Get Off My Ship Day!
We arrived in Barcelona bright and early, and ventured out into the big wide world. I had live the sheltered life of a cruise passenger for 32 days and had to now fend for myself!
And there was a fair bit of chaos around. Barcelona used different luggage methods to all other places. The luggage come out on a carousel and went around and around. BUT – they sometimes took things off and put them in places. It took me 45 minutes to finally find my luggage. Someone in their wisdom had decided to place the priority bags in a different place. And then outside I went. WOW. Mobs of people. Literally thousands.
I have never been on a ship where every single passenger got off – remember the ship is going in for a refurbishment!
And heaps of contractors were getting on for the refurb.
My Uber plan didn’t work as Uber were not allowed into the port. I talked to people had been in the taxi line. They were at the 2/3 mark and had been in line for an hour!
Then I saw a bus to my part of the city! Bonus. $3Euro. Very crowded. Standing room only but off we went. Then called an Uber and got to my hotel!
Note to self – when disembarking in Barcelona – get a ship shuttle to anywhere!
I got to my hotel. I had stayed there before and it was very basic. Very basic – but also an excellent location and price. TINY room, nasty shower but on La Rambles! Perfect.
And to my surprise I had another single room but this one was great. A bed for me and one for my bags; and a great bathroom. And no steps from the lift. And still a great price! Happy Dance!
A rendezvous with Jon, and Jo and Ian from Q’land, and off to the markets. The amazing markets. A riot of colour and smells, sites and sounds. FANTASTIC. Mercat de la Boqueria.
The best cheeses, meats, butchers, lollies, fruit, snacks. So much of everything. Like in most of the Europe the snack food is amazing. Fruit on a stick, fruit in bowls, salamis, fresh everything. Not a piece of junk food to be seen.
Then to a tapas -place for lunch! And back to the markets to purchase breakfast for tomorrow. Paper cones filled with meats, or cheeses and of course both! A the most amazing bread rolls. You could live in this place.
Back to the hotel after more of a walk around.
Everyone stays somewhere near La Rambles – the main tourist drag. A massive strip running between two narrow roads – one for each direction. A food places, drinks in giant glasses, people selling junk, and stalls for the locals. Vegetables, plants, seeds, flowers and on and on.
In one of the main squares.
So after a nanna nap (I had only got about three in the while journey) I ventured out and met up with Lo and Grace! Then we met up with Jon, and went exploring.
We spent time Plaza Real and watched the most amazing buskers.
A troop of super fit and amazing looking guys doing a cross between gymnastics and parqkore. Sensational. Quiet unbelievable. They would run and do a series of flips – some (flips) with no hands, some with no legs. Just throwing their bodies in amazing ways. They did balancing acts. They picked people from the crowd (two stunning ladies then a guy on his bucks night dressed as a bee) and made a huge show of positioning them. Standing together, heads tilted on the perfect angle. You know the kind of set up where they spend minutes, and it’s then all a joke. But NO – one guy ran at the three in position then launched himself up and flipped over their heads. Incredible!
Happy to put money into their pot!
And we walked along amazing streets and alleys.
When Brad and Micheal arrived we went for dinner. Back in Plaza Real. A jug of Cava (Champagne) Sangria was not wasted on me.
A fun night was had by all. Then more goodbyes and off we all went.
Andorra Day! Barcelona day 2.
Jon and I did a 12 hour tour. A bus trip up into the Pyrenees Mountain through the Catalonian countryside and into France. Which started by meeting at the office – opposite the Baby Head art installation.
The drive was stunning.
We stopped at a lovely town – Baells, on the Spanish side. A visit to a coffee shop had to the most disgusted I have ever been with other tourists. A group was in there ordering their coffees, and being extremely rude! So rude.
The coffee lady had very little English – they had no Spanish and were not prepared to even try to be helpful. They just spoke in fast English – with their certain accents. When she passed an espresso – as that is what coffee is in Europe….”What is that! No. I don’t want that.” “I want American coffee”. I want to say “You are in Europe you ignorant pigs” but bit my tongue. Poor lady was trying and they were all yelling “you should have an interpreter”, “I want my coffee.” “Not like this”. A local man tried to help but there were rude to him as well.
The poor tour guide walked in and nearly died of shock! I walked out. No drink for me with them in the room.
But off we went to see the lovely town.
We crossed the border and were in France. But strongly not French. A strongly Catalonian area.
We stopped in the town of ‘Ax-les Thermes’ – Place of thermal springs. Very much a spa town. One of the ancient spas, used by the Romans et al, had been made into a public pond where people go and soak each day. It was so nice sitting there, in the light rain, soaking your feet in hot sulfur water. The surrounds were made of a stone that was like pumice. So you got to scratch your feet as well. Fantastic.
Then for a walk around the markets and some lunch. Great salamis etc.
It was VE (Victory in Europe) Day and a number of ceremonies were taking place.
Met some locals.
As we left – to be at the bus on time – part of the bus group were still enjoying their lunch and talking of coffee. Six of them sauntered up to the bus 17 minutes past the time we were to meet. No sorry. The rest of us clapped them as they got on. They started blaming the staff at the restaurant! All someone else’s fault of course.
We then headed off to ‘The Principality of Andorra’.
Farmers were just bringing their stock back from the winter pastures.
The largest of the five tiny countries in Europe. Off we set through stunning country! The mountains were huge and still a lot of snow.
Places like this are where the chocolate box photos come from.
People kept whining at the driver “Why won’t you stop?”, “Slow down so we can take photos”. And at the guide “Which side of the road?”, “Where is it?” and on and on like spoilt brats.
