#1613839 - 05/21/19 08:05 AM
Hello from Barcelona
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Marty Gilman
Official Planet Sax Monster - Planeteer/Artist # 117
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 26539
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida- U S A
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Will be home tomorrow. Three weeks without VS Planet has been tough.
We visited Azores, Madeiras, Marakesh/Casablanca, and spent a week in Spain.
-m
_________________________
Can you play that an octave louder?
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#1613844 - 05/21/19 12:41 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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pbrowne
Planeteer
Registered: 06/11/99
Posts: 6419
Loc: Loveland,CO,USA
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cool - we almost pulled the trigger on an Azores trip last year - what was that portion of your trip like?
_________________________
Send two dozen roses to Room 424 and put "Emily, I love you" on the back of the bill. Groucho Marx
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#1613845 - 05/21/19 12:50 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: pbrowne]
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JazAddict
Planeteer
Registered: 05/17/04
Posts: 18011
Loc: The West Coast of Florida
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 safe travels
_________________________
Liberty is inversely proportional to government. http://www.bobminer.net  Da Bears   Bob Miner
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#1613857 - 05/21/19 03:41 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: JazAddict]
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C Jo Go
EMERITUS ~ VS Roland
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 11/05/01
Posts: 36560
Loc: carmel valley,ca
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Were things "relatively" safe in Casablanca ? Bon Voyage
_________________________
Talent doesn't come by the hour
**( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡° )**
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#1613863 - 05/21/19 04:43 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: C Jo Go]
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Doofie
Doofie
Planeteer
Registered: 04/04/02
Posts: 14252
Loc: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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I've never been to Spain, but I kinda like the music.
Are the ladies really insane there?
Safe home.
_________________________
"On religion, the common man finds it to be true,
the wise man finds it foolish,
and the wealthy man finds it useful."
-Seneca The Younger ~76AD
I'm David McMillan. My friends call me Chuck.
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#1613876 - 05/21/19 07:16 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Doofie]
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Marty Gilman
Official Planet Sax Monster - Planeteer/Artist # 117
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 26539
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida- U S A
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Barcelona is fabulous in every way. We were not as pleased with our trip to morocco. It was dirty, not quite safe, and very hot.
The Azores was very very nice but we like the nearby Madera Islands even better.
More when we get home.
-m
_________________________
Can you play that an octave louder?
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#1613903 - 05/22/19 05:30 AM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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Doughboy
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 07/15/01
Posts: 26868
Loc: Gaylord, MI
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#1613916 - 05/22/19 03:02 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Doughboy]
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Marty Gilman
Official Planet Sax Monster - Planeteer/Artist # 117
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 26539
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida- U S A
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OK- home. Feels good.
The trip started with a 15 day cruise from Florida to the Madeiras, Azores, Morocco, and 3 cities in Spain (Cadiz, Málaga, and Barcelona, all fantastic). We always extend our stay in the last port, adding 4 more days in Barcelona this time.
The surprise was the Madeira Islands (Portugal) , so picturesque and our first time there. There were fabulous vistas from the many mountains.
We had been to the Azores before, very nice.
Morocco, as we were warned on the ship, was not too clean, safe or up to many Western standards. Polygamy is allowed my Muslim law if you are crazy enough to want more than one wife 
The praying 5 times a day makes me angry, as a form of manipuation and having to show you are "all in." Feel free to disagree.
The 2200 shops in Marakesh were quite similar, often selling Chinese-made goods disguised as local ware. There are no price tags. Eileen, a master at bargaining, bought three textile items after talking the merchant down to 20 when he first asked 90 Euros. She later made other purchases in the same manor.
There was a snake charmer with a (defanged) Cobra. I stopped to watch and had the guy sudenly put the snake around my neck so Eileen could take a photo. I was Ok with it until he agressively asked me for 20 Euros. I gave him the three I had in change and quickly left. He was unhappy. (too bad)
It was 100 degrees the day we visted, not fun. The 6 hour round trip on the bus from Casablanca, our port, was long and not the best use of our day in Morocco. Casablanca was dirty, large, and not hugely interesting to me.
