It’s a shock to transition between two very distinct regions of Spain – especially between Andalucia to Catalonia. Yet that’s just what we did. After four weeks traveling through Andalucia, Spain – when most vacations have long ended – Kevin and I headed to Barcelona for two weeks during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday.

Tuesday, Dec. 19 we drove from Jerez de la Frontera to the Seville airport, dropped off the car and caught a flight to Barcelona (a very short, direct freeway now exists but GPS maps have not caught up, which we’ve found is all too common here). Vueling airlines got us to Barca in its no frills, low-cost way in our 1A and 1B seat assignments.

In Andalucia, the Spanish traditions and language are much more distinctly and strictly defined, rooted in a pride of upholding centuries of traditions. In contrast, Catalan culture and language is a more free-flowing, flexible, independent and innovative – with Barcelona being the flagship of this culture for Catalonia. Another travel adjustment!

I had plenty of time to contemplate this adjustment, having spent my first three days in Barcelona sick in bed, looking out to the sunshine from our floor-to-ceiling patio window one level up from the street in a six-story building in the centrally located L’Eixample barrio (neighborhood), with Kevin delivering me medicine and hot water.