Day 11 - Barcelona to Paris

This was the day we left Barcelona. We woke up at 8 or 9 and did our usual relaxed morning routine (including croissants and rolls from that bakery). Our flight was at 4pm (checkin at 2), so we made sure to leave by noon. The metro ride to the train station was pretty quick and easy, but we were very confused as which train to board to get to the airport. We finally figured it out, but then naturally had to wait an extra 25 minutes for a train to actually show up. By the time we got on the train, it was past 1, and I was already a little stressed. So when a street performer started playing xmas music really loud right next to us in the crowded train car, I really just wanted to punch him.

After standing on the train for 20 minutes with our luggage, we made it to the airport. We thought we were checking in from Terminal 2 zone B, but after running up and down the 100+ checkin stands twice, we finally realized it was moved to zone C. (At first I was pissed at easyjet, but I later realized they told me in some email that they switched checkin zones). So after walking 15 minutes, partially through the rain, we arrived at checkin at 2:00, right as it started, all ready to see a huge line. However, apparently the last massive checkin line we saw can be blamed entirely on the Italian airport and not on easyjet - our checkin line was non-existent. Instead of 50 exasperating minutes, it took all of 2 easy minutes to checkin and head off to our gate.

However, since we were all ready and there on time the flight was naturally delayed 80 minutes back to 5:20pm. After waiting around the gates for a number of hours we were able to board. The flight was fine, quick, and relatively on time after it's initial delay. We landed around 7:20pm or so. After waiting 20 minutes for our luggage, we worked our across the airport to the train station. Because the ticket machines don't accept bills (just coins) or foreign credit cards (for 8 euro tickets) we had to stand in a huge 30 minute line for tickets. We finally got them, and after another 15 minutes or so of waiting for the train, we were on our way to Paris.

However, we had to make a switch to the metro, and we were very confused about how to get through the gates, since all the ticket machines were on the OTHER side of the gates that we needed a ticket to get through. Luckily the gates were nice enough to accept our train tickets, and we were off again. By this point we were tired and grouchy (and I'm pretty sure Lauren was about one more flight of stairs away from leaving her suitcase behind) and we emerged in the rain. I wasn't exactly sure which way we were supposed to go, but luckily we picked the correct direction and found our cross street, and soon after, our hotel.

It was 10pm by now and we had very little to eat since we left 10 hours ago, so after checking in we found a nice little restaurant. It was a nice a little French-Middle Eastern place, so I had some of the best couscous ever (though Lauren wasn't a huge fan of her food). After that we got back to the hotel and promptly passed out - The End (of this day anyway).

Sorry - Grouchy travelers tend to not want to mess with their cameras. No pictures from today (you're lucky there was even one picture from our last big travel day)