Exploring Barcelona

So on my first full day in Barca I rolled out of bed around 10--no, I don't get up any earlier on vacation--and had two things I had to get done. One was to explore the Parc Cuitadella, which my room overlooked.  The other was to buy a hair straightener because the one I brought wasn't working, even with a current converter and adaptor plug. In fact, I got a huge shock from it so I thought it was best to just suck it up and buy a Euro version. I didn't think I could make it 3 weeks; I'm pretty vain about the straight hair thing. Luckily, there was a Sephora right off Las Ramblas, so I could see that, too.

Parc Cuitadella is a really pretty park with a zoo, an arboretum, a delightfully garish fountain, a pond with rowboats, and lots of green spaces to hang out. Oh, and Spongebob is huge here, too:

Across from the park is a big Arc de Triomph. Not THE Arc de Triomph, of course. Can someone explain to me why every city has one of these? Doesn't Central Park have one, too?

This kid was throwing rocks in the pond, which I think proves my theory that throwing rocks in water is something that children like, universally.

This fountain was big and totally over-the-top, like they started with something, then kept adding to it over the years. Whomever added the gold stuff has some tacky taste.

These trees were the most fascinating thing at the park. Don't they look like camoflauge? Camoflauge trees! I took like 6 pictures of them, I was so entranced, but I'll only bore you with a few. When I pointed it out to this guy I met there, he just said, ''Oh, Kim, you're crazy.''

After the park I went to an awesome tapas bar, Cal Pep. The place only has about 15 bar seats so people were lining up outside the door. I had to wait almost an hour before I got a spot, but it was worth it. I wasn't sure what things were called, so I pointed and gestured and got some croquetas, some clams steamed in the shell, some pa amb tomaquet (bread rubbed with tomato and garlic and olive oil--delicious and served everywhere here), tortilla de patates and when the guy suggested fish, i was like, ''Sure!'' and he asked me what kind and I was like, ''Whatever!'' He brought me a grilled monkfish with fried potatoes that was so simple but so delicious. I couldn't finish the tortilla and had no room for dessert. The croquetas were filled with really creamy mashed potatoes and then breaded and fried. Extremely delicious. I think I found my million-dollar state fair food idea!