It Must Have Been Something I Ate

 

Sitges - Is It Day Twelve?

I slept late this morning as I was tired from yesterday. My feet hurt, especially my left heel. What's with that? I worked on one of the folding bicycles today - pumped up tires and then adjusted the seat and shifters etc. This invoved another trip to the Chinese store for an adjustable wrench along with clothspins for Katie. Again, it is a rather amazing shop. One bike is now rideable but after taking it for a trial spin, not the most confidence inspiring bike I have been on. The brakes are not the best and the shifter is finicky.

A down, slow day in Sitges. I went out for a ride but got cold because it was cloudy and was drizzling. I was not dressed for the weather so I came back to the piso, bundled up, and drank some brandy.

The sun came out and when Katie and Jason came back from their shopping adventure and we all went to lunch. Number one requirement was that we be in the sun. We ended up at Guru on Paseo de la Ribera where we have never been before. That had a decent price on their menu de dia and the menu looked good. Katie's arroz negra was exceptional with delicious flavor, my roasted chicken was quite tasty and Jason's mixed grill got mixed reviews. The house rose was good, the starters were good, and the creama catalana and flan were the worst we have had. A passable place but we will likely not return.

I took a nap after lunch, then went to the roof for about an hour of reading in the sun. Oh that sn felt great and I was revitalized enough for a trip out at 6:30 for a couple of bottles of vino, a loaf of bread, and some milk. I also saw Vicente, our real estate agent, and let him know we were in town and would call him next week.

Can you feel the excitement we experienced today?

 

Another Trip to Osmosis

We started today with a trip to Parc Guell which was a disappointment to all of us. Katie and Jason remember when it was free. Now, it is not, and though it is only about 5€ the problem it that they are now charging. You can certainly walk through much of the park, but the areas that are recognized as "typical" Parc Guell are restricted. I don't need to go back, nor will I recommend it. However, if you do go, take the 24 bus from the train station at Passeig de Gracia and it will take you all the way up the hill to the upper entrance to the park.

And while I am mentioning a bus, buses in Barcelona are a great resource. Download the TMB app and use it to find buses to get you anywhere. Buy a 1 Zone T-10 card and use it on the buses and the Metro. Do the same in Paris with carnets. Use the local transport - not taxis or tour buses. See the people, see the city, save yourself some Euros.

Our disappointment in Parc Guell was quickly forgotten because we had plans for Osmosis which was our main feature today. Our consensus was that this week the meal at Osmosis was better than last week. Every dish was exceptional - last week we had one dud. Not so this week. For me the standouts were the asparagus soup and the final pato con chalota, though the whole menu was outstanding. The wine selection was a standout also. I learned a couple of years ago to let them pick the wine and once again they were right. Normally I will pick wine for our meals, not at Osmosis.

Last week I left my camera flash at Osmosis. It had fallen out of my camera bag and I did not notice it. Jason asked me what I was going to leave this week - and I said "nothing." I ended up almost leaving my credit card! Anything for an excuse to come back. We did make a revervation for next Tuesday at 2:00. 

Overall, long day, lots of walking - we did over 7 miles between the park, Osmosis, and Corte Engles for shopping and we are beat but happy.

Osmosis today....

MENÚ DEGUSTACIÓN

Osmosis restaurante apuesta por la auténtica cocina de mercado, sustituyendo la carta por unos menús elaborados diariamente con el mejor producto que encontramos en las mejores paradas del mercado. Seleccionamos diariamente los productos más selectos que nos llegan de la tierra y del mar, escogiendo así unos productos de primera calidad.

Al mediodía elaboramos un menú degustación ágil compuesto por tres pequeños aperitivos dos entrantes, un pescado, una carne y un postre

Menú degustación

Escabeche de caballa e hinojo con tomate y crema fresca

Emulsión de esparragos con trufa y panceta

Atún " tomba i tomba" con suquet de vino tinto

Pato con chalota, patata violeta y vermut

Níspero con yogur y almendra

And Now On A Serious Note

In 2010 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and went through chemo. You can read all about it in the beginning of this blog or by going to my original blog. It is now just over five years from my original diagnosis and I no longer have Hodgkin's. I do have a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but it is slow growing and, though a concern, not a major concern. Regular oncologist visits with blood work and occasional CTs keep me informed as to where I stand.

This evening I was reading some of a friend's cancer blog and ran across his post treatment "Chemo Survival Tips." I had not read Bev's tips before but they are spot on. His chemo cocktail was similar to mine and his experiences were similar - but not the same. I suspect that everyone does not react to chemo in the same way. Bottom line, his tips if they were available to me when I went through chemo would have made my experience easier. I found that providers don't prepare us enough and sometimes do not fully understand what we are going through. Find and use every available resource to help you through - and those of us who have been there are important resources.

You might wonder why I was reading Bev's blog and his tips. I have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder and I never know where I will end up when I am online. Tonight it was to Bev's blog.

