The Day that´s in it...

Today was one of those days when you wake up with a premonition of things to come. I slept a troubled sleep, constantly aware of the noises around me, and awoke entirely unrefreshed. I got up and stumbled into the bathroom naked, only to stumble back out to poor Tato. I think he was more embarressed than me, as I just stood there rubbing my eyelids and he motioned to the door mumbling "hello...er..ten minutes...yessss.." I wonder am I fatter than the girl he left in Brazil - hehehe! I decided what I needed was bread and cheese and a good walk, and set off up the Ramblas at my usual breakneck speed. Of course it is a bank holiday, and most things were closed. I passed some skateboarders who crashed into me and apologised immediately - I stared suspiciously for a moment before deciding they meant it and then nodded and took off again. Poor guys, catching me in this mood. I walked around most of the medieval part of the city, crossing between the alleys and taking any old road I felt like. I passed many homeless people too.

Eventually I heard a voice behind me say "Excuse me, I don´t mean to interrupt you but...". I spun on my heel and fixed another stare. This time on a tall black man. Don´t talk to him, I thought, but then I figured he had been polite and why should I treat him any different than I would anyone else?

Of course we went for coffee, me still grasping my six euro in a sweaty palm as he offered to pay for it. I couldn´t believe it when he led me into a clothes shop and began to worry, but he saw my face and pointed to the end of the building laughing. There, at the back, sat a nice little tunnelly area with tables and chairs and serene lighting. It was safe. Throughout our little meeting, Soumana went through great pains to show he was just being friendly, not funny.

It was nice, we talked at first in Spanish, then in English, and he said he had passed me many times that day. We had two coffees and then went for another walk (at my request) around the area, ending up in Placa Espanya.

I had been to Placa Espanya by car before but had never gotten a good look at it. I had wanted to go for ages though. On certain days during the week they do fountain displays with music and lights, something I would love to bring my mother to when she is here. The fountains stretch all the way up the road to the pretty Art Institution, ending in a huge circular fountain where the main display takes place.

It was starting to get dark, so we headed back towards Born again (haha) and into a pub called El Bosque de les Fades near the wax museaum. It is a beautiful place. As you enter you pass windows full of origami insects backlit so that you can´t see inside. Once inside you can see the origami figures as well as outside of the window. Half the pub is decorated with trees I can only describe as though you might find in the oldest woods in middle earth and it even has a bridge over a stream, and the other half is somewhat bigger, still with lampshades of old sycamore leaves and melted glass lights, but more bar-like. It is beautiful. We had a drink and a chat here before I went home to watch some more Father Ted. Tato did not reappear, the cat sat on my lap without drawing blood, and I think I have a slight crush on Father Dougal.