Barcelona 2006: Stephen's take
Mood:
chillin'
Topic: Barcelona 2006
Hi folks. Well, we survived Barcelona and managed to not get robbed. Below is my version of events; I suspect Elisabeth may have a different version. There aren’t many pictures because
someone accidentally left the camera on on Saturday.
ThursdayWoke up, left the flat and went to the town centre to wait for the library to open so that E could print off our airplane and apartment tickets. Went to the train stations & bought tickets to Gatwick only to realize that we didn’t know where we were switching trains. It turned out that we’d bought the wrong tickets because, of course, if you want to take a faster train to point B, South West Trains makes you pay extra. We didn’t and, as luck would turn out, it was one of those ‘not enough train conductors working to check tickets’ days, so we got away with it. We still arrived at Gatwick 2 hours early because I am very anal retentive.
The flight was one of the best that I’ve ever been on (And not because the in-flight snack was a rather odd combination of soggy baguette pizza, curried rice and 5 pieces of unidentifiable fruit swimming in their own juices) because it was a clear & sunny day and we all got a very good look at the top of the Pyrenees as we flew over the chain.
Beside and behind me on the flight was a man and a woman who, I was somewhat convinced were rock stars – they managed to get the cabin people to move passengers so that they could have extra leg-room, they dressed very fashionably and they seemed to think they were very important. The only problem was… why were they flying coach? When they asked for wine with their snack, why were they surprised that it was just cheap plonk? We decided that the must be curators of a gallery or something; working at a job that gives them a heightened sense of self-importance but they’re still as common as I am. Except that I have the sense not to try and return a bottle of airplane wine to a steward in favour of one that is closer to room temperature.
So we got to Barcelona, arranged to meet with our greeter and got on the bus to town where we walked around for a bit, trying to find this market where we would meet him to get our apartment key. I should mention here that I was clueless all weekend as we wandered around the city – Elisabeth held the map and I just followed her.
Anyway, our rented apartment was fantastic. I had expected a dingy 1 room flat but it was large & spacious, with 2 leather couches and the comfiest bed I’ve slept on in years.
Later, we walked around the Gothic Quarter. Absolutely fabulous; I loved all the narrow, winding roads and the way the buildings towered over you on either side, with the balconies filled with plants & song birds. And peoples laundry. I was in D&D nerd heaven.
We meandered about for a while and eventually went to a pizza place for dinner (I know, I know) which served THE BEST OLIVES I’VE EVER HAD. And them followed it with the worst salad I’ve ever had. And then followed it with a pretty nifty not 3 cheese, not 4 cheese, but 5 CHEESE PIZZA. How fantastic is that? We also devoured a bottle of rose wine and hit the sack pretty soon after. The day was exhausting. We’d left our flat in Woking at 9AM and only just arrived at our flat in Barcelona at about 7PM.
Thing I learned on our 1st day: We should have learned some Catalan. Or Spanish, at least. No one we met (With a few exceptions) spoke any English which, while it was very cool being the irritating foreigner, would have made life easier if we could have said things like “Cheque, please,” “Excuse me” and “Please.”
Friday
We woke up and headed for the mountain. It’s at this point that my travel narrative is going to fall apart because I can’t remember the names of anything. Bear with me.
First we stopped off at a rather old cathedral and meandered around it. It was neat on the outside and looked like a cathedral of the inside. But there was a park on the side of it that had some very goofy geese in it:
Then we took the rather disappointing funicular up MontJuic (sp?) where it was very overcast. Yes, the trend has continued that we get terrible weather whenever we go traveling. The mountain was very nice to walk around but there was so much to see and do. I started freaking out that we weren’t relaxing; just ticking off things we were supposed to see. I remained in this state of freaking out for most of the day and the next. Elisabeth put up with it admirably.