Barcelona, our second time there, was great. we had already done the cumpulsory sights and just freelanced, eating, shopping, walking, and absorbing the lively culture. I also loved having the chance to get back into the Spanish language for a week. Many did not speak English and compliented me on my communication skills, cool.
You can eat cheaply , or spend whatever you want in Barcelona. I highly recommend visiting this city if you haven't.
Thanks for listening, amigos.
Let me know if you have any questions, other than about hasheesh
-m
_________________________
Can you play that an octave louder?
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#1613963 - 05/22/19 07:50 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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Xenophile
Planeteer
Registered: 09/27/00
Posts: 19128
Loc: Sacramento, CA, USA
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Bargaining with the local vendors can be fun. Never been to that part of the world, but we've been to China a few times. My wife always makes me walk separately because if she's seen with a white guy, the prices go up dramatically.
We went to visit the Great Wall outside of Beijing, and a lady wanted to sell me a pack of post cards for 20 yuen (about 4 dollars then), and I offered her 2. She gave me a dirty look and walked away. But when we came back down from the wall, she came back to me and offered me the same pack of cards for 5 yuen, so I bought them.
_________________________
"Bobby, I'm sorry you got a head like a potato. I really am."
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#1614021 - 05/23/19 02:04 AM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Xenophile]
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LarryG
Planeteer
Registered: 02/04/00
Posts: 3100
Loc: FL
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M -- Did ya get the chance to have any pa ella in Espana?
My favorite dish in any cuisine. (Mouth watering as I write this.)
/L
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/LarryG
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#1614059 - 05/23/19 11:00 AM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: LarryG]
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Marty Gilman
Official Planet Sax Monster - Planeteer/Artist # 117
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 26539
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida- U S A
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Larry, Paella is the national dish, impossible to avoid. The key spice is safron.
They sell various versions- seafood, sausage, chicken, and pork being the most common.
Seafood & chicken are my choices.
-m
_________________________
Can you play that an octave louder?
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#1614095 - 05/23/19 04:55 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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Xenophile
Planeteer
Registered: 09/27/00
Posts: 19128
Loc: Sacramento, CA, USA
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Wasn't that a pop song from the early 80's?
Ba-ba-ba-Barcelona!
_________________________
"Bobby, I'm sorry you got a head like a potato. I really am."
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#1614172 - 05/24/19 04:25 AM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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grachus
Planeteer/Artist # 92
Planeteer
Registered: 01/10/00
Posts: 11908
Loc: burlington ont, canada
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loved Portugal went there for my honeymoon wife want s to go to Spain..we might go to Italy in July and France....sounds to me like Casablanca is past its prime or is it political???
did you hear any local music??
did you buy any music or were you tempted to buy any instruments??
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Now is the time
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#1614200 - 05/24/19 01:35 PM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: grachus]
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Marty Gilman
Official Planet Sax Monster - Planeteer/Artist # 117
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 26539
Loc: Palm Beach, Florida- U S A
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Didn't see any music stores except one that sold sheet music.
Street music was accordian, guitar, and one Jazz band. We had the best music on the cruise ship, including a piano bar guy that could sing and play fantastically, with a repertoire that couldn't be equalled. The were a few shows with featured vocalists that were very good. We didn't catch any local clubs, too tired atthe en d of the day from walking.
This wasn't a music trip, really.
-m
_________________________
Can you play that an octave louder?
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#1614342 - 05/25/19 03:50 AM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: Marty Gilman]
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LarryG
Planeteer
Registered: 02/04/00
Posts: 3100
Loc: FL
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Never had pork paella. Interesting.
Gimme the seafood and sausage version with some good beer!
Glad you had a good time.
/L
_________________________
/LarryG
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#1614443 - 05/26/19 01:43 AM
Re: Hello from Barcelona
[Re: LarryG]
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Mooseboy
That's "MR. Asshole" to you, buddy!
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/24/99
Posts: 37248
Loc: Black Mountain Hills of Dakota
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Cool! We're heading for Barcelona this fall.
Just got back from Nashville.
_________________________
"My fingers go wiggle wiggle and the music goes jingle jangle and the crowd is happy"
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