I took a few pictures....

Well I am in the Geneva airport awaiting  my Air Canada flight to Vancouver via Montreal.  My brother came with me to the airport which was nice... With a stop at a Portuguese bakery. ...mmmmm

French remains the language that I hear, although when I speak ... French mixed with Spanish comes out...

'Passport please. Montreal. Why?'

'I am going home. I live in Vancouver.'

Flight not so bad- 7 hours & something.  

I watched ...Identity Theft, Europa, and Arthur, (Unfinished Song).  Amusing, ok, and quite good in that order. 

Bienvenue a Montreal!

Found my luggage, declared my cheese... because I'm that kinda person. He gave me an 'ok' when I told him it was vacuum packed.  

Bye luggage see ya at YVR. 

And now two hours....

But I brought a little bit of Switzerland with me. For the record I really like the regular milk chocolate variety best, but they had that only in a large size in the airport. 

And I actually brought a lot of Switzerland with me, but it's in my checked luggage!

Hmmm....

It was windy and cold in Geneva and now there is snow on the ground here!  

I know, it's called winter.  And I do know that Whistler opened early this winter. 

It will be cold in my house that has not sold and I will light a fire and curl up with the cats. 

I actually do have a winter coat with me as I needed it for cushy packing of some homemade jam.  It's a dry cold and my body is missing the humidity.  

I am back in my 3G neighbourhood. 

I just spent at least 20 minutes on the phone with my phone carrier.... putting the long distance international restrictions back on my phone. 

It was interesting depending on Wifi.

Says a lot about where we are in the world when one can do a pilgrimage though the countryside and still find weefee every night.  I would say Portugal was better at that- the albergues had wifi and I did not need to go searching. 

They say - whoever they are- that life is never the same after Camino. That can be said about many of the events in my life, I suppose. 

It will be hard to return to work, for all the reasons I want to move on from my work. 

I think this trip re affirmed that I like small communities rather than cities, that I want to simplify my life, and that people drive too fast.  

I also already knew that I like sheep, I worked with some briefly some 25 years ago.  In case you were wondering, I am not planning on keeping sheep with my tiny house and fruit trees.  

It would be really cool to have grapes though and make my own wine.... But I know it takes years to establish that ...

I will have to stop overeating and drinking soon.  The vacation is almost over.  I think that I have gained weight - leg muscles yes, but...

My right leg is still a little swollen with plane travel, (more than left). 

I have .... are you ready for this.... 1475 or so pictures on my phone's camera roll.  A few are black pictures to show me where the day starts and some are zoom ins.  That is a lot of pictures and my phone, like me sometimes was having memory issues on this trip. 

At first I deleted many apps that I did not need for more space on my phone.  I deleted all of the topo maps I had downloaded.  

Then I took drastic measures in Santiago. I deleted ALL of my music.  I am not listening to it while I travel and I can put it back on from my computer at home. 

In the days to come I might try and figure out what I spent on this trip. 

There is a birthday today, so it's time for a call to family. 

And oh oh... Twitter says Air Canada has issued a travel advisory for parts of Ontario and Quebec. Perhaps it will be a bumpy flight. There is light snow outside, however it appears that it is finally time to board my plane.  De icing and away we went... 6 more hrs confined to a chair. 

I did not rest well on this flight from Montreal.... Restless and too warm. 

I watched 'Two Guns' and I think everyone except Denzel Washington and Mark Walberg was shot and killed. 

So when I needed to watch something else I chose a cartoon about a best and a deer. I missed the last 10 minutes when we landed. 

Land.. Luggage.. Sky Train.. Seabus.. Taxi.. Car home by 2300 hrs PST, 0800 hrs the next day Geneva time. Almost 24 hrs from I left for the airport. 

Yea!  ... But boo because my trip is over. 

And it was a fabulous trip!!

And kids are happy I am home. 

Sun rises as the trips ends...

Well I slept well in my private dorm room. Up early, shower and away in hotel- airport shuttle at about 0610 hrs. 

Dropped off my backpack and received my boarding pass ... I was planning on being early, rather than late...

But I was indeed early and I had a wait. 

I think only me and about two others in the whole waiting lounge seemed to care the sun was coming up and it was beautiful!

Then finally we were in the air. 

I know how well pictures from buses look... 

So here are pictures from an airplane!!

Anyone for a cruise on the Spanish or French Rivera?

