Sun, Sombrilla and Sun Screen

Todays was the first day I really felt fresh when I got up. I had slept eight hours and got out of bed without the alarm. Until now I have been sleeping at least 10 hours everynight plus a couple of hours for siesta. I hope this means that I now have caught up and can return to a normal sleeping pattern.

Wednesday my girlfriend Susana and I met with classmate Juan Benitez [Columbia] and his girlfriend Tatiana. Tatiana is also Columbian, but is studying in Barcelona. We met in the nearby town of Sitges, which is renowned for its fine beaches. The heat wave that is covering the rest of Europe is also felt here, so it quickly became too warm for the 'Giri' (Spanish slang for a foreigner, in this case referring to me) on the beach. We strolled around the beautiful old town before we sat down and enjoyed a real Catalonian paella in one of the street restaurants.

Juan and Tatiana by the old church in Sitges.


Paella Marinera, the way it is done in its home country.
Heave stuff on a warm day, but very 'deliciosa' as they say around here.

Yesterday Susana and I went to the beach again. This time the 'giri' (still me) covered himself in a thick layer of factor 50+ sun screen (others would probably call it sun BLOCK) and hid in the shade under the 'Sombrilla' (beach umbrella) that we had brought along. Being on the beach and under the sun this far south (compared to Denmark, of course) is a somewhat delicate matter for me. I turn red like a boiled lobster in a matter of minutes, then I spend several nights sleeping on my stomach because my back is all sore. Then it all peals off and I am more pale than when I started. So better to overdo it a bit with the protection.