Medinaceli, Barcelona, and Goodbye
On the way back from Toledo and Yaya’s birthday we stopped in Medinaceli, a very old town in the province of Aragon (friends who traveled with us after the wedding: this is where we went for lunch on the way to Sitges). According to the sign, the arch my parents are standing under was originally built by the Romans in the 2nd Century! The hills were brown with stubbly grass, the scattered trees alight with fall colors. We ate the lunch Juanjo’s parents had packed for us, perched on a rock overlooking the valley.
Then, hours of driving later, we were back in Barcelona. For the rest of their time here, my parents did some exploring on their own (even learned to ride the Barcelona subway by themselves!), and I worked and escaped when I could to spend time with them. Tuesday morning was my favorite. We walked up to Montjuic, wandered through the park, then took the cable car down to the beach. The day began with such strong wind that the window’s rattling woke us all up. But then the sky was clear and blue, the views from the park expansive. The beach was even full of people, many in swimsuits. We snacked on fruit and chocolate and dozed in the sand. Then I went home to work and they went off to shop and wander the shops in the Gothic Quarter.
All in all, we laughed and shared and teased each other. We ate homecooked meals and talked about the future. We enjoyed a delicious dinner out at the Flauta Restaurant with Juanjo’s old friends, my mom talking crafts and artistry with Cristina, who makes hats. My dad even got excited about watching a soccer game with Juanjo (and of course, rooted for Real Madrid with him).
They left yesterday, and now it’s back to just us, in our quiet house, working late on our projects again. Glad my parents were able to come when they did. Wondering when we’ll have more visitors. 🙂