Barcelona

Sunday Barcelona

Just as well we paid the bill the night before, cause when we left in the morning for Barcelona the hotel was in darkness and all locked up. Unlocked the front door and let ourselves out.  Train left on time.  At the border they checked our passports, and evicted two travellers -- 1 of them who protested was cuffed and frog marched off.  Arrived in Barcelona on time and took the metro a couple of stations to our stop.  Excellent location.  Right on the major tourist strip in the middle of everything.  Mandy had arrived an hour earlier, and we checked into our rooms.  Went out to a cafe for lunch and to catch up with each other, then spent the afternoon resting in the room.  Cruised the strip at teatime and had paella for dinner and gelati to finish.  Bit of a walk up and down, then back to the room where Mandy crashed quickly and didn't stir till 8:30 the next morning.

Monday Barcelona

When Mandy finally woke we raced down for breakfast before it finished, then jogged down the road to the Plaza Del Rei where a free guided walking tool was meant to depart.  It didn't, and after half an hour we and the others gave up, and started walking.  We went down to the Columbus monument commemorating where Christopher left to discover America, then up the big hill to the Olympic stadium where we re-lived the lighting of the cauldron with an arrow.  Walked around the Olympic Square, saw the baseball ground, the gymnastics hall, the swimming pool, and the diving pool with the incredible view as the backdrop.  Past the football ground as we climbed up the hill to the Fort, complete with moat and drawbridge. Had lunch at the hilltop cafe, and took in the sites before heading back down the metro station.  Took a couple of trains to the other end of town and walked back through the commercial district to the Olympic village and port where all the funky eating cafes are.  Lovely open parked spaces and plazas abound near the waterfront.  Lovely lifestyle.  We walked back to Columbus and then to the room.  Did some washing and headed out to a Lebanese cafe for a souvlaki meal.

Tuesday Barcelona

After breakfast we took the metro to Barcelona Sants -- the intercountry station and booked our tickets to Madrid for tomorrow -- a little expensive but it meant a four hour trip in first-class with no transfers, instead of a 12 hour second-class trip with two connections.  On to Sagrada Familia which is the most famous building in Barcelona.  A cathedral with a very unusual design.  Four towers front and back, sculptures, fruit, the whole truckload.  Has been under construction now for 200 years, and will probably take another 200 to finish.  Christmas lunch in a tiny cafe -- hamburgers and frankfurt's.  After a bit of sitting in the sun we walked a few blocks to see La Pedera -- another creation by Gaudi.  Then by train to Park Guell, one of the few hills in Barcelona.  Lovely park with great views of the city, and numbers of buildings and sculptures also done by Gaudi.  After a walk and an ice cream, we walked back down the hill and took the metro back to town and the hotel.  A bit of a rest and another short explore of the lanes close to the hotel before we went out to one of the close by restaurants for tea.  Have enjoyed Barcelona as a city -- lots of similarities to Melbourne -- wide streets, cafe culture, big sporting cities, Olympics, nice buildings, friendly people.