Weekend in Barcelona

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I spent the weekend in Barcelona. I still love the fact that I can just go overseas so easily at relatively last minute (only booked tickets a few weeks ago), relatively low cost and only for a few days. It is just something that you can't do from Australia!!

Anyway I left work early on Friday and went straight to Gatwick. The EasyJet flight was running on time and I arrived into Barcelona airport at around 10pm. Managed to get the Aerobus and then the Metro to my hostel very easily. I was quite surprised as even though I have been to Barcelona before I don't actually remember much and I was on an organised bus tour so they got us into and out of the country. Arrived at the hostel at about 11pm and crash out, was up early and gone by about 9am the next morning.

On Saturday morning I transferred hostels to one more centrally located and where Sam was staying. Despite finding the closest station and the correct street (turn left at Pizza Hut - how could I forget that???) I did manage to walk place the twice without even seeing it. Probably because it isn't the most obvious place in the world. Oh - and it could have been the fact that there were two rather than dogs standing out the front blocking the doorway.

When I managed to find it and walk in I wasn't even sure that I had found the right place - looked more like a cafe than a hostel. But Sam was already there and noticed me. It was too early to check in so after dumping my bag we went to a walk. Headed towards Las Ramblas to get some food. Found a place that looked like it was ok, relatively cheap. Anyway we both ordered food and some drinks - and neither of us thought to ask how much the drinks were which looking back was a silly move. The orange juices cost more than the food - guess we should have known better!!

Wandered around Las Ramblas before heading back to the hostel so we could check in before heading out.

First up was the good ol' Sagrada Familia. Have to say - like last time, I wasn't all that impressed. In keeping with the Gaudi theme we then walked to see another Gaudi building - Casa Battlo which has a queue to get inside which indicate more than a half an hour wait. So we took photos instead and browsed through the gift shop. Next stop was lunch so again we walked further north up into an area which one of our guide books recommended. Didn't think it was great but the streets were quaint, not many people were wandering around. Eventually we ended up settling on a place to grab some lunch - definitely not the best. Very glad Sam could speak Spanish though as it did make things significantly easier. Anyway we order a couple of tapas to share (one being the Spanish traditional spicy sausage). Not overly pleasant. While we were sitting there some lady came up to us asking for money for food. We said no but told her she could have our food as neither of us was eating it - she took it with her but we doubt she actually ate it!!! Just wanting money no doubt.

Given how far north we were we decided to head to Park Guell, which the guidebook described as 'magical' and 'fantasy' like. It was quite odd. It was another Gaudi creation, and the views from the top were awesome. It was quite a hike to get up there and we were quite exhausted having walked for about four hours already. Wandered around the park but didn't go into the Gaudi house. Then we walked back - estimated that we did somewhere between 10 and 15 kilometres - both of us were wearing thongs which was always going to end badly.

So we headed back to the hostel to chill for a bit. Went via a supermarket on the way back and picked up some cheap Sangria - cost us about AUD$3.50 which we chucked into the fridge at the hostel. I was staying in an eight bed mixed dorm and Sam was in the four bed opposite. Very interesting hostel though. Was called the Mambo Tango and it was completely open layout. You had individual lockers to lock up things but apart from that, the doors were all left open, the hand basins were all between the two rooms. Quite unusual. When I first checked in I didn't know whether to love it or hate it to be honest. Think they go for the complete hippy living. Air conditioning off during the day - signs everywhere encourage energy savings. The entire family running the place and who introduced themselves by name and knew who was coming and going. Two dogs who regularly visited and were absolutely massive!! Very cute though - one slept with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Anyway, my room mates all seemed nice enough - three Aussie guys from Sydney, another semi-Australian who had been living in Scotland/England for five years and lived in Spain for one, plus a couple of other people too. All the people staying at the hostel were basically 25+ which was a nice change - and one of the reasons we picked the hostel too.

So Sam I am showered and got dressed and then headed out to grab some dinner and drinks. Found a tapas place which had been recommended - was OK but nothing to rave about - think I have had better tapas in Australia. After that we headed down to the beachfront where we knew there would be heaps of bars and clubs and did a bit of a bar hop. Nothing gets going in Spain until much later - we didn't even head out for dinner until about 10pm after a few sangrias at the hostel, so didn't even hit the first bar until about midnight. In Spain they freepour drinks which is always interesting as you end up basically getting three shots of anything for the price of one. Mind you - the drinks are that expensive you almost need that to make up for it.

So we went to a few bars and ended up at Catwalk, this place which had been recommended to us. Two floors - different music upstairs and downstairs. Had a few drinks there and met lots of random Spanish men who couldn't understand a word we were saying. We headed out at around 5 or 6am and got one of the most disgusting burgers ever before heading back towards the metro. But then went and watched the sunrise instead and got back to the hostel at around 7am.

My roommates woke me up at about 11am as they were all debating about where to go that day. The girl who had lived in Barcelona for a year w as going down the beach with some friends and invited us all along. The boys took a good hour or so to get ready. At noon I went to see if Sam felt like going to the beach but given she hadn't slept the night before after catching a bus - she was planning on sleeping. So at the last minute I decided to head to the beach with them and was still ready before them!

This was then followed with some issues on the metro when one of the boys managed to miss the train and rather than getting on the next one - went back to the hostel to get his phone!! Silly. I think he was then one who is actually a civil engineer too.

After stopping for lunch at Las Ramblas - a really funky vege place - we eventually got to a beach about 25 minutes out of Barcelona at about 2pm - two hours after we set off. Met some other people along the way so all up I guess there were about ten of us. Water was fantastic - lots of people down the beach - topless sunbathing by the locals so the boys had something to keep themselves amused with. Also had frisbees and a rugby ball and stuff too so it ended up being a good day. I headed back a little earlier than them to catch up with Sam and because I had a head ache.

That night the hostel had organised a 'Brazilian disco' night so Sam and I grabbed an early dinner (left at 7pm but the place we didn't end up eating til 9pm as kitchens weren't opening until 8:30pm!!). There were about 20 people from the hostel going to the dancing night and we left the hostel at about 1115pm or so so that we could catch the last metro. Was a fair distance away. Could have been quite a fun night but the drinks were even more expensive than the night before, the place was pretty much empty as well when we walked in. Anyway, lots of people tried their hand at brazilian dancing (not me though) but then a few of us decided to head back to the hostel - and had a drink there before going to bed.

Monday morning I got up relatively early and went and grabbed some souvineers and went for a walk to Placa Catalunya and a cathedral and just around the city a little. Sam and I headed out at around 11am towards the Picasso Museum. After spending a while trying to find it and getting lost a few times, we discovered that it was closed Mondays!! Arg. I really wanted to go to it as well so I was slightly disappointed. So we headed to MACBA, another art museum where we paid for basic entry but then because no one stopped us basically went through all of the special exhibitions. Oops. When we got sprung we claimed ignorance (well, there WERE no signs and none of the other guards had questioned us!!). After that it was lunch at a japanese place before heading back to the hostel and then to do some shopping. Another Canadian girl from the hostel came along too which was good - she had only arrived the day before so we showed her Las Ramblas and the markets too while we were in the area.

Headed back to the hostel again after that and chilled out the back in the courtyard for a drink before I left at 8pm to go to the airport. My flight was supposed to be at 1050pm, but we didn't even start boarding until 1220 so I didn't get into London until about 2am!! Ridiculous - ended up getting a taxi straight home but still didn't get to bed until 3am and had to get up for work this morning.

All good and definitely worth it anyway.

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