Day 8 (February 10), 10:30 am.
Gad! How indulgent! I hate to admit it, but I sleep in much later than any reasonable person should. But what counts is that I've recovered from my marathon weekend of cookie decorating and teaching, and I'm ready to hit the streets of Barcelona for four solid days of sightseeing . . . punctuated with work.
I vow to spend each morning away from my computer (aka albatross around my neck) walking from sight to sight to get the much needed exercise that's been lacking since I jumped on a plane last week. And to absorb as much of Barcelona as I can before I have to teach again on the coming Friday.
Day 8 (February 10), 11:00 am - 11:00 pm.
Though my exercise plans are well intentioned, they're foiled within five blocks of the hotel when I happen by Escribà (the famous pastry shop) again. I never did get to sample any of their fare last week, so I start my day with coffee and "Alice," an oversized macaron delicately flavored with rose and fresh raspberries.
"Alice" is actually a tasty pastry at Escribà.
To my credit, I spend the next four or so hours walking to, around, and fro La Sagrada Familia, one of Barcelona's most awe-inspiring cathedrals, also designed in large part by GaudÍ. This place is other-worldly - its grandeur is like nothing I've ever seen before.
La Sagrada Familia from afar; central dome and other areas will be many years in construction.
Before I enter the cathedral, I look down at the floor. So cool! I think I could render it in cookie!
Walk into the cathedral. Definitely something I can cookie-fy.
When I enter the cathedral and hear the organ music, I am transported. I start to cry - seriously, the space is that moving. I eventually make my way through all of the cathedral that's open for viewing (much is still under construction and expected to be for the next couple hundred years), including one of the turrets which, in retrospect, I probably should have bypassed. Turns out I'm not down with descending from great heights on tiny circular staircases. Yikes!
Once safely and firmly planted on ground, I look up at the last sight before exiting the cathedral, The Nativity Facade. Astounding! I wonder for a moment if I could render its intricate detail in cookie. Maybe I could emboss a bunch of cookie dough with silicone molds and then stick them all together?? No, I shake my head - never in my lifetime could I replicate this world wonder.
The lower part of the Nativity Facade at La Sagrada Familia. Not so cookie-fiable.
It's already late afternoon and time to head back to the hotel to start clearing out the day's email and tending to other work (I'm editing a series of videos and planning a new one while here). But first - it's time for tapas y vino. (I know, I'm pathetic - that's about the extent of my Spanish.) There are countless neighborhood places that offer these small bites, and most are pretty darn good. So I don't get picky. I sidle up to the tapas bar at the first place I spot, and I am not disappointed.
It's tapas time!
(Fast forward through boring emails and work stuff . . .)
Days 9 to 11 (February 11 to 13), 10:30 am to 1 to 3 am.
The rest of my days off unfold pretty similarly to the last. I wake up, grab a sweet at a nearby shop, and then make it a point to dive deep into one or two great attractions before heading back to the hotel to start work, which takes me into the wee hours of the morning. And I do the deep-diving all on foot, averaging about 4 or 5 hours of walking each day. Somehow all that ever ailed me is swept away - the brisk air and invigorating walks do a world of good.
What follows is an abridged (yes, believe it or not) version of some of my favorite things, mostly food-related, from these three days.
Day 9 - Visit to the famous outdoor market La Boqueria.
Day 9 - A sea of gummy candies greets me as I enter La Boqueria. The Spanish like their gummy candies!
Day 9 - Also, lots of classic Spanish cured meats in the market.
Day 9 - And some things most Americans would never eat! 
Day 9 - I only spot one basket of decorated cookies. Fondant-covered and 5 Euros each.
Day 9 - Late afternoon meal of paella. As a landlocked Midwesterner, I especially appreciate the freshness of seafood here.
Day 10 - After a day of walking in Parc MontjuÏc and taking in breathtaking seascapes, I make a late night visit to the city's Gothic Quarter, where Les Festes de Sant Eulàlia are underway. Fun street festivals, this being just one!
Day 10 - A gummy candy store in the Gothic Quarter. LOL - I wasn't kidding when I said the Spanish like their gummy candies. I do too! Heads up: You may be in for a surprise!
Day 10 - With me in the Gothic Quarter is friend Maria Gil Martinez. She brings me to EspaiSucre, one the world's most highly regarded dessert-only restaurants. The company combined with the food is such a special treat!
Day 10 - Turns out EspaiSucre also does savory dishes (with a sweet spin). We have their tasting menu, and this is my favorite of the three desserts - a passion fruit cream, coffee cake, and kaffir lime foam concoction.
Day 11 - An indulgent tasting menu (for lunch) at the Michelin two-star Lasarte.
Day 11 - The food at Lasarte is as beautiful as it is tasty - this salad being a case in point. It sits on a tomato gelÉe that's punctuated with dots of lettuce and pesto creams.
Day 11 (February 13), 5:00 pm to 12:00 am.
Wow, what a whirlwind of eating and walking, and walking and eating, and generally sopping up my now favorite city. I work off my Lasarte lunch by hightailing it 20 or more blocks back to the hotel. And I count my blessings every step of the way. It's been a marvelous, one-of-a-kind week, and I am so grateful to my hosts who brought me here.
Back at the hotel, it's the usual routine (field email, edit videos, etc.) except that I must also organize for Friday. Another three days of classes start up first thing in the morning. I revise my teaching notes based on the experiences of last week by streamlining approaches that took too much time and filling in with other important teaching points that need clarifying. My suitcase of tools gets returned to the conference room where I'm teaching, and I set out all my demo cookies and tools so I'm ready to hit the ground running.
All is in order, and I feel at peace.
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