Days Two and Maybe Three?

My second night was calmer, by comparison, but very nice and fun...

I spent that day walking around a lot which- I have done every day. I revisited some of the places I had already been and I took my first round of photos.
I went back to Mackay's, the place where I made the rather tardy online connection with MaryLiz. I really do need to get the name of the barkeep, who I refer to as "the patient barkeep". Nice guy. He only cracks a very subtle smile when I order, speak, etc.
(I also realize that I really need to take photos of the basement bathroom. That shall be on the list of things to do today...)

I met with MrLz and company for lunch after I struggled a bit with the directions. I was lucky to had figured it out!
We went to a neat restaurant where the lunch special was a MASSIVE amount of food- a few courses- for about $8. As usual, MaryLiz had to order for me after deciphering everything for me. We both got the same thing which was a tuna dominated lunch. The first was a tuna salad that scared me a bit as it looked onion-filled. It was not and it was friggin' amazing. Then, out came tuna steaks. TWO of them in tomato sauce. They were super but I was stuffed. I think it was the first time in my life that I didn't finish a tuna steak but, admittedly, it was the first time I had to deal with two large ones at the same time! Potatoes come with everything here but I don't recall even sampling them.
Our server was funny, from what I understand. I assume any such humor that I don't understand is directed at the American that can't understand a bit of it...and rightly so.
We all said our goodbyes and I walked around more.

I bought a pair of cheap boots (about $25) and went back to put them on. The left one's zipper is tricky.
I did my only other bit of shopping (outside of the occasional necessity) when I went to a record store and saw PJ Harvey's "Uh Huh Her" in a thick digipack. I deliberated buying it or a few other things but settled on this mystery edition. It said 8.99 (Euros) which was an awfully good price but, upon check-out, I was enlightened to the fact that there was a very light "1" in front of it- so it was 18.99. YIKES.
I got it back here and discovered that it just had a video on it- ya' know, something I can watch on Youtube for free. Goddammit. It may have a bonus track or more- I haven't checked it against the domestic release yet. (I am not anxious to.)

In the evening I went out with Alberto and MaryLiz to an Asian restaurant that was really good. Alberto friggin' rules and I enjoy visiting with him a lot. He's a smart, fun guy with an intense love for music. We are all going to get together and play music at some point which excites me much.
There were actual vegetarian items on the menu which is quite rare here. It was a good and affordable meal. Good news.

After that we went to a bar that was VERY old, made mostly of rock. It was very dark and had a very unusual layout. It was extremely dark so I wasn't even able to commit a lot of it to memory! I took the one photo of the mirror-mosaic ceiling dome thing. Pretty neat.
Visited more with Alberto and MaryLiz but we only stayed for one drink before we went our separate ways.

I didn't sleep much that night as I only just then had gotten a European adapter to charge my laptop. I spent the night getting things straight online and have been behind on everything since. Heh.
I went to sleep for all of an hour or two before jack-hammering started outside of my window! There is major construction across the street and I guess it stepped up that day. (Wednesday, yesterday- I believe.)
Another day began of walking around. The weather is gorgeous here and I have been fortunate enough to not have been rained on thus far.
I stopped back by Cafe Joey and had an extended visit with he and his wife. We talked for a long time. He showed me his prior place which was in Ohio and we talked music a bit. He told me that his wife's favorite singer is Emmylou Harris which pleased them to find that I was a fan and admirer as well. He also showed me his Cuban rums and cigars which I promised to partake in before I depart.

I came back and napped for a bit. I had a few dreams. One dream had me living in a large farmhouse where a lot of friends and former bandmates were congregating outside. Brian Foor was calling to me, asking me something...and then it began to really start pouring. Everybody began running into my house which I was exactly comfortable with and/or prepared for. (Draw your own conclusions.)
The last part of the dream was me teasing JC about Paul Simon. I was making fun of them both and we put on a Paul Simon song that doesn't really exist. I woke up singing the chorus which was something like "That Whore's Got a Hold On You". Heh.

I woke up and talked to MaryLiz online. She came over and we looked for a bit before eventually finding an open bar. (It was yet another example of my inability to adjust to Spaniard life as I keep missing mealtimes here!) The streets were unusually dead but we found a charming and bizarre little place that was still very much under the influence of the carnival that happened before my arrival.
MaryLiz and I chatted and I had the most refreshing gin and tonic of my life. I followed it with the #2 most refreshing gin and tonic of my life and took incriminating photos of MaryLiz smoking- one of a few bad habits she has picked up here (though she used to smoke a lot).
At the bar we talked to the bartender who was a sweet lady. She was visiting with a crazy old guy who proclaimed that he was King of Avilés and he crowned me King of America (move over, Mr. Costello). He also added China, Portugal, and a few other countries to my kingdom........
He spoke a difficult strain of Spanish that MaryLiz had told me about which is exclusive to Barcelona. I certainly couldn't understand him and the others would just laugh when he would get going as they were only getting bits of it.
I took a few photos of MaryLiz with him and she took one of us together in which I look particularly terrible.

Came home, went to sleep for six hours. That's a record for me here. Only slightly hung-over.

I need food, a shower, and to make the most out of this beautiful place in which I am still incredibly grateful to have been able to visit.