Forts & Castles

A few days ago I posted that Jon and I went to see an old military fort in Barcelona located in the Montjuic. I'll admit the concept of seeing a fort seems really cool! However I'm no idiot, and I'm also aware it involved really old ruins, lots of hiking,  and rough terrain.

Here is a photo Jon took of me before we left the hotel (I was trying to be a good trooper :) ).

To get to Montjuic I had to talk Jon out of hiking all the way there. We walked up Avinguda del Parallel to catch the funicular (a lift) instead of walking up the mountain. Purchasing tickets from the metro was a little more confusing than the French metro (but maybe that's because I've been there before!). The funicular departs every 10 minutes or so making our wait time minimal.

The top of the fort was beautiful. The moat was turned into a mini garden and the views boasted breaktaking displays of the Mediterranean and the cityscape. I'm still in awe of how blue the sea is!

Jon of course was in his element :).

An interesting point Jon mentioned to me (he gave me a military history lesson) was the use of star points for engineering their forts (per Jon it was the Italians that were first). It was common during that age to engineer a fort using star points instead of 90 degree angles. This would minimize enemy efficacy and damage during an invasion while maximizing the fort defense to kill enemies in target areas. 

A wiki link to learn more is here. I saw the similar constructions when we went to Chateau Royal in Collioure two days later.

Having Jon provide the background (and the breathtaking views) definitely made this more enjoyable :).

First few days in Catalonia

Jon and I are in Barcelona now. We spent a long long flight getting to Europe. But we paid for 1st Class with our Alaska Airline miles so I can´t complain.

After a brief stint in Paris to grabe some lunch (3e area) we hopped on a crowded flight which was delayed an hr and a half to Barcelona. Our first few days were spent at La Meridien down in St Salvador (south of El Vendrell). The relaxation was exactly what we needed! We celebrated our two year anniversary with wine tasting at Jean Leon up in the mountains at El Pla Des Penedes and wrapped up with a massage and nice dinner. Jon surprised me with some beautiful diamond earrings afer I surprised him with Cava (Catalonian champagne) and chocolate covered strawberries :) and our winery trip and couples spa day.

The biggest challenges we faced in El Vendrell were that nearly no one spoke English and my flat iron blew out. I learned very quickly how to say Plancha el pelo :). Besids that every day was spent on the beach being waited on by our garcons or relaxing in an environment where time had no place.

After El Vendrell we drove into Barclona to stay at W Barclona. The hotel, also called La Vella by the locals (means big sail) is stunning. it sits in the Barceloneta district and is also right off of the Mediterranean. We spent our first day shopping and visiting the Picasso museum in the Born district. I quickly recognized the word for sale in Catalan, Rebajas, and poor Jon was dragged into every store that had a sign. So far I´ve had some good steals (a scarf, a few skirts, some blazers, and a new pair of flats).

Yesterday we went to the Contemporary Art Museum of Catalonia and La Pendera (where Gaudi lived and built his apartment from stone). Tapas were enjoyed along every exursion and all of the walking through La Rambla burned whatever calories we were able to consume.

We just finished sunbathing on the beach and today we will head to Montjuic to see a fort and a military museum (my compromise for dragging Jon shopping for 5 hours yesterday). We hope to also squeeze in a trip to FC Barcelona museum and stadium since it´s in the same area. I´ll leave you all with a photo from our hotel room at the W :).

Barcelona Shopping Trip Follow-up

I found some great deals shopping for my trip on Sunday! Most basics for my trip I already had, of course I has to get a few new pieces :).


Footwear...

There was a time in my life when I simply refused to wear flats. I'm a bit tall for a girl and hated that my mother always had me wear lower heels than my vertically challenged sister- after all Daddy Long Legs is one of my favorite movies! Now I can't live without them (stilettos I heart you too!).

Report "Lem" Flat from Nordstrom

Hot Trends... 

Thanks to my friend Jody, I was on a mission to find colored denim or chinos that rocked. Already in my collection is a pair of Dylan & George cropped pants. If you swing by J. Crew You can snag these oxford chinos on sale.

I really wanted this pair, but they were sold out in my size- boo! Nevertheless Nordstrom always comes through...I picked up a pair of Jag denim ones (On Sale! Oooh Anniversary Sale!) and you can't even tell the difference! Best part, they match the flats I just bought :).


Oxford Chinos at J. Crew

My other hot trend item I picked up was this ADORABLE skirt from Francesca's Collection. Francesca's Collection is my go-to shop for trendy and affordable boutique dresses and skirts. I fell in love with their clothes at the New Orleans store off Magazine St (you can't go shopping in New Orleans and NOT go to Magazine!). Now I get my little taste of fun, flirty, heaven at Pacific Place in downtown Seattle.


Far East Skirt from Francesca's Collection

This skirt is reasonably priced under $50 and fully lined. I immediately fell in love with the colors. Made with sateen it can easily be dressed up with a silk blouse and big sunglasses, or down with a white tank top and some fun beaded jewelry. Just the perfect thing for my trip to help me to blend in with other stylish Catalans in Barcelona. My poppy-colored Kenneth Cole "Pretty" flats I wore that day made this find more perfect!

Tees/Tanks/Scarves...

When you live in the Pacific Northwest you're raised to expect humidity to mean showers and to always dress in layers- because the weathermen are usually wrong...or right. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten this and worn a sweater to work in the rain, only to come home to 68 and sunny skies!

I went shopping for some basics that were fun enough to pair with a skirt and wear out. Most of my "cocktail/dancing" tops or dresses seem to always fall in hues of blue and black. Thanks to the endless spam *cough* I mean e-marketing efforts on Express, I decided to check out their sale.I found this great sequin racer back top in my favorite color- purple! Since I plan to be dancing the night away this is perfect.



