Lunch with the locals - March 12th

This was the reason that I came to Spain. In all honesty, there is no other way that I can explain it…the latter sentence literally sums up my feelings about this experience.
Today, I had lunch with three individuals who were all from the Barcelona area (thank you once again Xaví for the opportunity!). At the beginning of my “journey” I had told myself that I wanted to truly live amongst the locals and avoid all “tourist traps/amreicanized activities.” Furthermore, I had set a goal for myself that I would challenge myself in any way possible; one of these challenges was to try and eat/drink with some of the local populace. The important thing to mention is that I wanted to do this on my own (without the company of other Americans, etc.) Now, it should be mentioned that one of the individuals that I joined for lunch was my professor so the individuals were not complete strangers. However, the other two young men who were local artists were total strangers to me so I guess it’s safe to say that I fulfilled my goal that I had set for myself.
Although we did not dine on “traditional” Spanish cuisine (main course was polenta with a lamb sauce – Italian dish), the experience was completely Spanish. We ate our meal the dining room of my professor’s flat and we were overlooking the city of Barcelona. The view was absolutely spectacular seeing as my professor’s apartment is very close to Park Güell which is a high point in the city. I must also not neglect to mention that during the meal, we spoke predominantly in Spanish…now, I must admit that I was unable to speak a great deal because my Spanish is not as strong as I would like; however, I was able to understand about 90% of the conversation and it was worth every moment to listen to what these individuals had to say. It was a truly “fluid” conversation that flowed quite naturally as the topics of conversation easily transitioned from music to politics to weather to nightlife and then back to music again…needless to say, it was nice to be amongst individuals who were having “intelligent” conversation with one another (something that has been lacking here at CEA).
Anyway, before I start getting too analytical with this wonderful experience I will sum it all up. This was one of the few moments in my life where I am absolutely certain that I will “take it to my grave” and never forget the experience. It was a moment that I will tell my grandkids about. It was a moment which helped to paint the “true portrait” of the city of Barcelona and provided an honest representation of how the people interact with one another. Unforgettable, simply unforgettable…