I went to Swing Maniacs Barcelona last night. It was different….
Turns out, Spanish swing is actually Lindy Hop….
I was busy exploring Barcelona until after the beginner lesson, but I caught the advanced lesson. I think I might want to take a LH class. Maybe.
But since I couldn’t lead Lindy, I just taught single step American Swing. Compared to Lindy Hop, it’s incredibly simple. Rock step is “rock step” in Spanish, too, so that helped.
It was really fun! I also showed the class teacher WCS and Foxtrot. They’re like SDS was, meaning they do the same dance to every song. I didn’t hear a WCS waltz, though….
They also had a really cool line dance from the 20s. Like all dances from the 20s, it was happy, upbeat, and dorky.
Swing Maniacs Barcelona is located at Carrer de l’Església, 4, 08024 Barcelona, Spain, in the GrácIA neighborhood.
(While I discovered this video in 2016 on Barcelona, it wasn’t until after meeting and talking to Kristen in Scotland in 2019 that I found out that it’s a dance called the Shim Sham)
I’ve heard stories from several people in the United States about “the rude shopkeepers in Paris.”
These stories confuse me. Of course, everyone knows I’m truly enchanted with the city, the history, the language, and the people.
I think Americans should try not being gruff and grouchy. Be friendly. They probably know about the area better than you. Ask what food they recommend.
I’ll tell you just one story during my first night in Paris this time.
It was cloudy for my entire trip and mostly rainy. This makes up for my last two years of having flawless weather.
I was at dinner. It was cloudy when I sat down, but it started raining during dinner. During dinner I was chatting occasionally with the waiter.
When it was time to go, I said goodbye, noticed the rain, and just said “Le pleut…..” (*sigh* The rain…..). The waiter told me to hold on for a minute.
He returned with an umbrella that he said a customer left behind about 2 months ago.
Nicest people ever!
Obviously, my experience is likely a little different as a French speaker, but travelers should at least know how to say “Thank you.”
Ask about their language, how to pronounce things on the menu, or if there’s anything going on that you missed on Google.
I had my first trans-Atlantic coach experience. There was infrequent service, cramped seats, and constant peripheral movement.
To prefect the experience, there was a baby crying, likely until a flight attendant gave the parent a complimentary half shot of whiskey, or so I assume. This is why the tickets up front are $7,000 more.
The complimentary boarding drink (usually a memosa), the constant hot food, beverages, and whatever you want from or off the menu, combined with the room to stretch out. It’s definitely worth your miles or your business’s money (if they want you to work without much jet lag).
Although nowadays, for $15, one can buy wi-fi so one can keep up with social media…. or research your destination.
Being a lover of life, I want to experience all life has to offer.
After checking in, I decided to go to my favorite place, the Seine River. Naturally, I would love to waltz under the bridges of Paris, so I set out on my adventure to find a waltz!
(Those of you who are not familiar, there is a waltz called Under the Bridges of Paris. It’s one of my favorite waltzes, but it’s never played at any ballroom dances because it is short and too slow for most social ballroom dances)
Under the bridges of Paris…. See? Several bridges!
(This post is silly, and it is primarily or solely to showcase my some of my photos from the first part of Day 1 in Paris in my 2015 trip)
Once I got checked in, the first place I ventured was Châtelet, which is a big metro HUB, but it’s also right by the Seine (between Notre Dame and La Louvre).
I got to the Seine and took some pictures.I saw a woman who said she had a nice camera and knew how to take pictures. So after passing the “let use my camera” rule (“I could definitely outrun this person, therefore I can be nice and accept their offer to take my picture”), I gave her my camera to take some pictures. I’ll post a couple pictures. The second is out of focus, but I like how she coached me to line it up (and yes, that is my passport and cards around my neck. I’ll make a post about traveling safety) Then I went on my adventure to find my waltz!
There are stairs to go by the bank, and there’s a nice sidewalk all along the river. It closes at night, though.
Along the sidewalk, there is a naturally occurring beach with nice sand.
I then saw something that was peculiar and kind of cool. I figured he was a street artist, and I was pretty entertained. They were just setting up when I arrived.
This is what Santa Claus does in the off season
After about 10 minutes, I saw the believed street artist leaving. It turned out wasn’t a street artist at all, but it was just a guy who had an idea for a crazy-fun picture. His friend was wearing a Santa hat. I wonder where they were heading to next!
…. but I continued…..
Next, I saw what was certainly an international Foosball competition. Well that was a sport, and I see a large wooden floor, but that’s not waltzing…. so I continued….
I got distracted by the wonderful views, especially from down low, and I did have a camera in my hand, so I took a couple of quick snapshots. But as I kept walking…. I found it! I found a place where they have dance lessons Under the Bridges of Paris! They were closed, but I can come back later, right?
I looked at their schedule. There were many options for Latin and Swing dances. I was wrong the whole time. There is not waltz under the bridges of Paris, at least nothing organized.
I’ll have to bring a partner and sound system with me next time I go.
So ended my search for a waltz Under the Bridges of Paris.
Luckily, that was only one of several adventures in Paris. I’ll tell more stories and post more pictures for a while. While I was only in Paris for 3 days (plus travel), I have a lot of stories to share.
Most city metro systems are pretty awesome. I even took the Blue Line to MSP. But the TC are nowhere near some cities (which is fine because it’s not nearly as big and doesn’t have awesome historic sites, Le Tour Eiffel).
However, there is one absolutely necessary thing needed when using and light rail.
I use hand sanitizer whenever I’m leaving a rail station, once I’m done touching things.
Now I’m not the most germaphobic person, but think how gross that is:
Everybody holds that pole; not everybody washes their hands; and everybody isn’t prefect and rubs their eye, picks their teeth, or whatever.
The waiter, after taking an order right behind me, nonchalantly and probably out of habit, just quickly straightened the fork and flipped it upright. He didn’t even slow down his very fast pace. It was very French.
On the other hand, he was patient when I ordered in French.
Also, I ordered a fresh squeezed lemon juice. It was lemon juice half filling a glass, and a glass of sugar packs and a bottle of water to make lemonade to taste.
Je s’ adore!
Tips, Information, and Stories for Adventures Around the World
I went to Swing Maniacs Barcelona last night. It was different….
Once I got checked in, the first place I ventured was Châtelet, which is a big metro HUB, but it’s also right by the Seine (between Notre Dame and La Louvre).
T
A
I was wrong the whole time. There is not waltz under the bridges of Paris, at least nothing organized.
