Learning to Move Through the World

The energy was electric, and within minutes, all four of us could have been mistaken for lifelong FC Barcelona fans. We couldn’t help but be swept up with 45,000 other fans as we all chanted ¡Barça! ¡Barça! ¡Barça! Between the full choir leading the crowd in the FC Barcelona anthem, the fireworks from the pitch, and the 4-0 victory, it was as if we had been born with FC Barcelona pride…

I’m getting ahead of myself. Yesterday morning started out sluggish, as expected after our long travel and jet lag. There was quite a bit of motivation, however, after our Mediterranean seafood experience the evening before, and the gurgles of hollow stomachs could be heard from each of our bellies. We quickly dressed and were down in the hotel restaurant for food as soon as they began serving. Cheeses, meats, some type of hotdog/sausage, yogurts, pastries and seeded grapes (much to the dismay of Ellanora). In true Gentry-kid fashion, there was soon a $20 challenge placed before Ellanora. I had some Blue Cheese on my plate, and I love Blue Cheese, but this was full of flavor, and a couple bites was plenty for me. “$20 if you eat dad’s Blue Cheese Ellanora” was the bold challenge, and Joel had just thrown down the day’s first gauntlet. $20 is a lot of money, and Ellanora was now faced with a dilemma, but it wasn’t more than a few seconds before that cheese was in her hand, and she was looking it over closely, “wait! is this dark stuff mold???” We assured her that yes, it was indeed mold. After a few additional moments of hesitation, she moved the cheese to her mouth, and all four of us were immediately in stitches. I have to say, we are trying to show the world that Americans can be polite & respectful, but I’m failing miserably in this department when it comes to keeping our belly laughter to a minimum at restaurants.

Our plan for the morning had been to find a pastry shop in the Gothic District just outside our hotel, and, while we had satisfied our hunger with breakfast, we were not going to allow that to stop us from our pastry hunting. Imagine narrow European streets with shop windows filled with pastries, breads, gelato and espresso. It’s pretty impossible to not envision trying them all. While the streets are fairly quiet in Barcelona at 8:30 AM, we found plenty of options, and were soon enjoying a tapas-style tasting of some pretty delicious bites.

After the pastries we came across a church from 1600 that we explored. There’s something humbling about the architecture, the beauty, and the images in your mind of 425 years of people moving through that place. We then made our way to Parc Güell to explore works by the artist Antoni Gaudí. Now, our family hasn’t often been mistaken for art aficionados, but I could not pass up the chance to expose ourselves to some of the great art of the world. I’m certain the highlight of the day’s art adventure was the kid’s playground that all three of my kids found themselves on. Three of them taking turns on the teeter-totter and animal saddle on a spring, with the voice of their dad cautioning them…not unlike a decade ago, only my cautionary message this time was much more about how much they would have to pay when the toys broke. They played in the playground, they chased each other on the trails, we all laughed as the crowds of Saturday morning attempted to take photos of the sculptures while my kids attempted to photo-bomb everyone. It was magical. Maybe we haven’t found the right way to appreciate art yet, but Parc Güell will be a highlight for us all.

After our morning adventure, we were ready for some lunch, and a quick stop at a sports apparel store before making our way to the stadium for the start of the football (soccer) match. We soon found ourselves on the subway with thousands of other fans heading to the stadium. We all commented how it felt like that time in Seattle when the five of us happened to be headed downtown on the light-rail at the same moment that tens of thousands of pre-teen girls were headed to see Taylor Swift at Lumen Field, only this time, our clothing matched the crowd (and there were no trinket bracelets being swapped).

If you ever wondered “what do 45,000 Spaniards singing Sweet Caroline in unison sound like?”, you should find your way to an FC Barcelona match. It’s no Neil Diamond, but it takes no time before you’ll join in chanting “so good, so good, so good” just after singing “good times never seemed so good…”

This is the part of the blog where my joy is mixed with tears. Yes, I said joy. Jill’s last intention for our family was to fill our home with more joy, and that, to me, was a nearly impossible task. In reality, as we lived those last weeks with her as her body broke down, joy was the last thing on my mind. Yet she was determined to learn a dance routine to “A Million Dreams” from the movie “The Greatest Showman,” so the five of us could dance together in our living room. Last night, as I looked at my three favorite people, I felt joy. Jill was a soccer player from the time she was little, often playing on multiple teams at the same time. Unfortunately she married a guy who knows nothing about the sport. As Ted Lasso said “Heck, you could fill two internets with what I don’t know about football,” but last night, as we soaked up the atmosphere, and I had to lean toward Joel for insight into the game a number of times, I wanted so badly to share the moment with Jill. Her family was fully immersed in the sport she loved, and we were fully immersed in being together. I am confident the veil of heaven was thin enough that she got to experience it with us…and I got to experience joy.

We finished the day with dinner and some delicious gelato, and I couldn’t be more grateful for my time with them. As we enjoyed our gelato, I asked about everyone’s favorite part of the day. It was a resounding “FC Barcelona” response. I told them that my favorite part was being with them, and I was being fully transparent.

It’s 8:30 AM Sunday morning here in Barcelona and the kids are just waking up (it’s nice to be acclimating to the time change). By the time you read this, we’ll have explored a castle on Mountjuic, tasted chocolate at Museu de la Xocolata, and watched Flamenco dancing at an evening performance. I suspect we’ll also enjoy more gelato, pastries, and laughter too.