Where to stay in Barcelona

The other morning, before stepping into the shower, on impulse I reached out for those adorable complimentary bottles of Prija toiletries.

And within minutes, eyes closed under the soothing hot water, inhaling that intoxicating ginger aroma, I was back in Barcelona, in room 41 of the Musik boutique hotel.

I think it was sheer luck that we ended up there. In recent trips, Hubby chose our lodgings via Airbnb, for the most part. But this time, for no special reason, he looked at hotels. Not the big fat ones on main boulevards, but rather small ones on side streets. And so it was that he came across this quiet-looking hotel, with subdued decor and clean lines, infused with splashes of my favorite color. Yes, purple: go look at the hotel's website :-)

Still, it takes more than aesthetics to make a place comfortable. By the time we got there, we were rather knocked out from the journey, though a TLV-BCN flight is not a long one. We'd decided to get to the hotel by public transport. Barcelona public transport is excellent, once you get your bearings. But that first day, bus #46 from the airport dumped us at the spacious Placa d'Espanya,

and -- not knowing any better -- we took the Metro line #1, dragging our suitcases up and down flights of stairs, got off at Urquinaona, and got totally mixed up before realizing how close we were to our destination and walking down C. Saint Pere Mes Baix. There, at number 62, we saw the welcoming glass doors with the purple logo.

Sorry, that was a long digression.

We were welcomed by David and Daniel at the reception desk, which looked nothing like the formal-to-foreboding desks at big hotels. Everything was simple, relaxed and friendly. My amateurish photos of the room don't do it justice, but I'll upload one anyway, complete with our messy stuff on the desk, just so that you know how at-home we felt:

Breakfast is from 07:30 to 10:30, so we could sleep in if we so wished, or start our day early (in vacation terms) if we wanted to beat the crowds. The buffet was perfect, with something for everyone. I was rather unadventurous, sticking to pineapple, whole-wheat toast, butter, cheese, honey, and two big cups of coffee with hot milk. As I remembered correctly from our previous visits to Spain (1999, 2002, 2012), the coffee is usually delicious and strong; too strong for me, which is why I appreciate being able to add half a cup of hot milk to it.

Buffet

Coffee, tea, milk, toaster, etc

Here are the buffet, coffee machine, etc:














A word about the colorful Carrer Saint Pere Mes Baix and similar pretty streets: When the shops are open, it is both eye-catching and pleasant to browse, not to mention extremely convenient. Whatever you need, it'll be just a few steps away. Be it a Supermercat, a Farmacia, shoes, bags, clothes, art, or souvenirs and knick-knacks.
However, siesta-time is a cherished tradition here, and from about 2 to 4 pm all shops close down. With heavy metal shutters. Which are often covered in drawings or painting ranging from coarse-looking graffiti to beautiful, imaginative art. So the first time we walked down this street, when everything was closed, we weren't quite sure whether we liked the environment, the atmosphere. But soon enough we felt quite at home. Which doesn't mean you shouldn't heed the usual travel warnings concerning pickpockets.

Last few words before you get distracted by WhatsApp or Facebook or a sudden yen for chocolate:
Obviously, there's lots more to say about Barcelona. But the point of this post was to tell you how much we enjoyed our week-long stay at the Musik hotel. The small staff was obviously hand-picked by a boss (Alina) who's a good judge of character. David, Daniel and Alessandro at the the front desk; Esmeralda who works the night shift; Mabel and Elvis in the dining room and other duties; Bogdan and Georgeana behind the scenes. Hats off and a warm thank-you to you all. Hope to see you again.

Trip to Russia - Safety First!

Or: How my wallet was stolen

This should probably have been the first installment of my Russia series. But I didn't want to discourage you... It's not as if our little group was set upon by vicious brigands. Rather, it's how careless I was, and how you should learn from my mistakes.

The embarrassing story:
It was Tuesday morning, the third day of our organized trip, and our last day in St. Petersburg before sailing off to Mandrogi and other pretty places along rivers, lakes and canals on our way to Moscow.
We got up early-ish, and reached the world-famous Hermitage by ten a.m. Now, it's easy for me to say "world-famous", but I'd only first heard of it in the early 1990s, when Dmitri, a co-worker, (yes, a Russian), was disgusted at our ignorance. "Our" being his Israeli team-mates at LOGAL Educational Software, and our ignorance referred to our never having heard of the Hermitage museum.

