Barcelona: Eat, Sleep, Eat Some More

You know that phrase "work hard, play hard"?

Well, in Barcelona, it's "play hard, play harder."

I knew the lifestyle and culture in Spain would be quite different, but it's amazing how anything gets done in this country. A typical day's schedule seems to be: work in the morning; eat lunch at 2PM and then take a siesta; go back to work until 8PM; dinner at 10; bars and clubs from midnight until you pass out around 5AM.

And the eating ... ! My mom would be happy that Spain might fatten me up. We're eating more meals, though just little bites at each one. And the pace is much slower; everyone takes their time, enjoying their tapas and pinxtos and vasos de vino. There's no rush to be anywhere or do anything.

Yesterday, Jen and I took the train down to the beach at Sitges and it felt wonderful to relax, close my eyes, float in the Mediterranean's clear water. And there, I did think: could I live here?

It's certainly tempting, but I know that this is just vacation. Here and now, I have no work, responsibilities, no bills to pay. This isn't real life. But perhaps I can take a little bit of Barcelona philosophy back with me to New York, and slow down just a little bit.