Day 5: Nachos a la Playa, Return to the Rooftop bar, & Goodbye Rhianne

Monday 3 January 2022

“O! I’m so hung over,” was the first thing Rhianne said, stretching her arms, frowning.

Here we go again, I laughed.

“O yeah, me too, a little,” I said, but I felt perfectly fine. Drinking water at the bar was a life safer, or day safer. Rhianne would have probably stayed in bed until late again, if we didn’t have to leave the hotel before 12 PM.

I almost packed my backpack when she was still trying to figure out how to get up. Another chick has hedged!  

After we thanked the people at the hotel, we left to get breakfast. The same place as the day before. At a table in the sun at a square with a little bakery.

This time I ordered a tuna sandwich, by mistake, I still don’t get a word they are saying. The coffee worked wonderfully this time, “Americano y Café con leche,” the speed bump was removed.  

The sunlight was as strong as before, and we enjoyed our desayuno.

“So, have you figured out what you are going to do?” Rhainne said, while taking a bite of her croissant. She likes them more here, because they’re sweeter.  

I opened my Lonely Planet. It was a fat book, including all of Spain. I dragged it with me everywhere, like a bible, and often took a moment to have a look.

“I don’t know yet,” I said and scratched behind my airs, “Maybe to the mountains, but the weather has to be good.”

The wind picked up the crumbs from my plate and pink dress and placed them on the pavement. A nervously excited pigeon came close to pick the coble stones clean.

“He’s having the time of his life,” Rhianne said, and she took a sip of her milk, eh, coffee.

I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball, I sang in my head.

“Don't stop me now, because I’m having such a good time, don’t stop me now,” I sang, out loud.

“Do you have Queen in your head?” Rhianne asked surprised.

“Yeah, because you said the pigeon was having such a good time,” I responded. Still, it looked like she didn’t get it. By now I realized that it was a terrible song to sing that day.

“Do you feel like going home?” I asked, chewing on a piece of tuna, the egg sandwich the morning before was so much better. It was grilled cheese (tosti), but then with egg. Mind-blowing.

“No!” She said very convincing, “I wish I could stay, but I need to work tomorrow.”

She would have loved to have more days to walk for hours in the maze, drink white wine, eat Patatas Bravas, and listen to me talk about highly uninteresting things.

“Yeah, I also would have liked it if you stayed. I would have needed a night on my own, to read my book and do some research, but after that I would have been fine to continue with the social activities,” I responded.

I require alone time in order to recharge, for some people it works the other way around. I get excited when I’m around people, which makes it look like I get more energy, but I’m actually losing energy being all excited. That’s not a problem for a couple of days, but after about a week I require my alone time, otherwise I will take it in an unfriendly way. Starting a fight is something of the past. During the years, I got to know myself pretty well and know how to communicate my preferences in order to avoid tough situations. Everything is about communication. 

My parents (the psychologists) will be proud.

We left to Joe’s place to dump our bags. Rhianne had to go to the airport around 4, so we would pick our bags up around that time.

After we circled up the stairs again, we barged in with our backpacks. Adele sat on a chair on the balcony, it didn’t seem to be sliding off. Still, I didn’t dare to do the same. Only making pictures of the view was already scary enough.

“Where’s Joe?” Rhianne asked.

“I have no idea,” Adele said, smoking her cigarette.

Rhianne called him. She had to smile and Joe entered. He was just in his room! Adele also laughed. Crazy siblings.

We sat down on the couch, and it became terribly silent. They were anything but silent last night, I laughed. I took my camera out of my bag and started to look at pictures for the first time. I showed a few to them, and they looked pleased. Great that I took my camera with me. My dad asked me recently if I still used my camera. I answered no, because I hadn’t been on holiday. Now, I would like to change that response. Yes dad, I’m still using it a lot!  

Joe had to work, but liked to meet us a bit later in the afternoon. Deal, and we walked to the beach.

Our walk took us past the harbour with fancy yachts again. This time we had a very close look. There was a luxurious British yacht next to a Dutch yacht.

 

“If you take the British one, I’ll take the Dutch, and let’s do a race to see whose first in Hong Kong,” I said.

