Au Revoir Montpellier! Hola Barcelona!

Good bye lovely little apartment in Montpellier. Off on the TGV for Barcelona, 3 1/2 hours in first class train car. So comfy and quiet (except for a guy a few rows away snoring) and less than 10€ more than 2nd class for the 2 of us.  

We got ourselves from train station to office of apartment rental people to pick up our keys. We had been forewarned at least 6 times to watch for pick pockets. So I was quite anxious. This is one busy place. Lots of tourists. Maybe everyone we see on the streets is a tourist - hard to tell.  

Apartment is on the 2nd floor which means 3 flights above ground level, very narrow winding staircase.  

Small, but great location - very central. 

Once we got to our apartment and unloaded, sorted our stuff out and headed out again I felt a bit better and ready to explore.  We did a walk-around and stopped at outdoor café for limonade, and later had some tapas for dinner. 

On Friday we set out to follow a walking tour we had. It was supposed to take 1.5 hours, but actually took us more like 3 hours. We wound our way through the narrow old streets of the El Born area of Barcelona.  It was hard to stay on track as there were so many other interesting side streets, filled with bars and shops and museums. 

Church of Santa Maria del Mar - very stripped down Gothic and a very long nave. 

Stopped for an overly chocolate coffee break.  Not only was the croissant filled with chocolate, but ends were also dipped. Muffin was 'dense' chocolate!  Marion needed two coffees to match it all!

Street scenes as we neared the waterfront. Vast parks and - what the Spanish do so well - broad walking avenues - good for whole families, young, old, bikes, strollers, couples - all enjoying the outdoors together. 

After an outdoor lunch we walked up Las Ramblas. This is apparently the boulevard where you are most likely to be pick-pocketed in all of Europe. It was jammed with walkers, market stalls and crowds watching the buskers.  This was one of the more interesting ones. 

When you put money in his dish he would stand up and attack you - wrap his long fingers around your body, but he drew a great crowd and was much busier than others around (a John Lennon, a Geisha girl, a juggler). 

We walked on up to La Boqueria market. This is French markets magnified many times. The French are so much more reserved and proper, but the Spanish are all there for good food drinks and socializing. So many people eating in here, and lots of things we'd never seen before for sale. 

Fruits and veggies

Candy stall

Little flutes of seafood to munch as you walk along. 

Famous Spanish Jamon (ham)

We walked home past the Barcelona Cathedral, always a hive of activity.  Every time we've passed here there has been a musical busker - no matter the time of day! And the crowds are tuned in to them.  

We were going to go in to look around the cathedral yesterday but I had shorts on, just above my knee.  Not allowed on women.  So we will try again when I am wearing long pants.

Abrazos ( Spanish for hugs)

Wendy y Marion