Our stay in Barcelona was short and sweet. Definitely not long enough to take in anywhere near all that this city has to offer, but we definitely made the most of what time we did have.
After arriving at the train station quite late, it was a quick taxi to the hotel & a good nights sleep before a big day out and about hitting the town.
The morning was spent enjoying the sights and sounds of the city, a little shopping and a trip to La Boqueria, Barcelona’s largest and most famous open air food market. The aisles were jam packed with locals and tourists buying meat, seafood, fruit, cheese, nuts….. basically if you could eat it – you could probably buy it there. (including goats heads!)
We wandered Las Ramblas, it was ok, but honestly it seems a little over-hyped. The crowds are too much, the restaurants too commercial and the dodgy characters too numerous (we kept our own hands firmly in our own pockets so that no one else could get in there!).
We wandered into a little restaurant for a late lunch, none of the waiters spoke English, but we ended up with a delicious seafood paella and were very pleased! (though we didn’t realise it took so long to cook. After nearly 45 minutes we thought they’d lost our order)
In the evening we went on a Tapas tour. Our guide Antonio took us around to Barca’s lesser known culinary hotspots where we enjoyed some authentic tapas and Sangria. Also along the way we got some great insight into the rich cultural heritage of the city. A great night!
Unfortunately we got caught in a storm on the way home. We were both a little soaked, though it hit Ali harder – she wrecked her shoes and they are now in the bin. Disaster! (though apparently more reasons to buy new shoes). A highlight of our adventures in the storm was when Ali got so distracted by potential new shoes in a shop window, she crashed into a random guy on the street….. not just a little knock, she practically shoulder-charged the guy!
Next stop London.
Adios.
D&A