the sights and sounds

today i woke up and it was freezing out and cloudy and i didn't want to move but then there's the fact that i can't stand sitting in the house all day so i went out anyway. i walked down to La Rambla again because everything is closed on Sundays but in that area there is always something going on. and it only took me about 15 minutes to walk there, pretty nice!


some things to see as you're walking around this city:

>all the restaurants have their menus posted outside so you can see what they have to offer, but some have pictures and they are really the most unappetizing pictures of the food and i don't understand how they see them as good publicity for their restaurant.

>a lot of the stores have these crazy outfits that i don't even know what to call them. they are like tube tops with legs. and they are satin or cotton and the legs have elastic in them. they are the ugliest things i've ever seen. i don't get it. but every store has them, and yet i never see anyone wearing them.

>some of the more touristy shops will ask you if you need help when you come in, and if they want to keep talking they ask, "spanish? english? french?......" they know every language! i'm so jealous!!!

>a lot of places when i go to pay the person will say, "merci," and i think, why? do i look french??

>it is the middle of december and there are still dozens of people you pass with gelato in their hands! it's also hard to pass up when you see everyone with a tasty cone. another popular treat from the gelateria? hot waffles with melted chocolate or dulce de leche on top.

>it is the middle of december and people still sit outside the restaurants to eat, even if they don't have heating lamps! some places do and it's nice but i love how people just like to be outside and enjoy what's going on around them.

>everyone here has the best mentality. it's so refreshing! something i'm not used to for sure. i swear the motto for Barcelona should be, "Just Chill Out." everyone is always saying, "it's okay! don't worry! as long as you're happy that's all that matters." or if you are in a store and saying you might need to come back so you can think about buying something, they say, "don't think to much! don't worry about it!"