Hola

Tempting as it is to pretend otherwise, I'll admit my life is not normally as alluring as it is right now. I am writing to you from the rooftop terrace of a divine café in Barcelona. I could not envisage a more idyllic spot to be typing. I'm not a travel writer so I won't detail the city's sights but I will let you in on a couple of things I've learned these past few days.

1. Travelling with a baby has copious benefits

Who would have thought? Now naturally those benefits do not include sleeping in, dancing til dawn or even eating a meal uninterrupted. But travelling with a baby has afforded us some advantages. It began at the airport. Front of queue for security screening, express boarding and first pick of seats (we were on a certain budget carrier). At our hotel, the receptionist arranged a bigger room and throughout our days wondering this remarkable town, we have kind Spanish people bending over backwards to help us with the pram. Which brings me to the most fabulous point of enfant in tow. Having a pram.

 At first this may seem incongruous, stairs are a nightmare, tapas bars are not easily accessible and it obviously requires pushing. But it solves so many dilemmas for the indecisive traveller. For a start my handbag – packed to capacity - sits neatly on the bag hooks. No sore shoulders, no skimping on contents, no difficult decisions. The basket beneath the pram delivers further flexibility. Will I need a coat? Cardigan? Scarf? What if we swim? What if it rains? What if I get hot? No problem. I simply place it all under the pram. And off I set with complete peace of mind that if the weather changes, my wardrobe will accommodate. (Naturally I also pack to ensure my daughter enjoys the same peace of mind.)

The final advantage of travelling with my bambino is her love of an afternoon nap, which coincides beautifully with the Spanish siesta. The perfect excuse to return to our big room and enjoy a little shut eye. (And if necessary re-evaluate my options beneath the pram.)

On balance, I wouldn't recommend acquiring a baby purely for these purposes, but if you've got one put it to use while you can.

2. Cellulite is offensive

What with the unrest in the Middle East, Japan's nuclear crisis, and all the other goings on in the world right now, it's entirely possible that like me, you had failed to grasp the enormity of this issue. Cellulite, it seems, affects the entire population of Spain. Just in case anyone was to slip through the cracks without addressing this bodily aberration, billboards are placed on every street corner to remind them to tackle this distasteful condition. Cellulite Offensive!! is the tagline on advertisements dotted around spruiking creams that apparently transform your thighs from veritable to veneer.

3. It's a small, small world after all

To elaborate a little on my locale - and it may seem sacrilege - but right now beside my computer is sourdough toast with a smear of vegemite. And that excites me enormously. The café in which I'm perched is called Federal. It sits within the San Antonia district of Barcelona, a long long way from Federal, the town just near Byron Bay where its Australian owners grew up. A mere 25 kilometres from Lismore, where I grew up. The waiters are Spanish, as most of the customers seem to be. It's not overtly Australian (unlike the hideous Hogan's pub on Las Ramblas), it fits beautifully in the district and has a distinctly Spanish feel. But there's something decidedly Australian about it too. And it's not just vegemite on the menu. The coffee is sublime, as is the space, and it could very well be anywhere in Aus. Finding a slice of home this divine feels pretty fabulous.