Barcelona and The Rolling Stones!

Happy Birthday Heda! 34 years and couldn't be happier! When I heard that The Rolling Stones were going on tour when I was going to be in Europe I had to jump at the chance to see Mick Jagger, 73 years young and still rocking and rolling! My AMAZING father and mother bought me tickets for my birthday prior to leaving the states and I had the time of my life! Barcelona baby!

I flew from Lisbon to Barcelona just after returning from Morocco for a 48 hour world wind trip that will forever be unforgettable!

I arrived on a Tuesday night and checked into my Airbnb right off Las Rambles with a lovely woman named Ina. Cute little apartment with a cat named Gato. *Gato is from Finland and he has a passport. As I was about leave for dinner and explore Barcelona I met Oscar who lived their as well. He gave me some advice on where to go eat and we spoke about hashish. After my amazing Mediterranean dinner I met a young man that took me to a smoke cafe. Being from California it was like finding heaven in Europe! Home again, home again jiggidy jog! Then I got lost, and walked in circles because I knew the same Pakistani man that kept trying to sell me a beer on the same corner. Yep, I've been here before. Then I found Gato and Gato lead me home. Zzzzzz....

7am, Wednesday morning. Day of the concert! Go baby go! Heda's excited!

Oscar was just coming home as I was waking up and we crossed paths in the kitchen. He said "I'm about to roll, do you want to smoke?" I said, "Yeah!" Told him I had picked up some weed the night before. He was like awesome! "Did you pay the 20 for the card?" ...No. "Good girl."

So we proceeded to the terrace, a slanted terrace I might add with a really tiny door. I hit my head on that doorway 7 times in less than 12 hours even though it was clearly marked "Mind your head" Oscar cracked open a beer and we smoked a splif together. *that's hash and tobacco, what they smoke in Europe. Different than California weed. But it gets the job done.

Then Ina came out frustrated because she was having to reset all of her passwords. Been there girl! Then I felt like it was appropriate to bust out my apple Jack Daniels that I had purchased at the duty free store. So now the 3 of us were drinking Jack, smoking splifs and discussing the world. Both Oscar and Ina had moved to Barcelona from Finland. Did you know that it's dark 24 hours a day for 6 months out of the year??? "Why would anyone want to live there?" I asked.

Oscar said, "They never leave." Climate change was a big topic we discussed.... After the hurricane in Texas, the fires in California, the pyramids in Antarctica we came to the conclusion that Mother Earth is NOT HAPPY! Be kind to her. This our planet. Love and respect it.

So, onto the concert! After a lovely morning which I though I would be exploring Barcelona on my one day there I was really happy that I decided to hang out with Oscar and Ina. 12:30 pm I decided to take a nap, knowing that I had a long night ahead of me. Gato was in my bed. So Gato and I took a nap together. Lazy cat.

3:30 pm, I took of to the Olympic stadium. It was a 40 minute walk, but I stopped along the way, enjoying the gardens, climbing hills and taking in all the beauty this city had to offer.

5:00 pm, I arrive at the stadium show them my ticket and they tell me that my entrance is on the complete other side of the stadium. Cool, now I get a full 180 degree view of the exterior of the stadium.....

And now it gets even better! I'm coming around to the entrance to my section and who do I find? Two cute boys sitting on the lawn watching this sea of people standing in line... No idea what came over me, but I just smiled at them and walked right over and sat down. *Keep in mind I don't speak a word of Spanish and I had no idea what I was doing. But I was there and the Stones didn't go on till 9 pm.

Oscar and Enrique. I'm not sure which one was which. They were drinking rum and coke out of a large water bottle that they had cut in half. One had the bottom of bottle half, the other had the top half with the cap screwed on. We laughed, we drank and we waited for that line to die down. Then they wanted to make out with me. Ok. Two hot boys from Argentina. I'll roll with that!

All 3 of us roll into the concert together. No line, no waiting and still 15 minutes before The Stones take the stage! I have no idea how I got my seat, nor was it my seat, but it was the best seat in the house!

I walk into my section... 1st row, completely empty. 2nd row, completely empty, 3rd row completely empty, 4th row back everyone is sitting down. WHO SITS DOWN DURING A ROLLING STONES CONCERT!?!

What did Heda do? I took my little ass down row 2 all the way to the end, stood up in the chair, grasped the railing, held on and danced on top my seat for 2 and half hours straight! My two boys kept coming up to me and making out with me the entire time! At one moment I looked at one of them and said "You are covered in glitter." Heda learned how to leave her mark! Make out with me and my eye shadow will be all over your face. Then I looked over and they were both in Rolling Stones t-shirts dancing like two kids in a candy store.

If you didn't come to the concert in a Rolling Stones shirt you sure left in one! The fans took over the city! I'm just glad I changed outfits the next day, everyone was rocking the Stones! It was epic!

Morning after: Slept fantastic at Enrique's half way home to my Airbnb... We woke up at 8 am, got our jam on, still rocking it out, took a shower and we were out the door by 9:30 am. He was off to work and pointed me in the direction of my place on the Rambles... Walking down the street as all the cafes and shops were starting open... and then there was a moment.

I have been here before. I had to stop and really think. "No, Heda, you have never been to Barcelona before."... But I have. I know I have. Not in this life, but I've been here before. A totally surreal moment in which I felt completely comfortable and knew that I would be back...

DISCLAIMER: Don't mind the blurry photos as I was jumping up and down on a folding chair while grasping a hand rail for 2.5 hours.