Day 35: Barcelona

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Barcelona: population 7 million people, each owning one animal, and, for two nights three Aussies. Our arrival was assisted by the GPS successfully, until Billy got a bit tired and emotional in the back seat, and we drove past our hotel. This, in Barcelona, allowed us to discover the overwhelming number of one way streets, lanes and the back allies, and how ineffective swearing is in assisting with navigation! Billy by now oblivious to the big LOST issue zoned in on his Tamagotchi rather than his parents hopelessness. No such thing as a quiet Sunday evening here. At 7.30pm it was atleast 35oC, Will double-parked between rubbish bins, taxis and vehicles while we booked into a modern hotel with a swimming pool on the roof overlooking the sprawling city.

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First stop, the 24 hour “supermerket”, which we find quite fun because we have to imagine what the product could be by the shape, picture, etc …The washing powder is called Grey’s, the bread and rolls are Bimbo brand! They also sell toys which is Billy’s favourite spot. He made friends with the big, bald black security guy who were both laughing their heads off in the toy section. The guy thought Billy was like a little old man talking the whole time about himself and being from Australia. Our home cooked dinner includes a tub of Hagen Vas ice-cream, followed by baguettes, rolls and sandwiches, filled with tomatoes, salmon or tuna, donuts and cupcakes/magdelanas that taste remarkably like Grammy-bear’s without the green icing !! Our staple Kit Kats fill in any gaps, apple juice, chocolate milk, cold lattes and coke. Our picnic is usually on the bed watching CNN which is pretty sad, or TinTin cartoons in Spanish. .

The dog population made its mark on pavements and this was awful!!

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Barcelona is BIG and we struggled to navigate the streets we walked as signage is small and the avenues, lanes and roads either are straight or curved depending on the map given to us. The dog population made its mark on pavements and this was awful!! A large “market” visit lasted all of five minutes as it was protected by canvas walls made it oven hot. It was baking hot, midday and the city is large, tangled and noisy like most European cities we have visited. Certainly Melbourne, new by Euro standards, is much cleaner and has the infrastructure to deal with its population. These differences make traveling important but difficult. The Gothic Quarter has tiny laneways and cafes, even Macca’s has street seating. We looked forward to doing some shopping and taking in the sights but we had to surrender to our gut instinct and head back to our clean hotel with a pool. Billy played for hours in the pool; the other guests played with him and he’s getting more confidence in the water. Will managed to finally get Billy’s PSP Cars game, purchased in Marsaille working, and it speaks French!!

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In hindsight we should have researched this city as we hade Rome, done a major tourist bus to the major buildings and icons and waited until the day’s heat had subsided. The city has many historic buildings, and has a strong modern influence with artists including out amongst the city Picasso and Dali. Heaps of galleries and museums.The modern icon buildings are huge, colourful, and are located to stand out. Having been the host for an Olympic Games, Barcelona has large arenas, stadiums and hotels. The modernizing of the ports and waterfront are apparent; and the city is a work in progress.