Our small group stood a while in the long queue, and eventually joined the crowds in the museum's fancy corridors. Just so that you get an idea of what I'm talking about, here's a pic. The tourists in the foreground ("downstage") are my tour-mates:

A corridor in the Hermitage museum, St. Petersburg, Aug 11, 2015

We spent under 2 hours at the Hermitage, which is nothing, really. But time was short, the schedule was busy, and people had expressed their desire to have some free time to stroll Nevsky Boulevard and perhaps sit at a local cafe rather than have lunch consisting of an unappetizing lunch-box while sitting on the lawn in the park nearby.

I can't say exactly when I was pick-pocketed because, obviously, I felt nothing. As far as I know, I clutched my small, red, cross-body bag close to me at all times. But the place was crowded. I must have, at some point, raised my arms, perhaps to take a picture or just push the hair out of my face -- who knows. It was only a few hours later, once we were on the tour bus, that I looked at the messages on my iPhone telling me to contact my credit-card companies urgently... In disbelief, I checked my bag: no wallet. Absolutely and definitely. It couldn't possibly be hiding. It just wasn't there. Well -- you know the drill: Call your credit card company asap and cancel your card/s. And as soon as you have a chance, go online and check your credit and/or debit charges. "My" pickpocket was extremely swift and efficient, apparently, and must have made a dash for the nearest shops, where he or she spent a pretty penny. (As I write these lines, most of the charges have been cancelled, after the appropriate formalities.)

Helge looking at a flattering photo of me
he'd taken when we met in Toronto, winter 1972

My wallet had contained 2 credit cards and one debit card, not to mention some cash, a few photos of loved ones, a couple of business cards, and a small silver pendant that says I Love You, which I got from my ex-Norwegian penpal, Helge Blucher, when I met him for the first time (in Toronto, Canada, 1972) after having corresponded with him for nearly ten years. It was my good luck charm and had accompanied me in my travels for dozens of years.

As for the wallet itself -- it was a souvenir from our Thailand trip, an elephant(?) leather thingy dyed purple. My daughters thought it hideous.

As you can see, by this time we were at the glorious Peterhof Gardens, and I'm carrying my red bag sloppily on my shoulder, no longer caring whether anyone tries to fish anything out of it, since there was nothing left in it worth stealing. A small packet of tissues? Lip balm? Mints?..

Naturally, when my tour-mates found out about my plight, they were disgusted with how careless I'd been, and full of advice on what kind of bag I should have carried, and how silly it was of me to bring along three credit cards rather than one; or how I should have kept my valuables in a money belt covered by my T-shirt, and how I should get a form from the local полиция (police) confirming that I had reported the theft.

Naturally, I'd done none of the above. I can't stand money-belts -- they're extremely uncomfortable. I always take with me more than one credit card. And there's no way I could have gone to the local police; we were on an organized trip and had to get back to the boat on time, before it sailed without us. As for a cross-body bag that zips up more securely -- sure! Excellent idea. I've been having a whale of a time googling "secure anti-theft cross-body bags". My current favorite is this one. What do you think -- is $72 a reasonable price?

Tips before a trip to Russia, #2 - don't travel light

Okay, so we touched upon food & drink, cabin size, and general preparedness. When traveling for the first time to a foreign country, you should expect it to be "different". I don't see the point of traveling abroad if you're going to turn your nose up at local stuff and keep saying "we do this better at home". Which was the attitude taken by a few of my co-travelers.

But when in Russia, no matter where you hail from there are some things you can't possibly do "better", I suspect. No one can do Russian mentality and attitude as well as the Russians :-)

Back to hopefully-helpful tips: (the first four appear in my previous post.)

