DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN . . .
I was recently in Barcelona a few days before the recent terror attacks. We were visiting the same Las Ramblas area where they occurred. I count my blessings whenever I think how lucky our group was to not be caught up in any of that horrific attack which took place just two days after we left. All those who were impacted by this attack remain in my thoughts and prayers.
Now on to a lighter note.
DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN . . .
You’re traveling in a place where they don’t speak the same language as you do but you have someone in your group who can speak what the locals speak.
Some of the group we were with wanted to explore. I’m all for that but I had heard that tourists had to be careful because of all the pickpockets that seem to be running a thriving business. So, I was glad to not be traveling alone for a few reasons. First of all it is always so much fun to explore and enjoy new places and experiences with friends. Secondly, there is also safety in numbers. Even though if one of you gets lost you all get lost at least you’re in it together. Plus you get a memory to share. And third, when it comes to interacting with the locals it is always so much easier if a two way communication is able to take place. This is especially helpful when so many times people who don’t understand your language can’t even tell you they don’t know what you are saying.
On our trip to Barcelona some of us did not want to pack for the long flight home but rather extend our fun as late into the night as we could. Even if that meant that we had to scramble to finish packing early the next morning. So, off we went with two low visioners, three totals and a fully sighted guide dog. Our quest, to find a local watering hole where we didn’t have also buy tapas. Not so easy a task on the streets of Barcelona. We walked a ways through the Gothic District and finally found a place. As we entered we were stopped by the wait staff because…wait for it…yep, no dogs allowed. Since we’d done our homework ahead of time we knew that the laws in Barcelona relating to guide dogs are very similar to those in the States. My friend from California was with us and she spoke Spanish so like the consummate advocate she just jumped right in to try and set the staff straight on the local guide dog rules. Their argument was that if they let our guide dog in naturally local “uneducated” dogs would not be able to control themselves and would ravage the restaurant. Plus, the guy with the clipboard said that his boss would fire him. So strike one on us as we were more interested in having libations than arguments that were not going to ultimately produce those libations. We moved on.
The good news is that our next attempt was indeed successful. The young lady that greeted us at the entrance was very happy to see all of us. Mostly she was happy to see our four legged good will ambassador. We were seated in a great location in the restaurant where the music was enjoyable but not so loud that we couldn’t hold a fun conversation. And having our Spanish speaking friend with us, again, didn’t hurt either while we were ordering our drinks. So on into the night we drank, laughed and had a great time as we bid a fond farewell to Barcelona.
And, oh, by the way, no packs of wild dogs went berserk at any time while we partied on. And our sweet little guide dog slept peacefully under our table. Imagine that.
DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN . . .
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