Transition days are always a bit slower for us. Our focus is on getting from point A to point B without losing anything, or anyone, and without creating any international incidents.

Peter has informed me that his laundry service is now closed. As we engage in the complex formulas of “clean clothes math” and re-initiate sink wash protocols, my goal is to (and I quote Cat here) “slip into the US on my last clean sock”.

I did have a slightly traumatic encounter in the restroom at the San Sebastián airport. When I followed the signs to Women’s and Men’s Aseos, and rounded the corner, I wasn’t expecting a small room, with two stalls and two urinals shared by all genders. I guess it shouldn’t have really been that traumatic for me given how many times I have barged into the men’s room on this trip. I guess, it’s just a bit different when it’s unintentional versus you put your head in that space and prepare for it.

We had an eventful evening which I will update you on tomorrow. I will just say, that we experienced a side of Barcelona that very few travelers get to experience.

In the meantime, if any of you are thinking about international travel, I thought I would use this slow day opportunity to share some of the new tools and services we have tried on this trip that are making things easier.

App: SimOptions – it’s a digital sim card. When we travel internationally, we usually add the foreign country to our existing cell plan for the number of days we are traveling. However, when we landed in Spain our extended Verizon service didn’t kick in. It’s really challenging to be someplace unfamiliar without the use of your cellphone and you can’t connect to WiFi, especially when you are operating on barely functional brain cells. The couple we met on the train from Madrid to Seville, recommended SimOptions. It was half the price of extending our Verizon plan, and covered 60 days in most European countries. The 60 days don’t have to be continuous, you can start and stop according to your travel plans. I plan to stop the card when I return home, and start it again when we go to Iceland this summer. It has been seamless for me, costs less than 1/2 Verizon for twice as many days, and I am very happy with the service.

App: Welcome – a pickup service. Think of it as a glorified Uber that you can schedule ahead of time. I hate nothing more than landing in a new country on less than an hour of sleep,walking through a crowded arrivals hall, trying to figure out how to find the taxis, and then torturing the local language to tell them where I need to go. I’ve used this app twice since we arrived in Spain and the service was excellent. Once you are confirmed, the app sends you the driver’s name and photo, they recognize you from your photo, and they are waiting for you with a sign that has your name. They choose English speaking drivers so communication is easy. Sometimes you get a car service, other times a taxi. Either way, they are there when you have scheduled them, they find you, and they take you where you want to go. You do pay extra for this service, but it’s worth it.

App: Daytrip – a driver for a day. I have not used this app, but have it just in case. If you need to go someplace that isn’t easily accessible with public transportation, and you don’t want to rent a car, you can schedule a driver. Or if you just want to explore the surrounding area and make a few stops, you can set your itinerary. I thought we might use it on this trip, but we haven’t needed to. I’d love to know if any of you try it and if you like it.

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