After what took like for ever to get cleaned up, we met back at the Travel Bar for a Tapas tour and Flamenco dancing. We met out tour guide Max for drinks. I think he fancied Jenna. Since this was his first week in Barcelona and our first time in Barcelona he wanted to join us. He was a cool guy besides having a wee bit of a creeper side. Oh the people you meet when you travel. He probably thought the same of us.I have to share this story. We were walking with an escort to the restaurant to enjoy 20 plates of different tapas and Sangria. We were walking down this rather narrow street just like any other narrow street in Europe. The cobblestones were rather rough as well. Our group was scattered from edge to edge of the of the tiny street. Out of no where a woman comes racing past me on her bike and wipes out so bad in front of us. She flew into some parked Vespas. We were all shocked that we witnessed such a huge wipe out. I swear that even the cobblestones were screaming from the impact of her body against their random texture. Then, out of no where life must have taken its breath because this woman came running over to me so fast that I couldn't even comprehend what was about to happen to me. She starts screaming at me in Spanish that she rang her bell and I should have heard it. She started saying that this was "all of my fault and that I am a fat ass for taking up the whole road." Now I am on the larger side but when did a size 10 mean taking up the whole road. Then, she started digging her index finger into my chest and started screaming louder. I was so shocked that all I could remember is how to say I am sorry in Italian. I have been living in Italy now for 3 weeks. My ten years of Spanish education and communication was not top priority at the time. I just ended up saying nothing. Our escort came over and she decided to pop back on her bicycle and ride away. At this point I started to shake a little. This woman was barely 5 foot tall. I towered over her at my conservative height of 5 foot 8 inches and according to her, my fat ass size 10 butt. Her Spanish character overwhelmed me so much. I can't believe I was intimidated by a short woman for something that wasn't even my fault.
Five minutes later out of no where I get this shove. She returned this time to attack me. My worst fears, I will beaten up by someone that I would out match. This time she starts verbally attacking me in English. I still couldn't get anything out of my mouth. I just started saying I am sorry over and over again. She wouldn't leave. This time, instead of her index finger, her fist started digging into me. The escort came running over towards us to talk her down. She wouldn't let it be. She wanted a piece of my fat ass size 10 self. It took the escort 10 minutes to talk her down. She became so loud at one point that everyone in the neighborhood started looking at me and her. Finally she dispersed. Through the silence came the funniest comment from an older English couple in our group. The wife said, "She must have been on dope or something." (It sounds so much better when someone English says it.)When we finally sat down at the restaurant everyone came rushing over to me. The scene looked like a meeting at the UN. There was probably 30 different nationalities asking whether I was alright. Wow, what a story eh? After a few glasses of the best Sangria and 20 different Tapas, the image of having a near beating by a Spanish lady passed over me. We then headed over to the Flamenco club to watch such an amazing show. My Spanish teachers through the years told me about how in person, this dance can be mesmerizing. The movements are made with such amazing emotion. I couldn't help but to be moved when she finished up her first dance. Even the music that accompanied her was amazing. I was loving every moment of it. Finally, a language and culture that I have studied for years is finally coming to life in front of me.
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