Express Sequin Racer Back Tank



The last thing I sought to purchase was a new scarf. Sunhats and scarves are always great when you're going to the waterfront or beach. Sadly to say I did not find any that were "must-haves" for me. So I'll leave you with my favorite spring scarf I picked up a few months ago for a steal on Ideeli.

Sayami Striped Scarf

This is my favorite color and it goes with everything. I definitely lucked out when Ideeli hosted their Sayami scarves and wrap sale. Most of their scarfs are reasonably priced and the quality is great.

Pre-shopping for Barcelona

It occurred to me I have been so slammed with work, that I failed to mention I'm heading back to Europe next Saturday! Jon and I will be spending a week and a half in Barcelona and La Côte Vermeille in Collioure.

Photo of Collioure

We spent months trying to figure out where to go, and because Jon travels a lot for work (and me whenever I get the chance) we had enough Alaska Airlines points to pay round trip for tickets, and Starwood to pay for hotels! He wanted to go to Hawaii and I Paris yet somehow we managed to compromise with Barcelona and the coast of France across the Pyrenees.

Today's goal will be to pick up  few wardrobe essentials for the trip inspired by both my new favorite book, Parisian Chic, and Anthropologie's Summer Travel Checklist on Facebook. Things I'm looking for:

• a new lightweight blazer
• fun summer scarf
• cropped colored denim/pants
• fun sandals
• easy shirts
• summer dress or two

Most of these items I already have. I'll be looking for a few new pieces so my travel attire will be a mix of old and new. I'll assemble a few outfits and share with you all when I am finished. Here are my top 4 tips for summer travel shopping:

Make a list
Purchase only things you need for the trip. Making a list will ensure you grab everything you need (include that travel size toothbrush!).

Go for basics & compliment with trend pieces
When shopping for vacation attire it's always important to shop for your destination. Today it's overcast and was raining earlier in Seattle. Barcelona and the Vermillion Coast in contrast will be hot and humid. Buy all of your basics for shopping. All trend pieces should be rest within this season's trend but not be overdone. Try a hip handbag or trendy earrings with a casual sweater and pair of shorts. You will remain stylish without all the unnecessary effort :). It's also less expensive to buy the basics and you'll be able to circulate them in your wardrobe.

Keep a budget
You're going on vacation to do what? Go on vacation, sight see, and of course shop! Don't blow all your vacation dollars shopping for vacation. If you're a good shopper you have most of everything already in your wardrobe and will only need to pick up a few in season items or trend pieces.My rule of thumb is to make sure everything I buy (almost) is at least 30% off. Everyone loves a deal and you can justify maybe buying that extra pair of sandals you didn't need but got for a steal ;). This will also minimize impulse purchases you may come to regret or never wear.

Will I wear this again?
Lastly I always ask myself- Will I wear this again? I am notorious amongst my friends for purchasing a hot dress for a wedding or social event and then never wearing it again (or wearing it once a year). I admit it's a weakness, but I almost always get them 30-50% off retail price. And with wedding season nearly every summer I can rotate them through different social circles  every time :). The point is, don't buy something because it's the "must-have" item of the season. If it's not you and you won't wear it EXCEPT when your on vacation it will be better to invest in something you will enjoy for a while :).

OK I'm off to shower and grab a much needed cup of coffee before I begin! I'll check in later!

Combat Mediocre Customer Service- Make Social Media Work For You

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has gone through this:

Your order something online because its not available in stores, or maybe you have little time to do in person shopping. After paying for shipping you anxiously wait for your item to come. It of course is delayed because the delivery services does not operate with a "right now" mentality or your online vendor is still preparing shipment.

There's always two endings to this story- either your purchase arrives just fine, or the first attempt failed in which you'll now have to wait til Monday (next business day) for the delivery EVEN though they also work on Saturday.

If I geniunely miss the delivery I don't sweat it. But today was not the case.

FAILED ATTEMPT NOTICE:

As I was leaving to get ready for my meeting (and of course check the mail) I noticed a UPS "infonotice" note on the door about a missed 1st attempt delivery. I had not only been home all day, all regular delivery drivers are given a key for the building to access. In addition, there is placed signage by the manager to have all delivery people call her for drop off packages. Did I also mention I was home?

CALL CENTERS TURN PEOPLE INTO ZOMBIES:

The next 2 hours spiraled out of control. Not only was a juggling some crisis management with a work at my kitchen table, I had 4 unsuccessful calls with their infonotice customer center, a missed call from the distribution center (was in a meeting during a time I said they COULD NOT call and expect an answer) with a non-returnable phone number, and a dead end.

I was having the life sucked out of me as my fourth customer service rep said there was nothing I could do but to wait until Monday. I didn't pay for delayed delivery I paid for on time delivery and the guy clearly did not make an attempt to deliver but write a notice and stick it to the door.

THEN I SNAPPED:

After politely begging, and pleading, and explaining I wouldnt have the flexibility to be available round the clock should they make another half -ass attempt I realized I was being mocked on the phone and read a script. I lost it when the customer service lady said I was wasting my time.

Me: " Wasting my time? Your in the employment of customer service that is not how you should talk to anyone who calls asking for help and who is polite on the phone. I should just go tweet what horrible service you're giving me and I'll get help faster and instead of begging you to do your job."

I was taken back at how sassy I sounded and the representative bursted out in laughter. The following chain of events involved me filing a complaint with her supervisor and jumping on twitter to tweet and tag UPS delivery services and advising them to take lessons from Nordstrom.

I was barely halfway explaining to the supervisor how rude her direct report was when @UPSHelp tweeted me back. I have received 11 messages from them today. Not only did they locate my package they also called the distribution center twice and are following my package until it reaches my hands. Unbelievably good service. Now if they could get their call centers to match the caliber of their social media gurus.