21st October – To Barcelona
An early start to the day – as I was getting off Navigator one day early and heading to Barcelona. I was hoping to get the 8 am train to Paris, then onto the airport to fly to Barcelona.
I was at Guest Services, packed and fed at 7.30. Immigration had just cleared us so YAY. Out into a taxi and made the train by at least 9 minutes. Then a 2 1/2 hr trip to Paris.
So I made the train. Got a Uber car to the airport. The trip took us few a few icons.
A very French lunch.
I made the flight and checked in to the tiniest hotel room you have ever seen. My walk in robe on the ship was bigger then this room. So funny. But the location and the price was right!
But it made you unpack a bit and organise your gear. Or you wouldn’t find anything. And the light was just a bed lamp – so you had to use your torch to find anything. BUT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS GOOD!
But -as I always say…if the door locks, the toilet flushes, there is a light, no vermin and the location is good I am happy. Well this location is AMAZING!
I was on La Rambla – THE tourist strip. But more on that later.
Michael and Ruth (from the Asia cruise and around the Horn) came to the hotel to meet me and off we went on a 3 1/2 hour walking tour. Michael is Catalonian – the true Barcelonians, and grew up in the area. So it was AMAZING. “Dad installed the wood fire oven in that restaurant, I did this here as a kid etc”.
Down streets, up alleys, to the markets -two different markets one lot more touristed and the other that just local use.
The Markets were amazing as always. After looking at so much amazing food, they realised there is a huge market for small portions. Like Market Tapas! And of course set in an amazing old building.
Then for Spanish Chocolate. A heart attack in a cup. A cup of rich liquid dark chocolate, covered in super thick fluffy cream. You did a hole and pour in some sugar – I know right! Then eat it with a spoon and by dipping Churros in!
The Architecture department, where building are approved, has a freeze done by Picasso.
More amazing buildings then the locals markets. The fruit was amazing. about 15 different kinds of tomatoes and the same of mushrooms. Things I have never seen.
To Roman ruins discovered when building a car park under the local markets.
We went to the cafe where Picasso used to do drawings to pay his bill.
Great things.
Roman tombs found accidentally. Wonder what else is under this amazing city?
And you would look up and see a window…then notice the ceiling.
I found something even better then Blanco Sangria – Cava Sangria…made with bubbly!
WOW. What a welcome to Barcelona! Is has been only the first few hours.
Barcelona – 22nd October.
And as I woke up in my room in the heart of tourist Barcelona district I was so happy with my decision to get off the Navigator early – as I am here now. Able to enjoy and not beginning an 8 hour journey to my next hotel!
It was raining…but oh well – off to explore. I went down stairs and looked at the included breakfast. It looked very good….but I kept remembering the food at the markets up the road. so off I went.
Travelling down in the lift I chatted with a lady – as you do when you are a cruiser. She had a US accent so “Are you going on Harmony?” I asked. Yes she was. We chatted a bit – she was with a large group.
Off I went to the markets and had a fun time again. I ended up with 6 juicy, fat figs, a cup of venison jerky and a fruit juice. 4.50 Euro. Excellent.
Then I called back into the hotel as it was on the way to the Hop on Hop off bus – except of course it was not. It was in the other direction. But lucky I did as I bumped into the group mentioned above. They were going to the bus as well, so off we went. Little was I to know that these would become best friends.
And what an amazing day. Some cities have average HOHO buses. Some have excellent ones. The Barcelona one was great. It covered a huge area of the city.
Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familiar. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I must have mixed stories up but in my head it was billed as ‘one of the best buildings in the world’ etc. We didn’t go inside and I’m sure that was spectacular (but I din’t have time for so long on one attraction when I only had one full day), and the sun was not out so the building as not glowing orange as it does in many photos…..but, I will admit to being a bit underwhelmed.
The craftsmanship, the intricate details and skill in building it is amazing. That was the wonder to me.
I am so glad I have seen it…but I now know it does not rate agains building like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Sorry Gaudi lovers.
I found the crazy building he did to be a bit more interesting.
And I will admit here to a terrible indiscretion on my part. We were travelling along listening the commentary, looking at amazing building. We were near another Gaudi building – the wavy one. That I could understand as being lovely. The commentary said something about how Gaudi died when he was hit by a tram. And oh no – I got an attack of the giggles. Very wrong of me, and I was not thinking it was funny. More the irony of this amazing man, with such a brilliant brain, who could conceive of and plan such intricate things, but couldn’t look both ways before crossing the road.
We then continued along to see more wonderful sites.
We went up the mountain to the MNAC – an art institute in a magnificent old palace with amazing city views.
The place has amazing fountains and statues running down the hill to the city. There were giant escalators running up and down the whole way. Very civilised.
Back down the hill we went past Arenas Barcelona or Arenes in Catalan – built between 1889 and 1900 as the Plaça de Toros de les Arenes, the bullring of Barcelona. It was designed in a Moorish style with a monumental horseshoe shaped entrance decorated with colourful tiles.
It seats 16,000 people and as well a torturing bulls, and also has had a number of concerts; including the Beatles, The Stones and others.
The Catalonians were less blood thirsty and Bullfighting was never big here, with the last one in 1977. In 2012, a bullfighting ban went into effect in Catalonia. YAY.
Sadly the Spanish Supreme Court just over turned the Catalonian law – saying it deprived Spaniards of their heritage. So although it is not illegal, there will be no bullfights as in 1999 the arena was turned into a shopping complex, conserving the historic red brick structure.
So it is pretty, and there will be no bullfights there.
Past many of the Olympic sites and some lovely modern buildings. This building is lit up with millions of led lights at night.
And some not so new.
It was then off to the home of Barça, Camp Nou! FC Barcelona – or Barcelona Football Club. The motto “Més que un club” (More than a club). Barcelona has won five UEFA Champions League titles and a record three FIFA Club World Cup, as well as heaps of other titles. They have never been relegated from the top division.
The stadium, has been Barça home since 1957 and hold 100,000 people. A Mecca for football fans around the world – so I had to see it. It has a chapel – blessed by Pope John Paul II. It has it’s own museum and even had accommodation for the younger up and coming players.
We did see one of the Championship trophies. Impressive. You could pay to hold it.
We then went back to the hotel to grab a few things – and for the others to collect their luggage…that had just arrived. That is why you don’t fly it the day of the trip. It arrived at around 7pm. Lucky.
We didn’t sit down or anything. Just changed some gear and headed off again to dinner. hoosing a dinner place was like herding cats.
We went to a little Tapas place.
NEWS FLASH. I DRANK RED SANGRIA. Sarah told me to rink it and it was good!
I was very proud of myself – but as my Sarah said…”You know it is half orange juice and sugar!” Well that’s why I like it – like a cocktail!
This was the first of many wild dinners.
We then headed off to Font màgica de Montjuïc – The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. This was built in 1929 for the Great Universal Exhibition and was fantastic. A real hidden gem of Barcelona. Probably my number one must see.
Not all that hidden as there were many thousands there watching……but none of us had ever heard of it.
It is the fountains we saw earlier in the day and is a display of lights, colour and water movements. Pretty spectacular.
We watched from the bottom and the top. Thanks goodness for those escalators.
We walked past the final night of Octoberfest. There were literally thousands, lining up for an hour at a time for their beers.
We got back to the hotel at 11.30pm after catching the subway – 2.20 each way.
So I had been out touristing for 14 hours and was exhausted. Tired and sore but very happy.
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