Adio Barcelona

Drafting this on a very posh train speeding towards Madrid via the rugged, red-soiled arid scenery including the Parque Natural del Alto Tajo on a beautiful sunny day - just hope the weather’s as good in three hours’ time. As I’d planned, at this stage of the trip I can rely on temps around the high teens to around 20 - France was a bit of an unseasonal blip unfortunately, but Barcelona was glorious these past couple of days.

I’ll definitely be back to Barca again - there’s still so much I haven’t seen, and it’s just such a great place to wander around and take in the atmosphere. Of course, it’s much more touristy than last time I came - bigger crowds, fewer places for free - but it was still great for shopping, with less high end nonsense than I’d experienced in the likes of Taormina and Capri. Of course, it’s there - but not in the Gothic quarter which was close to me and is the place I like to wander the most. The up side of tourism is that eating out is a bit more diverse than before, and although tapas has become a bit ubiquitous, of course the variety it offers is usually enough to keep things interesting.

I felt in need of a yoga class - although I’ve been doing my usual early morning stretching when space and time have allowed, I’ve only managed the one in Amsterdam as I’d not found anything close or convenient enough elsewhere. There was a gym complex just across La Rambla 2 minutes away, so I went along and although it wasn’t the best or most challenging class I’ve ever done, it was still good to practise. It meant my start to the day was a bit later than usual, but I think it did me good, and armed with my great value 10-ride pass I hopped on the metro to Parallel and on to the funicular up to Montjuic to get the cable car up to the castello.

I booked the cable car online as it works out a little cheaper, plus I had hoped it might mean I could skip the line. Turns out that not only do they require you to print out the voucher they email you (and I checked to see if my phone was acceptable - absolutely not), necessitating a dash to find a nearby print shop as my host wasn’t at home, and then I still had to queue anyway. Luckily it didn’t take long as of course this tourist trap is lots of little cable cars holding 6 people all going round at once like a ski lift, but if you’re thinking of visiting I really wouldn’t bother with the online faff as it guarantees you nothing!

However, the view is of course stupendous and Montjuic is pretty, especially the gardens, and with the perfect weather it was great to get some fresh air and surprising peace and quiet- the crowds weren’t really out in force. I found my way to the Museo d’Arte Catalunya in the Palau National and marvelled at the terraced waterfall and fountains that join it with the Placa d’Espanya. Sadly the view was ruined a bit by loads of scaffolding and barriers that had been put up in advance of some motor rally event about to happen there, and I was also sorry to miss the light show that happens around the fountains, but it only happens on weekend nights.

I crossed over close to the Arena, the shopping complex which was once a bullring, and got something to eat in a tapas chain restaurant - it was pretty ordinary but by that time I could’ve eaten my Birkenstock were these trusty sandals not quite so disgusting with all the miles they’ve walked. There’s very little to remark on with this type of shopping mall as wherever I go they seem to be the same, usually with H&M and Desigual leading the pack. 

Late yesterday afternoon I walked across to Port Vell and the Magnamare shopping centre, and although the setting is lovely, surrounded by sea and yachts, it’s still the same default on the inside. They’ve rather sweetly labelled the toilets 2theloo (though I thought it was a good idea to have a little impulse purchase accessory shop right by the women’s, just where you’d have to queue. I bet the rent’s low.) Not much to remark on - I have an interest in retail, but only when it's doing something new.

After lunch it was time to revisit Parc Guell. It is bonkers.

Now 10 years is obviously long enough to remember how memorable a place is, but it would appear too long to recall the fact that you need a cut lunch and an iron lung to reach it up steep hills. I would not recommend going via Valcarconne metro - it may be ever so slightly closer, but there’s virtually no signposting and the climb is so steep for much of it they’ve actually installed escalators on the street - name?, but it also brings you in at a fairly dull side of the park. If you go via Leepes then the incline is a bit less severe and you get straight into the Gaudi business.

You now have to pay to go sit on the terrace, take a selfie with the salamander or hang out under the portals covered in ceramics - so I marvelled from afar, got reacquainted with the aquaducts and some fantastical Gaudi stuff that is bold enough to view from a distance. It’s still a lovely park, again with amazing views of the city, and I’d forgotten that fittingly, the towers of Sagrada Familia can be clearly viewed from slap bang in the middle.

After a little trip to Port Vell, I went out for drinks in Calle del Carme (restaurant appropriately called Camelita’s) with the two women I’d met on the walking tour the previous day. Karen had to go on to a business meeting after an hour as she was actually there on a conference, so Rebecca and I stayed on for some above-average tapas and nattered all night, assisted by a nice bottle of verdeja, and of course ending with promises of “if you’re ever in London/Auckland”. I hope so actually.

This morning I packed and took off for a walk to Parc Cuitadella, which I don’t believe I’d visited before - quite gorgeous. 

I also dropped in to the stunning Estacione de Franca on the way,

Beats most London terminals

and by accident came across the ruins in the Born cultural centre, an old market hall that they’ve renovated to enclose the city ruins they discovered beneath. Went back to collect Nellie and headed to Sants station - my short metro journey was cheered by a busker with a backing track playing one of those dreadful keyboard harmonicas - the music was dreadful but it made me laugh. I remembered that in Rome they’d get on the tram and metro too, singers and accordion players alike, and you’re just trapped.

Sans is modern (but not nearly so pretty as Franca) though annoyingly laid out with lifts and escalators that have no continuity so you’re lumbered with a Nellie and stairs in between. They have airport-style security too - I did find myself thinking that if I’d wanted to go through all that, together with queuing for 15 minutes to access the platform, I’d have just booked a flight.

As I update this late on Friday night in my cute little room in Madrid, I’m well located with lots going on within a few minutes’ walk, and close to Placa Mayor. Walked around a while after arrival to get my bearings and saw a few sights, including the biggest crypt anywhere, equal to the size of its cathedral, and an amazing neo-romanesque style. 

Crypt at Almedena Cathedral

(The taxi driver tried to save me money - or bothering for a small fare - by telling me it was easy to walk, but he failed to remember that about 500m of it was uphill.) Slightly alarming thumps coming from rooms above, but hope it will settle down.

Palais Real through gates as arrived too late to go in....