barcelona is waking up

while all of the UK readers (that's about 2 people) are still lying in bed or getting ready to go out to the NH Carnival or other festivals, here in barcelona there is a very good news: the city is waking up after its summer siesta! It reminds me of a French track from Jaques Dutronc (Il est 5 heures, Paris s'eveille) and it really works for barcelona as well. Shopkeepers are busy cleaning their shops, traffic jams start appearing around the centre, restaurants proceed to the biggest clean-up of the year. It's the beginning of a new "day" for Barcelona, and I'm happy to be here.

Being here in August hasn't really been a choice. I only had a month to put into the flat-hunt and I know that from the day I'll start my new job I'll be lucky if I spend 2 days a week in barcelona. Still, it's been a good introduction to the city. Its emptiness has somehow made it easier for me to get to know it (less information to process probably). Now the funny thing is that everything is changing. What you thought to be a quiet street with a bakery is actually full of restaurants or local shops (for local people!). So the town is going through this awakening of its social life. Brilliant!
On the other hand to be completely honest it scares me. I thought that in a month I could get to know the (small) area where we're currently staying, but now, every time I walk down the streets I see new shops, restaurants I had never seen before. I makes me think I still have a long way to go... But the sheer amount of bars and restaurants gives me the impression it'll be a huge task. Any volunteers to help?

Now that barcelona is finally waking up, it's also time for me to trade my holiday T-shirt for a regular office shirt. Yep, my first day in my new job is only 3 days away and I have the impression I just arrived from london. Well, we've found a flat in the meanwhile but it still feels like I haven't been here that long and I could do with an extra month off. From what I'm getting I don't think I'll see much of barcelona when I'll start working but on the other hand when I'll leave the office (wherever it may be) on Fridays afternoon I know I'll be on the way to what many people consider a holiday destination. So at least I won't be flying back to rainy london (sorry for the londoners reading this you know I don't mean it!).

Anyway, good to see I can freestyle so easily. I was writing an email to one of the top 3 readers of the blog this morning and I mentioned the lack of ideas for today's post. Just realised I wrote enough to call for a break. I'm off to the next door terrace for a coffee in the sun (that's what it's all about, just a place in the sun ;o)