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I finally got to Barcelona yesterday and met up with Andrea. It’s really nice to talk to someone who I actually knew before staring this trip. She lives in what I would describe as the hipster neighborhood of Barcelona. It is full of young people and art and cute little boutique shops. Carrer di Verdi feels just like a Spanish version of Valencia street in SF.

I’m extremely grateful to her for giving me a non-hostel place to stay: I can shower without flip-flops here, do laundry, and have a totally free internet connection (though both of the USB ports on her computer are blown out, so there will be a dearth of pictures for the time being).

Last night we ate pinchos - this food that seems to me like the Catalonian take on sushi. There is bread - much like the bread you would find when ordering bruschetta - and on top of that is placed all manner of things. There’s salmon or tuna with sauces, there’s goat cheese and fig, brie and hazelnut, ham and cheese, and I even had a miniature hamburger with some mustard. It’s probably my favorite new food so far.

Then we met up with some of her local friends at a plaza called Placa del Sol. There were just a bunch of young people drinking beer (Estrella, something cheap and local) and just sitting around talking on this flat concrete block.

Then something strange happened. Andrea got a a call from her mom, back in Minnesota. We were then informed of Michael Jackson’s passing. Although I haven’t been paying attention to the news at all, I suppose anything this major is bound to get to me quickly.

Well, I’m excited to see Barcelona and hang out with an old friend. Más pinchos, por favor!