SHE SAID ... Our apartment and hosts couldn't be better. Ron and Tadaaki have made us very welcome and Dunko the dog is our best friend. Sorry Becks!! 5 minutes from the harbour, close to the market, rail station, and all the beautiful cobbled, narrow streets we have spent hours wandering around. We both love Barcelona, it's vibrant, clean, lots of trees and the locals have been so nice. Right down the a little thing like a waiter drawing me a map showing me where the wine came from.We may have done a little shopping! We've definately eaten some amazing food and drunk some nice spanish red. (thinking of you Murray!) We've done the Hop on Hop off again, and can't recommend that enough.
Our visit to Sagrada Familia was incredible, beyond our expectations, and very moving. Thank goodness we had got our tickets online as there was a huge long queue (200m) waiting in the sun! The audio tour was the way to go, gave you heaps of great info. I could have gazed at all the stained glass windows all day - Pat Leen got a mention several times! Things like the stories about the many different columns, their colours, meanings, heights and the biggest (the Virgin Mary) is still to come! You could spend days finding all the different little carvings and statues everywhere, inside and out. We spent a lot of time down at the workshop, seeing models and how the various parts were made. We thought of you Bard and Dordi. Aaammmazzziiiinnnggg! 
It was Catalunya National Day, so red and yellow striped flags flying from buildings and balconies everywhere. Awesome sight, but unfortunately for us this meant our tour of the Barcelona Football stadium didn't happen.... absolutley gutted! Had a wander around as best we could and got to watch ice skating in part of the complex instead.
Coming home very late (after eating tapas out spanish dining time!) we got caught up in a parade of flags, flaming torches and drums to celebrate their day.
Saw the Olympic Stadium and grounds .. and of course I always gravitate back to the water and boats!! I've felt very safe and happy here, and although looking forward to the south of France will be sorry to leave tomorrow. Nearly time to go out - it's paella today down at the beach!!! Sorry Karl, eating on our deck at home with Kristy, JD and Brid v paella at the beach in Barcelona, maybe think we might win today!
HE SAID .. Sorry but this installment will be big. The weekend in Barca has been extremely busy and tiring. At night one just wants to come home and crash. Yesterday our day was 9 hours long. We spent 2 hours in a church. Saturday we spent wanderring around the district of El Born an area about1000m radius from the apartment. An amazing collection of pedestrian streets about 4 metres wide with little shops everywhere. Saturday was the day our stupidity showed no bound yet again as we indulged in some shopping. Plenty of ideas here for those little gifts for those people we wish to buy for. Plenty of great knock of shops also. Surely it must be better wearing a replica Barca football shirt that was purchased in Barcelona rather the Jackson Street market in Petone.Plenty of options also to buy some really inapropriate things that we now have to carry all around europe. These things will go well with the glasses we aquired at the start of our trip in London. What the hell, art is art and it will look great at our place even in a 1000 pieces.
Saturday a highlight was the Picasso Museum. What an amazing man. One couldn't help but notice via some of his sketches though that sometime between our trip to Versailles, Louis X111 (thats 13 for those younger than 45) palace with its wall to wall paintings and the sketches of Picasso some 250 years later, pubic hair made a comeback!! Funny what you notice eh? Barcelona is a very dangerous city with warnings everywhere about pickpocketers etc. Some extremely unsafe areas including many childrens playgrounds that DONT have safety matting. Speaking of children, they are amazing, some as young as 2-3 speaking fluent Spanish....incredible. Having said that is it me or do all children sound the same in any language when they are tired and start whinging and whining?
I dont know whats happened to this "Its a small world" crap but clearly i have wandering around Barcelona for 2 days now wearing my Wainuiomata Golf Club shirt, and no-one has said anything!! So far, in Paris and Barcelona i have seen no-one i know. Perhaps they are avoiding me?
Hi Guys glad you are having a fantastic trip, it's good to be able to follow you on your blog, also good to see you don't need that sat nav to get around !
ReplyDeleteluv N & B xx