5. The weather: So what if the weather forecast displayed blue skies and warm temps? Who are you going to believe -- some pretentious little app on your smartphone, or your own experience that says "Weather is Fickle and Not to be Trusted"?  I consulted the Internet over and over again, as well as my Russian friend from exercise class. They were unanimous: Peter (the locals' name for Saint Petersburg) will be cool, Moscow will be warm, or hot.
For the first time in my traveling life, I decided to travel light. Big, big mistake. As it happened, Peter and the villages & towns along the river (Mandrogi, Kitzhi, Goritsy, Yaroslavl, Uglich) ranged from T-shirt weather to shivering-in-my-sweatshirt-and-scarf weather; while Moscow was downright cold in Israeli terms, i.e. 9-15 deg C (= 48-60 deg F). For locals that's super-mild, of course. I would have been far more comfortable had I packed a few more long-sleeved tops and a warmer coat.

T-shirt weather @ Peterhof Gardens

All bundled up on the way to Uglich. Nina in orange coat.

Which brings us to tip #6

6. Don't travel light: Last time I traveled to the U.S. and Canada (April-May 2015), I was determined to travel light. I knew that I'd never be far away from shops, whether in town or en route. Why, half the fun is saying, "Ooh, I've run out of body lotion", or "Gosh, it's cooler than I expected", and popping into a local shop. This was not the case in our Russian trip. The river boat, M/S Rublev, had a busy souvenir shop, but nowhere to buy toiletries or an extra pair of socks. The tourist-trap stalls do not carry bottles of cough syrup. And though I didn't look into it, I suspect a pair of Nikes costs far more on Nevsky Prospect than in your home town.

Among the items that I or my fellow travelers were happy they'd brought along were:
- Their fave brand of coffee/tea
- Their fave shampoo/conditioner
- Hair dryer, curling iron, hair-straightener
- Granola bars
- Tablet, iPad, (in addition to smartphone, obviously!) chargers for them and for any other electronic equipment
- Walking-stick with folding seat
- Umbrella

Laundry:
Small items such as lingerie and socks could be washed in the tiny washbasin in the tiny bathroom, using the complimentary bottles of shower gel or shampoo (because, for your hair, you'd obviously prefer using your own stuff); and they took a day or two to dry in the cabin. Larger items could be handed in. Laundry costs were around 70 rubles per T-shirt and 30-35 rubles for smaller items. Jeans probably cost more. So do you own math.

Items I could have done without:
- Book. I'm in the midst of The Reluctant Fundamentalist. It's interesting. I want to know what happens next. But I didn't have the time or energy to continue reading it on this trip. Hubby did find the time/energy to read books on his iPad. Don't ask me how.

7. Souvenirs: By now we should all know to beware of tourist traps, right? How much are you willing to pay for a matryoshka? How many of them do you need? How many of your friends and neighbors would really like to have one? The typical multicolored shawl or kerchief: Can you really tell the difference between an expensive authentic one, and a cheap synthetic imitation? Do you really need another kerchief? God knows I don't. Will your friend ever wear it, except, perhaps, on Purim? As for the coarse linen clothes and knits -- personally, I don't care for them; and if I change my mind, there are several Russian shops in the center of Rishon LeZion that carry them.
Keep in mind that you'll see more-or-less the same stuff everywhere you go, at different prices.
Yes, of course I bought a few souvenirs! I don't practice everything I preach; that would be inhuman.)

That's all for today; but there are more Important Tips to come!

Tips before a trip to Russia, #1 - of cabins, food and drink

So you've decided to go on an organized tour of Russia.

Why organized? Because that's the kind of trip we went on, so that's all I know, for now.
As for "Russia" -- it's a huge country, you know, so take into account that I only visited a bit of St. Petersburg a.k.a. Sanct Peterburg, Санкт-Петербург, a bit of Moscow a.k.a. Moskva, Москва, some rivers, canals, villages and cities in-between, and the ins and outs of a river boat.

River boat M/S Andrei Rublev, moored at Uglich

All that took 11 days and 10 nights, leaving me and most of my fellow-travelers exhausted. So I hope you're either young, or fit, or both.

