Barcelona
The train trip from Madrid was uneventful travelling through some mountainous countryside but our view was often reduced either by tunnels or the fact the tracks were in cuttings.
We arrived on Barcelona well before we could book into our rooms but were able to leave our bags with reception, (So much more welcoming than the welcome we had in Madrid) we then proceeded to re acquaint ourselves with the city we knew, the hotel Oriente Atiram is right on the Rambla not far from the “Mercado de La Boqueria” and close to the waterfront, where Columbus stands proud (a helpful beacon in locating where we are when we explore).
We had made contact with a friend (Belinda) who has lived in Barcelona for about 30 years and she agreed to guide us through the area she knows well and that Carol was keen to explore, the “Gothic Quarter” but that was for tomorrow morning, so we made our way to the maritime museum to check the hours of operation (It was closed when we visited in 2018 for renovations) this time we made a note to visit on our 2nd day I was looking forward to seeing the Royal Galleon a reconstruction that is on display (See the gallery and you will know why)
After booking into our room, we found a place to eat and retired for the night knowing we were in for an interesting day in the morning.
After a good breakfast we waited for Belinda and greeted her like a long lost friend she is had some coffee then headed out to explore an area which she know well through all the little laneways admiring all the buildings along the way eventually finding the 2nd oldest restaurant in Spain, the oldest in Barcelona, the “Can Culleretes”, to put that into context this was established in 1786 at this location a year before white settlement in Australia, where we were to discover that tourists and locals do not pay the same for the same meal, while Belinda speaks and reads Caitlan like a local we felt it would be easier if we also had an English menu so that Belinda would not have to explain the menu items, then the crunch the prices were different the English menu was more expensive no surprise for us but it did open Belinda’s eyes. At the end of the day, we again arranged for Belinda to guide us this time in the local area around her home this included the place where the ceremonial “Giants” are kept on display when they are not in use for festivals.
It was sad to finally say goodbye at the end of the 2nd day of Belinda’s guided tour, but our time in Barcelona had come to an end.
(One last note Avoid buying drinks at the cafes as Carol and I found out they are large with a price tag to match the food was reasonably priced but the drinks is where they make their money)
That Drink
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