Viviendo en Espana!

We've been in Barcelona for a week setting up our apartment and getting use to the area.  We live on Carrer de Sant Pacia which is off of Rambla de Raval.  While our street seems to be awake at all hours, the area isn't bad and has some decent options para comida, mercados y cafes.








I've been working on my Spanish and have already managed to use it to stock up the apartment and return a bad purchase.  Mike obviously spends most of the week working so it has been quite the experience soaking up every day life on the streets of Barcelona.





This weekend has been a celebration of San Juan which results in everyone staying up all night lighting off fireworks and dancing around bonfires.  We had been wondering for the past couple days why all the kids were lighting explosives in the streets.  Fortunately it turns out they were just preparing for this celebration.  While we think the US maybe has us worrying too much about many things ... it is never a good idea to give your four year old daughter a lighter and a quarter stick of dynamite and send her into la calle.  (I'm not exaggerating).


We spent our first full weekend walking the Barri Gotic, hanging out at la playa (beach).  Mike even bought an umbrella so we can actually stay at the beach longer than 20 minutes.  I'm, however, still adjusting to Spanish sun bathing.  We've also been watching Euro 2012 futbol.  We will both be rooting for a Spanish victory in the championship game on my birthday!

The Journey Continues (to Spain)

"Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes" ... our journey, along with our blog continues.  As we take some time off from the UK we will visit the country of Spain and work on our Spanish.  Funny how things just come together sometimes.

Soccer (a bit addictive)

I know still much of the USA is not ready for soccer (football) to compete with American Football, baseball, and basketball, but it's only a matter of time.  I already see more Euro 2012 commercials and advertisements in the US than I feel like we've ever had for a soccer tournament not played in the states.

This year while in London I got a chance to live in a soccer culture, with it brought up at every pub, restaurant, on the daily news, and of course at work.  Thanks to a couple co-workers the team that I heard the most about, and watched the most was Chelsea.  A Russian billionaire owner, the best player ever to come from the Ivory Coast (over the hill but continued to get key goals for must win matches), along with upset after upset. I made it to a few games, and got to watch a lot more with the crowds at the pubs.  I was at the FA Cup Semi Finals where Chelsea won and continued on to win the tournament.  I watched as they continued to get miracle upsets over Barcelona and Munich in the Champions League to close out the season and make up for not originally positioning themselves in the top four of the Premier League.

I look forward to Euro 2012 and hope to see another upswing in the states for soccer this year.