Oh and look the clouds cleared and the Pryenees and the French Alps were looking pretty cool.....

It's a slow news day, so lotsa plane pics!

Mt. Blanc was on the other side of the plane. ...

Finally I arrived in Geneva.  I turned my airplane mode off and received a text from my brother explaining to me that as an arriving passenger I could get a free bus ticket to town from the machine near the luggage claim.  What a nice idea. Finally found the right bus to my brother's office. 

We visited the Museum of Red Cross/ Red Crescent.  It was really cool .. I interacted with videos of people who told me their stories. .... You have go there..

Then we hit the store so I could buy some cheese... Guyere cheese!

Here is my selfie in the shopping mall with my Barca scarf and my little backpack on my hip making me look twice as wide!  Did I wine about my impulse buying of the scarf... Last years' colours!!

Then the best part of the evening... 

We went to the cafe de soleil for fondue!

It was yummy!!

And fun was had by all!  Nathalie is hiding. 

And a round of creme brule for dessert!

Sadly my great holiday is almost at its end. One more sleep and back to Canada tomorrow!

But something that is really exciting is that I get to wear different clothes tomorrow .... Jeans, no hiking boots!

It's in the details ....

I slept in to about 0900 hrs, and was warmer with a second blanket.  

Bettina was not feeling well and only Traute was down at breakfast.  Kristian, the other helpful lad at this hostel was playing some Rodriguez from their tunes, then he pulled out the guitar and sang us House of the Riding Sun. 

Had a cup of coffee at the hostel while the phone charged for the day. Then I am off... Bought a pastry for breakfast. 

This is my hood, my subway stop...

First destination Park Guell.  From the subway station it was up, up up...but look they have outside escalators!

It was a great day for a big view. I did not find a great unobstructed viewing area though....

There is the Sagrada Famillia ...I will be closer to it later. 

Then on to the Park ...

I really did not know what I was about to see. 

Park admission lets me into an area that was designed by Guell and Guadi. It was originally designed as an exclusive neighbourhood for rich folks, but only a few lots sold.  And eventually given to the city.  Really funky architecture here...

Check out the broken tiles on the ledge. 

This is up on that ledge...

Okay closer look at ledge and view. 

This is underneath the ledge and columns. 

I could wait forever to get a picture with no one .. Instead here is a happy tourist couple. I did not get their names. 

This was a gift shop inside now. 

And you can see the queue on this one. 

But I waited my turn to go in. 

And took pictures while I waited. 

You know ... of all the people taking pictures. 

There were some little videos that played in each room about Gaudi and Guell.  The rooms were small with curvy walls and fun windows... Hard to capture with a picture. So I did not take any inside. 

Back to the metro ... Look at all the Catalan flags...

Okay this is the biggest vending machine I have ever seen. 

Now I am out on the street looking for two famous Gaudi designs... 

Nope not here. 

This the first... The Pedrera or Casa Mila

And then a walk around ... There are a lot of motor bikes in Barcelona. 

Cool buildings ..

Then after awhile this is finally located... Casa Batllo. 

Hobbit house on steroids...?

Then on to find the Sagrada Famillia.  I stopped in another Starbucks for directions and a coffee. 

Oh my, look what I found. 

... should I follow it?

You may remember I went by this when I first arrived from the airport. 

Still major construction going on.. Maybe finished by 2015 they say...

I decided not to go in as the line was quite long.  Every part of it is so detailed. 

Not sure what the story of the fruit is...

Then back on the metro to Barceloneta. This is an area near the Watetfront where I was yesterday... but different. 

Beach.  Surf is up!

Now this is a sand castle

I was waiting for this guy to catch a wave.. But it did not really happen. 

Looking back north or north east. 

Then I remebered that I had not eaten all day and went into a Buenas Migas for a focaccia bread and brie pizza like thing and a very dense granola bar called a flapjack that came with yogurt. 

Happy lobster...

And so as the sun sets on Barcelona.... my time in this little town is just about done. 

I am tired of walking again, so it is an easy decision to grab the metro back home rather than walk Las Ramblas one more time. 

I have asked if I could get into a private room tonight.  I have to be up really early to get to the airport.  I did not want to wake everyone with shower and packing.

They have given me a bed in another bunk room, but I will be alone. The bathroom is now down the hall and I am next to the street.  They have not charged me extra.  I promise to give them a good review. 

I have decided to have a car to the airport rather than metro and train.