4/26/12 Day 1: Barcelona, Spain

I made it! After an uninspiring flight from JFK (my in-flight entertainment system didn't work nor did my overhead light, and I couldn't sleep to save my own life), I arrived in Barcelona 930 AM local time. I had been on the move since 415 AM the day before. I landed in Forca Barca territory a bit "shot out," as my friend Shane Alexander would say, but I found the spot where the hotel shuttle was supposed to pick me up with the ease of a seasoned traveler. To my surprise, I befriend a rather anxious looking middle aged man from Florida who is waiting for the shuttle to the same hotel. Turns out he too is a musician. Turns out he is here to work on a cruise ship as well. Turns out, its the same cruise ship as me. Shorty thereafter the shuttle arrives and without discernible words the driver put the pedal to the metal and we were injected into traffic.

At this point all I want is a shower and a nap. As I started assessing my very quaint room, I cracked a smile as I became reacquainted with two very standard things you find in almost every hotel on this continent: the "hose" shower and the "dual action" window.

Almost every shower has this "hose and spray" function which would be fine but europeans don't consider water management; rarely is the shower in an enclosed space. One errant flick of the wrist and you just doused your entire bathroom. On a side note, never seen stirrups in a tub before. This must be a new model.

Almost every window opens not only from the side but also pops open at the top which is perfect for adding some fresh air into the room after a sweaty night at the local discotheque. This way you can still smell the bakery around the corner without showin the world your baguette.

Ahhhhh. Now it's time to "get the toes in the northward position" as Shane would say and make my Spanish colleagues jealous... It's nap time. I'm here and it feels good.