Day 4; Barcelona

Getting used to a 9-hour time change is brutal.  We spent most of the day lying in bed, surfing the Internet, interspersed with 2-hour naps...

We had originally woken up at 4am local time and my husband suggested breakfast.  Unfortunately, breakfast via room service was not available at the hotel until 6am, so we checked our email and caught up on DrudgeReport.com, ee.USAtoday.com, and FoxNews.com.  We have yet to turn on a television here; I do not even know if they offer channels that are in English.

Our breakfast was delicious and I must admit, I over-indulged.  Soon thereafter, came the inevitable "food coma."  For those not familiar with the term "food coma," it is defined in Urban Dictionary as follows:

• A state in which a person is generally lethargic, lazy, and very full from eating a large meal. A large meal shall be defined as a meal containing high amounts of carbohydrates.
• After eating such a meal, a person usually cannot eat anymore because they are too tired to carry on.
• A common cause of such weariness can be directly related to eating turkey at Thanksgiving. Turkey contains Tryptophan, a sleep-inducing chemical. 
• The real cause of Food Coma comes from eating too much carbs that will eventually break down in the stomach, causing an inordinate amount of blood to rush to the system.
• To relieve the effects of food coma, one can unbutton their pants so their stomach can expand beyond normal perameters.
• Also, it is advised that a person take a short nap, followed by a large dessert. 

We finally ventured outside at 2pm and walked along the beach in beautiful Barceloneta.  We meandered several streets and decided upon dining for lunch at a little Italian restaurant.  A few minutes later, my cell phone rang and an instant smile played on my face; my son Robert was finished with class for the day and wanted to meet with us.  I gave him the address of the restaurant and for the next 15 minutes, could not take my eyes off of the doorway, anxious to see my "baby" (note:  subject "baby" is 6'4").

As soon as he walked in the door, I bursted into tears and stood to hug him.  Skype is wonderful for keeping in touch with loved ones, but nothing heals the soul like a good, old-fashioned hug.  I finally broke free and let my husband get a hug from him.  I can share. 

Robert gave us a quickie tour of the metro transit system.  He took us to the Segrada Familia (Sacred Family cathedral), an incredible Roman Catholic church in Barcelona designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852–1926).  More on that later on, as it was too late to enter the cathedral and venture up to the top.  We will definitely revisit.

It has been said that the estimated completion date of this church will be in 2026, but has also been rumored to be completely finished in the next 60 years...

After a brief visit to Robert's dorm room, the three of us headed to a local restaurant favorite for dinner (seems so far, it's all about eating and sleeping!).  Tomorrow, I will check email again, and hope to find something from my soldier. G'nite all.