Well,.....went on a grand road trip to IKEA with my Mom today. Got beds for the kidlets and all the trimmings, you know sheets and duvets and duvet covers. We haven't had sheets for the last two and a half months that we have been here. See the ode to the sarong for the solution to that problem. The kids are finally off the inflatable camping matresses as well. They are very comfy, but there comes a time..... they are a little chilly.
We had an entertaining trip. I had been to the store only once before, on the bus. The map on the website was hopeless. However we figured we'd be fine, and we were, although we had an exciting 30 min. tour of the semi-industrial outskirts of Badalona, a suburb of Barcelona. Found it and motored through, no problem. Check out and there is always a ***gasp*** as the total rang up. Seemed high, but..... Off to Carrefour for sheets. it was only about 200 meters away, but you cannot get there from here. Completely. The road out of the parking lot was one way and lead inexorably onto a highway we didn't want, found our way back, and after a few more tries, huge numbers of one way streets, we made it. Lines were long, but it was otherwise fine. In the parking lot, we start discussing the cost of IKEA and I mention that mine seemed high, so we get out the reciept, and sure enough I had accidentally bought a 60 Euro duvet. That's is about $80 campers. That is an awful lot for a duvet. Well back we go. We manage to get there on the shortest route with some fierce concentration and a couple of exciting lane changes. I even manage to return it with my halting Catalan. Indeed, I am DEEPLY flattered that the woman asks me if I am Italian!!!!! My Catalan is still miserable, but at least I sound like I speak a romance language! WOW ! Pathetic I will acknowledge but there it is.
Lunch, swedish meatballs and lingonberry juice of course, and we find the duvet I wanted for a more reasonable price, 17 Euros, some sweet delight had left the duvet in the wrong space of course. I was the foolish soul to pick it up.
Took us only 45 min to find the highway. You would think something that big would be easy to find, but no. One way curving streets everywhere. Got home and crashed out. Kids happily sleeping in their new cozy beds and X has a lamp to read by. Life is good.
3 comments:
Oh the delights of Ikea...Gosh I have been going there since I was a student and I still find things there of value (practically speaking) for our lives...
yeah...what is the deal with the complicated roads...here too...
It is pathetic actually how happy we can be to go to IKEA. My Mom said that in Hungary in the late 90's it was like heaven. Considering my Mother's taste, she really was stuck.
It would have been easier to find with a map, but that too is something we haven't managed to find. Ikea is like that as well. It is a place you KNOW you can buy....whatever. Though unfortunately not road maps. The joys of living in a new culture. Unlike friends who moved to Senegal, at least I am fairly sure you CAN buy a map here somewhere if I can just figure it out.
yeah...you are right about Ikea...I got a rush of tears when I pulled into the parking lot in the one here...cause it felt just lke the one at home...
Yes desperate I know...
But yes I hear you...gosh it is so nice to be in touch like this....no?
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