A Full Day On Our Own In Barcelona

Top daily temps are around the high teens so it hasn't been what we would call warm here in Barcelona.  But it is ideal for walking around and doing touristy things, and we have sure done a lot of walking the last week or so.

Trish caught a cold a few days ago while we were on the bus tour.  She is on the road to full recovery with a minor cough nowadays from time to time.  I have done something to my big toe, it is severely bruised and is just OK.  I was wearing scuffs all day today when we walked around Barcelona for four or so hours but it is a little painful right now.

Don't ask me how I got it, I don't know!

I had a bit of a tumble in the hotel a couple days ago but didn't think I had hurt my toe then at all.  I may have stubbed it on something, I just don't know.

So this morning we headed off on the Barcelona "Metro" or underground railway for the city centre.  The hotel reception gave us great directions and we made our way into the city centre safely by underground train.

We bought a T10 ticket for around €10.  This gives us ten local zone train trips and can be used by more than one person.  That means it is around AUD$1-40 per trip per person. So it is a good deal when the taxi fare is estimated at around €15 for a one way trip into the city centre.

I was after a replacement pair of not too expensive jeans for the trousers I ripped during that tumble in Madrid a couple of days ago.  You know, there aren't any fat blokes in Spain!  Or maybe it was the store we were in but I got the biggest size they had in stock.  I also don't think they get too many older gents in their up market store to buy stuff.

And Trish just hates taking them up for me.

La Rambla was a spot in central Barcelona we had been told to visit.  It is a walking street with all sorts of happenings on the go, street performers, market stalls, pick pockets all setup especially for the tourist.

Regretfully we both agree La Rambla is not our scene!

They like to mature their ham for a long time here in this part of the world, the longer it is matured for, the more it costs.  At a 'fresh food market' they had ham for sale at €189 per kilo.  A Euro is around $1.37 Australian!  You can see the photo at the top of the page.

We will wander out for something to eat later.  Right now our hotel room resembles a Chinese Laundry.  Most locals live in apartments and we have been told that there is a laundry on each floor.  So Laundromats just don't exist here in this part of the world.

With a full day and a half still to go, the washing should dry OK before we head off on the cruise on Wednesday.  We have to be there 4 hours prior to departure so will need to get there by midday.  We will use a taxi for that trip to the cruise ship terminal.