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Published: March 31st 2009
Chocolate Sculpture
A small sample of what we saw at the Chocolate MuseumSunday in Barcelona the weather was overcast and a bit chilly so we decided to take a walk to the Barcelona Chocolate Museum. To get there we walked through the old part of Barcelona known as the Gothic area where the building architecture is of a medieval style. We paid for the entry to the museum and the tickets were small chocolate bars. It didn't take long for Jim to eat his ticket, Lisa soon followed. The museum was small and there were a lot of school kids so we did not spend a lot of time viewing the exhibits.
Once we left the Chocolate museum we headed to the beach even though it was not beach weather. The beaches in Barcelona are very nice and during warm weather must be packed with people. We walked along the beach front until we got lost in the port and had to jump on a bus to get closer where we wanted to be. We had planned to visit the Barcelona soccer museum but it is closed on Sundays. So we stopped for a bite to eat in the Gothic area.
One thing we noticed in Barcelona is most restaurants provide
Barcelona Beach
A shot of one of the beaches in Barcelona English menus and the wait staff speaks English. We also found the food to be more expensive than Madrid and in some cases not as good. The one thing that Barcelona does have is street artists. There are the live statues, musicians, jugglers, and more. One street performer that caught our eye was an older gentleman that played a harmonica and his pet rabbit would shake a tambourine with his teeth. Hard to believe but it is true. We left the Gothic area and headed back to the apartment to get things ready to pack for our cruise. The suitcases keep getting heavier each time we pack. Not sure if we are going to have to pay extra to get them on the plane on our way home. Before heading out, we hear a knock on the door. It was a representative of the apartment rental and he didn't want to come by on Monday morning for the walkthrough so he just gave us our deposit back. He didn't even bother to check the apartment.
Sunday night we decided to go back to the pintxo tapas bar since it was a favorite of Jim's. We tried the hard cider
Kennedy's Sailing Club
This shot is for Lisa's boss. His last name is Kennedy and he likes to sail so we thought he should know he can has a home in Barcelona produced in Spain with our tapas. It was dry with very little sweetness but very good. The traditional method of pouring the cider is to hold the glass as far from the tap as possible. Not sure why but it does provide a good show for the customers. After tapas we headed back to the Irish bar to see if the girl from Australia was working. Unfortunately it was her night off so we had one drink and called it a night.
Monday Leaving Barcelona - Monday morning we finished packing and left the apartment about 11 AM. Our cruise documentation said we would not be able to board the ship until 3 PM so we thought we would have to sit around at the cruise terminal for a few hours. We lugged our bags to a busy street corner to find a taxi. Jim spotted one coming toward us and flagged him down. This is where the fun began. There was another taxi close to the one Jim flagged down and after both taxis stopped the two drivers started arguing in Spanish. Both of us were standing on the sidewalk waiting for them to work it out. Of
Gothic Area of Barcelona
One of the many buildings in the Gothic area. course a local had to get into it too. She was yelling at them and we think it had to do with one of the taxis blocking the crosswalk. After about ten minutes of them shouting at each other and the street blocked by one of the taxis, one of the taxi drivers finally left. But before he left he looked at Jim, pointed to the other driver, and said "Cabrone", not sure how it is spelled but we got the feeling it was not a good thing.
After we got in the taxi the driver starting taking to us in Spanish and it sounded like he was defending himself. We just smiled and nodded our heads to acknowledge his comments. When we arrived at the cruise terminal it was about 11:45 AM and we were met by a porter that took our bags. We walked into the terminal and were able to check in and we were on the ship by noon. We had booked a cabin with a balcony but soon found out we had been upgraded to a junior suite, a larger room and balcony. There is also a Concierge Club which has an open bar
Rabbit Street Artist
Just to prove we actually did see a rabbit that was part of the act for a street artist. from 5:30 to 8:30 pm for suite members. We aren't sure if Junior Suites are part of the package but we will find out. Prior to the trip we had talked about spending the extra money to get a junior suite but decided not to. We got lucky, sure hope this carries over to the casino on the ship! We had to wait until 1 PM to get into our room so we got a bite to eat. We both had a very large salad with all the trimmings. Something we missed during out time in Spain. After lunch we got into our room and unpacked for the last time on this trip. We won't have to worry about packing up again for another 11 days! Jim kept asking Lisa throughout the trip about how many days we had left. She told him that the day we board the ship will be the half way mark. It has been amazing so far.
This ship (Brilliance of the Seas - Royal Caribbean) has a different layout than most other cruise ships we have been on. It will take some getting used to but no worries, we'll manage to find the
Pintxo Tapas
Just a few of the selections at the tapas bar. fun. The other interesting observation is that only the pool bars were open when we got on the ship. On previous ships, they want to start taking your money right away. Since we have been on vacation for 11 days already, we were not as eager to partake in beverages right away as we have in the past so that was not an issue.
Another change for us is our dining time. We usually have the late seating which is around 8:30. It was not available when we booked so we decided to try their new My Time Dining. You can eat anytime between 6:00 and 8:30. You can reserve a time and request how many people you want at the table or you can just show up and they will seat you when they have a table available. We sat with a couple from the Isle of Man, a couple from Scotland, a couple from Arizona and two sisters from southern California. We really had a good time talking with everyone. Since we were closest to the couple from the Isle of Man, we did talk with them more. Peter and Bernie were hysterical. Peter was a little
Our Cabin on the Ship
Here is a shot of our junior suite, no grand piano but more room than we are used to. too much like Jim!!! It was a fun dinner. The gentleman from Scotland was a collector of Scotch whisky so he and Jim had a lot to talk about. We headed to the Colony Club for a Name That Tune type of game. We didn't do very well but we had fun. The ship is sold out but you don't really see a lot of people. Over half the seats in the club were empty. Tomorrow is a sea day so it will give us more time to find the best spots on the ship. We are looking forward to being pampered, and resting our sore feet!
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Schneiders
non-member comment
Nice
Jim and Lisa, Wow I bet you are never going to come back...I don't blame you. I"m living vicariously though the two of you. see you soon....