BARCELONA

 

        This is our home for two nights.  The service here is impeccable!  Joel, when we checked in, Jose, our bellman, and Paula, Executive Lounge attendant.  We have a view looking down at the pool area.  It was a dermatologist's dream today because of all the chairs full of folks working on getting skin cancers.

        Yesterday afternoon we walked across the street to check out the mall.  Very interesting looking architecture of the building down the street.  The mall was incredible!  One whole floor was fast food restaurants.  The bottom floor was one HUGE grocery store.  Biggest all grocery store I have ever been in.  We were looking for a chardonnay for our room.  Not easy as 95% of the wines here are red wines.

Finally found one and only $8.  Opened it last night and tasted like $8.  Beggars can't be choosers!

        The wine was not chilled so we put it in the wine chiller with ice in what most all European bathrooms have.  I think it is called a bidet.  

        This is the Executive Lounge.  I took the photos mid afternoon. We went up at about 5pm for happy hour and the place soon filled up.

        I brought these "meds" from home as I knew GOOD bourbon is not found here.  Woodford Reserve bourbon is a good one.  Makers Mark is my favorite but had these at home in minis.  The two on the left I filled with sweet vermouth and Woodford cherry bitters to make my Manhattans with the others.

        This is some of the canapes we enjoyed.  They had a very drinkable white wine that Rebecca had and I had Absolut vodka on the rocks.  Ok, maybe two or three!  My back was killing me this afternoon after sluffing luggage to get here.  I needed some "medicine".

        At 6pm we decided we need something else for a small dinner.  So off to the mall food court we went!  Nothing seemed good so finally settled for a very small order of chicken tenders at Polo Comparo.  We brought it back to the Exec Lounge and had a glass of wine to wash them down.

        After asking for a couple wine glasses (clean and empty) to go, we headed back to the room.  I retrieved the bottle of chardonnay from our bathroom and now we are enjoying a glass or three.

        After a long search through the tv channels offered, I found one, "CSI Las Vegas", in English.  I have been working on this blog post but hitting the hay shortly!

FRIDAY 

        Neither of us slept real well last night but did get some rest.  Up at 8am and heading down for the breakfast buffet,

         Nice restaurant.  Good timing for our arrival as it got much busier by the time we left.

                                                                     Outside seating.

                                                          They were serving mimosas today.

                                                                            Cheers!  

                                                         Meats and cheeses station.

                                                           Breads and sweet rolls.

There was a cooked to order omelet station that we ordered at.  Also got some potatoes and bacon.

         After breakfast I went for a half hour walk around the neighborhood.  Not too hot yet.  Front of our hotel.

                                                                     Big park nearby.

                                 Not sure what this was.  Walked all around it but no signs.

                                            Tree lined street.  Lots of buses on all the streets.

        After returning from MY walk and resting a bit, then Rebecca wanted to go walk.  Our first stop was at a pharmacy near by.  I wanted to see if Zolpidem (their version of Ambien) required a prescription.  It did so I got some Melatonin to use at bedtime tonight.  I use it sometimes at home.

        Then we headed into the mall for our walk.  Rebecca did not want to get any sun as did not bring suntan lotion.  It was 11:30 and most of the fast food places had not opened yet.  I guess they don't open until noon.  People in Spain (Europe) dine late.  They have lunch after 2pm and dinner after 8pm.

        After returning to our room we both showered and now feel much better.  Oh, my!  Only US news tv stations at our hotel is CNN and CNBC.  We are FOX NEWS folks.  So watching BBC and Sky News (UK stations).

        I just wanted not much for lunch so got a small chicken sandwich (for $1.75 and two drinks.  Rebecca had her usual Atkins meal bar.  She has one EVERY lunch.  We than did a little more walking in the mall before heading back across the street to the Hilton.

                                 There are many of these food delivery bikes around here.

        When we got back I asked to speak with the hotel manager.  Albert came out for our chat with him. I wanted to compliment some of his staff members by name as the service here is beyond outstanding.  Jose, our bellman, was standing nearby so I called him over and told Albert he deserved a raise.  That remark brought laughter.  I told Albert we would be back to his hotel in December of 2026 for the inaugural cruise of Regent's new ship, Prestige, that is coming out then.  Albert said to email him prior so he could have a suite reserved for us.

        I have been wearing this t-shirt today and have had several men ask me if they could take a photo of it.  I could sell a lot of these,

                      Happy hour in the executive lounge.  Thankfully, I bought my own libations.

         I went over to the mall to get this not so good pizza.  We at half of it for dinner.  We enjoyed the Executive Lounge one last night.  Great service as usual.  Now it's time for bed time.  Boarding the Splendor tomorrow.