Camp Nou.
I made it there. The grandest football venue in the world to watch Xavi, Iniesta, Messi and co. pass the ball around. And to top it all, I bought a front row seat to get as close as possible to the action. That morning, I peeped through Messi's Masserati when he got stranded in front of the gate, and later that evening he was kicking a ball 10 feet away from me. Anyway, my happiness had to be limited somehow, and so to bring about some balance, the match ended goalless with Messi missing a penalty. oh what the hell, the didnt stop the match from being one of the best experiences ever.
It was the highlight of my Spain trip. I was spellbound by the Flamenco show also. I had lots of time, and was in relaxing mood, so I didnt walk around the cities too much. In keeping with Spanish tradition, I also took a siesta almost every day. I saw a bit of Madrid and then spent a few days in Barcelona checking out the city in the morning and lazing around the beach the rest of the day. I chatted up some people and we shared our stories, but the most significant one was my conversation with a German on my way to Munich after landing. He was a retired honcho at Siemens with a holiday home in Spain. For an hour he talked about his life, and Spain and Germany and India, and philosophy and I was just listening so intently. It was interesting to hear him crib about how Germans follow the rules all the time, even during leisure. He had been to India many times for business, and I asked him if he plans to visit again. I almost cried when he said he will never go to India again because he cannot see hungry dying people outside when he steps out of his luxurious hotel. Then he got talking about home and family and money and the joy of having a beer at a local bar with his family and friends. He was reiterating many thoughts in my head and I began to wonder that this can't be a coincidence. He was my 'wise old man'. I was waiting for an epiphany to change my mind, but the opposite happened.
It was a good way to end my much awaited Spain trip. Next time, I will for sure visit the smaller towns and islands instead. Anyway, that wrapped up my Eurotrips for the time being. It is about time I sorted all the pics.
