…flew by. The first two days were spent sleeping from jet lag and helping V wrap up the apartment which took another two days of him still throwing stuff out/donating even after I left. I should have started decluttering years ago.
Then the next few days were spent sorting out my phone issue and other things like setting up a PO Box in the states which I failed to do because I spent too much time looking through silly yearbooks and old school papers. Did not realize how much I still had. But not anymore.
I also picked up some groceries, unpacked, took a count of everything I brought (and noted what I forgot to bring). But nothing too serious. V will send me a few things that at the last minute I did not pack. We agreed the important thing was that I got on the flight and had my passport and phones.
Got familiar with the neighborhood which is dicey in some spots, and not touristy at all, which is the best part of this area. It’s lively with noisy streets from motorcycles, kids yelling, babies crying and old people chatting while they drink their coffees sitting outside in 90 degree (32c) weather.
This part of Barcelona where I’m staying is called L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. It’s trendy but not touristy. Not rich but not poor. It is lively with great people. Both Spanish and Catalonian are spoken here. And so far not knowing Catalonian has not been a problem.
On about the 4th day here I started working. Found a few ideal spots that have WiFi and decent AC. I can also work in my rental, which has AC but the shared work space is kind of tight, so I prefer to step out. I also discovered a mall about 1.5 miles away (2.4km) which has a Starbucks and other things I needed to get settled. It’s about a 30 minute walk or about 15 minutes on the Metro (subway train). I got an international sim card here and some new flip flops from the Carrefour star. (Spain’s equivalent to something between Walmart or Lidl). And there is a Lidl down the street, which I shopped at in Staten Island.
Fortunately a coffee and croissant is cheap, between 2-3 Euros ($2.30 – $3.50), so I step out most mornings for coffee.
Groceries are fairly inexpensive as well. I am especially partial to the wine in a box packages. Much like juice boxes.
Sometimes in the evening after working I go to one of the local bars and have a rum and coke. I like how they serve rum and cokes in these oversized wine glasses. In this neighborhood it seems there are approx. 3 bars on every block. It seems to be a big part of the culture and it is very common to go and sit and have a drink solo. But I’ve always been fine dining or drinking out solo in casual, neighborhood type places like this.
I have about 17 days left in Barcelona so will start to do some sightseeing next week. Next I will go to either Burgos or Santander. Still bummed that I did not make it to Tarragona, so may work that in also.
After 90 days in Spain (88 to be exact), I most likely will head to Goa (India) or Bali or the Maldives. That will depend on which air ticket is the cheapest at the time I search. I opted to not go for the Digital Nomad Visa at this time because I estimate by the time I would get it, I would want to leave Spain and travel elsewhere for a bit. And I plan to be in Cairo for the month of December. Still working out the details.
