Gypsy Journal - The Final Act

Well rested and with our batteries recharged, we arrived in Barcelona where the weather was on the dreary side. To make matters worse, our hotel was a real dive by mom's standards. Dana and I entered crisis control mode and insisted that the Hotel Aragon was just fine. Our first stop was Segrada Familia, a gothic cathedral designed by Barcelona's esteemed architect Antonio Gaudi. Lunchtime was upon us, so we headed to Las Ramblas - Barcelona's main drag lined with cafes, restaurants, shops, and street performers. We decided to take the saft route and eat at Burger King, where from right under our noses our daypack was stolen. Sick to our stomachs and absolutely devistated, we went to the police station to file an official report. along the way, I kept my eyes open for anyone carrying a bag similar to ours, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. It wasn't the fact that our camera was in the daypack, or my sunglasses, or mom's calculator, or even her Spanish\English dictionary, but the 3 rolls of film form Morocco and Spain were irreplaceable. As the expression goes, "The show must go on" and so did we!!

Trying to lift our spirits and take our minds off of our bad luck, we visited Palau Guell, a mansion designed by noneother than Antonio Gaudi. As we turned back on to Las Ramblas, mom spotted a camera store that apparently sold cameras by the same manufacturer as our stolen one. In fact, they had our exact camera - make and model - for a little more than half of what we paid back home. We took the plunge and purchased it on the spot. Mentally exhausted and still quite frustrated by my carelessness, I insisted on an early night, and the women obliged.

Over the next 2 days, we squeezed in as much of Gaudi's architecture as possible in addition to Place d' Espana, Montjuic, the Picasso Museum, and the Royal Palace. We also saw the Palau de la Musica Catalana but could only do so as part of a guided tour given in Spanish.

May 23rd marked mom's departure. Trying not to be too sad, Dana and I accompanied mom to the airport where we indulged in one more round of chocolate filled croissants and coffee\tea. After breakfast, we took mom to the security area and sent her through on her way home to a happy reunion with Mark!!