Buenas Noches (or Dias or Tardes depending on where to are)!!!!
Three/Four weeks in….WIN’s!
(and struggles)…..
We have been here in Barcelona for almost four weeks! Part of me feels we have done nothing (compared to all there is to do and see!) yet we really have done so much. It feels like we are still getting to the store daily for random things we don’t have (tape, a pencil, a wooden spoon, a vacuum, a pot, etc), hitting appointments to be legally here (we have a fingerprinting appointment at the police station tomorrow and we should be done and have our NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero or basically a national ID card (yes they have it, strange the states can’t get it done!). I have also been spending purposeful time getting lost (in a good way!). I truly feel when we get the house all set up we will feel like we have a ‘home’ and not just a ‘flat’.
Our shipping container has arrived in Barcelona as of this week (yay!) and should be delivered within a few days (assuming it clears custom with all the items we illegally shipped (shhhhh)). The container we shipped of course is too large to fit down our small one-way street in Sarria….so we now need to have a government certificate to park it in a parking lot while we have vans run our shit to the apartment trip by trip - yet another pain-in-our-ass. Our 4th big furniture delivery from a local comapy should arrive around 17 February so by the end of the month we should feel like we have a ‘home!’ Just around 5 weeks in.
All that being said we are really making the most of our time here. We are exploring all the bars and restaurants in our local area - there are so many! Ashley and I had a 2.5 hour lunch one day with the ‘Sarria ASB crew.’ I met 7 guys….from Columbia, Russia, Mexico, France, Spain, and Abu Dhabi (yes, I was the only American…awesome!). I took Hayes on a long weekend father/son trip to Baqueria-Beret for an ‘ASB Dads ski weekend’ where I was able to connect with many other dads with kids in ASB (the kid’s school here). I met so many amazing people from all over the world (and many Americans) - and Hayes and I had a great time skiing at an amazing ski resort - only 3.5 hours from Barcelona (and it’s not even the closest one). We were literally on the beach that Sunday at 60+ degrees - then on the slopes on Thursday after a few days of school for him. Being so close to the beach and the mountains is something we have never experienced - and I’m trying to think of another place you can have both inside such a close distance…
Of the many interesting things around here one is when we are out after 6p in our neighborhood how many ‘new’ stores we find - fact is they are not new, they just open on random days here and there. ‘Oh, look at that restaurant we will have to try’ or ‘cool shoe store - let’s check it out!’ - ‘look at this! A toy store!’- it is amazing how the business owners open when they want on the days they want. In America, you are open all the time, so you can maximize every potential customer and revenue. Here they are open when they want and if you find them, good. They close daily from 2-430p so they can relax and have lunch themselves. They run their business because it’s what they do and they enjoy it - not necessarily to ‘maximize revenue’ - a great way to live life! On your terms….my style for sure. Within 4 minutes walking, we have found a French store, Italian store, Asian store, and of course, literally countless bars/restaurants/markets for food and wine. I think we have all we need.
We just love to buy local produce - the strawberries and fruit have amazing flavor as are all the fruits and vegetables. They go bad in a day or two since they are not sprayed with chemicals and pesticides - so we go almost daily to the market! I have found my local market (Mercado de Sarria) that has tons of fresh fish (pescado), animal protein, fresh veggies (vegetales), and overall great people. It is a 4-minute walk from the front door. If you know my frame, I love sardines for brekky around 10a - but here I have been buying fresh ‘sardinas’ each day (¿Puedo tener 4 sardinas por favor? or necesito 4 sardinas por favor) and grilling them when I get home from the gym - I’m loving FRESH sardines caught same day!
We joined the ‘gym’ - Metropolitan is the brand, Iradier is the branch. I don’t really call it a gym after being there - they have massages, amazing coffee (¿Puedo tener un espresso doble, por favor?), and a resort-style roman pool (piscina) where you can get a lounge chair in the sun, order food, and even a bottle of wine….so, I’m there from 8-10a most days! I assume when the weather gets nicer (it’s been 60 and sunny daily) Ashley and I will spend a long lunch (long lunch here is at 2 or 3p for 2+ hours) after our gym time.
Ashley and I have hired a little help around the house. Gisselle is coming a few times a week to do laundry, clean, and watch the kids from 4-10p so Ashley and I can go out and enjoy the city and explore. She is an amazing cook and we have instructed her to speak Spanish to the kids to help them learn while we are away!
Hayes and Ellory continue to enjoy their school, ASB (the American School of Barcelona). They have Spanish five hours a week and Catlan for two hours per week - they are learning the language faster than we are (Pendejos!!). Walking to pick them up at the bus stop from school (5-minute walk) and hearing live music on the street is just joyful (see THIS video for what we see daily). We have a new tradition = ‘Crepe Fridays!’ from our favorite crepe shop. It is only 2 minutes from our place and on the way back from the bus stop….here is a VIDEO Hayes shot for his Nana and Poppa in Kansas City (we miss you Dad and Vickie!). We are working hard to connect them with friends and get them out - playdates are just so different without a yard (plus we still have no furniture). We have been welcomed by so many here and have constant invites to activities, lunches, dinners, and vacations. Ashley has connected with a mom here and there from the kid’s class and planning future play dates at parks etc (until our flat becomes a ‘home’). I am doing ‘long’ lunches and ‘slow’ dinners a few times a week with various guys - and yes it usually involves multiple drinks and is never a rush…. 3-hour lunches and 4-hour dinners….
