Day 9 - It's Monday

to school and our next corporate visit. This time, we had class at the IQS facility with Dr. Nuria Blasco over the area of Logistics. Our discussion was very interesting since I work in the area of Supply Chain and deal with Logistics on a daily basis in the workplace. We learned about various ports, including the one in Barcelona. This is one of Europe's largest ports and with the transition of the rail system in Spain to that which matches the rest of Europe, there will only be an increase in the amount of traffic of goods across Europe from this port.

After our class discussion, we boarded a bus and departed for the port of Barcelona. The magnitude of goods and people coming in and out of this port is huge. Because it is only gaining in traffic, there is an expansion happening now, and we were taken to the work site where the site is being expanded to be able to accommodate the high volume of traffic coming in and out. There were large containers of goods, chemical storage, tourist cruise ships among those vessels coming in and out of the port.

After our visit to the port, we were given some free time down in the area of the port. A few of us did some walking in this area and found a quaint little place to grab some lunch. It was at this restaurant where I ordered one of the lunch specials. I had an appetizer of mussels and then the main course was the day's fish. I can't remember what kind of fish I had, but it was served whole, with the head and eyeballs intact... looking back at me. 

                                              
So what was I to do but eat it? Eyeballs and all... I will admit, the fish was good, the eyeballs surprisingly crunchy, a little gel-like in texture around the crunchy part. Not much flavor. After lunch, Colleen and I made our way back to the hotel, stopping at a little sidewalk cafe for some coffee and conversation with some locals on the way. 
We made it back to the hotel, where I tried again to get my train ticket for the next day situated so that I can travel down to the Valencia area to visit our Huhtamaki site in Nules, Spain. After some unsuccessful work online from our room, I went to the front desk to see if Ricardo could help me get the ticket worked out. We tried from the front desk unsuccessfully. I asked if there was a kiosk or a station somewhere nearby where I could get a ticket. Ricardo gave me directions to a travel office nearby where I could work with a live person to get a ticket for the Euromed. Colleen came with me and we found it very close. We went in and the gentleman behind the desk did not speak much English when I asked, so I attempted to explain in Spanish what I was trying to do. He was able to help me get my ticket for the next morning and I got a small discount from the web published fare and get directions via the Mitre to get to the Euromed station for the the next morning.

We went back to the hotel and gathered our things for a much needed trip to the laundromat. Our group consisted of Don, Colleen, Val, Danelle and me. Mind you, the directions we had received from the front desk when they explained things that were close by were actually close by. This walk was much longer, hauling suitcases with dirty laundry down city streets. Instead of going out to dinner, Don and Val went out to grab some things to munch on for dinner because honestly at this point, it was refreshing to just have some small munchies after all the eating we had done. They came back with some toasted bread, some brie, some Iberica ham, and another kind of meat. Don made one more trip out to complete the meal with some fruit and wine. A good light dinner and plenty for us to share. While Don made his trip out, Val was teaching some self defense moves to us girls. Very educational.

Working out how to combine loads
for efficiency. 

Colleen pretending she took Val down.

Hands on explanation from Val.

Colleen's turn to try it out.

This group can make even the smallest chore a lot of fun. We had some great laughs while we got our laundry done. Glad that's out of the way so we'll have clean clothes for the rest of the trip.

After laundry time, we hauled our freshly cleaned laundry 10 blocks back to the hotel. Time to rest up for a big day ahead!

Day 7 - Torres Winery

It's Saturday and after breakfast we make some sandwiches and grab some goodies to take on the bus for lunch because we're heading out by bus over some beautiful countryside to visit the Torres Winery. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. 

As we arrived to the winery, we boarded an interesting looking trolley for our tour of the grounds. The trolley had a recorded guide for us to listen to as we passed each point on our tour. We learned the differences between red and white wine and how each is made. We also learned about the history of the Torres Winery in particular and about their processes. I was very impressed with the ingenuity and forward thinking of this organization in contrast to the age of the wine industry itself. A global company, they have vineyards and sell their wine all over the world. Some is even sold at home in Kansas City. 

We learned that when grapes are harvested, they are pressed on the same machines with which they are picked, within 20 minutes of being picked, so that they get pressed before the fermentation process begins. We also got to go into the underground aging rooms while we were on the trolley to see the barrels where wine is aged and we got to see a few fields of grapevines in action. 

Once the driving tour was over, we had a Torres representative take us into a courtyard area where we were able to hear more about the history of the winery from the beginnings with Benedictine monks and about the Torres family. We saw the rock formation sculpture called "The Family" that shows the patriarch and the children of the Torres family who now run the winery. The Torres family winery takes incredible care to care for the earth and use environmentally friendly methods. When we entered, there was a wide area of sand used to cover the wine storage area in an effort to keep the area below the ground cool. The sand reflects the heat of the sun to keep the temperatures below cooler. The winery also uses solar panels and other means by which to harness what the earth can provide and to reduce the carbon footprint left on the planet by their operations. 

Kati, our guide, took us by foot into the same room we had passed while underground. Since we weren't just seeing it behind glass this time, I can try to adequately describe the wonderful smell of this room. You can smell the plump berry flavor of the grapes doing their job within the casks as they age, and the oak of the barrels in which they are being aged. 

After our outdoor tour, we were taken inside for a tasting of one of their wines, and then had the opportunity to try some others. First time doing something like this and it was a lot of fun as we were guided through the process. The day could not have been more beautiful to spend time at the winery. 

