7th January

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Buenos tardes everyone!!

Hmm no comments on here today - love seeing the comments - makes it all worthwhile... so come on you lot!!

I have attached photos of the breakfast area of the hotel with our own personal friend and butler who's name I can't spell plus the actual breakfast room, our room and the building across the road from us which is typical of all the buildings here - they're generally built around a square and that is used for a mini park or whatever they want to use it for.

There is also a picutre of a hospital - the Hospital de la Santa - an ambitious project which was planned around two avenues and started in 1905 and later completed by the builders son in 1930 - I understand it's the oldest hospital still in use in Barcelona.

Today was a very quiet day for us - we wandered around a little today and noticed people taking down their Christmas decorations after yesterdays' Public Holiday as it's the end of the festive season celebrations.

I had my hair cut and coloured this morning - now that was fun - as mentioned several times in the blogs - not many here understand English and generally no matter where you go in the world you manage to sort out what you want or need and go from there..... not so here so you can imagine how very difficult it is when getting your hair done!! Anyway it's done now and is short and straight - I don't even recognise myself although do admit to looking more like my big sister now.... sorry Gayle but am sure you don't mind.... now do you?

Well the Christmas Sales were certainly on today - everyone braved the rain to head for the sales - they were on everywhere - from 10% - 70% off almost everything - what a time to be here. Good Prada boots - $EU299!!! Bugger none in my size!! Bear in mind it is winter here and flat boots are the in thing this year - the flatter the better they say. However, I bought a couple of Pandora bits for my Pandora bracelet - no they weren't on sale - notice I did say almost everything, but what I did buy on sale was a Pierre Cardin bag - great for traveling and carrying my new laptop in as well so feel good about that...... bugger the Prada.... oh well that just wasn't meant to be (yesterday's blog).

John did a bit of shopping and looking around while I was getting my hair done and seemed to enjoy time on his own for a change... I think. We had lunch at a little cafeteria which had an English menu - we thought we'd try the lamb again - may be lucky this time - they had roast shoulder lamb...... hmmmm okay let's try it...... we still don't know what it was today and don't even want to hazard a guess but enjoyed the best chips we've had on this trip and the ice cream afterwards. Like a mini Vienetta - with cream. PS we are giving up on the lamb!! As you may know Europeans love their Tapas and there are thousands of Tapas bars around - generally we've found that the Tapas is served at the bar and not the table so much - cheaper to eat and drink at the bar too but the off putting thing is that people smoke around the bars - it is allowed here and it stinks.

On our travels around Barcelona we commented to each other at some stage how few petrol stations there were when we actually saw one and a little later saw a mini one and realised that there must be so many of these around Barcelona and we hadn't noticed them before as they're just kiosks really. Picture attached.

Also noted a building under construction - the centuries old facades are kept and the building gutted to make the inside all brand spanking new to keep in with the history of the city and fitting in with the other buildings.

John is fast asleep and guess we will be staying in tonight - the TV is on about the weather - suggestions that we may have snow here over the weekend and we're keeping an eye on it as we're flying out of Barcelona next Tuesday afternoon to Frankfurt to Singapore then to Sydney to Briz - God knows when we will get home or if we will get home next week - depends on the weather really but look if we have to stay longer - we've decided we will cope with it!!!

I have also added some pictures of Placa de Catalunya which is Barcelona's nerve centre - only minutes away from us, it's a lively hub from which all the city's activity seems to radiate and is generally what most visitors first see the real Barcelona. Pigeons everywhere there in the square and Spain's omnipresent department store - El Corte Ingles.

Adios for now!!

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