We decided today that there is more to Barcelona than Gaudi. Given that our hotel is right in the centre of the old town on the Placa de Catalunya at the top end of La Rambla we had already walked to most of the tourist areas sourcing food etc.
We therefore decided to go to the beach via the Gothic Quarter and then see if we could fit in the Roman Ruins. Kate had sourced breakfast of pastries from the free snacks yesterday and we made coffee in our room with the pod machine.
Walked to Barcelona Beach which is about 3kms away and needed our umbrellas because it was raining on the way there. The guy at reception thought we were crazy but the clouds cleared and we had a lovely morning on the beach. I expect it is Barcelona's equivalent of Bondi and came complete with cafes and beach sellers (20 € for an oversized sarong). We didn't have trouble resisting the hard sell and were left alone after the initial onslaught. The water was pleasant and we really enjoyed the morning.
Headed back to the hotel for a late lunch (from the free food) and a shower before heading down La Rambla again. We were told the Roman ruins were closed because the airconditioning wasn't working so continued to wander around the cathedral and look at the street markets before having Churros for afternoon tea (Kate had been talking about them). When I was paying for the Churros some Americans in the store were admiring my second layer of security with my stuff bag inside my backpack. It amused Kate.
Beer and Sangria for pre dinner drinks and then noodles in a box prepared fresh in the supermarket. One of the cheapest meals we have had.
Leaving Spain tomorrow for France and Carcassonne.
Thank you for keeping up the blog to share your trip - difficult I know as you get tired. I have really enjoyed reliving these places with you. Brought back some great memories and the different perspectives are very interesting. Interested to see how you find Carcassonne. Haven't been there but it's on the list!
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