Barcelona Day 33- Free day, Day of Walking

I got up kind of late on my first free day. It was a free day! Today was going to be a day for finding the Banner bags, as I call them. Unfortunately I didn't know it would be a day of walking. I first went to my computer to see if I could find the name of the place and try and find it on a map. I found one place and you had to take the subway to get to it. So I took the metro to this kind of sketchy part of time. I first tried to figure out where I was on the map with no success. Then I decided to wait and go back and try again. I got a little further but then I ended up in an even sketchier place so I decided to bag it and try and find the one in old town. So I got back to the subway and had to buy another ticket cause I lost the other one. This trip was getting pricey. Then I got back on the metro and took it close to the Barcelona Arch de Triumph. I then tried to find the Rambla, which I did but didn't know I did. The signage isn't the best overseas. I just continued to walk and walk and finally I saw the Library from the day before. And I knew I was in the correct area. It was so hot though, I probably almost quit searching 10 times. But I kept moving on. I continued and soon saw the Richard Meir building, but there were no skateboarders. Then I kept moving. I was starting to be hopeful again. I knew we had walked around here. I continued on and got eyed by some creepy guy who tried to talk to me. I just kept walking because I was alone and didn't know how to handle it so moved on. I then found this cafe area and knew I needed to keep moving. I went down a small alley and found the church where the kids play. I was starting to feel the heat. I was sweating and I knew I was probably getting some color. I walked to the Market again. It was just as colorful if not more full. I walked through it and walked onto the Rambla. I was so frustrated. I had been on this street earlier and didn't know what it was. Then I saw the umbrella building and the building with the dragon. I knew around that corner was the scissor place, and from there I knew the bag place was close. I got to the square and stood there thinking for a moment. I looked around and I saw this place it had “aho” gallery, my brain immediately to Idaho, so I thought it might say Idaho Gallery, so I looked again and it wasn't so I continued on. I went down another alley and was were we had been shopping two days before. I went back knowing I was in the wrong place and I walked back over to the the Market and then back again. I walked back to the scissor place and said to myself, if I can't find it in the next half hour I’m done. I decided to go back to the “aho” gallery square. And when I walked around the corner I felt like smacking myself. Because there at the Vaho Gallery as it's name was, was the banner bag place. I smiled though. I was so freaking happy to get there. I headed in and it was so hard to pick which one to buy. So I ended up buying two. I bought a laptop bag that had this gorgeous flower on it. Then there was this smaller bag that caught my eye two nights ago. It has a swimmer on it and makes me think it might have something to do with the 1992 Olympics. I was so happy to have a piece of Barcelona's history. To me this was a great souvenir. It was a one of a kind purse and something real. I love them both. After all this I basically took the tour over again and I was so hot. I headed back to the hotel which was another long walk. I was so happy though. I got my purses and spent a day immersed in Barcelona. I crashed when I got back.

That evening a group of us wanted to go get some food. We wanted burgers. We were missing food from the US. We stopped in a store before though. We tried on dresses and and those Aladdin pants. Jessica, Benae, Stacie, and I didn't buy anything but Rachel and Leslie did. Leslie got these adorable Aladdin pants. She looked so good in them! Not a lot of people have a body for them but Leslie she knocked it out of the park. So after they bought their clothes we headed on in our food search. I found a place called J's Burgers and so we went in. It was like a American 50's diner. Very strange to see there but it as cool. We all ordered burgers and milkshakes. It was so good! And we had a great time. We discussed what we had planned for the next day and we talked about how we were sad to see it end but excited to get home. After a wonderful burger and some great fries and milkshakes we headed back to the hotel. I made plans with Benae and Jessica to go shopping with them the next day. It would be another day of walking.