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Day 23: ¡Barcelona Increíble!

Awake early this morning listening to the sounds below in the street. Of bars and restaurants restocking and garbage being moved onwards to wherever it goes. Familiar words and morning greetings. Sounds from a city that seldom really sleeps. I’m pulled back to many early mornings on Camino. The same sounds, the same feeling of excitement. What will today bring?

The view out the window into other’s lives. Laundry hanging. Time to find breakfast.

After completing our typical laundry sink wash and our own cleanup we set off excitedly in search of our favourite Spanish desayuno, or breakfast! We found a small bar and enjoyed a light breakfast. Annemarie with her traditional cafe con leche and me with my tea. The happy travellers!🙂

We started off at the market next door. Loads of colour! Rows of different foods. Lots of fun and lots of people.

Papers, garlic and corn! Really colourful.

Breakfast was a bit light so I had a Spanish gelato! Jamon ibérico, the very finest grade.

A bit overwhelmed by the number of people in the market we decided to do what we do best in a big city. We simply walked it. A wonderful way to get a feel for a place and to drop much of the tourist circuit.

A more interesting type of person than at the market. Less discerning.

We set off for the harbour hoping to find a nice path around the waterfront. We came across teams preparing for the 2024 America’s Cup which will be based in Barcelona.

Red Bull Team
The America’s Cup.

There was much more to this, but in the interest of time and space I’ll continue.

First site was the Christopher Columbus column. We had no idea it was there!😊

Next time you shop at Walmart to save a few coins perhaps think about where some of the profits are going. This ‘yacht’ is owned by Nancy Laurie, one of the wealthiest women in the world. Who is Nancy? Heiress to the Walmart empire. This ‘boat’ is appropriately called Kaos. It’s valued at £300 million, that’s about US$363 million. And it’s only the 55th largest yacht! When I see this sort of thing I wonder at the growing imbalance in our world. Maybe she will rent out the 36 staterooms as an Airbnb? Then she snd her husband could use their other monster yacht! Ok, I’ll put it aside.😆

Number 55!

We had been watching cable cars gliding across the sky above, and we wondered where they originated, and if we could get a ride? We walked in that direction, and we found these amazing towers. Fortunately, there was an elevator!

The tale of the two towers🙂
We were the last two on the next load and stood at the door.
I put my phone up to photo against a window only to find there was no window! Yikes! We were a very long way up! Looking out to our location to left of trees two thirds of the way up. .
Looking back.
The crossing
Sagrada Familia where we will visit tomorrow afternoon at 3:45, but more about that tomorrow!

I survived to the end (I’m improving) and we walked onwards in search of a place we’d visited at night in 1981.

Watching it leave.
View from the top.
A small quiet gurgling fountain that reminded me of our time at the Alhambra.
The capital buildings in 1981, now the Catalonia Art Museum. I’d like to visit if time.
In 1981 I sat on top of a bus with my camera taking time exposures of a sound and light show above the spectacular fountains and across the sky. I’ve always kept that memory and I wanted to return to this place. That was one of those magical nights!
Plaza Español to the left and the bull fight ring to the right where in 1981 we saw our one and only afternoon of bull fighting in all its gory glory.
The inside of the bull fighting arena today. Some years ago Catalonia held a referendum that resulted in the banning of bullfighting in the state. At this time, I think it’s still the only state to uphold a ban. Catalonia has always been an outlier!
After a very tasty tapas lunch with cold beers we wandered through the back streets of the city.
I thought it felt much like Vancouver’s west end except with buildings only about 4 stories high. Really nice!

We unexpectedly found ourselves walking through the Muslim community. I liked all the spice shops and the way they were set up, much as you see them in Egypt and Morocco.

We walked for hours and we are just beginning to get a bit of a feel for this city. What an interesting place. A large tourist zone, but if interested one can slip away and discover some really beautiful and interesting areas.

My writing perch today! Three stories up on a small terrace less than a metre wide with my favourite Spanish beer!

Time to wander and look around again for a better dinner place. I again had no data when I arrived here, but Annemarie managed to sort out the problem. Now we will have a better chance of sourcing the restaurants!

Tomorrow another day to wander. What a good stop so far!

Ciao!🍺

Geoff

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