Jen and I can run through tourists like Armstrong knocks over cyclists...

Jen came. We conquered.

I didn't do much of anything Friday; I just kept pretending to clean my room waiting for. Then, I woke up Saturday morning and after my usual bowl of oatmeal and Sabrina the Teenage Witch episode (we can talk about that addiction later), I spent a few hours looking at the clock and staring at the bus schedule. The bus is far easier to take than I thought, but I'm not sure I'll convince mom of that for her trip, haha. I got there in plenty of time, luckily since I was starving and had to pee. I treated myself to a box of Ritz crackers...I know you might not think its a treat, but they don't exist here, and I missed there buttery, salty deliciousness (and they were the cheapest thing in the dam store). So again I am staring at something (the arrival announcements) for twenty minutes and I get a text ‘Landed’.... WAHOOOOO...and another, "At baggage"...and another..." I see mine" and then as I'm practically dancing around in anticipation, I see my hermana rubia Americana (blond haired American sister). We were the loudest reunion in the airport. Magnificent. So the first day we just did a walking tour around the old neighborhoods near me (shhh, I just told here everything was from 'roman times'). That joke went so far that we would go to the Louvre and say, "oh, it must be from roman times" about any statue, painting, sculpture, brick...you get the idea. We went out for a quick drink that night by my favorite cathedral (Santa Maria del Mar) and hit the hay early.
We had a pretty full few days and I woke her up to delicious omelets... she is as amazing as I am by how much more I cook here despite the 'non' kitchen I have. You try cooking for two people with on small frying pan. The day I had my politics exam we went to Parc Guell and she had some free time...and got me presents! A small pot, so I can actually boil things instead of borrowing, and dish towels-apparently she wasn’t down with how I dried my dishes on my clothes... that I was wearing. Tuesday was just a glorious day; pots, dishtowels, and my favorite person from the states was here MARIA! Jen and I got a nice dinner out at Taller de Tapas...delicious, and then met Maria and Sam at this restaurant/bar La Rosa Negra (really good mojitos). It was magical. Brenden/Maria got me Reeces cups (for some reason I have been craving them here). Jen and I spaced them out with dates on them... whoda thunk eight Reeces could last your four months (or that I could share the joy of free food as much as I did with Jen at the cafe next door)!?
Wednesday was PARIS DAY!! Went to class in the morning and Jen and I were off to the airport by 1 o'clock. The trip went quite smoothly and after a little confusion about trains.... sometimes it can be very difficult to exit a train station, and sometimes Jen can get very annoyed when I will just go down hallways aimlessly looking for an exit. Eventually we did get the hotel. It was quite cute, but they were deceitful... no cats!!! Little effers had photos with cats in them but there were none there!
That afternoon we kept it simple, explored the area a bit then went back to the hotel to get ready for Jen's shmancy dinner. Cafe Riche was an experience. I was not only mislead (by my sister) to believe we got a discount, but I also ate my first oysters and had the most delicious duck in the WHOLE WORLD. There was an equally delicious side with the duck, but I have no idea what it was... a beeny, patatoey mush in an un-appetizing gray color. As for the oysters...it was like eating the ocean, and hey, I like the ocean. But, I am not quite sure why it is so expensive - I can drink seawater from any harbor ;) THE DESSERT WAS AMAZING- Chocolate orange charlotte, which is a fancy way of saying chocolate cake with oranges in it, but it was a mousy, light cake. On top of this we ate loads of bread, the fatties of the classy restaurant were the waiters watched on as Jen at some pig intestine, no big deal.
Next day we powerhoused...each day we were out the door by eight thirty. First day we did Eiffel tower, Musee d'orsay, arc de triomfe, Grand Palais, and something else and other stuff.... Barcelona's arc is better, but we didn’t have to wait in line at all at the tower and it was actually cool that it was a bit foggy.... and then the croissant and coffee break was A-mazing. Just what he doctor ordered. It was a cute patisserie and the croissants were delicious. At Musee d'Orsay fell in love with impressionism, instead of just knowing about it and had a flashback to my trip to Paris with mom in the room with Van Gogh. We ate dinner that night my style.... cheap tub of cheese and a bag of dried bed and chorizo-esque meat... but it was delish.
Friday was similar schedule wise, but we were completely burnt out by the time we got to the Louvre, far too many tourists we were knockin 'em over left and right an hour after we got in, making a b-line for the Mona Lisa.... the entertainment factor was more valuable than the museum itself, haha. I found French sitcoms just as entertaining, mostly because I hadn’t watched TV in two months, and they wore really horrible clothes.
Our last day we checked-out pronto and walked to Montmartre, or as Jen liked to call it "Mont-a-mart-a". She also approved of how I elbowed, hard, through the people trying to trap us into buying bracelets by the basilica. Before we caught the train back tot he airport we, of our own free will, walked around for forty-five minutes in search of a patisserie. Carb shots are the new thing....
Jen's last night I took her to my favorite bar/lounge/restaurant place, La Luna, I like the strawberry caipirinha...DELISH. I made us some delicious potatoes when we got home and slapped Jen in the face. Ohh, wait, you want to know why?? Because fatty kept getting kinder bueno crumbs (our favorite candy bar) in my bed, and DENIED it!!! Also, it was more of a sharp backhand. All this was forgotten during our romantic beach day on Sunday, gorgeous day and even found take away coffee. Finished it all up with bravas at the Garden. Bravas are like a spicy potato Catalonian staple.Luckily, boredom and sorrow was abated after her departure by MY MOMMMMAAAA four days later.