Israel is notorious for its strenuous organized tours. The local agencies, familiar with their target audience and knowing that people want to feel that they're getting their money's worth, cram as much as they can into their itinerary, rushing people off their feet from dawn to dusk, or more accurately,  from early morning till late at night. I don't know how you, dear readers, feel about this. As for me, I prefer to sleep in when on vacation. And on every other day as well. So getting up around six a.m. is practically a nightmare for me.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. First things first:

1. Learn Russian. Okay, let me qualify that: Teach yourself the Cyrillic alphabet. If you're used to English, French, Spanish and the like, you'll find the Russian alphabet rather confusing. You look at the Russian sign above a shop or establishment, see the word ресторан, and mumble to yourself, "Pectopah? What on earth do they mean? Something to do with pectorals, maybe? Is this a gym, perchance?" Only to find out that it's pronounced "restauran", which is a perfectly understandable word.

Once you get acquainted with the alphabet, you'll find that you can make sense of lots of signs that provide a tourist with useful info. You'll be able to identify a traffic Stop sign (no, they do not use the standard hand symbol!), the location of bars and pubs, a few words on the menu (e.g. for soup, yogurt, banana, tea, coffee and more); and last but not least: туалет = toilet.

So, unlike my first tip concerning language in my China trip post, I am totally serious here.
Of course, you could travel with a Russian-speaking buddy and just follow him/her like a puppy. But I assure you you'll be awfully proud of yourself when you manage to figure out some of the words.
And remember the essential "please", "thank you", "hello", and "how much [does it cost]?" In transliteration, respectively: Pazhalista, spasiba, privyet, skolka soit...? [point to desired item].

2. Pick your travel agency with care. Research. Google. Ask friends for recommendations. Then go to their office if possible, or phone them, ask as many questions as you can think of, and write down the answers. Ask for the website addresses of the hotel/s or ship you'll be staying at; ask for names of the guides who will accompany you; make sure they speak your language fluently; ask for names of and contact details of previous travelers to your destination of choice. Read proposed tour plans. 

None of these steps are foolproof. But the more you know, the more prepared you are, the better.
For example: 
- We were told in advance that the cabins we would be assigned on the ship were small. We could easily see the cabins on YouTube, for example, and on the ship's website. So when we got there, we were not a bit surprised, and made ourselves comfortable. (No point in uploading a pic of a pristine, unlived-in room...)

Cabin #230, main deck

Another couple from our group, however, may not have looked into this issue, so when they walked into their cabin, they nearly had a fit, and demanded to be moved to a more spacious cabin. Which cost more, of course.

Nina doing her Russian homework

3. Food: Remember, you're in Russia. The food will most likely be either Russian, or an attempt at western/European food. It may not be what you're used to. But no worries! The big cities (certainly Moscow and Saint Petersburg) have plenty of McDonalds, McCafe, Burger King, Starbucks, and KFC. Of these, only KFC retained its English letters; the others' names are written in Cyrillic letters, which make them look weird... But the logos remain the same, and I'm sure you'll easily identify them. The  prices of light meals such as a sandwich or a salad at one of the bars aboard the Rublev were very reasonable, compared to Tel Aviv, say. See prices, in Rubles, below: (Yes, a sandwich is under a dollar, a Greek salad just over 2 dollars.)

However, the size of said salad or sandwich may be smaller than you are used to... For dessert, for instance, one of the options (after dinner) was always a so-called fruit platter. Which typically looked like this:

4. Drink: We were warned not to drink tap water. Bottles of mineral water were available on the boat, costing 130 rubles for a 1.3 liter bottle. That's just under 2 US dollars, or 1.65 Euro, or 7.30 NIS as I write, i.e. at late August 2015 exchange rates. That adds up if you consume a bottle or more a day. So, if convenient, buy water at any grocery or mini-market you come across. The sign will say something like продукт or similar, which -- once you've practiced your alphabet -- will sound like "product" or "products", which you can easily make sense of.

But cheer up! Beer and other spirits are relatively cheap! With special discounts during Happy Hour.(See below.)

On that happy note, I shall call it a day, and write my next list of tips as soon as possible.
See next list here.

Drinks menu #1 (prices in Rubles)

Drinks menu #2

Soft drinks & hot beverages