Barcelona (June 2006)

Not too many transport dramas to report today, got to the hotel in Barcelona at around 1 pm, Cailli didn't land till 1:45 so thought I would check in and make sure everything was cool. I had telephoned to make the reservation about 7 weeks ago and emailed to confirm, but you never know....I was particularly worried they would try to put us in a room with one bed (I don't share beds with girls even if they are my best friend!). I had stayed in this hotel the first night I arrived and wasn't particularly impressed...there are so many cute hotels in Spain and this one is kind of boring, and grey, and boring, and... just grey.

An outdoor bird market on Las Ramblas, Barcelona

Well I got there, and they tell me there is a problem with the reservation and they are moving us to another hotel for tonight and then for the next four nights we can come back. I am very annoyed because it's a hassle packing and unpacking, and also, Cailli and I in the meantime had been searching for a better hotel but couldn't come up with one, after turning down a better and less expensive hotel because they only had four nights accommodation after which we would have had to change to another. And here we are in the very same situation but in a more expensive, boring, and grey hotel. Hmph. I said that wasn't very nice, as I had made the reservation 7 weeks ago and they should have let me know. They don't wanna hear about it. It's the same price, what's my problem. Hmph.

Spookey creatures from the sea at Barcelona markets

So off we march to the new hotel which turns out to be absolutely beautiful and modern and extremely cool! Yowza. I ask can we stay there the whole five nights for the same price? His eyes light up and he says yes. Yay! For the same price as the grey hotel! So I call up the grey hotel and tell 'em to get naffed. So now we are staying at this very nice hotel at a very good price! So it's turned out well. We stumbled upon these Catalonia dancers outside the Barcelona cathedral. A bizarre sight when you are not expecting it.

So Cailli didn't get in till nearly 4 pm which is the latest they will serve lunch here. So we walked her luggage to a restaurant I had scouted out near the metro while I was waiting for her, then we hit our favourite Spanish shoe shop, Camper, and I got, um, two pairs of shoes! Cailli still had her suitcase with her. We checked her into the hotel and she likes it too. So far all we have done is walk down Las Ramblas to see all the street performers and went into the food markets which have fantastic displays of very exotic fruits and all kinds of bizarre seafood. Then we went to see the cathedral, on the way there we saw tickets on sale for a Concierto de Aranjuez, with Manuel Gonzalez, said to be the best guitarist of Spanish music, who has played at the Lincoln Center in NYC and other happening places. So we have tickets to see that tomorrow night. Gaudi's Parc Guell in Barcelona

So we have plotted up which museums we want to see, then on Monday when all the museums are shut we will do a guided architectural tour of the Gaudi buildings. So should be a lot of fun! We are out of here on Thursday so we have lots of time to explore. Parc Guell

And it is very fun with Cailli here, I'm taking more photos and of course it's fun to have her to talk to, she's very easy going and a good companion.