WE HAD AN EARLY MORNING FLIGHT OUT OF TOULOUSE. I HAD A WINDOW SEAT, SO I COULD SEE THE SUNRISE AND PHOTOGRAPH.

THE FLIGHT TO MUNICH WAS UNEVENTFUL, AS WAS THE ONE TO. MILAN AND TO BARCELONA.

ARE FUN STARTED IN BARCELONA. WHAT STARTED AS A FRUSTRATING EVENT TURNED INTO MEETING TWO AMAZING MALAYSIAN WOMEN.

ARRIVING IN BARCELONA, WE FOLLOWED ALL THE SIGNS, OR SO WE THOUGHT, TO BAGGAGE CLAIM. OUR LUGGAGE WAS DUE IN ON CAROUSEL 12. WE ARRIVED AT BAGGAGE CLAIM WHERE THE CAROUSEL NUMBERS STARTED AT 20. AFTER REALIZING WE SIMPLY COULDN’T RETRACE OUR STEPS AS WE WERE LOCKED OUT OF THE TERMINAL, WE RESORTED TO A MAP, OR I SHOULD SAY HUGH RESORTED TO A MAP.

WHILE STUDYING THE MAP, TWO LADIES APPROACHED US. I RECOGNIZED THEM FROM OUR FLIGHT. THEY HAD BEEN CHECKING IN AT MILAN WHEN I NOTICED THEIR UNUSUAL PASSPORTS AND STOOD AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY WERE FROM. WE GOT TO TALKING, AS THEY TOO COULD NOT FIND THEIR LUGGAGE.

WE SENT HUGH OFF TO SORT IT OUT WHILE WE GOT ACQUAINTED. THEY WERE SISTERS AND THE OLDER SISTER, WHO WAS 78 WAS STARTING A RESTAURANT IN MILAN, AND HAD COME TO BARCELONA FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME. SHE ENCOURAGED ME TO VISIT KUALA LUMPUR. DURING THE CHAT WE EXCHANGED CONTACT INFORMATION, AND SHE PUT ME TO SHAME WITH HER COMFORT AND KNOWLEDGE OF WHATS APP. IN MY DEFENSE, I DID GET TO TEACH JULIANNA HER TRICKS.

ANYWAY HUGH ARRIVED BACK WITH OUR LUGGAGE AND SHOWED FRIEDA AND HER SISTER MAZNAH TO THE CORRECT ENTRANCE TO RECLAIM THEIR LUGGAGE.

AFTER SAFELY LANDING IN A CAB WITH OUR LUGGAGE, WE PRESUMED OUR ADVENTURES FOR THE DAY WERE OVER.

BARCELONA WAS PACKED WITH TRAFFIC, TO BE EXPECTED AT RUSH HOUR, AND THEN WE ENCOUNTER BARRICADES. THE CAB DRIVER SPOKE IN SPANISH TO A POLICEMEN, AND EXPLAINED HE COULDN’T GET US CLOSE TO THE HOTEL. HIS ENGLISH DIDN’T EXTEND TO EXPLAINING WHY OR WHAT WE WERE TO DO. BUT HE POINTED IN A DIRECTION, UNLOADED OUR SUITCASES ON A CHAOTIC STREET CORNER, took our money and left. We walked in the direction he pointed and did arrive in a few minutes to our hotel where we learned there was a demonstration going on.
Thankfully hotel reception sold us a bottle of wine and that was our dinner for the night.

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