soccer, there is a major dropoff; I haven't heard any other sport discussed much at the office.  However, on television, I can normally find the following competitions: basketball, tennis, handball, indoor soccer, golf, and paddle (an indoor version of tennis, kind of).  There are basketball goals scattered through parks, and biking and running also seem popular as hobbies.

Cars

To summarize this quickly, I'd say that Spain, and maybe all of Europe, value practicality and efficiency over luxury.  Most cars are small, can squeeze into minuscule parking spots, and don't have a lot of firepower.  I see random "expensive" cars throughout the area, but with the price of gas and the space limitations so prevalent here, I suspect most people make the wise decision and buy based on what will work best.  Contrast this with America, where I feel *most* people buy at least 50% based on the style, features, and "popularity" of the car.  One other random note here... you can have a Mercedes or BMW without leather seats and all of the amenities; in America, I'm not sure I've seen that.

Television

It is actually very similar here, except for the whole language difference thing.  I have watched the Simpsons, Family Guy, and Jersey Shore without problem (what a great representation for America!) as well as the Masters and major European soccer matches.  There is no attempt at showing hockey or baseball, but of course that's the case.  There is a pay-per-view sports package that I believe shows more soccer matches (shockingly, some of the Spanish league games are not on regular television) and also the NBA, but I don't have access, nor do I need it. 

In addition to the aforementioned areas, there are many others (clothing, industries, roads, stores, etc.) of which I could go on and on.  The differences here, though, are mostly minor; maybe I will see food at a restaurant that strikes me as odd or a pair of shoes on the subway that I cannot fathom their appeal, but that is the exception rather than the rule.  This work opportunity has given me the chance to completely immerse myself in a new culture and see how things function outside of my comfortable box in America; with that, I am trying to take full advantage.