| Nov 5, 2005 - Barcelona
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 | | show all 8 | | Gaudi's Sagrada Familia | | statue outside La Sagrada Familia | | Entrance to Gaudi's Parque Gruell | | |
| This afternoon we say goodbye to Barcelona and head off to Granada on a 4:00 flight. I returned my overnight train reservations and opted to fly instead, after arrving here on one of the worst train rides of my life. I decided I just couldn't do another, at least not this soon. I took an overnight train from San Sebastian on the 2nd, as the day trains were all booked. I had already stayed longer than I had planned, so grabbed the only train available, boy was that a mistake. I was stuck in a 6 person couchette - it was cramped, it was hot, it was stinky, and it sucked. I am just too tall to fit into those little beds. I didn't sleep a wink all night and the train was delayed 3 and a half hours. By the time I got to Barcelona, I was like a cranky zombie. Very hungry and tired. I checked into my hotel, showered, ate some amazing paella, took an exploratory, walk down las Ramblas, then went to bed early.
After sleeping over 12 hours, I felt like a new man. I met my friend Manuel for breakfast(a former exchange student who lived with Carol and Harry). He gave me an introductory tour to the Barrio Gotic and area around my hotel, then drove me to the airport to meet Walter. It has been great having Walter here. We have spent the last few days exploring the city, doing a lot of walking and drinking sangria in outdoor cafes each night. Our hotel was right off the Ramblas, the big pedestrian street running from Placa de Catalunya down to the waterfront. It's lined with restaurants, cafes and little shops selling all kinds of junk, crap shit 'n stuff. It was nice for the first day or two, but it's very loud and packed with tourists. Barcelona is a great city, but I am ready for someplace a little less crazy.
All the Gaudi stuff here is amazing. I think Dr. Seuss must have been inspired by him. Looking at some of his work makes me feel like one of the Who's down in Whoville. The Sagrada Familia church is something to behold. It looks like a wax sculpture left in the sun, but the details are amazing. It is still being worked on and won't be finished until sometime around 2016 I think. We spent the better part of day touring it and a few other Guadi works. I especially loved Parque Gruell, a large park on a hill overlooking the city. It was originally intended to be a swanky, private neighborhood, but was never completed. |
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