When we stopped at the border, the guide jumped out to get the passports stamped. “Why do we have to do this?” “Why should we have to stop?” “Why didn’t they man have to go in?” “Because he is from the EU” says mild mannered Jon – in a not so mild voice.
“Just like we do when we enter your country!” says I in an ever so friendly tone!
Then we stopped at a look out. Impressive.
Andorra is known for its ski resorts (where Sarah spent three days a few christmases ago) and as a tax-haven. And it sure was pretty.
As we were driving along the guide tried to talk a few times – but stopped as people kept talking. On about the fifth occasion, two of us turned around at the same time and ‘asked’ them to be quiet. Then the poor guide let lash “I’m not your father. I shouldn’t have to tell you to listen and not be rude”. Poor guy. At least they shut up for a few minutes.
We headed off to ‘La Vella’, the capital city. Super modern with some great bridges, a Dahli sculpture and many many duty free shops! The river running through town was intense. Snow melt. Powerful and so fast. Bet none of the town kids go near it – well not more then once.
We had time to explore and yes buy a few things.
‘Tour de France’ goes through here!
The Dali clock.
A great bridge over a ‘stream’. 
And then the drive back through the Spanish side. More beautiful country. So rich. The crops were amazing.
And about 10 of the 17 of us in the bus yelled, talked at the top of their voices and continued to be horrible. No concept of inside voices or that everyone was not interested. And some of the conversations were amazing. A mum and her daughter arguing about a case she (the daughter) had on trial when she got back. Naming the judge, the past crimes and all kinds of inappropriate things. And a few of the men kept going on and on – all day – something about a red light district – like a 10 year old after seeing a boob for the first time! Trying to be so cool and smutty but just stupid.
It was a brilliant day as far as what we saw and did – but such a sad day to see people act like this. You always talk and hear about the Ugly Tourist – but I honestly had no idea adults could be this revolting! I’ve never had a school group – of any age – behave this poorly.
But still – a fantastic day.
And a great dinner on La Rambles before a well earned sleep.
Mind you – Scampi are very over rated. Maybe a teaspoon of meat in them. (Prawns are much better.)
Montserrat
No sleep in again the next day. Today was a visit to Montserrat.
Montserrat is a huge mountain just out of Barcelona. The peaks look like fingers reaching up. In fact the name ‘Serrat’ means saw or serrated and of course Mont – Serratted Mountain. It’s made of pink conglomerate rock and parts look like they have been made by a concreter (with a really coarse mix). Amazing.
Benedict Monks built Santa Maria de Montserrat in the 11th century. It still functions today as an Abbey with 70 monks in residence.
There are three ways to get there – bus, train and cable car.
I went with three others – Jon, Paul and John – and mastered the public transport.
Train from La Rambla to Espanya station, then another train to Monistrol de Montserrat – about an hour out of the city.
The usual gypsies and beggars were around. At least this guy was trying. Not just begging.
We then changed to the cog railway up the mountain – and let me tell you it sure beat walking up. The cog railway was very cool. The cog track in the middle that pulls the train up. The views were spectacular. Walking up is a pilgrimage that many people do.
The area has been on religious significants since pre-christian times when the Romans had a temple to Venue up there.
At the top we walked around in awe of the whole thing. The monastery was snuggled into the rock.
We then ventured up the funicular – another cog railway. Two carriages counterweight each other and run the cars up the 65 degree slope.
And the top was amazing. So pretty with the stone pillars and caves where the hermits lived.
We wandered around for a while then went back down.
The view from the front of the carriage was so good!
The Basilica was built in the 16th century but was destroyed in the War of Spanish Independence, and was rebuilt. And it was pretty stunning. The forecourt was particularly amazing with pretty spectacular views and great statues.
The church proper was spectacular as well.
We ventured inside with the thousands to hear the boys choir sing. That was special.
High up above the alter was a alcove with the “Virgin of Mottserrat” or the “Black Virgin” – a venerated statue of Madonna and child. It’s a Romanesque statue made of wood. One belief is that the statue was moved to Montserrat in 718 to protect it from the Saracen invasion. Later the monks were unable to move the statue so they built around it. Over the years the statue has turned black!
There were great markets up there with fantastic cheeses and honeys. The Monks keep bees and mad some lovely liquors.
Then back down the cog railway, onto the train, then swap to the subway and back to the hotel.
My timing was perfect – I collected my luggage from the hotel, hopped into a taxi and off to the airport. Walking back from the underground I got to see many of the wonderful buskers.
Plenty of Christopher Columbus’s.
The flight home – Business with Qatar – Yay. And how good was that shower and relax before the flight. Check in and luggage weigh never ceases to amuse me. My luggage allowance was not what I thought! 8 kg over would have been 550 Euro – AHHH! But no! He watched me pull things out of my suitcase and cram them into my hand luggage, and pull out the day pack and put it over my shoulder. I now had two hand luggage instead of one, but the weight was exactly the same and all was OK now. I don’t get it!
The lounge was pretty amazing with fountains and giant ponds – inside.
Hard to work out with the mirror roof above.
And of course – you never know when you want to buy gold – jewellery and bullion. So best to have a shop at the airport.
But off I went. A nice comfortable flight – many movies, food and best of all they served the lovely Middle Eastern ‘Lime and Mint’ drink. Many were consumed.
My flight was the one flight from Doha to Canberra – via a stop in Sydney. We had to get off the plane in Sydney – but didn’t have to – get luggage, clear customs, re check luggage and re board. Just off then back on after re fuelling. Immigration and customs at Canberra, then into a taxi and home. Lovely.
Sensational trip.
I will happily go back to all the places again! – Especially India and Jordan.
Next trip – Alaska with Andy in September 2018.