On Monday we moved from the Hotel Catalonia de Pedrera, where we stayed for the first two nights, over to an apartment near Park Guell. Conveniently, the apartment (booked on Monday!) is only two blocks from the language school where we are studying (booked last Friday!).
On Tuesday (yesterday) I was able to pick up Stella from the airport. Elizabeth Bennett had hosted Stella over the weekend, and delivered her to the airport and into the care of American Airlines. Fortunately their motto must be “pets before parcels,” because Stella was dehydrated and super-tired on arrival, but otherwise fine. I am posting a photo of her in the delivery crate and also our first Spain-selfie.
The pickup started with three train rides and a bus and then — after a vet, the hidden customs office and two trips to the freight warehouse — ended with a taxi driver afraid of dogs and not so happy about the abundance of dog hair in his car. But the airport had olive trees! I had to take a picture of the beautiful green olives on the trees right outside terminal 2.
And so . . . gracias a dios, it all seems to be working out fine. The language school is small and friendly, and Ibby, Mimi and Benji come home and do their homework right away. We still have access to a pool for the hot afternoons. We’ve been shopping and can prepare meals “at home” now. We’ve walked around the city just a little. There are still so many sites to see here! Que bien!
The Nut Bus 
I think you said Stella is part Great Pyrenees. Maybe she’s only a part-great Pyrenees? Have you told her how close to her homeland she is now? Is she excited? Is there a Basque language school for her?
I heard that DeGaul had a plan for helping the Spanish members of the Resistance escape the Germans by various passes through the Pyrenees – he didn’t want to put all his Basques in one exit.
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