I am officially in my post vacation funk. It hit later this time than it has years prior. All I want to do is go back. I daydream of where I've been, who I've seen and what I've touched. I know...it sounds silly and sentimental. But that is the kind of person I am.
One of the reasons I hit this post vacation funk (especially after I've visited Europe) is that I miss the walking and eating of non-processed foods. We never rent cars when we are on vacation. We use public transportation. I am a metro and train junkie. I love the navigation process. Figuring out which line to take to get where I am going. I like to watch the people standing next to me on the subway. Barcelona's Metro was great to ride on. Clean and efficient it was also fun to stand on. The newer cars didn't have partitions between the cabs. We could watch the cabs move and sway to the turns the train was making. Unless I am really beat I stand on subways. When standing you can get a much better feel of the power under the train and its inevitable navigation.
While in the city we walked. And walked. Combine all that walking with eating olives (at least for me), fresh bread, jamon, fabulous fruit, paellas, and an occasional pan au raison roll, and the whole body feels really good. We didn't have any formal set down dinners while there. We ate on the go or did some light cooking in the flat we rented.
We went to two different markets in Barcelona that offered the freshest fare in any combination you might like. The La Bouqueria Market (St. Josef) is right off of La Rambla and the Santa Catalina Market is across the street from the Cathedral in the Born District.
Each had its own character and flavors but they both shared one delicious trait. Fresh and unprocessed food. The colors and smells were eye candy and nose sensory overloads! Coming home I now am relentlessly searching for olives that are similar to what I ate in Barcelona. As I realize it isn't going to happen I become bugged. I crave the fresh bread I bought at the patisserie near our flat.
I guess the only solution is to go back.
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