Blogs from Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Europe - page 6

Sunday 7th April. We arrived in Barcelona on Sunday in the early afternoon. We were quickly through the airport formalities and on board our coach. On the way to the hotel, the coach took us on a quick tour of the western side of Barcelona, helping us get some idea of the city's layout, and briefly seeing some highlights from the coach windows, such as the Olympic stadium, the magnificent Museum of Art, and the waterfront. After checking in, we were quickly off on the metro to visit the extraordinary Sagrada Familia. Beyond description, it has to be seen to be believed. Having taken many decades so far, they are now really putting efforts in to finish it by 2026. The funds raised from the enormous number of tourists is now funding the work. I will ... read more

Although we were exhausted, both Alex and I found ourselves awake at 1 am sweating and unable to sleep. After a bit of flailing about the room in the dark with a phone flashlight we found the thermostat and put the air on. It did such a good job of cooling down the room neither of us wanted to get out from under the covers. Finally around 9:45 we drug our butts out and down to breakfast. Hilton offered a fantastic blend of local and US type breakfast foods. We both had huge plates of fruit. I rounded out my course with two churros and chocolate. While Alex went a more health conscious route. Energized, we snagged our stuff from the room and headed out. First stop off the day, Segrada Familia was a couple metro ... read more

Took our time getting up and having breakfast, because we weren't rushing for any particular bus into Barcelona, and anyway didn't know hlong the "10 minute walk to the bus stop" REALLY was. In the event it was only about 13, and we didn't have long to wait for the bus, which took about 25 minutes, and got us into the Plaza Catalunya about midday. First plan was to call in the TIO which was supposed to be in that square, to pick up a tourist map. Unfortunately the website seems to be out of date, as there's no sign of it, even standing on the precise spot it's supposed to be! If in doubt, grab a coffee. Then, after one more look for the phantom TIO, looked on a street newsstand for a map. 5€ ... read more

Today when we left the mountains there was a snowstorm blowing in. We got going as soon as possible because driving down the mountain in the snow sounded like as much fun as driving up in the dark. However, the snow quickly turned to rain and vanished all together with the quick drop in altitude. We were able to stop in a small town between Prada and Olette for coffee. It was definitely the center of the town. People in there nursing their morning expresso shots while the lunch crowd was starting on their first pint. Several people simply popped in to ask if so and so had been around. Transport to the bus station was slick and when we got into Barcelona we rented a couple of lockers and headed to La Rambla and St. ... read more

This will be our third transatlantic cruise and second westbound. It has been difficult trying to pre guess what the weather will be like whilst crossing the Atlantic. Another early start, as we wanted to get to the ship early to get a Posh Pass. Not holding out much hope, but being early will give us the best chance. This is a paid for pass to an exclusive luxury bathing area on the top deck. There is a kettle in the room but no tea or coffee, so no hot drinks to start the day. The first tough decision of the day. Last night, we ordered a taxi for our journey to the port. When we got out of the hotel, he was parked on the side of the road waiting for us. 15 minutes early. ... read more