We stole the yachts and started our journey around the world. Me, the little captain, with a chihuahua on my lap. Rhianne with her personal patatas bravas chef, that was incredibly hot. Smoking hot. 

The patatas bravas I mean. 

A fuck, I'm getting carried away again. Sorry guys, better luck next time.

We arrived at the beach and decided to walk down the beach road.

I was surprised to see the ocean, to be honest. Where was the fresh salty ocean breeze? The sound of crashing waves? It didn't smell or sound like the sea, not like the North Sea at least. I should have checked if it was real. Sail towards the horizon until I hit a wall. I might be in the Truman Show. See? I should have stolen the yacht.

It was winter, so the beach didn’t look that inviting. Still, I was relieved that it wasn't summer. I can imagine how the maze of stone turns into a stone oven in summer. How will this thin strip of sand provide enough space for all the people that are drawn to the beach? Horrible images formed in my head. Quickly, abort! I only like stone oven pizza's. 

In reality, it wasn't busy at all and the big open space and endless horizon calmed my senses. We should have jumped in the sea yesterday, for the Nieuwjaarsduik. Where's my orange Unox hat?

We walked until I noticed a little hippie terrace next to the beach. We sat down at a small round table. The chairs had nice old colours, like the old-timer Volkswagen van's that hippies had.

"My dress nicely matches with the colour of the chair, old pink. Dirty pink, I call it. It looks like pink with a bit of dirt in it. A bit greyish," I told Rhianne.  

Rhianne laughed. O now I understand why! She was thinking of a different type of dirty, naughty Rhianne! Very naughty. I will cal it old pink from now on, makes more sense.

I ordered piña colada and nachos, and Rhianne just wanted to get corona. She talked so closely to strangers without her mouth mask.

Of course, I'm just talking about the beer. Rhianne wouldn't hurt a fly. Or maybe, just a fly. She hates those.  

She loves Jalapeños, because they quickly disappeared out of the bowl of nachos. The crisps were salty and crunchy, with molten cheese and fluffy guacamole. 

We had to pee again. We went on our next mission to find a toilet and a table in the sun. 

We walked to almost all places we had been before. Every sunny table was taken. Mierda. 

"Let's go to the rooftop bar?" Rhianne asked. 

"Yes, excellent idea," I replied. 

When we entered the fancy building, I followed the toilet signs to the basement. A beautiful, empty restroom awaited us. As if it was made, just for us. It was fate. 

Relieved we took the elevator up to the rooftop bar. 

Such a good idea to go here. Almost no one knows about this place. The sun stays until late, and we had a soft couch in the sun. I took my shoes off and made myself comfortable. My toes were happy.

Rhianne ordered three cocktails and I ordered a beer and a glass of wine. The cosmopolitans turned out to be great, but the pisco sour was a bit, well, sour.

Rhianne showed me pictures on her phone of Girona. A city to the North of Barcelona. She'd been there the last time she was in Barcelona. 

"Thanks for the tip!" I said and made a note. 

Joe joined the goodbye party. He had something great to celebrate.

“This was my last workday at Booking.com,” he said, in a very happy but tired kind of way. I know that feeling.

“For ever, you mean?” I asked with big green eyes.

“Yes for ever,” he said.

“Cheers! Congratulations!” I said and we raised our glasses.

Rhianne also took her shoes off. 

We ordered some bombas and croquettes and shared our last delicious meal together.  

"I don't want to leave yet," she said, and I felt sorry for her. She was enjoying the last bit of sun she would see in a long time. 

When the plane was almost leaving, it was time to rush downstairs.

The rooftop bar was the first place the three of us went, and it was the last place. The cycle had completed.

I gave Rhianne a quick hug, because the taxi was waiting, and her plane wasn’t.

She entered the taxi, and we waved her goodbye as the taxi took her further and further into the distance. 

Goodbye Rhianne. 

"Let's go out for drinks soon," Joe said.

"Yeah sure," I said, not knowing what my plan would be. 

I gave a hug to Joe.

He disappeared as easily into the maze as he had appeared when we met him.  

Suddenly I was alone, in the streets of Barcelona with my big backpack.

I felt free. 

"Don't stop me now," I sang softly.