Travel First - Dipping my toes in the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Photo by Sharon Castellanos

I've been telling you recently that I have a sister and mother who will be leaving the country for the first time and that their trip involves their first passport.

My sister will be buying her first suitcase with wheels, her first TSA lock and she will exchange money for the first time. She will probably eat her real fish and chips and shepherd's pie, maybe even drink her first Guinness.

My mother will be hearing French spoken around her for the first time. She will use a lift for the first time and hear a real Scottish Brogue, maybe even hear a lilt in someone's voice for the first time. I expect she might also have her first real fish and chips as well.

Well since we are family, and I have been sharing their secrets I will contribute my own recent first. Back in November 2009, during a trip to Southern Spain not only did I go to the Rock of Gibraltar and Morocco, North Africa for the first time, I put my feet in the Mediterranean Sea.

I have been to Spain before but during that visit, even though we stayed at a well-known Barcelona hotel along the harbor, and ate seafood paella at the Marina - I never touched the sea. The other visit included driving through the Pyrénées mountains outside of Barcelona. Not very dramatic travel confessions but I wanted to come clean.

My time in Barcelona was spent focused on all things Antoni Gaudi and Picasso, besides eating my weight in tapas and Serrano ham. The Museu de Picasso in the old city was totally worth my morning. Being music lovers besides loving Gaudi, we toured Palau de la Musica. I spent more than half a day just walking and sitting (it was a hot day) through the famous Park Guell.

Another half day was climbing up/down the stairs of Casa Batlló, with its incredible façade that looks like it has been made from skulls and bones. So I hope you can see why I may have missed thinking about the ocean. Le pido perdón.