Copious amounts of Cava

What a week,...

This will be a quick posting just to recap the past couple of days, as I actually have to do some work today following my "sick day" yesterday. This day off was legitimate as I came down with a roaring high fever this past Monday night, and Tuesday, and so when I still showed up for work on Wednesday, my colleagues pretty much forbade me from showing up on Thursday. Although by that point I was starting to feel much better, I oblieged. It was nice, as it gave me a day to just hang out with Jenn. Tom is currently in the middle of a very eventful trip back to Ottawa, Canada thanks to an unexpected layover in London. We talked to him last night, and he is doing very well, and staying with a friend of his who lives in the city. His flight leaving Barcelona was delayed, but considering the circumstances, it's amazing that he actually got a flight to London at all. After waiting in many lines in the current chaos of Heathrow airport he organized a flight home for today (Friday) at 2pm.

I showed Jenn and Tom the bar called Xampagneria Monday evening after work, and like always it was packed. We enjoyed some cava, sandwhiches, and tapas before walking around downtown.

So, the low point of this week was obviously getting sick. The highlight was definitely Wednesday night when I took Jenn and Tom to a Romanian circus here in Barcelona that a friend from work, Marc, had recommended. It was amazing! It was pretty much a very intimate version of cirque du soleil (an audience of only ~60 ppl), but very traditional Romanian style. The show is put on by 2 families (2 very large families), where everyone has their own role to play in the production. The older men took care of the music, the women (including the young daughters) were all performing artistic/gymnasitic type routines, and the younger men contributed in the set up and take down the small 'big top' tent that the show took place in. The atmosphere of the show was indescribable and I wish I'd thought to take a few more pictures, but below is a small taste of what we witnessed.

I leave tonight for Chamonix, via a 12 hour bus ride to Annemasse, FR, and then early tomorrow morning I will meet up with the Magnans. At this point I feel back to normal, and I'm looking forward to some serious mountain climbing. I will return to BCN next week by another overnight busride Wednesday night. Jenn will stay the weekend and most of next week in my room here in BCN, so I will see her next Thursday before she travels on. ~ Adios