Last night was my first night back in Barcelona after a great orientation session in Madrid. There are some folks in Spain who've got incredible research projects planned. I'm the only one on a 3 month grant, since I am the only Scholar Award winner for journalism, but I think after 6 months abroad prior to Spain both Phil and I will be content finding a place we can call home (fingers crossed). But let me also add that we both need travel and change of scenery, so we are not taking these great European opportunities for granted! Not for one minute, which is why I need to be brief, since there is a huge parade going on that I wanted to go see.

Today I decided to get back into the running routine with a bit more vigor than I have the past few weeks. I got up, planned out an all-clad running route of 7.5 miles, and tied up my sneakers. It was perfectly warm, and people are out in full force since it's the Catalunyan independence day today and all shops are closed. Needless to say, I ran down Passeig de Gracia, turned on Avenida Diagonal and then I skipped onto San Joan for a long straight stretch down past the Parque Ciutadella and onto the boardwalk. By that time I needed a stop and stretch under a nice big tree. After doing some ab stuff and stretching my sore too-much-walking-in-Madrid-and-Barcelona legs, I rolled over to do some push-ups. Just as I got up from them, I noticed something to the right side of my hand. A very large knife. A sharp one. I leaped onto my feet and grabbed my sunglasses, ipod, and keys and looked all around me. I thought maybe it was some weird tourist trap trick... but no one was there. How on earth did I not see a silver blade lying next to me on the grass??? Still feeling quite baffled by this. I didn't touch it, thinking it could be major evidence in some case going on right now - imagination is a powerful thing - and then I thought it was probably just a little kid's meat cutting knife. He probably made his 8 year old crush a bocadillo and brought his mom's best knife to impress her. Who knows, maybe that is what little Spaniards do in their free time...