Barcelona - May 15-18

Making port, we got our land legs back and shed the 2 or 3 pounds we gained by walking a lot around Barcelona. On Sunday we walked through the neighborhoods, to an unfinished Cathedral started in 1800s and park up in the hills behind the city. These were both designed by Antoni Gaudi and fell dormant when he died in 1926. Now most of his buildings are open to the public (10€) and many are being finished. There's a separate page for the Gaudi buildings and park.

Sunday night Barcelona's futbol team evidently won a big match (the Spanish championship?) and the whoopin and hollerin went on in the streets until about 3am. Even a big fireworks show about midnight. On Monday we saw some street signs that were freshly broken off at the base. They really can celebrate.

Monday and Tuesday were spent seeing more sights via a double-decker tourist bus to save our feet. Nice way to do it since we could get off and on at will, the map/brochure they supplied was excellent, and on Tuesday the bus was a good place to get out of the rain without buying yet another lunch.

Wednesday we split up. Bob got the rental car at the airport and Terry wandered the local neighborhood. Our hotel is in a mixed ethnic area of small alleys and tiny shops. Bob found a favorite local on Monday and stopped there every night for a quick one.

This is actually one of the wider back streets. Although cars do drive down these, the scooters are the main method of transportation. Some block-long areas of angled scooter parking are two deep.

Besides the Gaudi attractions (and they are gaudy), this city is filled with artworks, obelisks, statues, and architectural features on many buildings that aren't strictly Mediterranean style. For instance, the lamps at right and the sidewalk tiles below.

Although the bacon is disappointing and almost like American fatty stuff, the ham is excellent. Dried like prosciutto, some restaurants have a hole leg on the counter for thin slicing and meat markets sell it that way for home use (about 80€ each)

Monday was some kind of holiday not connected to the soccer win but nobody seemed to be able to explain just what holiday it was. This meant most shops weren't open and there were more tourists. This plaza downtown is typical of a couple of dozen spaced haphazardly around the city.

The smaller plazas in the Gracia area where we are staying are much dingier but still are ringed with bars and cafes with outdoor seating. We're on the Via Augusta which actually was the first Roman highway to come through the area - just a curiosity.

On Monday we ate dinner at a Palestinian hole in the wall near the hotel. Mashed chick peas and ground meat and fried chicken with a white sauce. All just as bland as you can get it. Really really bland. In fact all the food we've had in Spain is pretty bland. We expected Spanish food to have Mexican kick but even the Mexican restaurants don't seem spicy.

Of course it drizzled and was cold on Tuesday. What do you expect. The picture below is La Rambla on a rainy work day. Gone are the thousands of throngs of tourists, the sidewalk vendors and hundreds of human statues (the human statues in New Orleans are a lot better by the way, they at least hold still).

We wanted to see the Magic Fountain up the street from these Venetian towers but they were turned off for the week because of a big auto show. Thanks anyway to everyone who recommended them.

It took us very little time to realize there is big difference in price between food and drink at (ascending) a bar, a cafe, and a restaurant.

Another class of food place are Tapas. Here you get a small plate of one dish such as olives, herring, shrimp, nuts, sausage, etc. About 4€. An expensive meal but an OK quick snack.

It took longer for Terry to find a cup of cafe (coffee) that she could drink. She's had to give up her morning pot of coffee and has substituted a cafe leche instead.

Of course we had to take a tram up the hill which led to a funicular railway which led to a city view.

The main city Cathedral is a busy tourist place when services aren't in progress. Flashbulbs everywhere (but these were made without flash).

The stalls for the saints surround the chapel and an adjoining cloister. Very interesting. This cathedral isn't quite as big as Westminster or Cologne but may be one of the big 10 in Europe.

A block away is the City Museum which is built over an archeological dig of the original Roman city. Neat place to wander. Recommended even if the one guy selling tickets spends about 4 minutes with each and every family trying to get in.

The three layers of old city revealed by the dig include the edge of the Roman village, a fish processing plant of the 3rd century, and the foundations of a church, cemetery, and winery from the 6th century. The area spreads under the current Cathedral.

Our hotel elevator kept telling us whether our feet or our legs were tired. On this night Bob's feet were tired as was his photographic sense. The little person figure lights up more limbs and the body as the load of the elevator nears it's 6-person limit.

Terry likes gelato. A rich, creamy Italian ice cream. But she was too full to try the whipped cream flavored ice cream. (Bob tried it later and it was excellent).

American coffee is impossible to get. Didn't try it at McDonalds as they don't open until 11am. There's enough cream in cafe leche to at least get by.

Fried eggs, french fries, and a salad, all on one plate is a perfectly good breakfast.

Many signs are in three languages - Spanish, Catalan, and English. Catalan is the language of Catalonia and it is different from Spanish. Ninety percent of the menus and official signs are in two languages - Spanish and Catalan. If not in two languages, they are in Catalan. We think it's sort of a Quebec thing as the Catalonians are a political force.

There are trash / recycling bins on almost every block. People in the city take their trash to these bins. They probably don't cause the occasional sewer smell but they sure don't help.

Sandwiches come on whole loaves of toasted bread but only have one slice of meat.

Our hotel bathroom has more free space than in the main room. It also has a bidet. All we know about bidets is what Crocodile Dundee told us.

The Parc Guell has guided tours available by cell phone (just call a 900-style number). Yike.

Buy it at a bar. 1.40€ is normal price. At a restaurant, expect to pay over 2€. Most drinks cost an extra 0.15 if enjoyed on the terrace or the street seats.

The tan glass is another of Terry's cafe leches.

Also had some Terry Centenio, a Spanish brandy. Smooth. The grape comes through strong. Smells very alcoholic but is soothing to the tongue. A little burn but mostly just pleasantly spicy on the throat. Darn fine cheap brandy.

Also had some cider from the wood at an upscale bar. Tartish and drying. Cloudy yellow. Medium strength by taste and two pitchers (about 16oz each) didn't affect the equilibrium but was certainly ear-warming. Poured with an aerating flourish. Green apple is the only flavor - quite simple.

Catalonia produces dozens of brands of red wine and champagne and some local ciders that we just couldn't find.

Just northwest of Gaudi's cathedral is the Cervaceria Inter Tapa - a tapas bar that has 34 bottled beers, none from Spain. On tap was Krombacher Pils and Leffe Roja.

The pictures below give a good idea of how tapas are displayed and served.

Olives, garlic shrimp, Nestea Limon (lemonade), and Satan Red (in a 666 glass).

Satan Red (Belgium) from Brewery de Block - Bottle conditioned. Reddish copper. Malty and balanced with the 8% alcohol completely hidden. Unfortunately it does fight with garlic shrimp.

There was also a bar we heard about that serves absinth. Walked by it but it was in the middle of a very very seedy 2 block long red light district and we didn't stop.