Magic Grand Prix

The stepson loves "Magic The Gathering, a role playing card game similar to the old Dungeons and Dragons.  It's been around for 20 years and has grown in popularity around the world.  He's been playing the game for about three years now, and for the past year or so, participating in pretty intense games at a local Denver shop called "The Wizards Chest".  Sort of the equivalent of going from poker in your living room to poker up at Black Hawk.  Pre-Vegas poker.

Internationally, he checked out Europe before we arrived and found Grand Prix games in four cities over the course of this year.  Stop one, Barcelona.  A city I have longed to visit for decades.  The architecture, the food, the culture, all have appealed to me.  So I find myself in a quaint, 15 foot ceiling apartment built about 300 years ago.  It's a studio conversion with it's own separate bathroom and kitchenette.  Plenty big enough for the three "single" beds we needed, a small bistro table and two Juliet style balconnettes.  It is gorgeous and we are loving the location, close to the waterfront and La Rambla.

They have a robust metro service as well.  After traveling in on Wednesday we were able to get two solid workdays in on Thursday and Friday afternoon, spending the mornings traversing the city and one evening at a lovely Lebanese restaurant.  It's definitely different from the middle eastern food I am used to, with rich combinations of flavors, liberal use of chick peas and peppers, fresh herbs including cilantro and a grilled aspect to it all.  The mint tea was absolutely delicious.  So if you are here, eat at "Beirut", near the La Rambla section of Barcelona.  You will not be disappointed.

While out yesterday though, the hubs got a ferocious toothache flareup, and worried that it was his recent root canal.  Off he went to British Dental Clinic, and it turns out it is the one next to the recent root canal, also needing root canal.  And it's only $450 if he were here for the three sessions.  They did session one, then packed it and put him on antibiotics, sessions 2 and 3 to be done in Paris upon our return.  And my blood work, over $800 in US was $276 in Paris.  This was not intended to be a medical vacation but it's nice to know the care is there and the price is right!

We purchased Cigna Global medical coverage with a high deductible so all receipts are being saved.  And I don't think we'll come close if costs keep showing up to be so low.  Happy dance!

Oh and Paella and baked Sea Urchins!  Yum.