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Published: December 12th 2007
Barcelona
Enjoying paella and fried calamariBoys Find Little Piece of Heaven in Sunny Spain
December 12, 2007
We couldn’t be this close and not go to Spain. Scott has been waiting 20+ years to return to his much loved Espana. So we packed up a bag, loaded the car and set out for a four hour drive to Barcelona. After driving 9000 km this summer you would think a 4 hour car ride would be a piece of cake…well we have gotten soft the last few months settled in France and before we hit the auto route the complaining started. Luckily it didn’t last long as the excitement of travel and seeing a new country started to take hold. In no time we were arriving in Barcelona and on our way to the capital of Catalonia. This was the second time arriving in a city in all the traveling we did, where we didn’t get lost, have to turn around, and have an argument over the map. We drove in, drove right into the pre-decided parking garage and parked the car. We even had a hotel reservation so life was good.
As we got out of the car the excitement of arriving
Barcelona
We visited the local Sunday pet market on the Ramblas. Guess how many times we were asked for new pets..... in a new place came over me. Wow…a new city full of exciting things to see and do. As we started toward our hotel I was so taken with how many people were out and about in Barcelona. I know it was a weekend but the Ramblas was one of the most happening places I have ever seen. It made Champs Elysees look like a sleepy village street. The city was decorated to the nines for Christmas and jut sparkled….until we turned the corner towards our hotel. We turned off the Ramblas onto a side street toward our hotel and hit a seedy little strip that I was not prepared for. I held my purse tight and kept walking. In minutes we were at our hotel and checked in. (for the rest of the weekend we found a way to the hotel by-passing the seedy area) In our continued effort to make our money last we were staying in a little hostel type place…sparse…no amenities, clean and this time we had a bathroom of our own. As we dropped our stuff in our room I decided well this was fine and I am now officially tired of small budget hotels.
Barcelona
Scenes from the Christmas market After four months of living in a lovely Mas and luxury Parisian apartment, the thrill of budget traveling has officially wore off. After all these months of traveling, we seem to make any place our home. I use to never get comfortable in hotel rooms, even the 5 start luxury places I have stayed in when money actually came into my bank account instead of only out. Now, we just spread out and take root no matter what the place looks like.
After settling in we prepared to take in the town. We had to stop by the front desk to complete the check-in process and came upon a scene that just adds all the color to life on the road. Another English speaking guest (½ my age) was bringing his bike into his room and the front desk girl was explaining the rules to him. (No bikes in rooms). The receptionist agreed to take up the issue with the guest at a later time and until then he could put the bike in his room. One of the Spanish residents of the building (a little old man) was going on and on to the poor front desk girl
Barcelona
more stuff than you can imagine. about the bike. He rambled on for 10 minutes in Catalan-accented Spanish even after this poor girl told him several time to let her handle it. He kept walking back and forth going on and on. Luckily the gal was tough and finally got rid of him. Scott was finally able to do his business. He asked the gal where she was from, as she was not Spanish, and she said Slovakia. Will as loud as he can says, “I hate Slovakia.” I could have died!! While we didn’t love Slovakia….OMG….out of the mouths of children. Thankfully she didn’t seem to hear him, distracted by the crazy old guy.
Off we went, to eat some paella and beer. We found a great little restaurant with some good paella, and fried calamari. Scott was in heaven. All his old memories of living in Spain came flooding back. We had a great dinner until we got the bill and the Scott’s big beer was 11 euros. We just about died…that was a $16.50 beer. Live and learn…..that was ½ the bill. Thankfully we found a place one block away with 1 euro beers….much better. One of the most interesting things I
Barcelona
One entrance to Barcelona Cathedral noticed about visiting Spain is suddenly all I can speak is French. I babble my way through daily here in France but go to Spain and suddenly I can only speak French. No one I know has been to Mexico more than me except for maybe Scott and perhaps Kim. Living in California all my life it is just a destination…and I always can get by in Spanish…not this time. Forgot it all…only able to speak French. Go figure!!! I guess immersion does help but not when you are in Spain.
The weather in Barcelona was magnificent. It was 70 degrees. We left Franc with great weather but that was 60, maybe 64. We didn’t need coats in Spain. It was so warm and sunny, it could have been May not December. We spent three days walking all over the city. We walked up and down the Ramblas, the water-front, Old Town and the Example (Barcelona’s new town). It was amazing. People every-where, all having a blast. I love the energy given from a city where everyone is just having fun. Very few American cities have this energy and it just makes you realize how fabulous the world can
Barcelona
A visit from Pere Noel be.
While in Barcelona we visited the works of famed Modernist Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi was a native artist/architect from Barcelona that changed the face of he city. The Modernist style came about in Barcelona in the early 20th century and works by Gaudi include the Sagrada Familia Church, Park Guell (didn‘t have time for this site hopefully we will be back some day), and Casa Batillo on the Block of Discord. Of these we only visited the Sagrada Familia and the Casa Batillo. I had never seen this style of architecture and was quite amazed. It was a fresh sight after months of works from the middles ages and of course my beloved Romans. We also attended a Christmas market in the square in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona. We walked over to the Cathedral hopes of seeing the weekly Sardana dances which were displaced by the largest Christmas market I have eve seen. We got off easy…only bought one Santa hat, beard attached. We even spent part of the afternoon in a lovely park. Justin and Will played tag in the warm sun while we chatted with a lovely British man who came to Barcelona for a
Barcelona
The front of the Sagrada Familia (the Sacred Family) week and was still there 6 years later.
One huge difference between Barcelona and France was the presence of American fast food chains. They are very rare in France, with the exception of McDonald’s you hardly see Starbucks, Burger King, and the like in France. Barcelona was another story. There was a Starbucks on every corner practically and McDonald’s and Burger King were a frequent site. This is a huge disappointment as I hate to think of these big corporations putting the small local guy out of business. One of these business unfortunately got a lot of our euros while we were in Barcelona…Dunkin Donuts. Justin and Will have complained at length for months at the lack of donuts in Europe. We found a lady in Paris that had some…they loved them…but they were infrequent and “not the same.” Well….paradise at last…Dunkin Donuts. Real American balls of fried dough at European prices!!! The kids ate there three times, humming in pure joy with each bite. To see the bliss on their little faces to have a chocolate iced donut pass their lips made the outrageous 1.10 euro price livable. They very well may live to make it back to
Barcelona
Up close nativity scene from Sagrada Familia California in a few weeks.
Our final day in Barcelona took us to the La Boqueria market. I love the French markets with the rows of produce, meats, and other products. This market made our local Provencal market look a little sad. They were so colorful, the produce was perfect, the crabs huge and succulent. The fruit and veggies were artfully arranged. We spent a long time checking out each and every vendor and photographing the gorgeous products. I would give anything for market like that in the US, where locals bring their products to sell...dream on. Our last bit of fun was to have a tapas lunch. Scott was looking forward to this for days. This is the challenge….finding a place that sells the local food that will also accommodate two donut eating boys. Impossible!! Scott picked out a few tapas bars to try and we had a hard time finding them and then being Monday…they were closed. We had four hungry people and ended up at a Spanish Fresh Choice knock-off. The food was marginal, Scott didn’t get his tapas but luckily all were fed and ready for the 4 hour ride back to Rognonas. We
Barcelona
Side of the unfinished Gaudi church. Will not be finished for 50 years. returned to the frigid 45 degrees and mistrals of France with happy memories of sunny Spain, and soft sugar filled bites of heaven.
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