Arriving in Barcelona

Paella in Barcelona
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We enter Barcelona via the third biggest harbour in Europe. On our left is a huge cliff face covered by tiny buildings, that turns out to be the Jewish cemetery. As we travel along the seafront we pass the entrance to Las Ramblas, which is dominated by a huge column surmounted by statue of Christopher Columbus. The water front is modern and looks like a great place to hang out.

Our hotel is tucked away in a tiny alleyway. It appears to be an up and coming area, only a short walk from Las Ramblas. Inside is beautiful. It has been renovated sensitively but in a modern and unconventional way. There was once an open courtyard in the centre, but this has now been glazed, to produce a bright conservatory. My room is, of course, very pleasant but the view is nothing to write home about. It overlooks other buildings and I’m rather startled to find myself eye to eye with a Spanish mama sitting by the window of her apartment – in her knickers!

I’m rather startled to find myself eye to eye with a Spanish mama sitting by the window of her apartment – in her knickers!

The triumphal arch near our hotel, Barcelona
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We’ve been warned again about pick pockets, so I get the key to my safe before going out. I also have to wait for my suitcase to be delivered. It’s about 6 o’clock when we finally hit the town.

I meet up with Yee and Susan and we head off through the narrow streets, to the Picasso Museum. It’s in what looks like the under-croft of a medieval building. The streets are shady and cool, great for queuing for tickets to the museum. To add to the atmosphere, a busker is playing a Spanish guitar.

Inside the Museum, the art is a real revelation. Most of the original drawings and paintings were created when Picasso was a child. They reveal an extremely talented artist. At eleven he was producing work that any child of his age would be proud of. However, just two years later he could compete with any adult.

You really see an artist who mastered every skill possible at an incredibly early stage. It’s not at all surprising that he needed to find something extra and developed his artistic style beyond mere representation. As he begins to experiment, he tries emulating the styles of other artists, such as Van Gogh and even Toulouse Lautrec. He seems to be studying different styles before finding his own.

Although I’m generally not a fan of his paintings, I do like his graphic designs. There are quite a few reproductions of these on display and in the shop I find a postcard of his “Toros Y Toreros” design. I also pick up a book on an artist who I find far more exciting. I hope to explore the world of Gaudi tomorrow.

We eventually head up the Ramblas. It is extremely busy and full of life. We spend plenty of time wandering about, watching street performers and hustlers working the appreciative audiences. All the time we are keeping an eye out for somewhere to get our paella. Before we know it we have arrived back at the statue of Columbus. This has been developed into a modern mix of shops, restaurants and bars. We even end up on a modern pier that undulates towards a modern shopping complex.

On the way, the girls ask me to explain a few English phrases. For example what do I mean by “paddling”? Try explaining to someone that it means rolling up your trousers and standing knee deep in water! I suddenly begin to realise just why the English are considered to be eccentric. I mention in passing that I really like piers, but not the amusement riddled ones like at Brighton, which I considered “a bit naff”. Then I had to explain this word to them as well – tasteless or unstylish [at the time I didn’t know its historical origins – now I blush at the thought].

So far we are finding plenty of tapas bars, but not a great deal of paella. Finally on the furthest side of shopping complex we find a lovely restaurant overlooking the harbour. It has a wide variety of paella on the menu. We are so proud of our find that we get the waitress to take our photograph and I even take a picture of my plate! This makes everyone laugh, including the staff. Whilst we dine, we make plans for tomorrow. I mention that one of the places I’m keen to visit is Parc Guell. The girls haven’t heard of it but like the sound of it. They seem to have very similar tastes to me.

We walk slowly back up Las Ramblas, buying postcards of all the places we have visited already. We watch a fine game of find the lady, marvelling that anyone would fall for such a con. Along the route we discover a building decorated with fans and umbrellas, in an oriental design. When we leave Las Ramblas, we find the streets deserted. We try a few alternatives, looking for a route with other people around. We go the long way round and find ourselves on Trafalgar Road. Thankfully we are very close to the hotel now and make a dash for it.

Before going to bed, we have a drink in the bar with Luis and Jose. Then we make plans for tomorrow. Shall we use the metro? What about buses? Let’s wait and ask our guide tomorrow morning, to see what they suggest.