We returned to the hotel that afternoon and I caught a little nap and got some work done. For dinner, Colleen, Danelle and I went out to dinner. We wanted to stay fairly close to the hotel, so we asked for a recommendation and ended up a few blocks away at a hotel that reflected some American flair in the decor and sports bar feel, but was certainly European. We were taken upstairs to a nice lounge like area that was more suitable to a sit down dinner. We had the opportunity to get some veggies in with a couple of delicious salads and then some tapas.  We had bruschetta and tuna on toast as a part of our dinner. As always, the meal was great, and it was nice to eat a little closer to our hotel and enjoy the surrounding neighborhood in a less touristy area. 

Day 6 - Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility - Really.

Today we don't start with class, we start instead with a visit to Fundacio DKV, taught by Dr. Silvia Agullo. Our bus pulls up and we're invited into the conference room for our lecture today. The discussion today hit me the hardest in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility. We talk about how the company is investing in people and investing in Spain as a whole. This organization employs a minimum of 60% physically disabled personnel as a standard practice. This makes a big impact on an economy with 20% unemployment. The physically disabled might often be looked over. Instead, this company employs them, knowing that they have a special kind of compassion and ability to work with the clients they reach, and gives them the tools they need to be successful at DKV and beyond. It is actually the goal of the company that their employees go on to employment outside of DKV because of what they've learned here. I feel like we hear talk about Corporate Social Responsibility in the US, but to see the actions and company goals behind it is really an inspiration and a challenge. A really impressive business plan.

     During our visit here we also discussed schizophrenic consumerism and the continuing challenge to market one product that might benefit the consumers' health, while they also make smaller indulgences on items like alcohol, coffee, or fast food in the face of today's challenging economic needs. 

     We headed back to the hotel for a break. Some of our group hit the shops while others of us stayed back and relaxed while getting caught up. I had to find an inexpensive hair straightener because the one I had brought from home blew up on me. The shopping scene on this their biggest shopping day post holiday is a day for shopping mobs. Speaking of mobs... it becomes necessary to become "assertively European" in some of these instances and not take it personally should you get bumped, shoved, knocked into, or the like. It's part of getting from point A to point B. Hold your ground, don't get offended (yes, we Americans are used to our personal space), and move on about your business. 

My new straightener

     I joined the rest of our smaller group for dinner at a place we had visited a few nights before, Pirineus. We knew it would be a fun time, as it had been the first night we came here. We showed up at 7... what were we thinking? Of course they were still closed since dinner doesn't really start until 8 or after. We did some walking and browsing for a bit and went back a little later to find our restaurant open and ready for us. Ernesto, Val, and I had the seafood paella, yum! The other two in our group, Danelle and Colleen, had spaghetti. The server also had some additional free goodies for us, which included a couple of free tapas that were delicious. 

     Whew, this later dinner schedule makes me tired! We headed back to the hotel afterwards to get some rest. Tomorrow is our visit to Torres Winery. 

Day 5 - Feast of the Three Kings and La Sagrada Familia

     The Feast of Three Kings is a holiday that continues the Christmas gift giving that we in the US usually reserve for December 25. This holiday celebrates Jesus as God's son and the visit that the 3 magi made to the infant Jesus and his parents. In Barcelona, this holiday builds up in the retail stores the same way we do for Christmas and there is a parade the night before the holiday. We got to see the parade, made for the children's delight as they watch the brightly colored floats go down the streets of Barcelona. The floats were beautiful and so ornate! We got to see part of it from a store window before the sales people caught us and kicked us out :).

     The next day, January 6, businesses are closed for the holiday while people are home with family and loved ones celebrating. We took this opportunity to go visit Antoni Gaudi's last masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia. 

     The cathedral was Gaudi's last project and he knew he was not going to see it to completion. If you are not familiar, Gaudi was tragically killed by a tram when crossing the road. Because he had cut off contact for photos and publicity in his later years, and had been living in the crypt of La Sagrada Familia before his death, he was not recognized immediately and was taken to a paupers hospital where he later passed. He is now buried at La Sagrada Familia.
     About the cathedral, I highly recommend going, and for multiple visits. Gaudi was so far ahead of his time when he designed this piece... and any of his other works, for that matter. One could visit the cathedral several days in a row and still find new things they hadn't seen yet. Gaudi was a devout Catholic and yet had very close ties with nature and a commitment to reflecting this in his work. The detail given to this piece is incredible. The attention given to the way natural light comes in through the stained glass windows was probably my favorite part. Gaudi wanted the natural light to show through in his works, and he did it amazingly here.

    After seeing La Sagrada Familia, we were on our way to see Park Guell, another site of Gaudi's design. We took a short walk up some MAJOR hills and had a spectacular view. On a beautiful afternoon like the one we had, you could join any number of tourists and locals for some bubble blowing, live music, and a priceless view. We climbed to the top (or as far as the railing went) where there are three crosses and enjoyed seeing the city from this vantage point. The tile mosaic work here was beautiful.

Some of the green monk parakeets found at Park Guell...
These are said to have started populating from some that
escaped captivity some time in the 1970's. 

I could go on adding pictures, but you really need to see it for yourself to do it justice. I loved the way locals and tourists could enjoy their time up here just viewing the scenery and enjoying each others company. We headed back for a small lunch and to grab a quick siesta before heading back out to find some dinner.


    One thing I've noticed is that we have to make an effort to get our veggies in over here. Sure, you can get all the yummy breads and olive oil and iberca jamon you can eat, but a salad is a different story... Tonight we found a small restaurant where Danelle and I shared spaghetti and I enjoyed a real salad. Later, we stopped for some chocolate to enjoy later and to head to bed. This midnight bedtime every night is something to get used to!