Also, you may wonder why I am in Spain for about six weeks this year. It is because my wife, Sharon, is a saint and knows that since chemo I do not do well with cold - temperature regulation is a continuing problem. She felt that time in a warm climate and in the sun when it is still cold in Chicago would be good for me. So here I am.

 

Sitges - Day Ten

We saw the girls off to Seville and Granada this morning and then got some more sleep. Eggs and toast and coffee for breakfast in the piso then little else for us but relax. We looked in all the piso closets for a bicycle tire pump with no luck. After our mid day meal I tried the bike shop - closed, two Chinese stores, and the hardware store. I scored a small bike pump at the hardware store. Katie and Jason and I wandered about town and stopped by the post office so that I could mail postcards. The postoffice is open from 10:00am to 1:30pm - a small window.

What is a Chinese store you may ask? They are small, stores packed with anything and everythng. Perhaps like an old dime store. You can find anything there from toys to kitchen gadgets to various electical devices, to paper good, to clothing, to bedding, to dishware... It does seem that anything you can't find anywhere else will be in the Chinese store. And, when all other stores are closed mid day or on Sundays, the Chinese stores are open.

Jason makes a good subject, even to the point of agreeing to do things he wouldn't ordinarily do. He is also very photogenic, so that doesn't hurt.

 

Our Week In Bottles

We try to have a rosado every day at noon. Generally we have tintos in the evenings. Cavas can fit in any time! These photos chronicle our daytime selections. Oh, we do sometimes do more than eat and drink - check out the rest of the blog to see what.

 

 

Sitges - Day Nine

Sunday. Sleep late, have some coffee and chocolate croissants at Cafe Roy, then house cleaning! Aliza and Mary took the train this morning heading to Sant Sadurní d'Anoia for a tour at Freixinet. Katie and Jason and I picked up the piso, swept, mopped floors, did laundry, shopped for dinner, and generally kept ourselves busy.

Early this afternoon I headed out to the store for a couple of items and discovered a crowd at the Cap de Ville. They were about to start building a human tower - a castell so I went back to the piso to get Jason and Katie and we all went to watch. This was a first for me, never seen this done in person and it is a wonderful experience. I've got a couple of videos but I can't get them on the blog quite yet but, you can see them on Facebook. They build from base of men, both their regulars and volunteers, to a tower of progressively smaller people down to small girls at the top. They are certainly good at climbing!

This morning I picked up some sole for dinner tonight. The shop lady, peixater, cleaned them for me at the shop. I have never seen a flat fish cleaned and I was transfixed, she made it look so easy. I still had to fillet them myself and I have never done a flat fish before. I'm an expert now. Our dinner was the sole in a lemon sauce, patatas bravas, and salad and bread and a tasty rosé from Raventos. It turned out great. I used the fish carcasses to make fish stock which became the base for my sauce. I sauteed some onion in butter, added stock and white wine reduced, and finished with limon. Tasty. I do enjoy cooking.

After our dinner we all pretty much crashed. Around 6:30 I went for a walk and ended up at the church and found a concert inside - an organist and a soprano. A very pleasant surprise.

Got the video thing figured out. Have to upload to YouTube then link via Blogsy.

 

Sitges - Day Eight and Sagrada Familia

 

We went to Sagrada Familia today. I have been in Sitges and Barcelona every year for the past six and have never made it to Sagrada Familia. It was beautiful, one of the most beautiful basillicas or catherdrals I have seen. And, this one was unique because of Gaudi's architecture. This is a builing you must see if you are in Barcelona. Sit down near the middle and gawk, it's O.K. Think of the fact that this was begun in 1882 and Gaudi took over in 1883. One hundred and thirty three years and to me the design seems modern. If you have any issues with heights, do not visit the towers. I do and I did. Big mistake. I did miss seeing the whole basilia from a distance to fully appreciate it from outside. This calls for another trip to find a good location to view it. No doubt I will be going to visit again to gaze and gawk in the interior.

 

Check out the selfie photos at the end of this blog post. I was most amused at the number and variety of selfies. It seemed to me that some people were more interested in themselves than were they were. I noticed the same selfies being done at Montserrat. It is an extension of people wanting their photos taken in front of signs and landmarks everywhere. It is a statement; "I was here." But to me it denigrates the experience, making it more about the person than the place, and that obviously bothers me. The one of Mary was posed. Thanks for being a good sport Mary.

 

After Sagrada Familia we all have coffees and a bite before splitting up. The girls to continue seeing sights. Jason to meet a friend. Katie and I to go back to Sitges. Katie and I went for a light lunch and split a bottle of rosado and chatted for over two hours, then we shopped for Sunday dinner and bought a phone for the chicas to take with them next week.

 

Our day ended at the calcots and chicken restaurant where they had no calcots but plenty of chicken and an ice cream shop where we got some delicious cones. Now we are in the piso chillin'.

 

 

Our Tour Guide

Oh Darn, More Rosado