Caprese extra

Tonight was my third meal in La Piadina, a hidden treasure in Gràcia off of Plaça de la Virreina that serves Italian flatbread filled with cheeses, meats, vegetables--in short, all of the ingredients that constitute one of my greatest pleasures, especially at 10 PM. I wish that I had a photo, because I'm left flustered when I attempt to describe the feel of the place. 

In any case, it turns out that I don't have much to write, because it seems that it was an almost entirely perfect night--piadinas, walking around in Gràcia, having tea and baklawa, and enjoying the company of some of my closest friends. It's always easier for me to complain on this thing, anyway.

What I wanted to say, though, was that I heard "Mad World" playing in La Piadina for the second time. It's a sad song, but it's also very comforting, mixed in with a montage of memories from high school. As it was playing, I realized how much I'm going to miss this place in three months. Despite the stress, the culture shock, the uncertainty, I've never been so consistently at ease, sipping tea with pine nuts in a Syrian restaurant or laughing too hard at Raïm and completely relishing the warm presence of the people who make me forget whatever unpleasant experiences I've had here. Grand Rapids, Chicago, Buenos Aires, and now Barcelona--it's more or less true that life is a succession of people saying goodbye. 

I still have three months, though, and I think that things will only continue to get better. (Re: The Beatles--I won't apologize.)