Souvenirs

"Don't forget bringing souvenirs"
That was what my father asked me when I phoned him from Heathrow airport before taking the flight.

I'm just following the advise of my consultant who said to me once "Look; if you get money try to enjoy the life whenever you have no responsibilities"

Doing three nights after coming back from Paris gave me four days off work, I flew few hours after handing over.

The first time I feel that my camera is not able to show how nice the place is
Barcelona is really heaven

It was 10:00 p.m when I sorted things in the hotel, but it didn't stop me from going out

La Rambla is the most important street in the city: كلش حلو و كله مشجر

Next morning I started my tour
Nu Camp stadium is a tourists attraction place
It was one day before their match with Man. United
I heard that the ticket's price was 250 Euros
Yet, you can see the long queue
والله عمي ناس عدها فلوس
The stadium from inside is very nice with a museum for team
Then I headed somewhere else


park Guell is park built in 1900s and designed by an a famous architect called Antoni Gaudi
who has got a museum there.
والله انا ولا سامع بهذولي الناس بس خلف الله على موظفين الفندق الي يكلولي روح منا و تعال منا
بس هو من الداخل كلش حلو

Something reminded me of Iraq


And of course couldn't understand what inside the museum mean
And then back to the city center
Which is very nice day and night

"You can't come to Barcelona without visiting Sagardia Familia"
That what the hotel receptionist said to me in the next morning
Obviously; it's an old church with a nice Architect
And a nice view for the city from the balcony
I didn't spend long time there as I wanted to see as much as possible

Espanya is a nice place with a museum:
هم كل مترتين عندهم متحف




وهم طلعلي بيكاسو :
وين ما أروح وراي ...شلون قهر



يعني كولو معيدي انا اعترف بكوني معيدي بس شنو الفن بهذا الكرسي.. ولو هو يمكن مو مال بيكاسو


Then I had to walk up the hill to see the Olympic stadium


While walking the whole way down to the city, I saw many nice places

well; walking the whole way down I became exhausted, yet, had another round at night in the city centre


I had to come back on Thursday bu my flight was in the evening, so I had half a day before going to the airport.

I first went to see a hospital which I was told that it looks nice from outside


well; it does

And the beach was the last place to visit

ناس طيبين أوي

And of course I'm still following the instructions


The grilled fish with Black rice was tasty

The only photo left in the camera's memory was used for this wedding


And here are some of the souvenirs I bought from Barcelona

These are from the Nu Camp stadium, the tie has got Ronaldinho's signature on it

Most of them are holding Gaudi's designs

Barcelona was very nice; but while preparing this post, I asked myself "will I miss it?"
I brought these souvenirs to my friends and to my family, someone commented "We're not in Iraq to bring things when you travel."

The words somewhat pleased me; I'm still behaving like someone who lives there, not linked to anywhere else.
If there is a place I miss it would be Baghdad, what nice about Barcelona that it has got few things which reminded me of Iraq.

Well; there is no more trips for a little while as I spent my money on my last two, but thinking about Italy is something I can't stop.

Paris

On Saturday I was quite unwell and got really worse on Sunday; I left work earlier and couldn't move from bed.
Spent the whole night waking up every 20 minutes, the headache and fever were serious and I couldn't put my arm over my head as it was too hot.

In the middle of that; I kept thinking; I shouldn't go, I won't manage it and I might get worse there.
Well; seeing Paris was always a dream, I had booked for this three days holiday a little while ago, before getting this cough which is not getting better.

I decided to go "In case I'm going to die; let me die there, and if I become very unwell, I'll stick to my bed but see the city from the window".

I hardly walked from home, got the bus and then the tube to the train station, taking the two and a half hours journey by the Eurostar trains to Paris.

To be honest; it was worthy taking the risk
The first time I saw Eiffel tower بصراحة ما تحملت و بقى حلكي مفتوح
وقفت لحظة صمت و بعدين قريت دعاء دخول باريس : السلام على مدينة الأدباء , السلام على أرض العطور و كريستيانديور
أ أدخل يا برج أيفل , أ أدخل يا متحف اللوفر , أ أدخل يا نابليون , أ أدخل يا شارل ديغول ؟
و بعدين دخلت برجلي اليمين
In the first day; I decided not to do a lot to avoid getting worse; I just walked around

La Seine
أحلى مية مرة من التايمز الي الأنكليز خابصين رواحهم بيه

There streets are usually narrow

فواكههم تجنن كنت يومياً أتعشى فراولة


ولكن بناءً على توجيهات من جهات عليا , توجب علي أن أتذوق طعام البلد الي أزوره

Omlete was cool


Second day brought more fun

Musee de Louvre

This advertisement made me rush to pay the fee and go inside; it's really worthy , but they don't allow taking photos inside Babylon wing.

Seeing the Code of Hammurabi was something wonderful; it's the most interesting piece in the museum.
Monaliza

هم ما مبقين شي بالعراق ما بايكيه (أولاد ....)

Napoleon 111 apartment: هذي غرفة الطعام مالتنا بس ضميناها يمهم من سافرنا


And then I walked somewhere else

Concorde

Palas De L'Elysees :عبالي أشوف ساركوزي


Then I went to Noter dam Cathedral





طبعاً أكيد هنا الدعوة مستجابة و انا ما نسيتكم من دعائي و خصوصاً زهرة العراق مارشاميللو

Napoleon Museum and Church

And then Picasso

يعني و لو تكولون علي معيدي بس انا كل شي ما أفتهم من بيكاسو




La Defense: منطقة تجارية مبنية على الطراز الحديث


للأمانة : باريس أجمل في الليل

Arc de Triomphe



وأجمل عندما ننظر اليها من فوق قمة برج أيفل
هذولي وين ما أروح وراي (سفارة أيران )

وأخيراً هذه المنطقة أشبه بالكمالية (الله يذكرها بالخير)

انا من ناحيتي : زرت و أندعيتلكم واحد واحد , وكفت كدام برج أيفل و قلت : ربي , ربي ما عدنا غيرك , بحق هالمكان هذا و بعلو هالبرج , أفرجها على العراقيين يارب , يارب أقسملهم زيارة باريس يا أرحم الراحمين .

و طلبتلكم مراد ومن الله التوفيق