We are exploring certain areas of town to see which we like to hang in. We took the kids to Gracia this week via subway. They played in an open plaza (there are so many in Gracia!) and we had snacks (and yes, drinks - see this funny VIDEO). We then walked the narrow streets and hit a few shops. We introduced them to a great middle eastern restaurant for (arguably) the best swarma, xixatwak, warakinab, and mutabal - they really enjoyed it all (and Ashley and I washed it down with un clara (lemonade and beer).
We finished the week at Alex and Marta’s kids birthday party with some great friends here. The kids we able to ride horses, enjoy a perfect sunny day (it has been cloudy one day since we moved and hasn’t rained once) and the adults were able to eat good food and drink a case of wine (what? Don’t judge me). We need to find something fun and creative next month for Ellory’s birthday! Open to ideas!
Challenges
As they say, “the struggle is guaranteed, success is not.’ I’ll be honest here….we have encountered what seems like thousands of challenges (speed bumps, issues, problems, or better - learnings). Not speaking the language is super hard. Trying to read the menu and decipher what you are ordering remains extremely hard (plus we live in the Catlan part of town, which is not the same language as Spanish). Ashley and I are always on our google translate trying to figure out what a dish is. Cap de…(cap of)….llom (cap of loin)….de porc (cap of loin of pork)….estofat amb pebrots (cap of loin of pork stew and peppers?) de piquillo (cap of loin of pork stew with pequillo peppers) - ah!!! pork stew with peppers!!!…after 7 minutes on the google translate. Let’s try that! Imagine the wine - I know very well Italian, French, American, and a bit of Australian wine. Spanish wine - no clue. But….I’m learning. Ordering lunch or dinner is a major struggle….but we are getting through it (and my waistline tells me I’m not starving).
Other challenges are in the stores - I need a size 46 shoe…or ‘cuarenta y seis’ if in a store. Rebaja? Oh, a sale….sweet! Oh wait, we are in a Catlan region? Then a sale is called a rebaixa….yowzers. And euro pants (pantalones) do not fit like I’m use to - I’m learning to deal with ‘slim’ fit (but I’ve been buying the ‘regular’ fit) - how the fuck do the ‘slim’ fit people? Goodnight! How do I say ‘can I try this on?’……
Yet another challenge is social. While I have made many many friends here, just having an accidental conversation with a random bar tender or barista is impossible. We are outsiders - and do not speak the language (Spanish or Catlan). Walking into a bar to get a drink or cafe (the ‘bars’ have better coffee than nearly any formal coffee shop in America) is just not the same. But, I’m doing my best to try as many bars as possible!
Haircuts? Not having a car? Figuring out a work schedule? Calling the water company? Accepting a delivery? A new gym and training routines? Having no furniture (to change next week!). Making new friends (well that has been easy I guess - thanks ASB) - all challenges and daily struggles. Just know the days are filled with many many micro-struggles and yet so much gratitude that we are able to do what we are doing and expose our kids to this environment.
Goals
I have a few goals this week and will write about them next message. I need a haircut - I don’t know if I want to ask my American friends for recco’s or if I just want to go to a local place and struggle through it. I see the easy way out but a shitty haircut may mean a good laugh and story, and of course….it will grow back.
We need to plan our trips for the coming few months as the kids have ‘ski week’ for school (yes, a week the kid’s school shuts down to allow all to go skiing) and then 2 weeks later is a week off for spring break. Ashley is heading to Paris with some girlfriends and I am planning a trip stateside in May to check in with work and some friends. We are waiting for the weather to get nice before we take the kids back to Italy or to Paris - sun, parks, and the beach are better for the kids (with their age) than rain, museums, and long stays at restaurants. There are so many places on our list we really want to get to over the next few years….but we still have time if you come and VISIT (Ashley’s Mom and Brother (Ryan) are going to be the first to stop by and say ‘hello’! We can’t wait for them to get her in April (Abril).
Of note, I did get mail for my birthday from my parents…..so it does work! It took about 2 weeks and I think was about a buck to send. Our mailbox is official - Familia Appino! Few things would make my day like a handwritten letter from a friend - please write! You can of course post here or email or call us. Our numbers are below for iMessage or WhatsApp - emails are great as well….
Here are some pics - we really haven’t been taking a ton as it doesn’t feel like a ‘vacation’ but ‘life’…..until next time - Adiós!
I find following the Appino Adventure as a way to be as if there along side. I’m fascinated! Bob and I are planning a travel venture for summer of 2023 to Poland and then to visit Appino family (next summer months). We are looking forward to your every update post and to hear how your first visitors trip goes. Bob and I have much planning and coordination to do with planning our trip to Poland then Spain and will keep the Appino family in the loop.
Love the updates. Looks like you guys are living your best lives!! Enjoy