The Professor's Wife

On Monday, February 10th we flew to Barcelona. The Professor had several meetings to talk to local officials as professors or about the independence of Catalonia.

On Wednesday the Professor had a meeting at 1 pm .. The directions were That they was to take the Metro to Catalunya square. From there we would take the turn onto the Rambla and the Passage Elisabets. I can not remember how many people asked me about directions.Including a person at an information booth. Elisabets was too small to appear on the city map That we had. Finally we found someone who could tell us where Elisabets street was. The Professor spotted an office with a similar name and the man in THAT office knew the professor That we were looking for. Fortunately That office was at the end of an alley just next door. What any of it had to do with the Passage Elisabets we do not know. Although the office was on Elisabets street, the street had a different name leading off the main street Rambla.

While we were there we asked the secretary for a recommendation for lunch. And she gave very clear directions to find a restaurant just a few blocks away.

We do not think it is a tourist haunt. Although our waiter spoke English (Which is rare), obviously we were the only foreigners having lunch there. Who could find it other than locals?

It was very busy and the lunch menu was interesting. Dad ended up with a pig's knuckles and I had sausage with potatoes onions and tomato. My first course was scrambled eggs with mushrooms and baby spinach. The Professor had a salad. For dessert I had the sliced pears with chocolate drizzled over them and they had ice cream with caramel and whipped cream.

I think that we enjoyed the restaurant more than the food. In Barcelona people are only getting into lunch about the time That restaurants close in Paris. At three o'clock the restaurant was still crowded. Then in Spain, they do not open again until about nine in the evening. Very different from Paris. Most restaurants are closed by 2:30 or 3:00 in Paris and open again about 6 or 7

After seeing the Professor's pig's knuckles (a part of a leg) roasted with vegetables, I was about ready to become a vegetarian. In fact-when the waiter stuck out his arm and made cutting motions all along it indicating a cut up pig's leg that was enough for me to consider changing my lifestyle.

It was definitely an adventure in eating. And an adventure in searching for the Professor's meeting place. We were late but it turned out okay Because the professor we were meeting was over at another university campus and was late.

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