Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Day 58 - Barcelona - our turn around point.

Thanks to the coffee(?) a good sleep – until Paula's phone which was on charge, started bleeping as we entered the Spanish Vodafone coverage area, before daybreak.

Up to HC of course and time for sausage and  beans this time, but no, not Spanish chorizo, but Polish (kransky?) sausage instead, plus a toasted muffin.

Out of the port building OK (and remember Barcelona is a very busy terminal port, so there were ships in terminals A – D) and on to the port shuttle – $10AUD return each.  Traffic chaos, with taxis and coaches from all 4 terminals converging on one traffic island.

This is a pretty good shuttle service as the drop off point is the pick-up for the HO-HO bus anyway, and that was our plan.  We managed the pensioner rate (without even asking – so maybe we are now looking our age?) €20 each, which covered both routes.  We started off on the red route then transferred to the green route.  A good day really and a very pleasant long ride with a very courteous bus driver.  In fact, drivers around Barcelona seemed to be polite and the roads weren't too busy either, as it was Saturday.

This was our second visit and I think this is a place that grows on you.  The streets are generally wide but this is the first place that I can remember seeing grass between the modern tram tracks.  We are neither historians nor culture vultures, but Antoni Goudi's contribution to the architecture of Barcelona is one of the major attractions, as his quirky building designs really are quite wonderful, none more so than the La Sagrada Familia cathedral, which is due to be completed in 2026!   As we had visited in 2011 on the Princess tour, we didn't need to join the crowds, either inside or outside, this time.

I think we finally got off the bus at about 2:40pm so about four and a half hours at a guess.  Sadly, many bus passengers in the past seem to think it is OK to toss out their ear pieces onto the top of the bus stops.  I'm not too sure that I'd want to be on the NIT bus either…

We both needed a comfort stop and Burger King was convenient.

This was at the start of what is probably the best known street of all in Barcelona (Ramblas) and as such, is also a Mecca for pickpockets and sellers of dubious merchandise.  (There was a story going around that it was so bad, the pick pockets were complaining they were getting pick pocketed…)

Every three metres, there was a street seller trying to demonstrate and sell a small whistle device that you presumably keep inside your mouth, so that you sound like Mr Punch.  I seem to remember buying a far more sophisticated version about 55 years ago, called a Ventrilo!  We didn't see any of them make a sale.

We were distinctly peckish and by now, we should have learned that rarely is the main street the best place to grab food.  So we made the mistake of going into a small but clean establishment, where there were no prices displayed, and shared a half split baguette, covered with ham and cheese.  We walked out a few minutes later about €8 worse off – a rip off…

A small mango and passion-fruit juice from another stall was €2.20, but in the very busy market, the fruit and juices were very cheap.  Most of the other goods seemed expensive so we weren't tempted.  Uncovered sweets and liquorice and the ever present flies are enough to deter many, but they seemed to be selling heaps of stuff, especially cheeses and cold meats.

Almost at the end of Ramblas, there were several cruisers eating and drinking, but we thought that rain was imminent, so moved on, past several of those street performers acting like statues.  These were very ornately dressed and made up.

We hustled along to the bus stop just as it started to rain, but by the time we got to the terminal, it was raining quite hard.  Great timing.  A good excuse for an atrium coffee.

As a latish getaway, it was open dining, but there was just M & M on our table and we were joined by 3 people from the table next to us.  Very pleasant.

Paula shot off early to watch the tennis whilst I stayed to chat.

Another fairly early start again tomorrow with another private tour, from Marseille, a place we haven't been to before.  On the agenda, is Avignon, where six of our Kiwi friends will be for a cycling tour shortly.  No doubt we'll compare notes (and pics) in October.

Now getting a bit behind with the blog, but with some sea days ahead shortly, I'll try and catch up.  Honest.  

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