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Dining out in Barcelona and Paris
It's been a stationary past three months. My wife fractured her tibia on a water slide on July 1 and is just back on her feet now. We planned this trip post-surgery to coincide with the end of the first phase of her recovery--the reward being the chance to see her favorite band in concert in Paris.
While she is now ambulatory, she continues to use a crutch, so long walks and standing in line (read, most activities) are out of bounds. Still, I thought this trip might be of interest, as we should visit some great bars and restaurants, including Dos Palillos and Cocina Hermanos Torres (Barcelona) and Cambridge Public House, Little Red Door, and Sola (Paris). I was particularly excited about the Esencia cocktail tasting experience at Sips Barcelona, but I received a notification yesterday that my booking was canceled due to a closure for needed repairs. If we can arrive when the bars open, we may still get the chance to visit Sips or Paradiso. |
As usual, this trip starts with braving the traffic to JFK. Our flight itinerary went through several iterations. When we bought the tickets, the cheapest routing was through Miami. I changed that once I learned about Milton's path. (I hope anyone in Florida reading this stays safe.)
We are now taking the day flight to London, which I far prefer, the bonus being that we were able to confirm upgrades on AA at the time of booking. The downside is that the only option AA appeared to be selling involves a 6:10 AM flight to BCN tomorrow. On the whole, I think we will arrive more refreshed than we would have with the original plan. We will be getting to JFK too late to visit the Soho Lounge given the need for wheelchair assistance and should be boarding in about an hour. |
BCN
I had the pleasure of dining twice at “Cocina Hermanos Torres”.
make sure to bring your appetite! food is spectacular. enjoy :) |
We made it to Terminal 8 after our Uber missed the temporary exit due to construction and had to do a go-around. The Flagship First check-in area was nearly deserted, with the morning BA flight long departed and our flight near the baggage check cut-off point. All the agents were clustered near the end. We encountered a small obstacle, apparently related to the use of a SWU on the BA flight. No matter, the agents resolved it within 5 minutes.
Somehow, my wife again managed to draw the new wheelchair attendant. This was much easier than traversing MIA with a freshly broken leg, though. It was fun to be part of the wheelchair parade. The wheelchairs sensibly line up by seating order, but our guy didn't seem to know that. He kept having to back up, somewhat comically running into the two people (non-pre-boarders) who were right on our tail. |
This is my first time in business on the AA 777-200. I didn't realize that odd rows face backwards, but I am fine with it.
The seat is perfectly comfortable to sit in. I will check out the bed function later. The footwell does seem small, about the size of the business class footwell on AA's A321T. The pop-out screen is unfortunate. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...812d43d8a7.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fb14d2238f.jpg The amenity kit is skimpy. Have I ever used anything in an amenity kit besides the toothbrush and eye mask, though? No. The slippers are a nice touch. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...af21f2ffc4.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7a9c6f679e.jpg I pre-ordered the short rib but am honestly a bit queasy thinking about eating such a rich dish as my first meal of the day on a flight that departs at 9:50 AM. I'll adjust. Now, I am enjoying a pre-departure champagne, and the Castelnau is hitting the spot. :o The crew has been very helpful with my wife's crutches. Next stop: LHR. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0ab57de69c.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c96a98e839.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0dcf35f655.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c56d75a3fb.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0e7fcfb618.jpg (I accidentally uploaded the menu photos in reverse order.) |
Originally Posted by ewh9
(Post 36584085)
(I accidentally uploaded the menu photos in reverse order.)
I like how colourful the amenity bag is but dislike the over the top branding on it. I hardly ever use the contents but have four amenity kit bags that travel with me for various uses. |
Originally Posted by JapesUK
(Post 36584214)
I like how colourful the amenity bag is but dislike the over the top branding onit.
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We pushed off on time and were wheels up by 10:10. Service started by around 10:35. It has been a quick but very well-paced meal for me: a gin and tonic and nuts for starters; the appetizer and salad by the time I finished the latest LRB issue; the main course at 11:15; and the pièce de résistance, the sundae, by 11:32.
All the food was quite good, save the beef, which was overcooked. The bleu cheese sauce was also too much for me this early in the day. The "summer salad" with strawberries and blueberries was a welcome surprise, as the strawberries were surprisingly juicy and flavorful for this time of year. I only eat pretzel rolls on planes. Maybe I should seek them out more often, but I have no idea where else I could order one. The crew has been great and very attentive thus far. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5ebc4bfb0c.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...12a3a1c9d3.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e78a4a1b59.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cb8b0b7b53.jpg I'm looking forward to relaxing until the light meal, when I will obviously order the Croque Monsieur. |
The seat is a bit small for me, particularly the footwell. It would probably be fine for someone smaller, with smaller feet than size 15. I wouldn't like to sleep overnight in this seat (but it would be a lot better than sleeping in economy).
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a107f92117.jpg |
Looks a whole lot better than BA daytime flight offerings from JFK!
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Originally Posted by atcodave
(Post 36584519)
Looks a whole lot better than BA daytime flight offerings from JFK!
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Originally Posted by ewh9
(Post 36583863)
It's been a stationary past three months. My wife fractured her tibia on a water slide on July 1 and is just back on her feet now. We planned this trip post-surgery to coincide with the end of the first phase of her recovery--the reward being the chance to see her favorite band in concert in Paris.
While she is now ambulatory, she continues to use a crutch, so long walks and standing in line (read, most activities) are out of bounds. Still, I thought this trip might be of interest, as we should visit some great bars and restaurants, including Dos Palilos and Cocina Hermanos Torres (Barcelona) and Cambridge Public House, Little Red Door, and Sola (Paris). I was particularly excited about the Esencia cocktail tasting experience at Sips Barcelona, but I received a notification yesterday that my booking was canceled due to a closure for needed repairs. If we can arrive when the bars open, we may still get the chance to visit Sips or Paradiso.
Originally Posted by zip10001
(Post 36583876)
I had the pleasure of dining twice at “Cocina Hermanos Torres”.
make sure to bring your appetite! food is spectacular. enjoy :) |
The Croque Monsieur delivered. Impressively, the toast was light and crispy. The pie was pretty good, too.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2a1f05c675.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...faffd65f66.jpg Oops |
We landed about ten minutes ahead of schedule and quickly found a gate. The wheelchair service here is very poorly organized, though. One employee is ferrying people who need assistance up to a waiting area, where there are chairs but no one to push them.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8f49c6dd09.jpg |
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