We went to Joan Miro’s gallery which was neat. But I mean, how long can you look at Miro’s work before all you see is dot, dot, line, dot, line, line, dot. I did, however admire this sculpture:
We then went to this castle thing and then saw the Fountain Fantasic or whatever. Or at least I saw it – E was looking in the guide book while it put on this incredible ululating water thing; spraying in every direction, etc, etc. I was so taken in by it, I forgot to say “Elisabeth, look at that!” and then it ended. And then E&I waited for it to do it again. But it didn’t. So we left to go eat pizza.
Pizza, you say? Again, you say? Well this was actually Elisabeth’s idea – it’s supposed to be the best pizza place in Spain. And it was very nice pizza – but it tasted very much like Don Benni’s pizza, so I don’t know what to make of that. The funny thing is that E had to ask what an ingredient was and the waiter turned around and shouted “English! Anyone speak English?” to the whole restaurant, no one who actually did. Turned out the word was ‘basil.’
Oh yeah, speaking of food, that morning we went to the marked and bought some funky cheese & olives & baguette back to the apartment to eat. Anyway, E will probably fill you in on that.
BUT: Interesting thing I learned: Markets in Barcelona sell chickens with their heads & feet still attached. There also seems to be a market for skinned animal heads.
After lunch we metroed over to Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral. The experience there, went something like this:
“Holy cow, this is incredible!”
Then, once inside: “Eh, this totally sucks. We spent 16 euros on this trash?”
Then you go up the spire and, I can honestly say the view is breathtaking – one on the most incredible experiences of my life and you get a taste of the vision that the man had and begin to realize that there was an incredible method to his madness. Anyway, I highly recommend this; you’ll find yourself standing on top of one of the weirdest man-made objects in the world.
(PS- all pics taken by Elisabeth)
We were knackered and picked up more bread & cheese & cavas & wine & want back to the apartment where we vegetated, used the whirlpool, watched Peter Gabriel butcher ‘Imagine’ while opening the Olympics & some of Papillon in Spanish.
Uno, dos, treize, quarto, cinquo…
u>Saturday
We took the train or Montserrat. It’s around here that I should mentioned another thing I learned: Barcelona is very, very clean. The metro is clean, the trains are clean, the public restrooms are immaculate. The streets are filthy. It seems like every second person in Barcelona has a Scottish Terrier that shits everywhere and no one cleans up the mess. There is dog shit everywhere. Everywhere, I say! People step in it and track it all over the place. It’s everywhere.
There are also a lot of human statues but I’ll get to those later. Is here a connection? Maybe.
We got to Montserrat train station and then took the cable car up the cliffs – a 5 minute ride, taking you nearly 1000m up in the air to the monastery. Although it’s such a tourist trap, it looks a bit too much like Mont. Tremblant. The really fantastic thing here was the view. Of course, it was overcast to the view wasn’t so hot but the clouds certainly made it very atmospheric:
After spending the morning there, we made our way back to the city where we ate at the much recommended Juicy Jones. And followed that up with something I honestly can’t remember. More cavas at the flat and then early to bed, I believe. How boring yet, at the same time, needed. It was at this point that I think I got over any British related stress and entered a more chilled out & relaxed mode. Basically, we need to book longer holidays. We need to book holidays that aren’t in February. We need to stop taking big, long, expensive holidays in the summer to places in North America. But I gripe too much. With luck, we’ll be in Germany for Octoberfest in 9 moths time.
Anyway, Sunday
(And because this entry is far, far too long as it is…)
On Sunday we packed up and went out to breakfast, then walked around Las Ramblas and took in some more of Gaudi’s architecture, the dozens of ‘living statues’ and things in general, had another meal at Juicy Jones and caught the bus back to the airport only to discover that our flight was delayed by 45 minutes. We got back eventually and bussed back to Woking, arriving back at our chilly flat at around 10PM wondering had we really just been away?
Oh, and Cheney shot one of his friends. How freaking hysterical is that???
happy
a-ok
